Central Dartmoor West Devon occupies a dramatic, weather-beaten frontier. Trapped between the high, boggy tors of Dartmoor’s western flank and the wooded river marches of the Tamar and Torridge, its settlements were never built for mere decorative leisure. These are working border towns, shaped by tin mining, abbey riches, stone quarries, and an enduring agricultural stubbornness. Whether you are skirting the moors on the A30 or exploring the lush river valleys, these three historic hubs show West Devon at its most characterful. 1. Tavistock: Abbey Riches and Stannary Grandeur Tavistock is a town that simply had to be. Stuck between the high wilderness of Dartmoor and the broad marches of the riverine borderlands, there would have been a gaping void in West Devon had it not prospered. It sits where the River Tavy—one of the fastest-flowing waters in England—tumbles down from the granite moors into the softer, verdant folds of the valley. See our selection of North Devon market towns here The Tavistock Canal Everything about Tavistock feels substantial. Back in 974 AD, Ordgar, Earl of Devon, founded a massive Benedictine abbey here. Though razed by Viking raiders sailing up the Tamar in 997, it was rebuilt on a monumental scale, housing hundreds of monks until Henry VIII’s Dissolution handed the vast estate to the Russell family, later the Dukes of Bedford. Today, fragments of the abbey are woven into the very fabric of the town—from Betsy Grimbal’s Tower in the Vicarage garden to ancient masonry embedded in the walls around Abbey Bridge. In the twelfth century, tin mining transformed Tavistock into a chartered stannary town, where moorland tin was weighed, stamped, and taxed. The nineteenth-century copper boom brought further wealth, giving the town its handsome civic core, constructed from local greenish Hurdwick stone. At its heart sits Bedford Square and the thriving Victorian Pannier Market, flanked by independent shops and tree-lined river walks. Sir Francis Drake was born just down the road at Crowndale, and his statue stands proudly on the approach road, watching over a town that remains one of the most handsome in the West Country. Tavistock Fact File Market Days: Tuesday to Saturday (Pannier Market, with rotating craft, antique, and produce themes). Key Landmarks: The Victorian Pannier Market, Bedford Square, the Abbey ruins, and the Tavistock Canal path leading towards Morwellham. Annual Tradition: The legendary Tavistock Goose Fair, celebrated on the second Wednesday of October since the early twelfth century. Curiosity: The local saying goes: "If it is raining anywhere in my kingdom, it will be raining in Tavistock"—a quip attributed to King Charles II following his family's soggy Civil War visits. See our selection of East and Mid Devon Towns here Okehampton as seen from the slopes of Dartmoor 2. Okehampton: The Resilient Northern Bastion If you ever wish to witness Dartmoor in its most uncompromising mood, drive past Okehampton. The town sits squarely beneath the moor’s north-western shoulder, taking the brunt of Atlantic gales as clouds snag upon the heights of Sourton Down. For decades, Okehampton was known to motorists primarily as a bottleneck where the arterial A30 cleaved the high street in two. Since being bypassed, the old town has reclaimed its dignity. Originally Ochmentune—named after the swift, tumbling waters of the East and West Okement rivers that meet in the centre—it has a long history of taking hard knocks and bouncing back. Its dark, dramatic jewel is Okehampton Castle, a brooding ruin towering on a wooded spur above the West Okement. First raised as a motte-and-bailey stronghold by the Norman sheriff Baldwin de Brionne after the Conquest, it was later converted into a lavish fortified residence by the Courtenay Earls of Devon before Henry VIII executed the marquess and left the fortress to decay. Down in the valley, the town offers gentler pleasures. Simmons Park is a magnificent Edwardian municipal garden hugging the rushing river, complete with rockeries and a Tyrolean-style alpine chalet. Off Fore Street, tucked down a cobbled courtyard, the Museum of Dartmoor Life brings centuries of tough moorland quarrying, wool-combing, and farming to life. Okehampton Fact File Transport Link: The Dartmoor Line has triumphantly restored daily passenger rail services connecting Okehampton station directly to Exeter. Key Landmarks: The English Heritage ruins of Okehampton Castle, the Museum of Dartmoor Life, and Simmons Park. Curiosity: The British military first set up camp here in 1873 on training exercises. Despite getting their horses stuck in moorland bogs during early downpours, the War Office was so taken with the wild terrain that they signed a 999-year lease for the northern firing ranges. 3. Hatherleigh: The Unvarnished Soul of Agricultural Devon Visit most towns and you need an hour or two to sniff out what makes the place tick. Hatherleigh is different: it wears its heart proudly upon its sleeve. Sitting in the red-clay rolling country north of Dartmoor, this small community is the unvarnished, authentic epitome of rural Devon. Hatherleigh is not groomed or manicured for tourism, and that is precisely its charm. For over 780 years, it has operated as a true farmers' market hub. Step into the lanes on market day and you see the living face of the countryside: faces weathered by wind and clay, wax jackets, and old farming families leaning on sticks to discuss stock, crops, and weather. The town itself sits comfortably on a south-facing slope. A distinctive feature of its narrow streets is the prevalence of broad, double street-side doors opening into cobbled rear yards—the historic workspaces of wheelwrights, coopers, and blacksmiths. Above the roofs rises the fine church of St John the Baptist, which famously rebuilt its roof and restored its oak barrelling after the church spire dramatically collapsed straight through the nave in 1990. High above the settlement stretches Hatherleigh Moor, a vast common granted to the local poor in the fourteenth century (traditionally attributed to John of Gaunt). To this day, bona fide local householders known as 'pot-boilers' retain common rights and receive annual rent dividends from the moorland grazing. Hatherleigh Fact File Market Days: Tuesday mornings (traditional pan-agricultural, plant, and general produce market). Key Landmarks: The parish church of St John the Baptist, the old artisan courtyards, and Hatherleigh Moor. Famous Son: Captain William Morris, who survived leading the 17th Lancers in the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava; an obelisk stands in his honour on the moor. Curiosity: Hatherleigh is famed for its fiery Guy Fawkes Carnival in November, featuring the hauling of blazing tar barrels through the narrow streets by local carnivalites. See a selection of our best Devon pub walks here

East and Mid Devon are defined by fertile valleys, ancient trade routes, and distinctive red soils. Rather than mere dormitory stops or tourist caricatures, the market settlements scattered along the Axe, Otter, Exe, and Culm valleys retain a stubborn, working individuality. From world-renowned craft capitals to forgotten river-junctions, here are five historic Devon market towns well worth pulling off the highway to explore. 1. Honiton: The Grandest Highway Town of the West As a rule, highway towns are dismal places—dusty, one-horse dorps where residents peer bleakly from behind perma-grimed windowpanes and where gaudy hoardings attempt the impossible task of halting traffic bent on speeding right on through. Honiton is the glorious exception to this rule. It is a roadside burgh par excellence, dominated by a great, sweeping High Street so wide and handsome that travellers have happily pulled over to admire its charms for centuries. See 5 of the best North Devon Market Towns here Honiton main street The street market still takes over the broad thoroughfare twice weekly, as it has done for well over 700 years. But Honiton is equally celebrated as both the antiques capital of the South West and the historic world capital of handmade bobbin lace. In the nineteenth century, the American writer Elihu Burritt observed with poignancy how the gossamer-fine finery worn by queens on their coronation days was wrought by the weary, worn fingers of women toiling on the cold clay floors of damp cottages. You can explore this extraordinary legacy at the Allhallows Museum beside St Paul’s Church. Curiously, Honiton has repeatedly risen from the ashes. Devastating blazes—most notably the conflagration of 1765, which gutted 115 homes and melted the church bells—reshaped the architecture, leaving the wide, Georgian-fronted streetscape enjoyed today. Honiton Fact File Market Days: Tuesday and Saturday (held along the High Street). Key Landmarks: Allhallows Museum of Lace and Local Antiquities, St Paul's Church, and the cluster of independent antique emporiums. Curiosity: The annual Hot Penny Ceremony, where warm coins are scattered from pub balconies to mark the opening of the fair—a centuries-old custom once held to inaugurate a week free from petty arrests. See some of the best pub walks in Devon here Honiton Church 2. Axminster: Ancient Minster, Famous Weaves Tucked into the lovely Axe Vale near the Dorset border, Axminster is an ancient, self-contained community mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as early as 786 AD. It hums with life from its very centre, where market stalls cluster on Minster Green directly against the stone walls of the great church, continuing a tradition that dates back to the town’s first royal charter in 1210. The Minster church of St Mary the Virgin lords it over the surrounding pastoral vale. The churchyard saw bloody skirmishes during the English Civil War in 1644 when Parliamentary forces from Lyme Regis besieged Royalist troops holed up in the bell tower, setting fire to surrounding houses when they failed to dislodge them. Naturally, you cannot walk through Axminster without encountering carpets. The world-famous local industry was founded in 1755 by Thomas Whitty, who hand-wove his first carpet here. In those early days, the weaving process was so intricate and labour-intensive that the completion of a single carpet was celebrated with a full peal of the Minster bells. The prestigious weaves went on to cover floors in royal palaces, grand auditoriums, and stately homes across the globe. Just outside Axminster you can find the famous River Cottage of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall fame. Travel writer Martin Hesp with chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at River Cottage just outside Axminster Axminster Fact File Market Day: Thursday (held around the Minster and Trinity Square). Key Landmarks: The Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Axminster Heritage Centre (housed in Thomas Whitty's original carpet factory). Curiosity: Legend tells that King Athelstan founded a college of priests at the Minster to pray for the souls of seven earls slain in ancient Saxon battle. Mid Devon countryside 3. Tiverton: Two Rivers and Industrial Might Tiverton carries an atmospheric air unlike almost anywhere else in the West Country. Dominated by the vast brick facade of Heathcoat’s factory, it feels delightfully akin to a northern mill town magically transported to the rolling red hills of Devon. Look down across the town from the grandiose National Trust gardens at Knightshayes and you see the terraces built for craftsmen who, in 1816, actually walked 200 miles from Loughborough alongside industrialist John Heathcoat after their Leicestershire lace machines were wrecked by Luddites. Yet Tiverton’s importance stretches back far earlier. Originally 'Twi-ford' (signifying two fords over the Exe and the Lowman), the town was anchored by its Norman castle, established above the river escarpment after 1100 AD by Richard de Redvers. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Tiverton became the West Country’s premier trading centre for wool and cloth. The immense wealth of its cloth merchants is immortalised in the carvings of St Peter’s Church, where merchant John Greenway had effigies of his sea-going merchant fleet sculpted directly onto his chantry chapel. Stall-holder at a market in Tiverton Today, the town remains an authentic agricultural hub. The bustling Pannier Market operates beneath historic arches, while the exceptional Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life houses an astonishing collection of local transport, agricultural implements, and the beloved steam engine The Tivvy Bumper. Tiverton Fact File Market Days: Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday (at the Pannier Market). Key Landmarks: Tiverton Pannier Market, St Peter’s Church, Tiverton Castle, and the Mid Devon Life Museum. Curiosity: Down Castle Street runs the Town Leat, gifted to the townsfolk in 1250 by Isabella, Countess of Devon. Every seven years, the ancient stream's boundary is walked by the mayor to re-affirm public ownership of the water. 4. Cullompton: The Perpendicular Beacon of the Culm Valley Travellers roaring down the six-lane strip of the M5 between Taunton and Exeter often glance across at Cullompton’s red-brick roofs without realising the sheer architectural pedigree tucked behind the slip road. Mentioned in King Alfred the Great’s will in 872 AD as Columtune, this fertile valley hub has always sat astride the primary arterial route down the spine of the South West peninsula. Its pride and joy is St Andrew’s Church, which possesses one of the finest church towers in all of Devon, soaring 120 feet into the mid-Devon sky. Step inside its cool sanctuary and you are confronted with a breathtaking painted rood-screen and the extraordinary stone-vaulted Lane Aisle, erected in 1526 by prosperous wool merchant John Lane. Near the aisle rests a rare and forbidding relic: an ancient, dark carved-oak Golgotha, studded with sinister skulls that once formed the base of a medieval crucifixion tableau. Outside the churchyard, the wide street spaces of the Higher and Lower Bull Rings speak to centuries of lively market trading. Down the main street stands The Walronds, a splendid Elizabethan merchant's town house dating to 1603 with fine timber framing. Cullompton Fact File Key Landmarks: St Andrew’s Church (notably the Lane Aisle and medieval Golgotha) and The Walronds on Fore Street. Landscape: The Culm Valley walking routes and old mill leat paths. Curiosity: The original drinking watercourse that supplied the town was constructed by monks from Buckland Monachorum in 1356. While culverted over in the 1960s, its winding route is still marked by a line of blue paving stones through the Higher Bull Ring. Dignitaries at Bampton Fair 5. Bampton: The Untroubled Exmoor Border Haven If you wish to see Devon at its most peaceful and self-possessed, head into the hills above the River Batherm to Bampton. Completely bypassed by modern dual carriageways, Bampton sits deep in its hollow just south of the Somerset border, refreshingly untroubled by commercial frenzy. Centuries ago, this was a vital crossroad where the old north-south Exe Valley trade route met the ancient trackway from Taunton to Barnstaple. Norman conquerors set their steep motte-and-bailey castle atop an older Saxon earthwork—a beech-crowned knoll that overlooks the stone-built settlement to this day. Crowds at Bampton Fair Though devastatingly torched for four days during the Civil War by Royalist troops attacking local Devon Clubmen, Bampton rebuilt its fortunes on sheep and stone. The town once had its own distinct breed—the polled Bampton Nott—and its great limestone quarries once supplied hard stone for roads, buildings, and airfields across the West Country. While the daily livestock markets have faded into history, the celebrated annual Bampton Fair—dating back to a charter granted in 1258—still draws visitors from across Exmoor and beyond. Bampton Fact File Key Landmarks: St Michael and All Angels Church, the Norman motte knoll, and the stone toll-houses on the old turnpike routes. Annual Highlight: The historic Bampton Fair, held every October. Curiosity: Hidden in a quiet garden down from the inn is a historic chalybeate spring. In the late nineteenth century, entrepreneurial locals tried to bottle and market Bampton's mineral water as a spa remedy, though sceptical villagers complained the iron-rich water looked like liquid rust. See some great coastal walks in Devon here 6. Crediton: Red Sandstone and the Devon Cathedral There is something about Crediton that is purely Devonian. It sits snug in the low, rolling farmland with the dark granite ramparts of Dartmoor looming as a dramatic, distant backdrop. For centuries, farmers poured in from the surrounding hills to trade in the long High Street, but it was kersey—a coarse cloth woven from short-stapled wool—that brought serious mercantile wealth to the town. That wool wealth poured straight into Crediton’s crowning glory: the Parish Church of the Holy Cross. Built from rich, warm red sandstone—the very colour of Devon itself—it has all the scale, grandeur, and presence of a regional cathedral. A monastery was founded at ‘Credie’ as early as 739 AD, and two centuries later Crediton was chosen as the See of the first Bishop of Devon and Cornwall. Had Bishop Leofric not transferred the See down to the more easily defended city of Exeter in 1050, Crediton might well have become the county capital. When Henry VIII dissolved the collegiate foundations in 1547, the proud townspeople clubbed together and bought their beloved church back from the Crown for £200. Like Honiton, Crediton has suffered disastrously from flames. The Great Fire of 1743 destroyed 460 homes, killed 14 people, and left thousands destitute. But the town possesses an enduring resilience. While the historic pannier market was demolished in the 1960s, the community revitalised its core by transforming the old Market Street area into an open Town Square. Today, it provides a vibrant focal point off the busy thoroughfare for community events and an award-winning farmers' market. Check out our walks around the City of Exeter here Coffee drinkers in Crediton's central square Crediton Fact File Market Days: Crediton Farmers' Market is held on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month in the Town Square, accompanied by regular artisan stalls. Key Landmarks: The Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross, the Town Square, and the historic High Street. Famous Sons: St Boniface (born Winfrith in Crediton c. 680 AD), the renowned missionary and Patron Saint of Europe, and Labour Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin. Curiosity: The locals are traditionally known as Kertonians (derived from 'Kirton', the ancient vernacular name for the town). After the wool trade shifted north, Kertonians earned a regional reputation for master leathercraft and bootmaking. Bampton Fair

You only have to travel a short distance beyond Exeter's historic centre to find an astonishing variety of landscapes. Within half an hour of the cathedral, you can step into ancient mediaeval woodlands, ramble across prehistoric pebble heaths, peer into vertiginous river gorges, or trace the footsteps of Norman overlords. View of city centre from Exeter Cathedral roof Here is a curated collection of seven classic walks based in and around Exeter, tailored for an afternoon’s stroll and paired with dependable local pubs and tearooms. 1. Ashclyst Forest: Ancient Glades and Butterflies Just a short broom-ride northeast of Exeter and the M5 lies Ashclyst Forest, one of the largest tracts of ancient woodland in the region. Managed by the National Trust as part of the wider Killerton Estate, it feels wonderfully detached from the modern world, though a closer look reveals low banks from 400-year-old mediaeval farming systems and remote stone cottages tucked deep among the sylvan acres. Ashclyst Forest walks signpost The forest rides are famous for summer butterflies, including the White Admiral, Silver-Washed Fritillary, and elusive Purple Hairstreaks dancing in the oak canopies. Several waymarked routes begin at the main Forest Gate car park (OS grid ref SY 001995). The 3.5-mile Red Walk gently drops south through the most diverse ancient woodland before looping back along the eastern boundary. It is an ideal refuge on a drizzly day when exposed moors and clifftops feel far less welcoming. Distance & Terrain: 3.5 miles (shorter 1.5-mile and 2-mile loops available); gentle gradients, mostly firm forest tracks (can get muddy in winter). Recommended Map: OS Explorer 114 (Exeter & the Exe Valley). Nearest Refreshment: The Stables Café at Killerton House (National Trust) or the Red Lion in Broadclyst. Cows near Ashclyst Forest 2. Broadhembury & The Blackdown Escarpment Broadhembury is the quintessential Devon village: a picture-postcard cluster of thatched cottages set within a natural bowl beneath the steep, wooded rim of the Blackdown Hills. From the village ford, head up the ancient, sunken track of Long Go Lane. The route climbs through bluebell-carpeted woods to reach the high escarpment and North Hill, home to the Devon and Somerset Gliding Club. Here, near the hilltop aerodrome, the panoramic views stretch across southern Devon towards the dark, brooding profile of Dartmoor. Classic view of the Blackdown Hills from close to Broadhembury After passing Hangar Farm along the high ridge, the trail joins Stafford Hill for a gentle descent on a quiet tarmac lane back into the village. Take time to visit St Andrew's Church, where former curate Augustus Toplady once served before penning the hymn Rock of Ages. Distance & Terrain: 4.5 miles; one steep climb through woodland, followed by a quiet lane descent. Recommended Map: OS Explorer 115 (Exmouth & Sidmouth). Nearest Refreshment: The Drewe Arms in Broadhembury or the village post office and tearoom. 3. Drewsteignton & The Teign Gorge For pure dramatic contrast, few walks match the southern loop from Drewsteignton. Perched above the upper Teign Valley, this thatched village leads straight onto the trans-peninsula Two Moors Way. The Teign Gorge underneath the village of Drewsteignton Leaving the village square, follow the ancient track down past Rectory Wood before climbing onto the open pasture of Piddledown Common. Suddenly, the gentle fields give way to the Teign Gorge—Devon’s own grand canyon. Far below runs the River Teign, overlooked by the granite ramparts of Castle Drogo. Follow the high Hunter’s Path along the lip of the gorge, taking the upper fork through Drewston Wood as it rounds the spur above Fingle Bridge before returning gently via Rectory Wood to the village. Distance & Terrain: 3.5 miles; one moderate climb, otherwise well-graded woodland tracks with dramatic drops. Recommended Map: OS Outdoor Leisure 28 (Dartmoor). Nearest Refreshment: The Drewe Arms in Drewsteignton or the Fingle Bridge Inn (via a steep path descent/detour). Aylesbeare Common 4. Aylesbeare Common: The Pebblebed Heathland A few miles east along the A3052, rolling farmland abruptly gives way to the wild expanse of the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths. Aylesbeare Common is an RSPB nature reserve preserving a rare landscape shaped by low-intensity grazing since the Neolithic era. This open heath is a vital sanctuary for the elusive Dartford Warbler, nightjars, dragonflies, and nearly 40 butterfly species. A classic figure-of-eight ramble explores the southern heath towards views of the sea beyond Budleigh Salterton before crossing back north to follow the waymarked Visitor’s Trail across Aylesbeare and Harpford Commons. Classic pebblebed heathland Distance & Terrain: 3 miles (Visitor's Trail) to 6 miles (full figure-of-eight); largely level heathland walking on pebble tracks. Recommended Map: OS Explorer 115 (Exmouth & Sidmouth). Nearest Refreshment: The Halfway Inn on the A3052 or the Cannon Inn in nearby Newton Poppleford. 5. Christow & The Teign Valley Tucked along the eastern boundary of Dartmoor National Park, Christow is an ideal base for exploring the steep, wooded flanks of the Teign Valley. Starting from the community centre or near the church, duck between the garden fences on a narrow path that climbs alongside a rushing stream. The route ascends through ancient woodland at Bowden Beer—where old spoil heaps recall 19th-century silver and lead mining—before opening into high pastures near Inn Down. Hikers on the Christow circular walk The climb is rewarded with sweeping views across the valley towards the distinctive triangular tower of Haldon Belvedere (Lawrence Castle) on the opposite ridge. From the top track, descend via Bennah and the ancient church of St James back into the heart of the village. Distance & Terrain: 2 miles; steep initial ascent through woods and fields, returning via quiet lanes. Recommended Map: OS Explorer 110 (Torquay & Dawlish). Nearest Refreshment: The Artichoke Inn in Christow or the Teign House Inn down on the valley floor. 6. Exeter City Walls: Roman Bastions to Historic Quayside You don't always need muddy boots to enjoy a memorable walk. Exeter's ancient city walls offer one of the finest urban heritage circuits in the country, tracing Roman origins from 200 AD through mediaeval sieges and the Civil War. Starting from Princesshay, the circuit leads past Castle Street into the inner bailey of Rougemont Castle, built in 1068 by William the Conqueror. Stroll through the leafy avenues of Rougemont and Northernhay Gardens, dip through St Stephen’s Bow to the Cathedral Close, and follow long stretches of surviving stone wall down towards the historic Custom House and Quayside on the River Exe. From the waterfront, the route loops past the mediaeval Exe Bridge ruins and climbs back to the high ramparts at Bartholomew Terrace before returning to the Cathedral Close. Distance & Terrain: Roughly 2.5 miles; paved city surfaces and parks, occasional steps and moderate inclines. Recommended Map: Exeter City Council City Wall Trail Leaflet / OS Explorer 114. Nearest Refreshment: On the Waterfront (Exeter Quay) or the various historic tearooms and cafés around Cathedral Close. River Exe at Exeter 7. Eggesford: Heywood Wood & The Norman Motte Eggesford feels like a secret slice of sylvan theatre hidden halfway along the Tarka Line between Exeter and Barnstaple. It is also historic forestry ground: the Forestry Commission planted its very first pine here back in 1920. Woodland walk at Eggesford, Starting from the forestry car park near the Wembury Centre, follow the red-topped waymarker posts through Heywood Wood. Broad rides weave through towering mixed conifers to reveal an earthen Norman motte-and-bailey fort perched high on a ridge. Climbing the steps up the mound opens up commanding, wide-angle views over the Taw Valley, explaining exactly why an early overlord set his stronghold here. The return path loops along the lower slopes before crossing to North Down Plantation and back along the quiet country lane. It is easily reached by taking the train direct from Exeter St David's. Distance & Terrain: 3.5 miles; undulating forest tracks and paths with one short climb to the motte. Recommended Map: OS Explorer 127 (South Molton & Chulmleigh). Nearest Refreshment: The Fox & Hounds Country Hotel (just down the lane along the A377) or the Eggesford Crossing Café right by the station.

Cape Cornwall in West Penwith There’s an old saying among mariners that the land is “never so dangerous, nor ever so welcome”, as when it thrusts its great stony snout out into the deep Atlantic swells. For those of us who prefer to keep our boots on dry ground, however, the great promontories of the South West peninsula represent something altogether different. They are our ultimate vantage points, the natural balconies from which we can survey the grandest maritime theatre in northern Europe. Which is why I once devoted an entire newspaper series to the great headlands of the West Country. If the West region’s coast is a glittering coronet, then its headlands are the crown jewels. Hartland Point with Lundy in the distance The Wild Side of the South West Coast We have wonderful sandy bays, sheltered coves and picture-perfect harbours, but in summer many of those honey-pot locations can become too far busy and crowded. Headlands, by their nature and geography, act as a bold antidote to all that. Many are difficult to reach - you cannot easily wheel a family cool-box out to the end of a razor-backed promontory. You’re probably going to have to walk, following ancient tracks worn deep by coastguards, smugglers, miners, and sheep. And the rewards are worth it. Because headlands offer a sense of adventure. I often think they’re like little bits of a foreign country - rocky strewn embassies from another place. Out on those tall bold limbs, you’re treated to a real sense of wilderness. The sea is not merely a backdrop, it envelops you on three sides. At times it will fling white foam flying hundreds of feet up sheer cliff faces - or you might watch tides passing at a rate of knots you’d normally only see in mountain rivers. Rame Head in evening light Wildlife on the Great Promontories In such places nature still rules supreme. Headlands act like aerial motorway service stations for seabirds. Stand on almost any of our high peninsulas in spring or summer and you will see fulmars gliding effortlessly on the updrafts, their stiff wings shearing inches from the rock. Further west, you might catch the flash of a red bill and the distinctive tumbling flight of a chough. Headlands are great places for spotting a peregrine falcons. Below, in the surf and kelp forests, the dark, shiny heads of grey seals bob in the wash. If you’re really lucky, you might even spot dolphin, basking sharks, tuna, or even whales, surfacing. Headlands Written in History Headlands are also repositories of human drama. Because they command the sea lanes, mankind has always fortified them, put lights or beacons on them, or exploited them in some way. Most of our major headlands has a human story to tell… Many have Iron Age cliff castles - you’ll see the remains of their earthen ramparts crossing the narrowest necks of land. See 6 of our best Cornish Coastal Hikes here The small headland at Cadgwith Others boast Victorian lighthouses and mournful foghorn stations that once warned sailing ships off deadly lee shores, as well as eerie, concrete ruins of Second World War radar stations and gun emplacements. Brean Down is one of the first great headlands you encounter in the region. This great finger of carboniferous limestone juts one and a half miles out into the muddy waters of the Bristol Channel like a beached whale. Walk its high, grassy spine and you feel as though you are marching straight out to sea, with the Mendip Hills at your back and the Welsh coast just across the water. At its tip sits the Palmerston Fort, built in the 1860s to defend the Bristol Channel against French invasion - a complex of barracks and gun emplacements that later witnessed secret weapons testing during the Second World War. Gun emplacements at the end of Brean Down The Great Headlands of North Devon Further west on Exmoor’s coast, there’s vast and vertiginous Foreland Point, near Lynmouth, where some of the highest cliffs in England rear up from the exceptionally fierce tidal races. Steep heather-clad slopes curve scarily downwards to suddenly drop 1000 feet into the sea. Down at the end of the headland sits the white tower of the North Devon Foreland Lighthouse, serviced by a zigzag road that would give a mountain goat pause for thought. Check out some of the best North Devon coastal walks here You can see the North Devon Foreland from Lynmouth Sail on along the North Devon shore, and you’ll eventually reach the light at Bull Point where the coast changes direction to turn south. You’ll immediately encounter Morte Point - literally “the Point of Death” - jutting its jagged ridge of slate out from the sands at Woolacombe. It has claimed scores of vessels over the centuries, yet on a calm August morning in a heatwave - walking through the yellow gorse, with wheatears flitting across the turf - it is hard to imagine a more tranquil place. Same goes for the tall and majestic Baggy Point next door. Woolacombe beach from Morte Point Around Bideford Bay, Hartland Point stands as a sentinel marking the place where the Bristol Channel finally gives way to the Atlantic. Here, vast eons of geological time are on display - contorted strata twist in impossible zigzags - and all this drama is crowned by a lighthouse that once relied on a cable car to haul supplies down the vertical cliff face. Lighthouse at Hartland Point Cornwall's Mythical Headlands South-west in Cornwall, the headlands take on a mythical quality. Few places blend geology and myth quite as potently as the dark promontory at Tintagel. Connected to the mainland by only a slender isthmus - now dramatically spanned by a footbridge - this slate-ribbed headland rears up out of the Atlantic like an impregnable fortress. Which, of course, it once was. Visitors are drawn by both the romantic legend of King Arthur and the ruins of Richard of Cornwall’s 13th-century castle. New footbridge across to the headland at Tintagel A few miles down the coast, guarding the entrance to the Camel Estuary, we can explore the magnificent twin-headed bastion of Pentire Point and The Rumps. The point itself offers one of the grandest panoramas in the South West, stretching from Trevose Head north to the heights of Lundy Island. It is also a place of quiet contemplation… A plaque here marks the spot where Laurence Binyon sat in 1914 to compose his famous lines, For the Fallen. Half a mile east, you’ll see The Rumps - a dramatic, double-horned snout of rock defended by the distinct ditch-and-bank ramparts of a massive Iron Age cliff castle. A walker descends from Pentire Point In the far west vast numbers flock to Land’s End, but those of us who prefer quiet places head a few miles north to Cape Cornwall - England’s only official cape. Dominated by the lone chimney of the old St Just United mine, the Cape feels wonderfully elemental. Out to sea, there’s The Brisons - a reef of tall rocks infamous for shipwrecks - while inland the eerie, post-industrial beauty of the tin and copper mining landscape rises to the granite heights of the West Penwith moors. See places to stay along the North Cornish Coast here Cape Cornwall The Wild Headlands of South Cornwall Turn the corner, and the south coast eventually shifts from granite to the darker serpentine, quartz, and slate. The Lizard, mainland Britain’s most southerly point, offers a completely unique landscape. The bleak, but fascinating, plateau of magnesium-rich rocks supports all manner of rare plants - and always around the skirts of this vast headland you’ll see amazingly clear turquoise waters lapping in sheltered ‘zawns’ or coves. It was here that Marconi sent his pioneering radio signals across the ocean, forever changing global communications. Lizard Point, Cornwall Few headlands possess quiet the brooding majesty of the Dodman. Jutting out into Veryan Bay like the prow of a gargantuan stone battleship, this 400-foot-high bulwark is the loftiest promontory on the entire south Cornish coast. The footpaths across its broad, wildflower-strewn plateau carry you through the formidable earthen ramparts of an ancient Iron Age cliff castle, but it’s the seaward tip that will really impress. See places to stay around the Lizard here West coast of the Dodman headland There, perched on the cliff edge, stands a granite cross erected in 1896 by the local parson of Caerhays to serve as a navigational beacon or a warning to mariners. Stand beside that monolith on a breezy day, with the sweeps of Mevagissey Bay opening to the east and the coastline unfurling towards the Lizard in the west, and you’ll understand why this peaceful, wind-scoured giant inspires the few who do find their way to the end. And who could forget Rame Head, the great conical guardian standing at the gateway to Plymouth Sound? Topped by the simple stone shell of a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St Michael, Rame Head offers some of the finest maritime views to be seen anywhere. From here, watchers have kept vigil for centuries, looking out for the Spanish Armada, the return of Drake and Nelson, and the countless grey warships that have slipped in and out of Plymouth naval docks over the generations. View from the old chapel at Rame Head The Headlands of South Devon Cross to South Devon and we come to the wild schist headlands of Prawle Point (home to countless shipwrecks and strange ancient raised beaches) and its near neighbour, Start Point. The latter thrusts its sharp spine of rock down to a splendid white lighthouse. Together these twin headlands act as gatekeepers to Lyme Bay and the English Channel, while the high limestone plateau of Berry Head guards Torbay. Rising nearly 200 feet above the waves, it is home to one of Britain’s largest guillemot colonies. Berry Head also boasts a pair of Napoleonic-era forts and the shortest lighthouse in the country (it’s so high up, it needed only a stubby tower to project its light 19 miles). East along the Jurassic Coast, the white chalk stacks and dramatic red cliffs of East Devon and Dorset eventually give way to the massive headland of Portland Bill. Berry Head, near Brixham Portland Bill and the Eastern Edge of the South West It really does feel like a nation apart - a vast, wind-scoured block of pale limestone jutting far into the English Channel, where the notorious Portland Race can turn into a cauldron even on a calm day. What unites these great promontories (apart from the National Trust which owns most of the headlands mentioned) is their power to restore the human spirit. In an age when modern life can feel increasingly inauthentic and confusing, these seaborne bastions remain more-or-less unchanged. Walk out to the end of one and you can leave your worries behind. Stride, with your face to the Atlantic - the turf springing beneath your boots, the cry of gulls overhead - and you’ll hear the endless, timeless, rhythm of the ocean breaking against rock that has stood firm for hundreds of millions of years… That is when you’ll know, for sure, that headlands are among the finest places we have - the magnificent jewels of our coastal crown. Portland Bill lighthouse in a storm FAQ What are some of the best headlands to visit in South West England? Some of the most spectacular headlands described by Martin Hesp include Foreland Point, Morte Point, Hartland Point, Tintagel, Cape Cornwall, the Lizard, the Dodman, Rame Head, Prawle Point, Start Point and Berry Head. What makes the headlands of South West England special? The great headlands combine dramatic cliffs, Atlantic views, wildlife, geology and human history. Many also contain ancient cliff castles, lighthouses, fortifications and the remains of historic industries. Where can you find wild coastal walks in South West England? The South West has an enormous variety of coastal walking, including headland walks on Exmoor, North Devon, Cornwall, South Devon and the Jurassic Coast. The more remote promontories can offer a greater sense of wilderness than the region's busiest beaches and harbours. Which South West headlands are good for wildlife? Headlands can be excellent places to see seabirds such as fulmars, choughs and peregrine falcons, while seals, dolphins, basking sharks, tuna and whales may sometimes be seen from the coast. What is the most southerly point of mainland Britain? The Lizard in Cornwall is the most southerly point of mainland Britain. Its unusual geology and clear turquoise waters make it one of the most distinctive landscapes on the South West coast. Portland Bill in a storm

There are few parts of the world that have tempted me back quite so often as the Caribbean. I've been fortunate enough to travel around a number of the Caribbean islands, from Bequia and Grenada to St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique, St Martin and tiny Petit St Vincent. Perhaps it's the obvious things: the blue seas, white beaches, rum and sunshine. But after visiting quite a few Caribbean islands over the years, I've come to realise these aren't really the reasons I keep wanting to return. The Caribbean is fascinating because every island has its own personality. A remote beach at the northern tip of Grenada But after visiting quite a few Caribbean islands over the years, I've come to realise that these aren't really the reasons I keep wanting to return. The Caribbean is fascinating because every island has its own personality. Some are mountainous and covered in rainforest. Some are little more than rocky outcrops surrounded by impossibly blue water. Some have retained a distinctly British character, others French or Dutch influences, while many have developed cultures that are entirely their own. And then there is the food. Fresh fish, tropical fruit, spices, rum, chocolate, Creole cooking, Caribbean curries and dishes that tell the story of generations of people who have arrived on these islands from all over the world. So this is my collection of Caribbean travel stories, gathered from my own journeys around the islands. There are luxury hotels here, certainly, because I've been fortunate enough to stay in some spectacular ones. But there are also markets, fishing villages, beach bars, rainforest walks and the sort of encounters that you simply can't manufacture. The Caribbean islands I've visited I've never been particularly good at simply lying beside a hotel swimming pool. Give me a hire car, a small boat, a local guide or even a slightly dubious-looking track disappearing into the rainforest and I'm generally happier. Over the years I've been lucky enough to explore a number of Caribbean islands, from the great favourites to smaller places where life appears to move at considerably less than normal speed. Here are some of the stories. Bequia: The Green Jewel of the Grenadines Bequia is one of those Caribbean islands that seems to operate at its own speed. I remember arriving by small island aircraft and being driven to the Bequia Beach Hotel in one of the ubiquitous pick-up trucks. A beach on Bequia The whole island tour took only a few hours, but somehow we seemed to encounter beaches, viewpoints, little villages, restaurants, the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary and the wonderfully relaxed Port Elizabeth. There was conch salad, strong rum punch and a beach that I rather rashly put into my personal top ten in the world. Read my story of Bequia → Grenada: Exploring the Spice Island of the Caribbean Grenada is one of the Caribbean islands I remember particularly fondly because it offers so much more than beaches. It has rainforest and waterfalls, the handsome little capital of St George's, Grand Anse, nutmeg and spices, cocoa, rum and mountains. I drove around much of the island during my visit and discovered the sort of Caribbean landscape that makes you want to keep going simply to see what is around the next corner. Read my Grenada travel story → St George's, Grenada I've also written separately about St George's, Grenada's colourful capital. The town's steep streets, red roofs and beautiful harbour make it one of the most atmospheric towns in the Caribbean, while its history provides another reason to spend time away from the beach. St George's, Grenada A couple of stallholders in St George central market Les Saintes: the Caribbean time forgot For a taste of the Caribbean that feels wonderfully removed from the modern resort world, head to Les Saintes, a tiny French archipelago just south of Guadeloupe. Terre-de-Haut, the main island, has a gorgeous natural harbour, colourful fishing boats, sleepy lanes, French-influenced cafés and a distinctly old-fashioned island atmosphere. There are no big resorts or heavy traffic here — just scooters, roaming chickens, turquoise water and the occasional rum-fuelled afternoon. Martin arrived by sail and discovered an island where life seems to move at its own leisurely pace, from the climb to Fort Napoléon and its spectacular views to lunches of grilled mahi-mahi beneath waterfront verandas. It is one of those Caribbean places that feels less like a holiday resort and more like a place you have somehow stumbled upon and would rather keep secret. Read our full story: Les Saintes – The Caribbean Archipelago Time Forgot St Lucia: The Emerald Jewel of the Caribbean If there is one island that looks as though somebody has turned the colour saturation up too far, it is St Lucia. The Pitons, St Lucia The Pitons rise dramatically from the sea, the interior is thick with rainforest and there are beaches, fishing villages and the famous Gros Islet Friday night celebrations. I've always thought St Lucia manages to combine spectacular scenery with a particularly strong sense of Caribbean character. Read my St Lucia travel guide → The beach at Anse Chastenet, St Lucia Cooking Caribbean Style in St Lucia One of my St Lucia stories is really about food. I spent time with chefs exploring the island's markets, gardens, herbs and local ingredients and discovered a side of Caribbean cooking that went considerably beyond the usual tourist clichés. St Lucia roadside coconut stall It's one of my favourite examples of how food can be a way of understanding a destination. Read my St Lucia food story → Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet, St Lucia I have also written about the extraordinary Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet resorts. When I first saw the place I thought it looked like somewhere James Bond might choose for a holiday. One of the infinitey pools in a sanctuary at Jade Mountain, St Lucia Having subsequently stayed there, I decided I was probably right. Read my story of Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet → ade Mountain in sundown light Barbados: Beaches, Rum and Local Colour Barbados is rather different again. It is sophisticated and prosperous, but there is still plenty of the old Caribbean character that makes the island so enjoyable. Cruising along the Platinum Coast I remember travelling along the Platinum Coast and seeing enormous villas belonging to the rich and famous sitting remarkably close to fish markets, rum bars and local restaurants. That juxtaposition is part of Barbados's appeal. Read my Barbados story → Nevis: A Caribbean Island at a Gentler Pace Nevis is one of those islands where you quickly stop worrying about the clock. There are beaches, rainforest, the looming bulk of Nevis Peak, historic Charlestown, former plantation houses, botanical gardens and some excellent food. Tropical gardens surround historic ruins on Nevis It feels quieter than many of the better-known Caribbean destinations. And sometimes that is precisely what you want. Read my Nevis travel story → Martinique: Volcanoes, Rhum Agricole and French Caribbean Soul Martinique is completely different again. This is the Caribbean with a French accent. Mount Pelée dominates the north, there are dark volcanic beaches, lush rainforest and beautiful southern bays — but it is the combination of French and Caribbean culture that makes Martinique so fascinating. Martinique in a rain storm And then there is rhum agricole, made from fresh sugar-cane juice rather than molasses. I wasn't actually on Martinique for very long. But I did once find myself being chased through a market after taking photographs. Which, as travel experiences go, is difficult to beat. Read my Martinique story → Gran Case - the famous foodie waterfront on St Martins St Martin: The Friendly Isle of the Caribbean They call St Martin the "Friendly Isle", which seems like a good start. It is also one of the world's most unusual islands because it is divided between two countries. The famous Orient Beach on St Martins The northern part is French Saint-Martin; the southern part is Dutch Sint Maarten. There is also a serious food story here, with French, Caribbean and international influences all thrown into the same delicious melting pot. Read my St Martin story → Lying down in the shade in Petit St Vincent Petit St Vincent: My Robinson Crusoe Island Petit St Vincent is tiny. Very tiny. But it is also one of those places where the size of the island is almost irrelevant because the whole point is to escape. Hot winds blow at the sores of Petit St Vincent There are no televisions, no traffic and very little to interrupt the sound of the sea. I wandered around feeling slightly like Robinson Crusoe, although admittedly Robinson didn't have quite such good food. Read my Petit St Vincent story → Climbing an uninhabited isle near Petit St Vincent A Getaway to Petit St Vincent I've returned to the subject of Petit St Vincent in another piece, looking at the island through the eyes of those childhood fantasies many of us had about finding our own tropical desert island. It's a little bit Robinson Crusoe. A little bit James Bond. And perhaps, if I'm being honest, a little bit Martin Hesp's idea of heaven. Read my second Petit St Vincent story → Entrance to the spa on Petit St Vincent Caribbean food and drink One of the things I love most about Caribbean travel is the food. The islands are sometimes lazily lumped together as though they all eat the same thing. They don't. Every island has absorbed different influences and developed its own dishes, ingredients and cooking traditions. Conch is a great favourite in the Caribbean In St Lucia, for example, I spent time exploring markets and working with chefs who were trying to rediscover local ingredients and traditional flavours. In Grenada, the story is heavily influenced by spices, cocoa and rum. In Martinique, French technique meets Creole cooking and rhum agricole. And throughout the Caribbean, the sea inevitably finds its way onto the plate. For me, food is one of the best ways to understand the Caribbean. Caribbean hotels and island escapes I've also been fortunate enough to stay in some extraordinary Caribbean hotels. Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet in St Lucia are spectacular examples of hotels built into their environment rather than simply placed beside it. The Bequia Beach Hotel gave me the chance to experience the much slower rhythm of Bequia. Petit St Vincent offered something completely different: the fantasy of disappearing from the modern world altogether. And that's another reason I enjoy writing about Caribbean hotels. I'm less interested in whether a place has 300 rooms and five swimming pools than I am in what it feels like to wake up there. My holiday cottage on Petit St Vincent Why I keep returning to the Caribbean Perhaps it is because the Caribbean is so much more varied than the postcard suggests. There are glamorous resorts and tiny fishing villages. There are volcanoes and coral reefs. There are French islands, British-influenced islands, Dutch islands and places where cultures have mixed together over centuries to create something entirely their own. There are beaches where you can be completely alone and others where the rum punch is flowing and the music is loud. And there are islands where the best thing to do is absolutely nothing. That is probably why I keep going back. More Caribbean travel stories to come I've been fortunate enough to visit many parts of the Caribbean over the years, and this collection will continue to grow as I revisit some of my older travel stories and bring them up to date. Some of the articles here are recent. Others began life many years ago and have been refreshed with additional information. But the important thing is that these are my travel experiences — the places I've visited, the people I've met, the meals I've eaten and the things that have stayed in my memory. That's what I hope makes them useful. Not because they tell you everything about an island. But because perhaps one of them will make you want to go and discover it for yourself. Mrs Hesp on a beach in Grenada Frequently Asked Questions About Caribbean Travel Which Caribbean island is best for a holiday? There isn't a single answer. Bequia, Grenada, St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique and St Martin all offer very different experiences. The best Caribbean island depends on whether you want beaches, walking, food, culture, nightlife, luxury or simply somewhere quiet. Which Caribbean island is best for first-time visitors? Grenada and St Lucia are particularly good choices for first-time visitors because both offer a mixture of beaches, scenery, food, culture and activities rather than relying entirely on resort tourism. Which Caribbean islands have the best beaches? Many Caribbean islands have exceptional beaches. Bequia, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and Petit St Vincent all feature prominently in my own Caribbean travels. Which Caribbean islands are best for food? St Lucia, Grenada and Martinique are particularly interesting for food lovers, although each has a very different culinary identity. Which Caribbean islands are quieter? Bequia, Nevis and Petit St Vincent are among the quieter destinations I've experienced. They offer a slower pace than some of the larger and more heavily visited Caribbean islands. What is the Caribbean like for food travel? Extremely interesting. Caribbean food combines Indigenous, African, European, Indian and other influences, producing remarkably different cuisines from island to island. What is the best time to visit the Caribbean? The Caribbean is warm throughout the year, but the generally drier period from around December to April is popular with visitors from Europe and North America. Weather patterns vary between islands, so individual destinations should always be checked before booking. Which Caribbean islands have I visited? This collection currently includes travel stories from Bequia, Grenada, St Lucia, Barbados, Nevis, Martinique, St Martin and Petit St Vincent, with further Caribbean stories to be added as the collection develops. Friends bathing on a beach in St Martin

The walk from Brixham Harbour to Berry Head is one of the most rewarding short coastal walks in South Devon. It combines the bustle of Brixham's fishing port with the cliffs, wildlife and extraordinary military history of Berry Head, following a mixture of promenade, lanes, paths and the South West Coast Path. The basic walk to Berry Head is around 2½ miles each way, while continuing around Sharkham Point creates a longer circuit. Any excuse to go to Brixham. As long as my fish-wholesaler pal Neil Walker has got the fruits of the sea in his fridges, I am happy to make a detour to trawler-town in search of cod cheeks and the succulent wings of skate. But every time I call in at the harbour a little question mark appears - or at least it did until recently when I finally laid the geographical ghost to rest. It’s that niggling question that asks: "I wonder what happens around the corner?" From Brixham Harbour you can see most of Torbay curving its suburban way north, but you cannot see what happens along the coast immediately to your left or right. The left-hand option leads you along one of Torbay’s prettiest stretches - the wooded coast that makes its way to Goodrington. But east, beyond the breakwater - what happens out past Shoalstone Point? There is one big, bold and beautiful answer and it is called Berry Head, with its almost cubist sliced vertical cliffs and its oddly flattened top. But never judge a fellow by his appearance, explore the lofty environs of this muscular and much-scarred old man of the sea and you will find much to admire and applaud. I parked near the harbour and strolled around the new (-ish) and splendid promenade that makes its way around the southern side of the inner port - past all the newish flats and businesses, not to mention the vast marina full of enough floating real-estate to invade a small country - to the breakwater. Brixham to Berry Head Walk – at a glance Start: Brixham Harbour Destination: Berry Head Country Park Distance: Around 2½ miles each way Longer option: Continue via Sharkham Point for a roughly 5–6 mile circuit Difficulty: Easy to moderate Terrain: Promenade, roads, paths and coastal trails Highlights: Berry Head, Napoleonic forts, St Mary's Bay, Shoalstone and South West Coast Path Map: OS Explorer OL20 South Devon The official Coast Path's longer circuit is 5.8 miles and classed as moderate, so your existing 2½–5 mile description is broadly sound, although I'd avoid calling the full circuit simply "easy going". Next comes the cosy little corner called Breakwater Beach with a rather alluring looking restaurant and bar to one side. Cross the top of this small beach and you’’’ reach concrete star that ascends to Berry Head Road - which is a cul-de-sac so you don’t have to worry too much about the traffic. Turn left along here and the road will take you past posh villages, seawards again - until a path takes you away from the few cars and down toe the marvellous beachside swimming pool just in from Shoalstone Point. Past the pool, a small lane leads onwards to the headland and, after swinging inland by the Berry Head Hotel, it introduces the hiker to a footpath which ascends through delightful coastal woodlands. Now we have entered the Country Park run by the Torbay Countryside Service which, among other things has an informative visitor centre and produces a series of cheap and informative leaflets so that you can learn all about this most extraordinary place. I say extraordinary because it really is a one-off landscape quite unlike any other I know. It is rich in history - as you'll soon see - and even richer in flora and fauna. It has a wealth of fabulous views and there's even a wonderful cafe in the heart of the place which is so good that it once attracted the custom of a Prime Minister. The views begin as soon as you climb out of the woods and carry on until you eventually descend into St Mary's Bay, Brixham's little known cove at the back-end of town. Having climbed to the top one of the first things you will come across is a massive hole - and I mean massive. You could lose the Millennium Dome in this brutal indentation. The quarry companies wouldn't get planning permission today, but in the dark days of the Second World War, it was a case of needs must. And for years after that - until 1969 to be precise - the quarrymen were nibbling their way into Berry Head. Our path treads around this chasm and introduces us to the impressive ramparts of the Northern Fort. These were put up to guard against a land-attack in the Napoleonic Wars and the moat underneath the fortifications was filled, not with water, but with dreadful spikes to keep the French out. It must have been quite an establishment in its military heyday, although not a shot was ever fired in anger. No fewer than 600 men occupied the garrison. Once you've reached this part of the walk you are more-or-less bound to go out to the end of the headland even though it's a bit of a detour, and this means passing through the gates and marching the few hundred yards east to the lighthouse. Next, the hike comes the Southern Fort with much the same story to tell as its neighbour, only it has no cafe but a visitor information centre instead. Check out our 6 Great Pubs in Devon Post here Having done with the Country Park we headed off down the South West Coast Path to St Mary's Bay and, after a quick dip, walked around Sharkham Point before cutting up across the fields to Yards Lane which, in turn, took us to Higher Brixham so that we could return through the busy streets. But you don't have to. If you cross the car park from the information centre you'll find a lane that drops down through a small wooded valley to the Berry Head Hotel. From there it's simply a matter of retracing your steps back to the harbour having enjoyed a short, but eminently worthwhile hike around the region's most historic headland. Fact File Basic hike: from Brixham out to Berry Head Country Park. Recommended Map: Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure 20 - South Devon. Distance & Going: Two-and-a-half to five miles depending on whether you extend hike to Sharkham Point - easy going. See more Devon hikes here LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Should go to Shoals We had dinner at Shoals on the Lido restaurant located in the old cafe building above the sea-pool (mentioned in this walk) and very good it was to. Plain cooking but good. www.shoalsbrixham.co.uk Walk to Walkers David Walker & Sons (which means Dave’s son Neil and, actually, his son now works there as well) sell some of the best fresh fish anywhere in the South West region. http://www.davidwalkerandson.com/ Keep it at The Quayside I was in Brixham working on an article about the port’s amazing fish dock and it’s seafood, and stayed at the Quayside Hotel - which is a bit old fashioned but comfortable - and which has wonderful views of… You’ve guessed it: the quay and harbour. https://www.quaysidehotel.co.uk/

Larkbarrow and Alderman's Barrow: A Wild Exmoor Walk There are parts of Exmoor where the landscape becomes so empty that it feels as though you have stepped out of modern Britain altogether. The walk from Larkbarrow Corner towards Alderman's Barrow is one of them. This is the great open country west of the Dunkery range, a high, rolling landscape of heather, rough grass and shallow valleys where the young River Exe and its tributaries begin their journeys towards the sea. There are no villages here, few roads and very little to interrupt the horizon. Even the things left behind by people – ancient barrows, boundary markers and the ruins of an isolated farm – seem to belong to a much older world. The five-mile walk is not particularly long, but it can be demanding underfoot. The moor can be very boggy, particularly after wet weather, and this is a place where a map and sensible footwear are essential. What you get in return is something increasingly rare: a genuine sense of wilderness in southern England. See 5 great pub walks on Exmoor here Larkbarrow and Alderman's Barrow Walk: At a Glance Distance: approximately 5 miles Starting point: Larkbarrow Corner Terrain: Open moorland, tracks and rough ground Difficulty: Moderate, mainly because of the terrain and boggy conditions Map: Ordnance Survey OL9 Exmoor Highlights: Alderman's Barrow, Larkbarrow, Elsworthy, Beckham, the ruined Larkbarrow Farm and huge Exmoor views A walker with Larkbarrow in the heart of Exmoor in the distance This is not a walk to undertake casually in poor weather. Navigation can be more difficult than the distance suggests, and the open moorland can become extremely wet underfoot. Take an OS map, wear proper walking boots and allow extra time if conditions are soft. On a clear day, however, the rewards are extraordinary. This is some of the most remote-feeling walking in the West Country. Dartmoor has it swathes – Bodmin Moor has some excellent sweeping scenery too – but there is one central area of Exmoor that particularly fits the bill. The great waste, to use that word in the old fashioned sense, that lies west of the Dunkery range and provides the young River Exe with a vast bastion to guard its northern banks – is Southern England’s answer to the Russian steppes. It is a primeval landscape which has more or less been untouched by the hand of man. Stand in its midst and the only straight line of man’s making you may see is the vapour trail of an airliner. Everything else will be as nature intended. The track curves down to Larkbarrow There’s an increasing argument over what these islands may have looked like before humans turned up to chop, clear, farm and eventually mess the whole place up. This landscape is, in my opinion, as close as you will get. This is the England of the giant aurochs – a massive, extinct grazing beast twice the size of a modern cow. This is where great herds of big animals would have once roamed unmolested. This is the great emptiness. The great void. Birthplace of rivers. Home of fresh air. Shrine of solitude. This, indeed, is the best antidote to modernism I can think of. You’ll find it by travelling halfway along the Exford/Porlock road - which happens to be one of the most scenic thoroughfares in the West Country, passing as it does along a series of watersheds that separate the Dunkery range and the rest of the central massif. Eventually you’ll come to an isolated lane that heads west. This will take you to Alderman’s Barrow, before rounding Larkbarrow Corner to scuttle away from the moors again and rejoin its former companion way, way down near the village of Exford. The trees at Larkbarrow But it’s Larkbarrow Corner I love returning to. It is a corner rich in walks. But now we’re off in a different direction to soak up the very best the wild savannah beyond can offer. What I wanted to do was follow the route of the old trans-Exmoor canal. In case you are puzzled, thinking you’ve never heard of such a thing before, then I’ll admit there never was a proper waterway across the moors – nevertheless, the route of some kind of canal can still be seen. To find it my we marched west from Larkbarrow Corner out into the middle of nothing - or rather, onto a big bald hill known as Elsworthy - and following the contour high above the deep ravine of the Exe we found the shallow workings of what was planned as a narrow waterway. Why is it here? Who built it and what on earth for? As far as I can make out no one really knows for certain – but the general feeling is that John Knight, the great Exmoor “improver” (or dreamer, depending on which way you look at his work) had plans to build a railway to take out the ore from mines he owned in the central moors. The Mysterious Canal That Wasn't a Canal One of the strangest discoveries on this walk is the trace of what appears to be an old canal running across the moor. It sounds improbable – and it is, because there was never a proper canal carrying boats across this remote part of Exmoor. What you can see, however, are the shallow workings of a planned waterway or engineered route. The story seems to be connected with John Knight, the great nineteenth-century "improver" of Exmoor, whose ambitious schemes included attempts to exploit the mineral wealth of the central moors. Walking across this empty landscape, it is difficult to imagine industrial traffic crossing the hills. Yet these faint traces are reminders that Exmoor was not always regarded simply as wilderness. For generations people have tried to farm it, mine it, move across it and extract something from its apparently barren landscape. Today the old workings are little more than scars in the grass – but they add another layer to an already extraordinary walk. Check out some of our Somerset hikes here Long, long before we get anywhere close to far flung Pinkworthy Pond where the canal begins, this walk leaves the waterway as it rounds Ware Ball. Now we simply do a right-to-roam and walk north into the great area of nothing. We’re heading for a birthplace of a hundred springs – otherwise known as Beckham – but nothing to do with the footballer, which is just as well because this is probably the last place on earth he’d ever be likely to visit. All I can tell you about Beckham is that you will find it by walking to map reference SS419807. From there we dropped into the shallow valley system which is part of the East Lyn’s youthful river system, and made our way north east to the ruined farm at Larkbarrow. You can see the ruins of the farm that once stood here defying loneliness and solitude – and you can also see the traces of the bullets and shells that blew the place to smithereens when Allied troops trained on manoeuvres here during the Second World War. From this desolate place it’s simply a matter of following the track east then south, a mile and a half back to that celebrated birthplace of walks, Larkbarrow Corner. Larkbarrow with Tom's Hill just behind Larkbarrow Farm: A Ruin in the Wilderness Eventually the route reaches the ruins of Larkbarrow Farm, an extraordinary place to encounter in the middle of such empty country. The farm once stood here in considerable isolation, surrounded by the rough moorland of Exmoor. Today its remains are a stark reminder of how difficult life must have been for people trying to make a living in this exposed landscape. The ruins also carry a darker twentieth-century history: during the Second World War the area was used for military training, and the old buildings were damaged by artillery and other firing practice. There is something particularly poignant about seeing the remains now. The walls are slowly being reclaimed by the landscape, while the moor around them remains as vast and empty as ever. It is one of those Exmoor places where history doesn't arrive in the form of a grand house or a carefully preserved monument. It is simply there in the stones, gradually disappearing back into the landscape. Explore some great Somerset pub walks here The valley below Larkbarrow stretches into central Exmoor Fact File Basic walk: from Larkbarrow Corner west around Ware Ball, north to Beckham, then onto Larkbarrow Farm and back to start. Distance and Going: five miles, can be very boggy in places. Recommended map: Ordnance Survey OL9 Exmoor Frequently Asked Questions How long is the Larkbarrow and Alderman's Barrow walk? The circular walk described here is approximately five miles, starting and finishing at Larkbarrow Corner. Is the Larkbarrow walk difficult? The distance is manageable, but the open moorland can be very boggy and rough underfoot. Good walking boots and an Ordnance Survey map are strongly recommended. Where is Alderman's Barrow? Alderman's Barrow is on the high open moorland of Exmoor, west of the Dunkery range and near the road between Exford and Porlock. What is Larkbarrow? Larkbarrow is both the name of an ancient landscape feature and the site of a former isolated farm whose ruins can still be seen on Exmoor. The name has been used as a landmark and boundary point for centuries. Can you walk to Larkbarrow from Alderman's Barrow? Yes. Larkbarrow and Alderman's Barrow are connected by paths and tracks across the open moor. The area forms part of a much larger network of Exmoor walking routes.

Langport to Muchelney: Walking Through the Somerset Levels The Langport to Muchelney circular is one of my favourite ways of discovering the quieter side of the Somerset Levels. It is an easy, largely flat walk of around four and a half miles, taking you from the old market town of Langport across open moorland to the ancient settlement of Muchelney before returning beside the River Parrett. What makes this walk special isn't any single dramatic viewpoint. It is the enormous sense of space: big skies, distant church towers, winding waterways, old hedgerows and the strange feeling that you have wandered into a piece of rural England that time forgot. There is history everywhere, too. The route uses the trackbed of a long-closed railway, passes close to ancient Muchelney and follows the River Parrett back towards Langport. And, if you keep your eyes open, the Levels can provide a wonderful wildlife spectacle along the way. Check out some of our best Somerset walks here Langport and its Vibrant Community The communities of the Somerset Levels needed some help the last time I wrote about this walk. The area had been hit badly by the infamous flood of 2013/14 and I wrote in the newspapers how it could do with our business when the waters had gone away. So I sat down to write about one of the region’s best lowland perambulations in the hopes that readers would go out and enjoy the later in the year. “If you do, please call in at a local pub or other business and give them a bit of your trade,” I wrote. “I have interviewed people - and indeed have friends out on the Levels - who’ve taken a big financial hammering from the floods and they could do with all the help they can get. “ You will be well rewarded - this is a walk where Rembrandt seems to meet Constable, with a bit of Renoir thrown in for good measure - a place where the English countryside seems to blend with lowland northern Europe to produce enormous, Flemish-inspired skyscapes, dotted with churches and trees. The vistas to be enjoyed on a stroll across the Levels are as dramatic and as beautiful as any to be found in the South West, and yet most visitors on their way to our wonderful peninsula experience them only from the busy carriageways of an Atlantic-bound motorway or the windows of the mainline train. Well, let me tell those of you who aren't already in on this little secret… So excellent and inspiring is a walk in the Wetlands that it should be a compulsory fixture on the days-out agenda of anyone who happens to live within the area covered by this newspaper. And this little four-and-a-half-mile meander is as good an introduction as any when it comes to hiking on the flat. It's a stunningly beautiful circular walk that leads you across the moors from Langport to the ancient and recently much-publicised hamlet of Muchelney - then back to the other side of the old trading town along the banks a lazy, winding, and hopefully unflooded river. At a Glance: Langport to Muchelney Circular Distance: approximately 4½ miles Type: Circular walkTerrain: Predominantly flat Starting point: Langport Highlights: Somerset Levels, River Parrett, Muchelney, old railway line and abundant birdlife This is an especially good walk if you enjoy landscape rather than strenuous hill climbing. The route crosses the flat countryside of the Somerset Levels and follows well-established paths and embankments, although conditions can obviously become much wetter after prolonged rain. Allow plenty of time rather than treating the four-and-a-half miles as a race. The pleasure of this walk is in the details: looking across the rhynes, watching birds along the river and taking in the extraordinary skies of the Levels. Easy Walking Easy walking it is too, thanks to the dead-flat path along the embankment of a disused railway. You’ll find the old Taunton to Yeovil branch-line on the western edge of Langport, across the river from the main town, under Hurd’s Hill. I’ll admit to suffering a little bout of wrath whenever I think of Dr Beeching's crazy and misguided axe… However, you couldn't be angry for long out here on a pleasant day. So fabulous are the views along this straight, raised, section of the walk that the merry walker might even be tempted to forgive the good doctor for closing down so many excellent railway lines. Instead of being run down by a train the last time I did this walk - which was 10 years ago in a high, dry, summer - I was accosted by flurries and drifts of butterflies. Gate-keepers, peacocks, fritillaries - you name it, the Taunton to Yeovil branch-line had them all. See some wonderful Somerset pub walks here But after a mile or two on the beautiful butterfly special, it was time to leave the line and turn left along the Law Lane to cross the River Parrett via Westover Bridge. Instantly you will find yourself in deepest rural Somerset. You have been in it all the way of course but, if there's something frenetic about a dead railway mad with life, then there's something profoundly silent and Mediaeval about approaching lonely, lovely, Muchelney. Muchelney in a photograph taken on my old film camera Muchelney: An Ancient Island in the Somerset Levels The approach to Muchelney is one of the most atmospheric parts of the walk. The hamlet seems to rise out of the surrounding Levels almost like an island, which is no accident: the name itself reflects the area's ancient watery landscape. The great landmark here is Muchelney Abbey, founded in the seventh century and later home to Benedictine monks. Its ruins, the medieval buildings around it and the nearby church give this tiny settlement an extraordinary sense of age. Even if you don't detour to visit the abbey, it is worth taking time to look around Muchelney before continuing your walk. After the wide-open landscape of the Levels, the village can feel almost impossibly intimate – thatched buildings, old walls and the church rising above them. It is one of those Somerset places where the past seems unusually close to the surface. When the media hordes aren’t here in the floods, you almost expect the music of Thomas Tallis to come wafting across the moors from the ancient abbey, so enshrined in religious history does the hamlet seem. Whether it's the thatch sitting on top of just about every building bar the church, or simply the island-at-sea look of the place, Muchelney speaks of the past with the same permanent air as Stonehenge or the Acropolis. Check out some of Quantock Hill walks here To be honest I don’t know if the tea-rooms situated in venerable stables, where I had a bite and a brew a decade ago, are or will be open after the Great Flood of 2014. If they are, why not go in and give them your custom. Across the road the walls of Benedictine Abbey (run by English Heritage - open to the public) still stands strong and proud despite the threatening waters - having kept their occupants dry and holy for more than a 1,000 years. Men were praying inside those walls before William the Conqueror was even a twinkle in a pair of Norman eyes. Since 950 to be precise, when King Athelstan had the place rebuilt - and some 300 years before that if you count the abbey which this replaced. If you are in the mood to check out local businesses during this walk, why not stroll a quarter of a mile up the road to the Leach Pottery where one of the world’s most avuncular and well known potters plies his trade. John Leach’s establishment is always well worth a visit - unless it’s been closed for weeks by floods which it has a good deal of late. Last time I was out this way I took a quick look around Muchelney Church before returning north to Langport, and have to report I was in for a bit of a shock. I knew the place had a rather famous painted ceiling, but didn't know why it had achieved acclaim. If you’re of an extremely prudish disposition, best avert your eyes. Inside the marvellous old church there is a mirror which has been placed on a table in the central aisle so that visitors can admire the ceiling without craning their necks. The wood carver was what you might call a 'breast-man'. In other words the girls upstairs, or angels I suppose, are the 15th Century's answer to Page Three models. They bare not the biggest breasts in the world, nor are they the best painted bosoms I have ever seen. But breasts they certainly are and there are enough of them to convince you that the fellow was obviously obsessed. Quite enough in fact to make you seek sanctuary - in the Sanctuary - and admire the Mediaeval tiles which adorn the floor. When the architects of old went shopping in Bridgwater it wasn't the cut-price big-sheds on the outskirts for them, but the chic little places selling exotica in town. Where else, back then, would you have found tiles depicting elephants? Come to that, how did the local tile-makers even know what elephants looked like? So many puzzles in just one church. Enough to keep you pondering on the most beautiful part of the hike as you return to Langport along the banks of the River Parrett. By returning to Westover Bridge you have a choice - you can walk along either bank as both have public footpaths running along their length. The east bank will provide you with a slightly longer hike as it eventually swings right to allow you to cross Bicknell (road) Bridge. I took the left bank when I was last here. On a good day you will see bending reeds, parting to reveal herons, swans, ducks, curlews, buzzards, kingfishers and lapwing… All will keep you company as you head for the Somerset town which is southern England’s answer to Holland. Having referred to that flat country it must be said that part of Langport sits on a steep hill which, I admit isn't particularly Dutch - but it's the Flemish architecture which rears so many conspicuous gabled-ends here and there, that puts one in mind of the Lowlands. Crossing Huish Bridge you can either climb the hill directly in front of you and enter town to regain your car by walking left past the main church, or stroll down the riverside path. A decade ago on my summer stroll here I saw kids diving in and out of the slow moving Parrett and the idyllic scene looked for all the world like Renoir’s painting The Bathers. Langport is also a town of great community interest - led by people like the two town councillors Ian MacNab and Val Saunders (below). Frequently Asked Questions How long is the Langport to Muchelney walk? The circular route is approximately four and a half miles, making it a manageable walk for most reasonably fit walkers. Is the Langport to Muchelney walk flat? Yes. This is predominantly flat walking across the Somerset Levels, with much of the route following embankments, old railway track and riverside paths. What are the highlights of the Langport to Muchelney walk? The main highlights include the Somerset Levels, the old Taunton to Yeovil railway line, Muchelney and its ancient abbey, the River Parrett and the abundant wildlife of the wetlands. Can you see wildlife on the Langport to Muchelney walk? Yes. The wetlands and river provide habitat for numerous birds, and Martin has recorded seeing herons, swans, ducks, curlews, buzzards, kingfishers and lapwings along the route. Is Muchelney worth visiting? Absolutely. Muchelney's ancient abbey and historic buildings make it one of the most atmospheric settlements on the Somerset Levels, and the village provides a memorable addition to the walk.

Six Somerset Walks for Every Kind of Walker Somerset is one of those counties where you can walk through an extraordinary variety of landscapes without travelling very far. There are the high ridges and deep wooded combes of the Quantock Hills, the lonely Brendon Hills, the wide skies and waterways of the Somerset Levels and the gentle coastline around Blue Anchor and Dunster. Over the years I've walked many miles of Somerset, and these six routes are among the ones I keep coming back to. Some are short and easy-going, while others involve a proper climb and deserve a little more effort. Together they offer a taste of what makes walking in Somerset so rewarding: ancient landscapes, huge views, wildlife, history and, very often, a good pub at the end. So although I originally put these walks together as suggestions for Easter and spring, there's no reason to restrict them to one season. They're six walks to keep in your Somerset notebook and return to whenever the weather and the mood are right. The Six Somerset Walks 1. Aller and the Sedgemoor Rhynes – a peaceful four-mile walk across the Somerset Levels. 2. Bicknoller and Weacombe – a four-mile Quantock Hills circular with superb ridge views. 3. Luxborough and the Brendon Hills – an eight-mile hike through woodland, hills and the remains of Somerset's iron-mining past. 4. Will's Neck Circular – a more demanding 4½-mile walk to the highest point of the Quantock Hills. 5. Burrow Mump and Southlake Moor – an easy 3½-mile circular through the watery landscape of the Somerset Levels. 6. Blue Anchor to Dunster – a coastal and countryside walk combining the Somerset coast, Dunster Deer Park and historic Dunster. Check our 6 Top Quantock Walks here Walk 1 - Aller and the Sedgemoor Rhynes - Somerset Levels West Sedgemoor is a designated “Ramsar” site because of its importance as a wildlife habitat. Birds like lapwing fly about in great profusion and often the Levels becomes nothing more than a huge seething skyscape, with just a thin horizontal band of earth and water to remind you that this really is one of the loneliest and loveliest places in the West Country. Basic Route A good four mile walk in the area takes you from RSPB’s Dewland’s Farm, north to Oath on bank of River Parrett, across the river to Aller Church, then north-west along Aller Drove to Pathe Bridge to join the footpath on the left which returns along the Sowy River back to Oath. Terrible things went on in these low polders in 1645. The English Civil War was in full swing and the high ground to the rear of Aller and Langport was the scene of a huge battle between 7,000 Royalist soldiers and 10,000 Parliamentarians. After a brave and hard fought initial stance by the former, the rout was on and soon panic was spreading through Royalist ranks. No one knows how many people died out here on the 10th of July that year, but it is likely that all the rhynes ran red. Only swans rout and skirmish today. Or, if you are lucky, you might see one of the great cranes which have been reintroduced to this area in recent years. Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2 hours. Difficulty 2/10 Walk 2 - Bicknoller-Weacombe Circular - the Quantock Hills This is one of the very best short walks in the region. The basic hike, set in the north Quantocks, starts at Bicknoller and runs along the fringe of the moor to Weacombe, then turns up that valley to Bicknoller Post before returning down Bicknoller Coombe. At Bicknoller you might be best advised to park down in the car park down by the village hall because there’s not much room in the lane that leads up to the coombe. Walked up to the entrance of the valley and, before entering its hallowed confines, turn left and take the footpath that fringes the hills as it heads for Weacombe. This is a particularly pleasing part of the jaunt as it affords sublime views of the Vale of West Somerset. Weacombe announces itself with the dramatic abruptness that is typical in hills carved out of soft red sandstone. The tiny stream has had a relatively easy job of it over the years, and now the coombe is deep and steep. We turn right into it and proceed up the stream-side to enter the bosom of the hills… Up and up Weacombe goes, to eventually fork at its upper end. We take the right hand path and climb to Bicknoller Post. There is, indeed, a post there to announce the fact… See a selection of our Somerset pub-based walks here It marks the watershed junction between Weacombe to the west of the ridge and the Holford complex of coombes to the east – curiously, the head of Bicknoller Coombe is another mile to the south. here we are on the main ridge of the Quantock Hills - which boasts some of the best 360-degree panoramas you will find anywhere. We walk along it for a while, keeping right when it comes to the assortment tracks which would take us further along the ridge. What we’re looking for is the next big groove that falls away from the hills to our right – for this is secret Bicknoller Coombe. And all we have to do is walk down it to find the place where we started – or, better still, to continue on into Bicknoller where there is an excellent pub to hand. Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2.5 hours. Difficulty: 4/10. Walk 3 - Luxborough - Brendon Hills Last time I did this walk there was a heavy fall of snow. It didn’t matter - Luxborough really does offer some of the best walking country in the South West, so it’s always worth the effort to go to the sylvan bosom of the Brendon Hills. See more Somerset walks here Luxborough as seen from Croydon Hill The three-part community - consisting of Kingsbridge, Pooltown and Churchtown - is surrounded by forests and hills. But Kingsbridge (where the pub is) is as good a place as any to start and finish because there’s a car park situated nearby just beside the large village hall. We took the lane south from the hall to Pooltown and then swung right up the steep road that's marked Dunster. After about 400 metres a track descends left off the road, just opposite Hall Farm. This leads down, over a stream, past an attractive cottage and then swings due west to ascend gently through some delightful meadows. On the map you'll see some small lakes marked, but you won't see much of them, they silted up years ago. High above, to the north, on a shelf on the side of the hill, you'll see splendid old Chargot Manor nestling beneath its giant cedar tree. The track continues on into the coombe marked on the map as Chargot Wood. The thing to do is take the first forestry track on the right which turns back on itself to climb the slope westwards toward Collyhill Wood. We are now high on Kennisham Hill, and it's worth mentioning that this entire area was riddled with iron mines a century or more ago. You may have managed to catch a glimpse of an old chimney stack high above Chargot Wood - it's the only obvious evidence left that any of this huge industry ever existed. Lype Common lies just to the west of Kennisham and is criss-crossed with public rights-of-way. Here we descended due north to find the track that crosses directly to Luxborough's Churchtown. By turning left, or west, at the church we walked a few hundred yards up the lane to find the footpath that heads north across three fields to eventually arrive at a wide track. If we turn right here we can make the gentle climb to yet more vast pinewoods – this time we enter the great plantations which crown massive Croydon Hill. This is an exciting walking zone in its own right – you could spend a week hiking in and around Croydon Hill and never have to take the same route twice. On this occasion we are merely skirting its south eastern edge by striding up the higher flanks of Perley Coombe. Keep to your right all the time and after half an hour’s walking you will arrive at a crossroads of tracks on the edge of Withycombe Common. Here we turn sharp right to begin our descent down the eastern edge of Perley Coombe. Down, down, we go – once again on the border between pine-forest and fields – to eventually arrive at what used to be the Forestry Commission’s local headquarters. From here it’s simply a matter of walking 100 yards down the lane and turning right to stroll the last quarter of a mile back to the Kingsbridge part of Luxborough and the pub. Distance: 8 miles. Time: 4.5 hours. Difficulty: 8/10 Walk 4 - Will’s Neck Circular - Quantock Hills This walk is a steep clamber around the highest point of the Quantock Hills. It might be a little exhausting in places but the views are among the most magnificent in the entire West Country region. The basic hike starts at Triscombe and runs along the side of the hills to Little Quantock Farm, then it’s up on to the high ridge where we swing south east to ascend the AONB’s highest summit, Will’s Neck, before returning down a very steep track. To find all this scenic glory you only need drive 15 minutes out of Taunton on the Minehead road. After about seven miles turn right and follow the signposts to Triscombe, and within a mile you will be in one of the loveliest hamlets in Somerset – tucked, as it is, under the central massif of the Quantock ridge. Tucked, also, under one of the county’s biggest quarries. Its red aggregate was used in all manner of famous places. It used to be the first thing most visitors saw when they came to Britain, because it was used for the runways at Heathrow. I was also told that the regal red road outside Buckingham Palace was made of the stuff. Thankfully, the quarry is quiet nowadays, and there’s not much at Triscombe save for a handful of pretty cottages and a rather good pub. Find the footpath which departs the lane to Crowcombe and follow it a mile and a quarter all the way to to Little Quantock Combe. This is where the hard work comes in. The half mile to the top of the ridge is steep. But the effort is worthwhile because the main ridge of the Quantocks offers spectacular views in all directions. On a clear day you will see the whole of North Somerset, including the expanse of The Levels and even the new Severn Bridge spanning the upper limits of the Bristol Channel. Now it’s a two mile jaunt south past Great Hill on the ancient drovers’ road. Just after you pass Triscombe Stone and the unpaved road which plummets down to Triscombe, a path ascends gently uphill to the right. This is the way up to Will’s Neck – the highest point on the Quantocks. After that it’s simply a matter of descending the extremely steep path back to the hamlet. Distance: 4.5 miles. Time: 2.5 hours. Difficulty: 6/10 Th view from Will's Neck on the Quantocks Walk 5 - Burrow Mump Circular Pub Walk - Somerset Levels For a while it was known as Flood HQ, which doesn’t sound much of a tag-line when it comes to heralding a fantastic walk - but the cosy King Alfred pub at Burrowbridge, which was in the thick of infamous floods, is located at the very heart of the Somerset Levels and as such is centrally placed to offer some of the best lowland hikes anywhere this side of Lincolnshire. Burrow Mump and the River Parrett When the Levels are not submerged under six feet of water, they are a fabulous place in which to explore. And this circular route from Burrow Mump car park around Southlake Moor will show you why. At just four miles it is easy-going and flat. Simply take the lane opposite the pub and follow it a few hundred metres along the eastern bank of the Parrett to Samways Farm. Here there’s a track called Burrow Drove heading off north-east across the Levels until it’s met at right angles by the Broad Drove. The River Parrett winds through the Somerset Levels Now turn right and follow this as it zigs-and-zags under clouds of butterflies to meet the main road at Burrow Wall Farm. Cross the highway to join the not-so-obvious footpath past Grove Farm to Pathe. Once on the quiet lane you will see a rhyne on the other side of a garden - and down the far side (east bank) of that humble waterway you will see the footpath heading out into the polders on its way to Stathe. Cross the steel footbridge and follow the path which shoots south across Southlake Moor. Before you reach Stathe you can, since the opening of a permissive path, cut directly back to Burrowbridge along the bank of the River Parrett. Distance: 3.5 miles. Time: 1.5 hours. Difficulty: 2/10 Walk 6 - Blue Anchor - Dunster Circular - Somerset Coast Blue Anchor was invented as a Victorian bathing resort after the West Somerset Railway had made its way along the low coast on its way to Minehead. And the starting point of this walk is to be found near the station at the western end of the seafront. Across the railway, a public footpath will take you across the meadows to the village of Carhampton. Cramp'n as it's known locally, is an historic place - people were living here way before the local saint, Carantoc, came to spread the Word 1000 years ago. The sense of history continues as we take the first street on the left past the Butcher's Arms. All you have to do is walk up High Street to turn right at the top and begin the gentle ascent which continues due west straight out of the village to Dunster Deer Park. Eventually the tarmac lane gives way to rough track and where it turns sharp left you'll see a gate straight ahead that leads into the ancient demesne of Dunster Castle. This is a particularly beautiful section offering excellent views of the famous castle We dip into the valley to cross the River Avill at Dunster's much photographed Gallox Bridge. This brings you to Dunster's southerly edge and you must head north through its mediaeval streets until you meet the Minehead road once again. There's a pedestrian underpass that allows you to cross safely to the area known as The Marsh where it's simply a matter of making your way to Dunster Beach. Half a mile later you are back at the seaside where you turn right to stroll along the high tide mark back to Blue Anchor. Distance: 4 miles. Time: 2 hours. Difficulty: 4/10

Cothelstone Hill: The View That Explains Somerset If someone asked me where to find the finest panorama in the Quantock Hills, I'd probably send them to Cothelstone Hill. It isn't the highest point on the Quantocks – that honour belongs to Wills Neck – but this graceful hill on the southern edge of the range offers one of the widest and most rewarding views in Somerset. From the summit the landscape seems to unfold in every direction. The Somerset Levels shimmer below, the Polden Hills stretch eastwards, Exmoor rises to the west and, on a clear day, the mountains of South Wales appear across the Bristol Channel. It's the sort of place that reminds you just how varied Somerset really is. This is a short and easy walk, but it delivers the kind of views that many much longer hikes never quite match. The Journey to Quantock Hills As you leave the old A38 Bridgwater to Taunton road and head up into the foothills of the Quantock Hills, you'll quickly find yourself on a small lane signposted Goathurst and Broomfield. This lane leads you along the most southerly ridge of the Quantock Hills, where you'll be transported from the motorway to a rural paradise in just a few turns of your steering wheel. Check out our post on 6 Great Somerset Walks here A Hike with Unbeatable Views At 332 meters, Cothelstone Hill is the highest peak at the southern end of the escarpment, offering unparalleled views of Somerset's landscapes. From here, you can see the Mendips, the Poldens, the Levels, the West Dorset Downs, the Blackdowns, Tone Vale, the lowlands of East Devon, Dartmoor, the Brendons, and Exmoor, among other stunning sights. See more about Quantock Hill walks here The Seven Sisters and Cothelstone Beacon The summit of Cothelstone Hill is instantly recognisable because of its famous clump of beech trees known as the Seven Sisters. They have become one of the best-known landmarks in the Quantock Hills, standing in a circle close to the top of the hill and visible from miles away across Somerset. The trees were originally planted in the eighteenth century on top of a much older Bronze Age barrow, linking this beautiful viewpoint with a landscape that has been sacred for thousands of years. A few yards away are the remains of Cothelstone Beacon Tower, an ornamental folly built during the Georgian period. Although the tower was largely destroyed in a storm more than a century ago, its ruined stones still hint at a time when wealthy landowners built viewing towers simply to celebrate extraordinary landscapes. It's worth wandering around the summit rather than heading straight back down. Every few steps reveal another perspective across Somerset, and the changing light makes this one of those hills that never looks quite the same twice. Why Cothelstone Hill Is One of My Favourite Quantock Walks The Quantocks are full of wonderful walks through combes, woodland and open heath, but Cothelstone Hill has something slightly different. It gives you a real sense of Somerset's geography in a single glance. You can see the Levels, the Mendips, Exmoor, the Brendons and the Bristol Channel all from one modest summit. I've walked here in bright winter sunshine, with skylarks overhead in spring and heather beginning to colour the hills in late summer. Every season changes the view, but the feeling is always the same: this is one of those places that makes you fall in love with Somerset all over again. Check out 6 truly wonderful Quantock hikes here Discovering the Route To find this incredible hike, locate the car park a mile from the crossroads where you'll find The Pines café. You can either follow the Quantock Ranger Service waymarked route that circles Cothelstone Hill or take the anti-clockwise route for slightly better views. The Ranger's route is marked by wooden posts topped by green discs with white arrows, so you won't even need a map. Wildlife and Local History As you explore the Quantock Hills, you'll encounter pure-bred Exmoor Ponies, which the Quantock Rangers have introduced to keep the hill clear of scrub. These ponies provide a serene and natural experience, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of the area. The summit of Cothelstone Hill is marked by a ring of beech trees which used to be called the Seven Sisters. Although several trees were toppled in gales, the remaining few hold historical significance, likely named after the seven daughters of Sir Matthew de Stawell, a 14th-century local ruler. Wrapping Up Your Hike To complete your hike, make your way southwest down from the trees towards the corner of the common, where you can catch a glimpse of Cothelstone Manor far below. Then, head east along the side of the woods until you reach the wooden pens above Paradise Combe. Through a gate, you'll find a path leading across the contours through Buncombe Wood, eventually bringing you back to the car park. What Can You See From Cothelstone Hill? One of the joys of Cothelstone Hill is playing the game of identifying landmarks on the horizon. Looking south you can trace the flat expanse of the Somerset Levels, with Glastonbury Tor rising like an island beyond the Polden Hills. Swing west and the ridges of Exmoor dominate the skyline, while the Brendon Hills roll away towards Minehead. To the east lie the Mendip Hills and the Vale of Taunton, and on exceptionally clear days you can even pick out the coast of South Wales across the Bristol Channel. Local tradition says you can see fourteen counties and around 150 churches from Cothelstone Hill – perhaps a slight exaggeration, but it gives you an idea of just how extensive the panorama really is. Bring binoculars if you have them. This is one of the finest natural viewpoints anywhere in Somerset. Fact File Basic hike: circular around the Cothelstone Hill access land. Recommended map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 140. Distance and going: two-and-a-half miles of easy going. Frequently Asked Questions How long is the Cothelstone Hill walk? The circular walk is a relatively easy hill walk of around 2½ to 3 miles, depending on the route you choose around the summit and surrounding woodland. Is Cothelstone Hill difficult to climb? No. Although there is a steady climb to the summit, the walk is suitable for most reasonably fit walkers and is one of the easier routes in the Quantock Hills. Where do you park for Cothelstone Hill? The walk usually starts from the Cothelstone Hill car park near Broomfield on the southern edge of the Quantock Hills, with a clearly marked path leading towards the summit. What are the Seven Sisters on Cothelstone Hill? The Seven Sisters are a famous circle of beech trees planted on the summit of Cothelstone Hill. They stand on the site of a prehistoric Bronze Age barrow and have become one of the Quantock Hills' best-known landmarks. Can you see Wales from Cothelstone Hill? Yes. On a clear day you can enjoy views across the Bristol Channel to South Wales, as well as Exmoor, the Mendip Hills, the Somerset Levels and much of the surrounding West Country.

Kilve to Lilstock: A Somerset Coast Walk There are stretches of the Somerset coast that remain surprisingly little known, and the walk from Kilve to Lilstock is one of them. Starting at Kilve Beach, the route follows the clifftops eastwards along a wonderfully rugged section of the Bristol Channel coast, with the Quantock Hills rising behind you and Blue Anchor Bay opening out to the west. It is an easy walk in terms of distance and terrain, but there is plenty to make you stop along the way. Kilve is famous for its extraordinary geology and fossil-rich foreshore, while the cliffs and shoreline around Lilstock reveal a fascinating story of ancient seas, industry and a harbour that has long since disappeared. For me, this is one of those Somerset walks where the landscape becomes more interesting the longer you look at it. There is geology beneath your feet, history in the cliffs and, on a clear day, an enormous sweep of coast and sea ahead. Getting to the Start of the Hike at Kilve Village Getting to Kilve Beach To begin the walk, make your way to the village of Kilve on the northern slopes of the Quantock Hills. The village lies just off the A39 between Bridgwater and Minehead. Turn towards the coast and follow the lane down towards Kilve Beach, passing the ancient Chantry ruins on the way. The road becomes narrower and rather bumpy as it approaches the coast, eventually reaching the small parking area near Kilve Pill and the beach. This is a useful place to start the walk because you can head directly down to the shore before joining the coastal path. Kilve is a popular starting point for exploring this section of the Somerset coast, particularly because of its remarkable geology. If you are planning to spend time looking at the rocks and fossils as well as walking, it is worth allowing considerably longer than the basic walking distance suggests. The walk itself is straightforward, with the route heading east from Kilve towards Lilstock. My original route description gives the return distance as around three-and-a-half miles if you retrace your steps, or about five miles if you make the inland return via Kilton. The going is generally very easy. Kilve Beach and Its Remarkable Fossils Before setting off towards Lilstock, it is worth spending some time on Kilve Beach because this is no ordinary stretch of Somerset shoreline. The cliffs and foreshore expose layers of Lower Jurassic Blue Lias – alternating bands of limestone, mudstone and dark shale laid down roughly 200 million years ago when this part of Britain was covered by a shallow sea. At low tide the limestone forms broad, almost paved platforms across the foreshore, while the darker shales between them can contain fossils. Ammonites are among the most obvious finds, and the geology of the Kilve–Lilstock coastline is internationally important to geologists because of the remarkably complete sequence of Lower Jurassic rocks exposed here. There is another intriguing chapter to the story. Some of the dark shale contains a high proportion of organic material and is oil-bearing. In the early twentieth century there was even an attempt to extract oil from the local shale, leaving behind the brick remains of an oil retort near the beach. It is an extraordinary thought that the same rocks which now attract walkers, fossil hunters and geologists were once regarded as a potential source of industrial fuel. The fossils are tempting, but this is a place where I think looking is more rewarding than hammering. The Somerset geology guide specifically notes that fossils can be difficult to extract and recommends leaving them where they are. The real pleasure is seeing the layers of ancient seabed spread out beneath your feet and realising just how much geological history is exposed along this apparently quiet piece of coast. Clifftop Views and Royal Navy Observation Post From Kilve, follow the clifftop path eastwards, enjoying the breathtaking views of the northern Quantock and Blue Anchor Bay. Look out for the Range Quadrant Hut, a white-painted structure on the edge of the cliffs where Royal Navy observers watch military exercises. Check out our post on 6 Great Somerset Walks Uncovering the Haunting History of Lilstock Further along the path, you'll reach Lilstock, a location steeped in history and mystery. Once home to a bustling harbour and hotel, Lilstock now offers only haunting remnants of its past. As you return to Kilve, you can either follow the same coastal path or take an inland route past Kilton, which offers a different perspective on this stunning area. Fact File Basic Hike: from Kilve Beach, on the West Somerset coast, east along the clifftop path to Lilstock - and then back, either via the same route or over the hill past Kilton. Recommended map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 140 - Quantock Hills. Distance and going: three-and-a-half - or five miles depending on return route. Very easy going. How long is the Kilve to Lilstock walk? The walk from Kilve Beach to Lilstock and back is around 3½ miles using the coastal route, or about 5 miles if you return inland via Kilton. Is the Kilve to Lilstock walk difficult? It is generally an easy walk, although coastal conditions and uneven ground around the beach can make things more challenging. Can you find fossils at Kilve Beach? Yes. Kilve is particularly well known for its Blue Lias geology and fossils, making the beach one of the most interesting geological locations on the Somerset coast. Where does the Kilve to Lilstock walk start? The walk begins near Kilve Beach, reached through Kilve village from the A39 between Bridgwater and Minehead. Is Kilve on the South West Coast Path? Yes. The walk follows the coastal route along this section of the Somerset coast.

Discovering the Quantock Hills 🌳 There are times when it’s a good idea to climb a mountain in order to get a better view of the world that surrounds you. The right kind of hill will do. Or a ridge, escarpment or, indeed, any eminence that is capable of giving you an overview of the world in which you live. The point is that being up high can literally lift your spirits and somehow help to put the complexities of life into perspective. Starting at Crowcombe Park Gate: High Ridge to Wilmot's Pool The South West region has a variety of summits which will do the job, but some are better than others when it comes to supplying the drama of that all-round 360-degree panorama. The ridge of the Quantock Hills is one of the finest I know, and I don’t just say that because I was born under the lee of those wondrous uplands and so have an unquenchable love for their soft contours, but because the views offered by a stroll along those modest summits are better and more extensive than you’d get from many a mountain ten times their height. Walk Overview Grid Key Detail Information Start / Finish Crowcombe Park Gate Car Park (Grid Ref: ST 150 377) Distance Approx. 4 miles (6.4 km) circuit Terrain Open heather ridge, woodland tracks, and easy-going combe paths Difficulty Easy to Moderate (gentle ridge ascents and well-defined tracks) Highlights Wilmot's Pool, Dowsborough Iron Age Hill-Fort, Walford's Gibbet, Rams Combe, Dead Woman's Ditch OS Map OS Explorer 140 (Quantock Hills & Bridgwater) I told my guest that we’d meet at a place called Dead Woman’s Ditch. As we were talking on the phone, I do not know if his expression changed to one of slight alarm upon hearing this rather gruesome place name — but he agreed to come along anyway, so must have been convinced it would be a good idea to enjoy those views of just about all of Somerset, as well as glimpses of Gloucestershire, Dorset and even Wiltshire and Worcestershire, not forgetting a large chunk of Devon in the form of the Blackdown Hills and distant Dartmoor. It is said you can see a total of 12 counties from the top of the Quantocks, if you count the ones in Wales on the other side of the Bristol Channel. The Mystery of Dead Woman's Ditch 💀 As for the gruesomeness of Dead Woman’s Ditch, I also promised Richard I’d tell him all about the swashbuckling tale that goes behind the name. Which, admittedly, was a little disingenuous of me because it was an excuse to plug my novel The Last Broomsquire - a story that has the dead woman in question right at the heart of its narrative. The ditch is actually a prehistoric rampart, erected for defensive purposes to help keep the Bronze Age people safe - but Jane Shorney wasn’t at all safe when she visited the place just over 200 years ago. I’m not sure how close she was to the ditch, which is now so indelibly linked with her death - local legend has it that she was murdered here, but some say she went to meet her maker further down the hill. Wherever it was, the grim truth of the matter is that one fateful night Jane flew at her husband, John Walford, in a rage and he felled her with a blow before finishing the job with his knife. My novel weaves fanciful stories around the character of the young broomsquire Walford, who in real life was a hugely popular man. Broomsquires, by the way, were an itinerant folk who lived on the Quantocks (and elsewhere) and collected broom to make besoms - the sort of brushes favoured by witches. They also worked as charcoal burners, an activity which used to be common in the deep local coombes cloaked in Atlantic oak forest. If you’re enjoying this walk visit some of the other Quantock hikes on this site Dead Woman’s Ditch is located in what could be described as the heart of the Quantocks, halfway between the villages of Nether Stowey, to the east of the ridge, and Crowcombe, to the west. I took Richard on a fairly short, almost level (rare in hill country) triangular hike over the top of Robin Upright’s Hill to Halsway Post, before returning over Hurley Beacon and Black Hill to Crowcombe Park Gate, then back to the cars via Wilmott’s Pool. As I say, the views along the entirety of this easy walk stretch for miles beyond the deep Quantock coombes which extend beneath our route, which themselves add an immediate and stunning intimacy to the landscape. Walking in the Footsteps of Poets 📜 I was able to show my colleague the twisting, wooded, valley that leads down to Holford and Alfoxden where poet William Wordsworth lived for a short while with his sister Dorothy. They moved here at the very end of the 1700s so they could be near fellow poet, Samuel Coleridge, and the three of them would go walking and talking together for miles across these upland heaths - much to the consternation of locals who could not believe anyone would actually walk for pleasure. In those days, you would only put one foot in front of the other for work or to go to church or market. Strolling for fun seemed so crazy Coleridge and Wordsworth were, for a time, suspected of being French spies. The Quantock Hills and the Smuggler’s Coast 🌊 We were also able to look down at the nearby West Somerset coast, where so much smuggling went on in days or yore, especially at Kilve where the importers of illicit brandy trained their packhorses to walk into the hills alone and to gallop off if anyone said, “Whoa!” Or come to a standstill if anyone barked “Giddy-up!”. A tactic which is said to have frustrated the customs and excisemen on more than one occasion. Electricity, Frankenstein, and the Quantocks ⚡ Up on Hurley Beacon, I pointed south towards Broomfield, where Squire Andrew Crosse was experimenting with early forms of electricity generation more than 200 years ago. His experimentation, which included “harvesting” lighting from copper rods suspended in trees around his laboratory, is believed to have influenced Mary Shelley at a time just before she penned her novel, Frankenstein. All these remarkable things - the saga of the broomsquire, the poets producing works that would go on to be world-famous, the brandy smuggling, the Thunder and Lightning Man - were happening around about the same time, in just three or four neighbouring parishes in a remote rural area. It always seemed to me that someone should write a novel about it all, and I did. A Rewarding Pub Lunch at The Farmers Arms 🍽️ Poor Richard was probably exhausted after being told all these tales and many more besides - which is why I took him to one of the best pubs in Somerset for lunch. The Farmers Arms, at Combe Florey, is only about four miles from our walk. The small village down in the vale on the Taunton-to-Minehead road is where Evelyn Waugh lived in the 1950s. He regularly frequented the Farmers Arms with various members of the London literati, as did his writer son, Auberon. The charming thatched pub dates back to the 15th century, but there have been times when it almost became a footnote in history, thanks to that thatch. The place has gone up in flames more than once - most recently in 2017 when it was almost completely destroyed. Owners Tim and Jane had the place rebuilt to a very high standard and it really is now an excellent venue for a drink or a meal. Partly thanks to fire, ironically enough… The Farmers Arms is one of the few pubs I know with a charcoal-fired Jasper oven, a fact which tends to lift anything that’s grilled into another realm. This area, that lies between the Quantocks and the Brendon Hills to the west, is special. A famous agronomist during World War 2 described it as “Dingly Dell Land” - and it is just that. A rather mysterious, highly wooded, area of tiny hamlet and myriad lanes - one that’s hardly ever visited by tourists. A Hidden Gem of Somerset 🍻 Another pub I’d recommend in the area is the White Horse, located in the pretty village of Stogumber, just four miles from our walk. The small, very rural, community deserves a good inn, but there have been times when the place looked likely to become pub-less. And that, of course, is something you could say about a good many villages located out in the sticks - which is why I like to support pubs in out-of-the-way places. Stogumber’s excellent White Horse recently reopened under new management, and I know the local couple will do a great job - so if you’re in the area enjoying a walk or whatever, do call in. Part of the point of this newspaper series is to promote the idea of genteel adventures in our wonderful landscapes - and the idea of a nice scenic stroll on the Quantocks, followed by a pub lunch or early evening meal, doesn’t get much better than the one described in today’s humble recipe. Frequently Asked Questions Where does this Quantock Hills walk start? The circular route starts at the Crowcombe Park Gate car park, a popular high-ridge access point situated above the village of Crowcombe on the Quantock Hills. What inspired the novel The Last Broomsquire? The novel was inspired by the true 1789 murder of Jane Shorney on the Quantocks, the subsequent trial, and the execution of Johnny Walford at what became known as Walford's Gibbet. "Broomsquires" were the itinerant heather-and-gorse broom makers who once lived on the wild hillsides. What is Dead Woman's Ditch? Despite its grim name, Dead Woman's Ditch is a prehistoric earthwork (a linear bank and ditch) likely dating back to the Bronze or Iron Age. Local folklore later tied the location to the murder of Jane Shorney. What can you see from Dowsborough hill-fort? Dowsborough crowns a wooded 1,100-foot summit featuring an Iron Age oval contour hill-fort. The northern flanks offer clear views across the Bristol Channel, taking in the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, as well as the distant Welsh coast. Is this walk suitable for all fitness levels? Yes. At four miles with mostly gentle gradients and broad tracks, it is considered an easy-to-moderate hike suitable for most walkers, families, and dogs. Sturdy footwear is recommended after rain, as woodland sections can get muddy.