Best West Country Walks for a Heatwave: Cool Hiking Routes in the South West

Beat the Heat: 4 Refreshing West Country Hikes for Summer Days

Devon's South East Coast

During the two decades I spent writing a weekly walks column, the most common question from readers was: “What’s your favourite hike?”

It is a question impossible to answer. This region boasts some of the finest walking routes in Europe; picking just one would be like naming a single favourite piece of music. There is simply an embarrassment of riches.

The second most frequent query concerned the weather. In a region that protrudes into a giant ocean, we see a lot of it. We often quote Alfred Wainwright’s famous line: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

While true for rain and wind, Wainwright (who died in 1991) might not have been quite so au fait with the modern heatwave. You can buy gear for ice and rain, but on a humid, sweltering day, the only real remedy is to choose the right location. In the South West, these cooling sanctuaries fall into four categories:

1. The Airy Ridge Ramble

2. The Coastal Ridge Ramble

3. The Coastal Clamber with Shade

4. The Deep, Cool Forest Foray

1. Airy Ridge Rambles: The Quantock Hills

All uplands are cooler than lowlands, but in a heatwave, the centre of a large plateau like Dartmoor can feel stifling. Ridges are the "premium zone" because they attract breezes from all angles.

The best of them all is the Quantock Hills National Landscape (formerly AONB). This massive ridge marches from Taunton toward the Bristol Channel.

Beech trees on the Quantocks

• The Route: Start at the Staple Plain car park above St Audries. Follow the ancient track to Beacon Hill for panoramic views that inspired Coleridge.

• The Return: Walk the "Great Road" toward Thorncombe Barrow. You can loop back via the beautiful Bicknoller Combe or visit the village of Bicknoller itself.

High above Bicknoller

2. Coastal Ridge Rambles: Brean Down

On a coastal ridge, the sea bounces light back at you—a "double sunshine whammy"—so a hat is essential. However, the exposure provides a constant, refreshing maritime draft.

Brean Down is essentially the most westerly ridge of the Mendip Hills, separated by the River Axe. This 3.5-mile return walk from Brean offers extraordinary views, Roman temple ruins, and Iron Age hillforts.

Inland end of Brean Down

3. Coastal Clamber with Shade: Combe Martin to Ilfracombe

While most coasts are treeless due to salt-laden winds, the stretch of the South West Coast Path between Combe Martin and Ilfracombe offers rare, elegant tunnels of beech trees.

• Highlights: Look out for Golden Cove, Egg Rock, and the fjord-like inlet of Watermouth.

• Top Tip: This is a one-way hike. In a sweltering afternoon, you’ll be glad to catch the bus back from Ilfracombe!

Ilfracombe Harbour

4. Cool Woodland Walks: Cotehele and the Tamar Valley

When the sun is truly punishing, head for the deep, "sylvan" shade of the Tamar Valley. Cotehele sits on the Cornish bank and offers both forest canopy and the cooling influence of the river.

• The Walk: From the National Trust car park, descend to Cotehele Quay. Cross into Elbow Wood and Comfort Wood.

• History: You’ll pass historic lime kilns, old mines, and a renovated paper mill, all while staying tucked under a green umbrella of leaves.

Down at the quay at Cotehele