It is approached from Plymouth by car to Kingsbridge and then by following the A379 from Kingsbridge to Torcross and the sea, an overall journey time of getting on for 50 minutes. The walk is well worth the journey, particularly so on a fine summer day.

There are two large car parks, at either end of Slapton Ley, unfortunately both are pay and display and at the date of this walk, the all day charge was £3.

Norman Chynoweth had offered this 8 mile walk of Slapton Ley and the surrounding countryside on Wednesday 24th May and at 10.30 AM 8 ramblers arrived, or just about arrived, ready for the off.

Just about, because we noticed a very small free parking area a few hundred yards back along the road to Kingsbridge and decided that a few hundred yards extra was well worth the walk to save £3 per car.

This outline route should be related to a 1:25000 ordnance survey map of the area and I recommend the outddor leisure map no 20 of South Devon as the best one to use. The write up which follows, together with the map should enable you to get a good insight into the details of the route followed.

The weather forecast for the day was indifferent with some rain forecast for the late morning onwards.

When the small group finally arrived at the official start point we had a brief on the route from Norman and we were on our way, some of us dressed for summer and others for the more inclement conditions expected.

The area had been the scene of a terrible tragedy during the second world war when many american servicemen practicing for the landings in France had been attacked by their own troops using live ammunition during their practice landings and had been killed.

The american tank is there to remind all visitors of this fact and at the far end of the ley there is a war memorial as another reminder.

On the day of the walk there was a military historian selling signed copies of his book describing the tragedy, in the car park, alongside the old tank.

We left the car park by by the east end and walked along the side of the ley with the sea on our right hand side just across the road.

This is one of the few flat areas of coast in the whole of Devon and the bay sweeps around to Start Point in one direction and past the entrance to the Dart and Dartmouth to the headland of Berry Head just visible to the east.

The area to the west of TorCross is very popular with divers since the water is very clear, with pebble beds out to sea, rather than the mud and sand so normally found.

As the two photographs show, the first looking to Start Point and the second east to Berry Head, the wide pebble banks and easy access make this a very popular visitor area in the summer. Walkers are therefore advised that the car parks, empty enough out of season may be rather fuller when the weather and the time of year permits.

We continued alongside the ley, admiring the many birds which abound there until we reached the second car park, on the seaward side.  

There is a toilet there incidentally, useful before turning inland and the only one to be found until the return to TorCross at the end of the walk.

A few yards beyond the car park, we turned left and followed a narrow road which leads to the village of Slapton. After a few yards we crossed a small bridge (Slapton Bridge on the map) over the narrow part of the ley.

There were excellent views from the bridge looking back across the expanse of the ley towards TorCross and our starting point.

Just beyond the bridge, we turned left over a stile and took the footpath, signposted as a nature trail around part of the inland section of the ley.

The path was easy and naturally flat as we swung around the ley with good views of the wildlife as we walked. I was surprised to find that small boats were available for use for the fishermen, I had expected that any form of craft would have been prohibited from the ley as it is a designated wildlife sanctuary.

After a few hundred yards we came upon a small area on our right, set back from the ley. In it was a very rustic looking seat, very much in keeping with the setting, an ideal point for our morning coffee break.

Unfortunately, we could feel the first few raindrops of the day, these gradually increased until we were walking in steady rain for the remainder of the walk.

About a half a mile from the start of the nature trail, you have two choices, turn through 90 degrees and head north east to Slapton or continue on across an elevated section wooden slatted walkway towards Deer Bridge a further half a mile on heading north west.

We took the Dear Bridge route.

The trail was obviously very well maintained and we followed the wooden elevated section as it meandered across a boggy section of the ley for two hundred yards or so and then followed the track as it made it's way along terra firma once again.

The footpath is very well signed and although there are some paths off the main track these are clearly indicated as private.

After a few hundred yards of easy walking we emerged on a road, linking Slapton with the village of Stokenham, 1.5 miles south of the bridge.

Norman had warned us that there would be a steepish uphill section and the walk up the road was indeed just that, quite steep!! We crossed over Deer Bridge and started the uphill section, which I note from the map peaked at 110 metres (350 feet)

Although a narrow road there was a surprising amount of traffic on it, or perhaps we were just unlucky. On two or three occasions we were forced to look for areas to move off the road, to allow local lorries to pass. Perhaps we were just unlucky.

As we approached the top of the hill there were excellent views looking back to Slapton Ley below and to the sea beyond that. The rain was now becoming heavier which unfortunately limited the visibility somewhat.

Ignoring a turning to Frittiscombe, we continued until another road merged in from the right. Just beyond that there was a footpath to our left, indicating a right of way through fields towards Stokenham, a little over half a mile in the valley below us to the south.

The farmer had planted a field of corn and had left those who wanted to walk along the path to their own devices. As you can see from the photograph on the right, the path was very narrow, the corn was wet and those in shorts soon wished they were wearing long trousers, waterproof ones as well.

Having had an early leg bath, and climbed over a couple of stiles, we were on a road leading down to the village of Stokenham.

The village lies on the main road that we had travelled along from Kingsbridge earlier in the morning.

The church spire was clearly visible as we made our way down towards the road and the church to our left and of course the village pub immediately opposite the church on the other side.

The rain was now coming down steadily and the prospect of sitting outside taking lunch in the rain just didn't appeal. Now what would you do, a pub or a church?? I know my optimal choice. Yes, we headed up to the church and sat in the entrance, under cover, admired the posters and passed the time of day with the church organist who arrived in middle of our sumptuous meal.

He seemed quite unconcerned to see the eight of us sitting there and after a few pleasantries, continued on his way.

Lunch over, we left the church and crossed the main road, picking up the lane going up the steep hill directly across the main road from the pub. We made our way up past the beautiful vicarage gardens, with a splendidly pruned tree in the foreground, and the vicarage itself and climbed steadily up the lane for about a half a mile.

Although we kept to the lane, we noticed newly cut footpath entrance to Widewell plantation, with a signpost indicating a path through the wood. The exit was at the top of the plantation, a couple of hundred yards up the hill. Doubtless, this will appear on the maps in the fullness of time. Shortly after, we emerged at a T junction.

Immediately across the minor road was a footpath leading steeply up through a field to a wood at the top. We followed the footpath and at the top, in a small wood, we had the choice of turning left and heading towards Beesands or continuing straight on following the footpath to Beeson, a village about 1.5 miles due south.

We followed the path through the wood towards Beeson, down through another field and then skirted around Lower Widdicombe Farm and down through a rough track for the last half a mile down into the village.

On entering the village, we took the road to the left down the hill and up the other side heading roughly east towards the sea.

After the short uphill section, we headed down along the narrow road, towards the sea.

Below us we could see the sea from time to time and another saline lake.

This ley was much smaller than Slapton Ley, a mile or so to the north. With the many references to Widdicombe, I was not surprised to find that the lake was called Widdicombe Ley.

We continued down the road heading for the beach below and as the narrow road swung due south, we took the footpath to our left, which headed down through a steep field heading due east.

The downhill section was fairly steep and after the 300 yard descent, we were on level ground again and heading for the road running parallel to the sea, another nice beach, this one called Beesands.

Looking due South, we could see the sweep of the cliffs heading out to Start Point, one of the major headlands along the coast and with notorious tides to negotiate.

The picture on the right shows the view north from Beesands.

Looking in the opposite direction, between Beesands where we were and Start Point, we could just about make out the ruined coastal village of Hallsands. This village had been washed into the sea many years ago, after the sea gravel out to sea had been excavated for use in Plymouth and other areas. This had changed the tidal flow to such a degree that the scouring action, resulting from the new flow, had washed away the sea gravel from the base of the village, with the inevitable result to the doomed village.

Although not on the itinerary for this walk, it is well worth a walk along the cliffs to the village to see just how little is left of the once thriving fishing village which once nestled on the cliffs, protected as it was by the cliffs of Start Point.

We headed along past the Ley and the football pitch next to it for the final coastal cliff section back Torcross.

This coastal section involved a steep uphill climb over the National Trust owned cliff, an ascent of 80 metres (200 ft). This once again got the blood pumping as we made our way up the steps and the subsequent climb to the top.

The remaining section from the top of the cliffs was rather more gentle, through fields and a copse, descending down into Torcross itself.

Passing by a couple of hotels, the final section was down a steep flight of concrete steps which led us down to the toilets just below and to a lane into the main part of the village of Torcross.

At this point, those who had used the pay and display car park headed north towards the car park, whilst those who had found the small free parking area made their way north west along the road, passing the small church en route.

The rain had continued from 11.30 AM and had shown no signs of abating during the walk.

Wet gear was soon being peeled off and thrown into plastic bags as we hurriedly changed and settled in the car. Once again, despite the rain, we had enjoyed an interesting walk. I could only imagine how nice it might have been had the sun been out and the visibility been that much better.

Just under an hour later, we were back at the car share point in Plymouth reflecting on the sights of the day.

Thank you Norman, I enjoyed walking yet another new area of Devon to me.