North Devon Coastal Path

Exmoor is a unique landscape, in world as well as British terms. Highish and flattish grass and heather (and bracken) moorland is riven with deep wooded valleys. Its northern flank falls sharply into the Bristol Channel, with huge cliffs, beautiful coves and some characterful towns nestled in wooded slopes and rocky drama.

This coastline is explored by the North Devon Coastal Path, part of the famous South West Coast Path, which spends 2-3 days winding along the northern Exmoor coast in what some claim, not unreasonably, to be one of England’s best walks. Always attractive and interesting and often ravishing, it is a form of walking bliss,  whether for the day walker or the long-distance merchant.

Views are often priceless, whether out over the sea to Wales, or up some delightful little valley. The villages and towns have history and charm,  and the whole area enormous character. 

The sections are as follows. Some make marvellous day walking too,

Minehead to Porlock Weir across Selworthy/Bossington hills: Climb steeply onto the high (well, 1,000ft) hills west of Minehead, for sea views, atmosphere and historical trekking galore. 12km/7.5 miles. Lots of different circuits can be made around these hills, with a mixture of high seaward slopes and inland valleys and high heathlands.

Porlock Weir to Lynton: (20km/4.5-5hrs.) A superb walk high above the sea, much of it on steep upper slopes above sea cliffs. (Colebridge wrote Kubla Khan above Porlock). The majority of this coastline is prettily wooded, although you are seldom without glimpses of the sea; you emerge to wide, gorgeous vistas as you get nearer Lynmouth. (You can make a brilliant circuit from Porlock Weir by turning uphill half way along, to return on paths and lanes through the beautiful sloping fields high above the coastal woodlands. The same applies to the high, open countryside east of Lynmouth.) Drop to wide Lynmouth Bay, stopping to enjoy this nice (if touristy) town, which was devastated by a flood in the mid C20. Then climb to Lynton above it.

Lynton to Combe Martin: (21.7km/6hrs+) The first part of this section is on a heavily walked tarmac path, for good reason, as it has beautiful views and visits the decidedly peculiar Valley of the Rocks, so is popular. Thereafter it is very special, winding above Lee Bay, then on generally excellent paths along the wooded mid-slopes above Woody Bay and on westward to drop into the deep and steep-sided Heddon Valley. Beyond here it is what Walkopedia considers the most beautiful coastline of the lot, above dramatic cliffs to charming Combe Martin.

A good half-day circuit is from Hunters Inn in the Heddon Valley eastward above the steep sea-slope to the Martinhoe Roman Fortlet and further east, then back along the North Devon Coastal Path on the mid-slopes. 8km/5miles. Another unforgettable circuit is from the stunningly sited hamlet of Trentishoe just above the western flanks of the Heddon Valley, westward along truly magnificent coastline, dropping in and back out of the deep Sherrycombe Valley to crest lovely Great Hangman and Little Hangman hills, then turning back to return along minor roads and footpaths to your start.

There are firms which will organise guided or supported walking (slackpacking), and you can organise for your bags to be taken on to your next destination by taxi. See our South-west Coast Path page for more information.

We want to give more - please help us by giving ideas and sending photos! Thank you!

For detailed practical information and photos, see our EXMOOR and SOUTH-WEST COST PATH pages.