Walking the South West Coast Path: National Trail From Minehead to South Haven Point

by Paddy Dillon

Overview

Guidebook to walking the South West Coast Path, a 630 mile (1015km) waymarked long-distance trail from Minehead to Poole, along the north Devon, Cornish, south Devon and Dorset coastline. This epic route takes in Exmoor National Park, several AONBs and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The walk can be completed in around 4 weeks or walked in sections.

• The route is presented in 45 stages, ranging from 12.5 to 37.5km
• Each stage includes step-by-step route description alongside full OS mapping
• The book contains everything you need to plan and hike the trail, including practical information on accommodation, transport links and facilities
• The compact format is conveniently sized for slipping into a jacket pocket or the top of a rucksack
• Also described is the 17-mile South Dorset Ridgeway, from West Bexington to Osmington Mills, which can be used as a scenic way to shave 42 miles off the total distance
• GPX files are available for download

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786310682
Publisher:	Cicerone Press Limited
Publication date:	07/30/2021
Series:	UK long-distance trails series
Edition description:	Third edition
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	4.75(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written extensively for many different outdoor publications and has appeared on radio and television. Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several major European trails. He lives on the fringes of the Lake District and has walked, and written about walking, in every county throughout the British Isles.

Table of Contents

Route summary table 6

Introduction 9

Planning your trip 11

Itineraries 11

When to go 13

Travel to the South West 14

Travel around the South West 15

Accommodation en route 17

Facilities en route 19

Baggage transfer services 21

One man and his dog 21

What to take 21

Planning day by day 23

Using this guide 23

Maps and GPS 24

Time and tide 24

Waymarking and paths 26

Rescue services 27

Safety on the Coast Path 28

All about the region 30

Geography 30

Geology 30

Plants and wildlife 32

Culture 34

Coastal walking through history 35

A protected coastline 37

The South West Coast Path 39

Stage 1 Minehead to Porlock Weir 40

Stage 2 Porlock Weir to Lynmouth 45

Stage 3 Lynmouth to Combe Martin 50

Stage 4 Combe Martin to Woolacombe 56

Stage 5 Woolacombe to Braunton 61

Stage 6 Braunton to Westward Ho! 66

Stage 7 Westward Ho! to Clovelly 75

Stage 8 Clovelly to Hartland Quay 79

Stage 9 Hartland Quay to Bude 83

Stage 10 Bude to Boscastle 90

Stage 11 Boscastle to Port Isaac 96

Stage 12 Port Isaac to Padstow 102

Stage 13 Padstow to Porthcothan 107

Stage 14 Porthcothan to Newquay 111

Stage 15 Newquay to Perranporth 116

Stage 16 Perranporth to Portreath 122

Stage 17 Portreath to St Ives 127

Stage 18 St Ives to Pendeen Watch 133

Stage 19 Pendeen Watch to Porthcurno 138

Stage 20 Porthcurno to Penzance 144

Stage 21 Penzance to Porthleven 150

Stage 22 Porthleven to Lizard Point 156

Stage 23 Lizard Point to Porthallow 162

Stage 24 Porthallow to Falmouth 169

Stage 25 Falmouth to Portloe 176

Stage 26 Portloe to Mevagissey 182

Stage 27 Mevagissey to Polmear 187

Stage 28 Polmear to Polperro 192

Stage 29 Polperro to Portwrinkle 198

Stage 30 Portwrinkle to Plymouth 204

Stage 31 Plymouth to Wembury Beach 210

Stage 32 Wembury Beach to Bigbury-on-Sea 216

Stage 33 Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe 222

Stage 34 Salcombe to Stoke Fleming 228

Stage 35 Stoke Fleming to Brixham 235

Stage 36 Brixham to Shaldon 242

Stage 37 Shaidon to Budleigh Salterton 250

Stage 38 Budleigh Salterton to Seaton 257

Stage 39 Seaton to Seatown 264

Stage 40 Seatown to Abbotsbury 271

Stage 41 Abbotsbury to Ferrybridge 276

Stage 42 Isle of Portland circuit 280

Stage 43 Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove 286

Stage 44 Lulworth Cove to Swanage 292

Stage 44 (Alternative) Lulworth Cove to Gaulter Gap 299

Stage 45 Swanage to South Haven Point 305

South Dorset Ridgeway 309

West Bexington to Osmington Mills 310

Appendix A Useful contacts 317

Appendix B Facilities along the route 323

Appendix C Topographical glossary 341