South West Coast Path
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At 630 miles (1014 km) long, the South West Coast Path is Britain's longest national trail, running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging.
The path has been a complete National Trail since 1978.
Contents
Special landscapes
Many of the landscapes which the South West Coast Path crosses have special status, either as a National Park or one of the Heritage Coasts:- Somerset & North Devon
- * Exmoor Heritage Coast and Exmoor National Park.
- * North Devon Heritage Coast
- * Hartland Heritage Coast
- North Cornwall
- * Pentire Point - Widemouth Heritage Coast
- * Trevose Head Heritage Coast
- * Godrevy - Portreath Heritage Coast
- * Penwith Heritage Coast
- South Cornwall
- * Lizard Heritage Coast
- * Roseland Heritage Coast
- * Gribbin Head - Polperro Heritage Coast
- * Rame Head Heritage Coast
- South Devon and Dorset
- * South Devon Heritage Coast
- * East Devon Heritage Coast
- * The Jurassic Coast, a 95 mile (155km) long World Heritage Site
- * Dorset Heritage Coast
Places of interest
In order from Minehead to Poole HarbourSomerset and North Devon
North Cornwall
From Bude to Land's End- Widemouth Bay
- Crackington Haven
- Tintagel - legendary birth place of King Arthur
- Trevose Head
- Watergate Bay
- Pentire Point
- St Agnes Head
- Godrevy Island and lighthouse
- Hayle Towans - extensive sand dunes
- Carbis Bay
- Bottalack Mine - disused tin mine
- Cape Cornwall
- Whitesand Bay
- Land's End
South Cornwall
- Minack Theatre - an open air theatre
- St Michael's Mount
- Loe Bar and Loe Pool
- Mullion Cove
- Lizard Point
- Cadgwith
- Helford River
- Gweek - seal sanctuary
- Carrick Roads, overlooked by Pendennis Castle and St Mawes Castle
- St Anthony Head
- Zone Point
- Dodman Point
- Pentewan - silted up dock
- Black Head
- Gribbin Head
- Estuary of the River Fowey
- Rame Head
- Hamoaze - the combined estuary of the River Tamar and other rivers
South Devon
- Plymouth Sound and The Hoe
- Kingsbridge Estuary
- Bolt Tail
- South Devon Railway sea wall
- Dawlish Warren - sand spit and estuary of the River Exe
- River Otter
- Ladram Bay
- Jacob's Ladder at Sidmouth
- Beer Caves
Dorset
- The Cobb breakwater and fossils at Lyme Regis
- Golden Cap
- Portland Bill
- Chesil Beach and The Fleet - a tombolo and lagoon
- Isle of Portland and Portland Harbour
- Nothe Fort
- Wey Estuary
- Durdle Door - a natural arch
- Lulworth Cove
- Tyneham - a ghost village
- Kimmeridge - a wave cut platform and rocky shore
- St Albans Head
- Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks
- Durlston Country Park
- Studland Bay, Beach and psammosere
- Poole Harbour
Towns and villages
In order from Minehead to Poole HarbourSomerset and North Devon
North Cornwall
- Bude
- Boscastle
- Port Isaac
- Polzeath
- Padstow
- Newquay and Fistral Beach
- Perranporth
- St Agnes
- Portreath
- Hayle
- St Ives
- St Just
- Sennen
South Cornwall
- Mousehole
- Newlyn
- Penzance
- Marazion
- Porthleven
- Falmouth
- St Mawes
- Mevagissey
- St Austell
- Charlestown
- Par
- Fowey
- Polperro
- Looe
South Devon
- Plymouth
- Wembury
- Salcombe
- Dartmouth
- Kingswear
- Brixham
- Paignton
- Torquay
- Teignmouth
- Dawlish
- Exmouth
- Budleigh Salterton
- Sidmouth
- Seaton
Dorset
Public transport
Using public transport for at least part of their journey means that walkers can plan walks which start and finish at different places, rather than have to circle back to their start point to collect their cars.Railways
give options for both short walks - such as Dawlish to Paignton - or for longer walks over several days.
Bus services
Most towns and villages along the South West Coast Path have bus services, although some of these may not be very frequent.Long distance bus services connect some coastal towns with railway stations:
- Bude to Exeter St Davids railway station
- Ilfracombe to Taunton railway station
- Minehead to Taunton railway station
- Padstow to Bodmin Parkway railway station
- Westward Ho! and Bideford to Barnstaple railway station
External links
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