COASTAL WALKS - THE SOUTH WEST COASTAL PATH
AND TIDAL RIVERSIDE WALKS
As surely all walkers now know, there is a well defined and signposted coastal path from Dorset in East all the way around to the North Somerset Coast called the South West Coastal Path. There is plenty of coastal walking to keep us busy. During the past few years, Joy and I have made efforts to cover as much of the path as we can without becoming obsessional about it. We have taken a few days out most summers to pick a section of the route, usually 40 to 60 miles and have walked the section over four or five days, making use of B&B in the area.

This page describes some of the walks we've done by oursleves and also includes a few of the coastal and tidal riverside walks we've walked with Plymouth Ramblers since 1999. The last walk described was in October 2004, severe it most certainly was too.

If you want to read a very amusing account of a walker from Burnley and her friend and the adventures they had when walking the full 650 miles or more of the South West Way then she has produced an electronic book of the walk. For a review of the book  click here  

Back to finding my descriptions of some of the sections of the route that I've walked. By pointing to the relevant section of coastline on the map below you should find yourself taken to a description ( in the fullness of time) of the section of walk duly illustrated with photos whenever possible.

One little problem that I have is that for the area between Falmouth around Lands End and up to Hayle I can't find the photographs (pre digital days) I took whilst walking that section over 8 days. If I ever do find them then I'll describe that section too, it is a super section and I much regret the loss of my photographs.

Whilst I'm in a regrets mood, for Devonians, extra apologies for only having the Cornwall map, another little job to attend to in time.

Page down past the map and you'll find a list of direct links to a selection of over 50 of the south west coast path and riverside walks we've walked so far in both Devon and Cornwall.

The Bere Peninsula Looe to Polperro Cremyll to Cawsand Cawsand to Rame Head Lansellos to Polperro Lansellos to Polruan Rivers Lerryn and Fowey St Austell to Fowey St Austell to Mevagissy East PortHolland to Mevagissy East PortHolland to Portscatho Portscatho to Falmouth Roads (circular) Hayle to Newquay Trevone Bay to Camel Estuary Trevone Bay to Consantine Bay Tintagel to Boscastle Port Isaac to Tintagel Crackington Haven to Bude

Just in case the walk locations are not showing up on the map here they are below:

The Walks Described are:

  •  Cremyll to Cawsand in May 99 
  •  Cawsand to Rame Head via Whitsands in Jan 00 
  •  Cremyll to Rame Head and return via Cawsand in Mar 00 
  •  Looe to Polperro 
  •  Looe, Kilminorth Woods and Talland Bay (7 miles) 30 Jul 00 
  •  Frogmore/Lansellos to Polperro  
  •  Lansellos to Polruan/Fowey 
  •  Rivers Lerryn and Fowey 
  •  St Austell to Fowey 
  •  St Austell to Mevagissy  
  •  East PortHolland to Mevagissy 
  •  East PortHolland to Portscatho 
  •  Portscatho to Falmouth Roads (circular) 
  •  Hayle to Newquay, 4 stages and 40 miles 25-28 Aug 00  
  •  Trevone Bay to the Camel Estuary (circular) 7 miles 20 Aug 00  
  •  Cotehele Quay, Calstock and Metherell (circular) 8.5 miles 21 Oct 01  
  •  Polkerris, Readymoney Cove and Gribbin Head (circular) 7 miles 18 Nov 01  
  •  Crackington Haven to Bude linear (10 miles) on 21 Apr 02  
  •  Trevone Bay, Trevose Head and Constantine Bay (circular) 8.5 miles 8 Jun 03  
  •  Mevagissey to Gorran Haven Circular Walk of 8 miles on 27 Jul 03  
  •  Lansellos to Polruan return inland ( 8.5 miles) on 24 Aug 03  
  •  Tintagel to Boscastle return inland ( 9 miles) on 7 Sep 03  
  •  Charlestown to Pentewan Sands return inland ( 10 miles) on 27 Jun 04  
  •  Port Isaac to Tintagel ( 9 miles) on 24 Oct 04  

    In addition some walks along the South Devon section of the south west coastal path and riverside walks are included, namely:

  •  Mouth of the Erme on 3 Jan 99 
  • River Tavy in the Lopwell Dam Area on 21 Feb 99 (2m)
  •  Turnchapel to Fort Bovisand, near Plymouth in June 99 
  •  Marlborough to Soar Mill Cove to Bolt Head and the Salcombe Estuary in August 99 
  •  Holbeton and the Flete Estate in November 99 
  •  Wembury, the Yealm and Bovisand Area in November 99 
  •  The River Avon and Bigbury Bay in late November 99 
  •   Upper reaches of the Yealm to Yealmpton in Dec 99  
  •   The Bere Peninsula, down the Tamar and up the Tavy on 5th March 2000 
  •   Aveton Gifford to Ayrmer Cove via Bigbury-on-Sea on 8th March 2000  
  •   Totnes down the Dart to Ashprington and return on 10th Apr 00  
  •   Lord Revelstokes Drive coastal walk from Noss Mayo on 19 Apr 00 
  •   Torcross, around Slapton Ley and inland, back via Beesands and coast 24 May 00 (8miles) 
  •   Kingston to Ringmore via the coastal path, return via footpaths 7 Jun 00 (9 miles) 
  •   South MiltonSands to Salcombe, return via footpaths 21 Jun 00 (15 miles) 
  •   Totnes to Dartmouth return by river steamer 22 Jul 00 (11 miles) 
  •   Tamar Valley - Thorn Point to Tuckermarsh Quay 2 Aug 00 (12 miles) 
  •   Dartmouth Castle circular walk to Stoke Fleming and back 1 Oct 00 (7.5 miles) 
  •   Aveton Gifford to Bantham & return 15 Oct 00 (10 miles)  
  •   Bere Ferrers to Hole Farm circular walk 1 Jan 01 (4 miles)  
  •   Marlborough, Snapes Point, Salcombe, Bolt Head 17 Jan 01 (11 miles)  
  •   Torquay to Babbacombe & back 25 Mar 01 (12 miles)  
  •   Over Ten Parks in Plymouth 6 May 01 (11/12 miles)  
  •   Coastal Path east of Plymouth and back via inland route 7 Apr 02 (9 miles)  
  •   Tamar Valley Devon Side - Clamoak to nearTuckermarsh Quay 27 Oct 02 (8.5 miles)  
  •   Circular Start Point, East Prawle and Hallsands coastal/inland circular route 28 Sep 03 (9 miles)  
  •   Circular Salcombe, Coombe, Soar and Bolt Head inland/coastal walk 15 Feb 04 (7 miles)  

    Accommodation Centres

    Coming from Plymouth as we do then the area 30 miles or so either side means we can walk the route by driving out from home.

    Further West we have found St Austell, Portscatho, Falmouth, Helston and Penzance/Newlyn to be excellent bases with very good reliable bus links to a variety of start and finish points en route

    Using these bases and our home, we have managed to walk getting for two hundred and fifty miles of the route to date.