Embrace the beauty of Cornwall on this circular walk featuring stunning views and abundant wildlife One of the beaches you pass on the way to St Anthony Head, Cornwall Introduction to St Anthony Head Walk, Cornwall St Anthony Head is one of those Cornish places where a relatively modest walk manages to pack an extraordinary amount into a few miles. Sitting on the tip of the Roseland Peninsula opposite Falmouth, it gives you big views across Carrick Roads and out towards the open sea, but there is much more to discover than simply the coastline. See our dedicated Cornwall page here St Mawes This circular walk takes in Towan Beach, Porthbeor Beach and Zone Point, before reaching the headland itself, with its old gun emplacements and lighthouse. From there the character of the walk changes as the route turns towards the quieter waters of the Percuil River, passing Great Molunan, Place House and a succession of small coves and creeks. It is an easy-going walk in terms of steep climbs, although the path beside the Percuil can be distinctly muddy after wet weather. What makes it particularly enjoyable is the variety: beaches, woodland, military history, wildlife, sheltered creeks and some magnificent views across one of Cornwall's most beautiful stretches of water. I first walked this route when I was looking for a way of exploring St Anthony Head and the surrounding Roseland coast without simply retracing the same stretch of shoreline. It proved to be a far more varied walk than I had expected — and one that rewards taking your time rather than rushing around the headland. Getting to St Anthony Head St Anthony Head lies on the Roseland Peninsula, on the opposite side of the Fal estuary from Falmouth. Getting there involves following some narrow Cornish lanes to the National Trust car park at Porth Farm, close to Porth Creek. In summer there is another possibility: you can cross the water on the small ferry from St Mawes, turning the walk into part of a much bigger day out on the Roseland. I would use the Porth Farm car park as the starting point for this walk. Check out some excellent pub based walks in Cornwall by clicking here Starting the Walk at Towan Beach From Porth Farm, cross the lane and take the footpath towards Towan Beach. This is an enjoyable beginning to the walk because you are almost immediately into the countryside and beside the coast. Keep an eye on the rocks around Killigerran Head, where seals can sometimes be seen. From here the route continues along the coast towards Porthbeor Beach. Porthbeor Beach and Zone Point Porthbeor Beach is one of those small Cornish beaches that can easily make you stop for a while. Golden sand, rocks and the surrounding cliffs give it a wonderfully secluded feel. Continue around Zone Point and the character of the walk begins to change as St Anthony Head comes into view. This is where the scenery starts to open up dramatically, with views across the water towards Falmouth and the Helford area. See more coastal walks in Cornwall here St Anthony Head and its Military History St Anthony Head is much more than a good viewpoint. The headland was an important part of the coastal defences protecting Falmouth and its harbour, and the old gun emplacements remain as a reminder of its military past. It is worth taking a little time to explore this part of the headland rather than simply walking past it. The interpretation board explains how the defences operated and why this particular position was so important. The views are impressive, too, stretching across Carrick Roads towards Falmouth and along the Cornish coast. Visit some of the best beaches in Devon and Cornwall's here The Lighthouse and Great Molunan From St Anthony Head, descend towards the lighthouse and continue along the coast. The route passes two sandy coves before reaching the old pine stand at Great Molunan. This is another lovely section of the walk, with the landscape becoming quieter and more sheltered. It is a good place to pause and simply take in the surroundings before continuing towards the Percuil. See places to stay in Southern Cornwall here Travel writer Martin Hesp at Percuil Creek Views Towards St Mawes and Place House As the path leaves the immediate shoreline and crosses a small rise, you get a fine view across towards St Mawes. The route then brings you to Place House, the neo-Gothic manor built in 1840 by Sir Samuel Spry on the site of a former monastery. Nearby is Place Quay, while the old church is another reminder of the long history of this little corner of the Roseland Peninsula. This is one of the things I like about the walk: within a relatively short distance you have moved from open sea and military history to creeks, old buildings and the much more sheltered landscape around the Percuil. The Muddy Path Beside the Percuil River This is the section where you need to take a little more care. The path heads northeast along the shore of the Percuil River towards North-hill Point and Porth Creek. After wet weather it can become muddy, slippery and rather awkward in places, with the path zigzagging close to the water. It isn't particularly difficult, but proper walking shoes or boots are a good idea, especially after rain. The compensation is the scenery. The Percuil is a wonderfully peaceful stretch of water, and this quieter section provides a complete contrast to the exposed headland earlier in the walk. Eventually the path brings you back towards Porth Creek and the end of the circuit. A Walk with a Bit of Everything What makes this St Anthony Head walk particularly enjoyable is the variety packed into it. You have beaches and open coastline, spectacular estuary views, an old military battery, a lighthouse, woodland, creeks, historic buildings and the possibility of seeing wildlife along the way. It also gives you a chance to see a less familiar side of the Roseland Peninsula. St Mawes and the more obvious tourist destinations may attract much of the attention, but the countryside around St Anthony Head rewards anyone prepared to explore a little further. If the weather is good, allow yourself plenty of time. This isn't a walk I'd recommend rushing. Walk Fact File Walk: St Anthony Head circular walk, Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall Starting point: National Trust car park at Porth Farm Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 105 – Falmouth & Mevagissey Terrain: Mostly straightforward coastal paths, with some muddy sections Difficulty: Moderate/easy-going, with no major climbs Main attractions: Towan Beach, Porthbeor Beach, Zone Point, St Anthony Head, gun emplacements, lighthouse, Great Molunan, Place House and the Percuil River Footwear: Walking shoes or boots recommended, particularly after wet weather Food and drink: Porthscatho provides the nearest options; in summer the ferry can also take you across to St Mawes. Frequently Asked Questions Where does the St Anthony Head walk start? The walk starts at the National Trust car park at Porth Farm, near Porth Creek on the Roseland Peninsula. Is the St Anthony Head walk difficult? It is generally an easy-going walk without major climbs, although some sections can become muddy and slippery, particularly alongside the Percuil River. Can you see Falmouth from St Anthony Head? Yes. St Anthony Head has excellent views across Carrick Roads towards Falmouth. Is there a lighthouse at St Anthony Head? Yes. The lighthouse stands on the headland and forms one of the highlights of the walk. Can you get to St Anthony Head by ferry? During the summer months, a small ferry operates between St Mawes and the Roseland side of the Fal, providing an alternative way of incorporating St Anthony Head into a day out.

The fishing cove at Cape Cornwall The British headlands and granite-clad tracks welcome the adventurous spirit of those willing to watch out for weather, tide, and farm check-ins when trekking the cape country. Cornwall’s peninsula of West Penwith, where the land west of the Tamar branches out into the Atlantic, provides some of the most impressive and spectacular walking on the coast of Northern Europe, accompanied by a strong legacy of small-scale farming and day-boat fishing. Seasoned walkers use the eSIM Plus app to get a standalone mobile network dongle on their trailers, phones and OnePlug, and instantly access topographical maps on satellite coverage and transport timetables, without the hassle of relying on physical plastic SIM cards or searching out the less reliable rural broadband. Long days on the road, accompanied at night by the taste of locally landed seafood in historic granite inns, give a true and real taste of the seas. Walkers at Zennor Head From St Ives to Zennor: Wild Boulders and Historic Inns St Ives to Zennor is one of the best coastal walks in Britain, and the stretch of the Soth West Coast Path between the two is considered to be one of the most challenging. The raised paths through a garden that is predominantly sanded and cobbled soon turn into rough, heather-, bracken- and gorse-covered clifftop pathways which lead into the more open landscape of the outer bays. It passes through boulder-strewn headlands, like Carn Naun and River Cove, where grey Atlantic seals often haunt out on isolated foreshore rocks below. Here walking needs firm steps; across stream valleys, natural stepping stones formed of granite boulders are found, and the narrow mud tracks lead across coastal ravines. Though some of them are believed to date from the Bronze Age, so many ancient drystone field walls remain that they divide the high heathland from the steep cliff down to the ocean. It is several hours of driving up a hillside, but after a good bit of driving, the car turns inland and heads into the little hamlet of Zennor. Next door to the Tinners Arms (c. 13th century) is the village church, famed for its medieval merweed (Mermaid of Zennor) carvings. The inn was constructed to protect the stonemasons who worked on the building of the Parish Church, and has become a vitally important refuge for those weary folk who are on foot to experience the trials of the pathway. Where lunch isn’t pretentious but distinctly West Country - a bumperful of seasonal stew, good farmhouse bread and local ale, sampled around a crackling fireplace. The coast at Zennor, Cornwall Navigating Remote Coastal Topography It’s always uncertain walking on marine headlands. Weather in the Atlantic can change dramatically in mere minutes and become very haar (sea fog) in an instant, which can lower visibility sometimes to a few yards. Coastal routes are often extremely close to the edges of the cliffs and the side of the rock, and the routes must be found accurately: Detailed digital ordnance survey mapping and GPS were essential to being able to navigate the steep coastal ravines and the farm-path intersections. Live data is essential when exploring sea caves or low-tide sandbars, or even tidal causeways, to prevent isolation by rushing swells. Rural transport logistics. Bus timetables are required to enable linear treks because there is no way to return along paths you have already covered; local bus service is available for walks that go up or down some narrow coastal roads, including the open-top buses that travel between the small walkable villages of Penwith. Dedicated cellular data. Even if there is no wi-fi in rural villages, critical route turnover and local weather radar information is still accessible. From south-west of Zennor towards Pendeen Watch and Cape Cornwall (the sole cape in England), scenery is now wild moorland areas to relics of historic tin and copper mining. The industrial history of the vicinity can be seen in engineered houses that sit precariously on clifftops at Levant and Botallack, with crashing white surf framing the view. The tour ends at the westernmost end of the peninsula, with a much-needed break from inhospitable fishing villages to safe fishing towns along Mount’s Bay. The working harbour is still today the commercial centre of the Cornish fishing fleet in Newlyn. Newlyn is an active industrial quayside, and wooden day-boats and beam trawlers bring in exceptional specimens of sea bass that are caught in lines, as well as prime hake and red mullet and a wonderful specimen of spider crab. Freshness and provenance are all that is visited at every meal in the bit of Cornwall. The bistros and smokehouses are located near the harbour, and smokers are judged on the quality of the catch. Very much the plain dishes of the South West, a plate with pan-fried hake, brown butter and samphire from coastal estuaries is followed by local clotted cream with stewed rhubarb. Further down the bay, the lovely little Mousehole has sheltered granite piers and narrow streets with lime-washed fishermen’s houses for a relaxing stroll at the end of the day after charging around the cliffs. Mousehole Harbour, Cornwall Practical Travel Tactics for Rural Exploration Going over the land through rural coastal areas demands preparation of a combination of rugged practicality and light efficiency: Footwear and layering. Waterproof heavy-duty boots with deep Vibram sole treads are essential for tackling wet slate and slick granite slabs. Breathable and windproof layers keep them warm on icy days when ocean breezes pierce through them, yet protect them from getting too hot on a blistering hill climb. Tide-aware route planning. Coastal cut-throughs through tidal inlets or rock foreshores can only be used at low tide, and you should plan any route ahead of time in the tide tables to avoid the potentially dangerous trip inland. Digital travel connectivity. Software-controlled Cellular Data Profiles reduce the need for travellers to bring multiple SIM cards, small metal tray removal tools and/or thick, cumbersome printed regional directories on a single mobile device. Coastal walking is another activity that generates a lot of hot spots and can use up phone batteries fast in cooler maritime conditions, thus making it crucial to take a compact and weather-resistant portable power bank as a must-pack. A hike along the seashores of West Cornwall is a sensory journey into, through and around landscape, heritage and regional dining. The noise of Atlantic rollers breaking on ancient cliffs, the aroma of crushed maritime wild thyme still on the path and the hug of a harbour pub at the end of the long hike provide an escape when you can no longer get away from modern transport. With their easy journeys, respect for the practicalities of the terrain, and their reliable digital support with route logistics, the walkers can enjoy the wild coastline on its own terms - discovering exceptional food and landscapes at a natural pace. Atlantic waves at Cape Cornwall

Some people have an incurable curiosity when it comes to the landscape. For example, if they see an interesting or picturesque place from afar, they automatically think: “Right… One day I’ll go to that place and see what it’s all about.” This article relates to exactly that sort of journey. But there was a reason why it took me so long to embark on the particular journey of discovery, even though I had several times found myself being attracted to an obscure corner of the Somerset coast. Let’s give you the lay of the land. If you climb Brean Down, one of England’s most dramatic and enigmatic coastal headlands, you will be rewarded with vast sweeping panoramas of the Somerset Levels. Brean, Berrow, Burnham-on-Sea and the River Parrett are, after all, the places where the flat-lands meet the sea. But swing around in an anti-clockwise direction and your observations will come to the place where the Mendip Hills rise from the lowlands. At over 300 feet in height, Brean Down is actually an extreme westerly part of that range of hills, albeit one that somehow got divorced from its motherland to the east. The reason for this separation is that the meandering River Axe, for some reason best known to itself, made the decision to cut between the main bulk of the hills and their seaborne offspring, thereby making Brean Down almost an island. Indeed, the range’s other westerly offspring, Steep Holm, really is a bona-fide isle located a few miles out to sea. See our Somerset page for more info on walks etc Brean Down Cycle Route That gap between Brean Down and the inland hills features a winding estuary, complete with all manner of roadbeds and mudbanks as well as a diverse collection of boats scattered around various creeks, crooks and crannies. Bringing this salty world of flatness to an abrupt halt is a large cliff, upon which stands a ruined church. When you first set on eyes on this horizontal-versus-vertical world, you think you really must set to explore the area containing what must be the least-known and least-visited of all the West Country’s estuaries. But that, in the old days, was a lot easier said than done. Because there were no roads or even public footpaths delving into this tidal hinterland. You still can’t drive a motor vehicle across it - but you can now walk or pedal a bicycle, thanks to the excellent Brean Down Cycle Way. Brean Down is worth exploring on foot as well as by bike. I've written about the classic walk along the headland here And therein lies this journey of discovery. One fine day last week I did exactly that and cycled the BDCW from end-to-end, and can report that it is a hugely enjoyable 16-mile experience. The cycleway is actually eight miles in length, but you’re bound to want to double-up and go there and back on a bicycle, and the way we did this was to park at Brean just under the mighty Down. Our plan was to cycle out across the estuarine parts of the trail, crossing the River Axe at a place called Brean Sluice, before going on to discover the ancient village of Uphill (proud host to that enigmatic ruined church on top of a cliff) and proceeding north up to the pier at Weston-Super-Mare. We’d have lunch somewhere along the way, then double back to Brean so that we could achieve the one really challenging bit of the cycleway - i.e. the very steep climb up onto the ridge where the trail follows the old coastguard track right out to the end of the dramatic seaborne peninsula. The plan worked a treat and, perhaps thanks to the fabulous weather, it was one of the best days-out I’ve had this year. There are, though, two little provisos… The first is if you do the BDCW our way and start at Brean itself, you might be mystified (as we were) that there is not a single sign or noticeboard that tells you about the trail. Indeed, when I asked at the National Trust information hut, the lady in command told us she’d never heard of such a cycleway. To see another of our West Country cycle trail posts click here The other proviso is that the most exciting bit of the trail is the traverse of mighty Brean Down. A warning about cycling up Brean Down The final climb onto Brean Down is extremely steep. I was using an electric mountain bike and even then it was a serious climb; many cyclists on ordinary bikes will probably prefer to dismount and push. The route information also advises cyclists to dismount on the private-road section near the National Trust café. Perhaps one reason there’s no mention of the cycleway at Brean is because it’s the one bit of the BDCW that uses the county highway. You have to cycle back down Brean’s one and only access road (the one lined famously with caravan parks) to the junction near Warren Farm where a side-road heads off inland. That’s where you first notice the cycleway proper - it runs along the pavement before heading off across the flatlands at a place called Diamond Farm. And that is where you are introduced to the section of cycleway which makes the whole journey possible. Take a look at our wonderful walk from Portishead to Clevedon here The website (https://greenwaysandcycleroutes.org/brean-down-way/) explains that an organisation called Greenways teamed up with North Somerset Council to “deliver this complex cross-border route via the tidal sluices across the River Axe owned by the Environment Agency… Greenways held two camps here to construct the critical three kilometre long central section and a 100-metre-long timber bird screen to minimise disturbance to redshanks in the estuary.” In other words, the cycling and walking public had official access to this part of the countryside for the first time. You are able to cross the muddy river via the top of the sluice and, thanks to the rather funky-looking timber screen, you are able to do so without bothering those lovely redshanks. You then proceed to zig-zag across Bleadon Level, avoiding the rather smelly sewerage works, to climb above the Walborough Nature Reserve and eventually enter Uphill near what is officially described as a marina. I put it this way because it’s like no other marina I’ve seen - and all the better for it. A variety of vessels - some wonderfully up-and-together, others in various states of decay or in the process of getting-it-together - lie dotted around various mudbanks and reed-beds, many at alarming angles. Marvellous! I love such places. The nature reserve, by the way, is billed by the Avon Wildlife Trust as… “A beautiful limestone grassland and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with exceptionally rich plants including a number of nationally rare species.” As for the roofless church at the top of the limestone cliff - the original is thought to have been built sometime around 1092. “Many original features remain along with medieval and Victorian additions,” says one local website. “The church was replaced by the new St Nicholas in 1844.” Anyway, down on the cycle-path the good news is that, by pedalling along under the cliff, you have reached the excellent Boathouse Bar and Bistro. Their fish-finger sandwiches were just what I needed to fuel the rest of the cycle ride up to Weston Pier. We cheated here as the tide was out and we could see no reason not to pedal along the wide open beach with its firm sand. You could have landed a brace of jumbo jets on that broad littoral quite safely. Then it was back against a stiff wind all the way to Brean, and then up that near vertical section to the top of the giant finger that points, so accusingly, at that foreign land known as Wales. Do not be put off by the climb - the ride along to the impressive fortifications at the end of Brean Down is as scenic as any cycleway anywhere in England. Frequently asked questions about the Brean Down Way How long is the Brean Down Way? The Brean Down Way is about eight miles from Weston-super-Mare to Brean Down, following National Cycle Network Route 33. It is largely traffic-free and relatively flat for most of its length. Is the Brean Down Way suitable for cycling? Yes. The route was specifically developed as a walking and cycling route and is mostly away from busy roads. It is a relatively easy ride for much of the way, although there are a few places where cyclists need to take care. Can you cycle all the way to the top of Brean Down? Not quite. The section between the National Trust café and the bottom of the road onto Brean Down is a private road where cyclists are asked to dismount. The climb onto Brean Down itself is also steep, so this is the part of the journey where you'll want to leave the cycling behind and walk. Is the Brean Down Way mostly flat? Yes. The main route is predominantly level, with the more substantial climb coming when you leave the cycle route and head up Brean Down itself. How long does it take to cycle the Brean Down Way? Allow around an hour for the eight-mile route if you're cycling steadily, but considerably longer if, like me, you stop to enjoy the scenery, take photographs and explore places along the way. Where does the Brean Down Way start? The route connects Weston-super-Mare with Brean Down. From Weston it begins around the seafront and Grand Pier; from the Brean end it connects into the road and paths around Brean.

Discover Hidden Cornwall: Hiking Around Lansallos Every now and again I discover a place so wonderful, I’m loathe to share it with anyone, even the kind readers of this column. That’s what I said exactly a year ago when I discovered the delights of Lansallos. But, inevitably, I spilled the beautiful beans back then, and I’m about to do the same again. A Return to Lansallos: Cornwall’s Secret Coastal Gem A few summers ago I argued that this cuddlesome corner of south Cornwall wasn’t, perhaps, quite the covert kingdom I liked to think – not with the hordes popping out of nearby Polperro like molecules from a burst balloon. I fell in love with Lansallos and couldn’t resist making a detour there the other day. Not much has changed, which is what I like about the place. The church still dominates all, the surf still booms in the cove far, far below, and one or two coastal hikers stroll about the place feeling lucky they bothered to walk to such a hidden gem. See more about Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on our special page here Quick Walk Overview Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km) circular Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (one steady uphill climb out of East Combe) Starting Point: Lansallos Church Car Park (National Trust), PL13 2PX Terrain: Ancient packhorse track, coastal cliff path, wooded coombe, quiet lane OS Map: Explorer 107 (Fowey & Looe) Dog Friendly: Yes (dogs welcome on beaches year-round) Walking the Coastal Paths Around Lansallos Cove There are many fine hikes to be enjoyed around this National Trust owned property halfway between Polperro and Polruan. In fact, I’d say the area has some of the finest coastal walking in the region. The Trust has put in several car parks around the area so you can take your choice, but last week I stopped at the car park in the actual hamlet of Lansallos. Discovering New Features Along the Lansallos Trails I immediately found one thing had changed. Someone has erected a tiny book stall by the graveyard wall, presumably to raise money for church funds. A National Trust leaflet says the path from the hamlet to the sea: “Is one of the most beautiful approaches to the coast anywhere in Cornwall.” Check out more of our coastal walks in Cornwall here The Mystical Lore of Lansallos Cove Reaching the bottom of the recently flooded valley I recalled a paragraph about the place, written by Brian Le Messurier: “A water mill formerly stood where the Reed Water tumbles to the beach. It is related that the miller’s wife refused to open the door to succour a half-drowned man. When he was found dead outside in the morning his ghost drove the hard-hearted couple away, and the mill was not occupied again.” Smugglers’ Tales and Local Legends Last time I was at Lansallos Cove it was packed with folk enjoying the hot sunshine. This year it was a bit different. Only one family inhabited the lovely little beach, and they were soon packing their things when it began to rain. As they went up the ancient cutting between the rocks with its old wheel-marks grooved into the solid shale, I heard the dad say: “This was an old smuggling cove. They’d bring carts down here to collect the brandy.” Nice thought, but slightly inaccurate. The cutting was made so that local farmers could bring their carts down to the beach to collect sand and seaweed. However, plenty of smuggling did go on here. Here’s a report from the Royal Cornwall Gazette, dated April 1825: *“During the last week the coast between Polperro and Fowey has been kept in a state of disorder as a consequence of a quantity of smuggled liquor found on the shore. See our places to stay in South Cornwall here “It has been particularly annoying to the agents of Wheal Howell Mine, the miners having been in a continual state of drunkenness. On Wednesday last the whole of the men had assembled, and by stratagem succeeded in getting underground where they concealed part of a keg of brandy, and drank to usual intoxication – so much so that it was with extreme difficulty that several of them were brought to the grass.”* Nice phrase that – brought to the grass. It means brought to the surface. Where they were met by nice, understanding, bosses. Well, not exactly: they sacked the befuddled workers and set about finding which miscreant brought the barrel into the mine. I’m glad to say they failed to find him. A Short but Rewarding Circular Walk: Lansallos to East Combe On the last visit to the area I enjoyed an extensive walk west to Pencarrow Head – this time I turned east along the coast path and made my way along Lansallos Cliff towards East Combe. Because of the rain I was in no mood for a lengthy sojourn, and contended myself with a dandy little two-and-a-half mile circular route that incorporates the permissive path that takes walkers up the coombe to a place called Windsor. Breathing in the Best of Cornwall’s Coastline The route allows for a pleasant bit of coastal walking, plus you get a few lungfuls of air puffing your way up East Combe to the lane at the top. Having reached this, it’s merely a matter of turning left and making your way back to Lansallos. Check out some of the best pub based Cornish hikes here Even in the rain, the hamlet retained its peculiar charm. I don’t mind telling you... this is coastal Cornwall at its best. Fact File Basic hike: from the hamlet of Lansallos (halfway between Polperro and Polruan) down ancient packhorse trail to take the coast path east to East Coombe. Then inland up to the lane and back to the hamlet. Recommended map: Ordnance Survey Explorer 107. Distance and going: two and a half miles. Frequently Asked Questions Q: Where do you park for the Lansallos Cove walk? A: You can park at the National Trust car park located in the hamlet of Lansallos (near St Ildierna's Church), which offers direct access to the packhorse path leading down to the cove. Q: Are dogs allowed on Lansallos Cove beach? A: Yes, Lansallos Cove is dog-friendly all year round with no seasonal restrictions. Q: How far is Lansallos from Polperro? A: Lansallos is located roughly 3 miles west of Polperro along the South West Coast Path, making it an easy short drive or a rewarding coastal hike between the two points. More Cornish Coastal & Pub Walks: Looking for a bite to eat after your hike? Check out our guide to the 5 Best Circular Pub Walks in Cornwall. Exploring further north? Take a look at our Tregardock Beach Coastal Walk.

Walks writer Martin Hesp leads a hike on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly There is no finer walking in Britain than in the Isles of Scilly. Floating 28 miles off the tip of Cornwall, this granite archipelago offers something almost impossible to find elsewhere: an entire world untamed by heavy traffic, where the air is as clean as any in Europe, and where the rhythmic crash of big green Atlantic waves is never more than a short stroll away. Whether you are popping over on a day return or settling in for a fortnight, each of the five inhabited islands—plus the mystical off-isle of Gugh—boasts a coastal path that begs to be hiked. On a small island, you can’t get lost: keep the sea on one side, and you will eventually end up back where you started, preferably within sight of a welcoming pub. 🏨 Planning a walking holiday in the Isles of Scilly? Accommodation is limited and fills up surprisingly quickly, especially from spring onwards. Check what's available before you travel. Here is my curated guide to the six absolute best walks across the Scillonian archipelago. 1. St Agnes: Granite Monsters, Shipwrecks, and the Edge of the World St Agnes landing place on a winter's day Distance: ~4 miles (plus optional loop on Gugh) Terrain: Fine coastal path, rocky headlands, and quiet lanes. St Agnes has a way of greeting you at Porth Conger quay with a gentle nod that says: "Right, you’ve done the difficult bit getting here—now see all I have to offer." From the quay, head up past the Turk’s Head pub—saving that pint for the finish line—and drop down to the dramatic sandbar connecting St Agnes to its uninhabited twin, Gugh. If the tide is out, cross over to explore Obadiah’s Barrow and the nine-foot Old Man of Gugh standing stone. Just keep an eye on the water; getting cut off by the tide is an amateur mistake, though local legend insists it happens. Back on St Agnes, weave south along the shore to Beady Pool, where a 17th-century wreck spilled thousands of trade beads into the granite grit. Round the southern cape past Horse Point—a magnificent, storm-lashed corner of heaven—to reach St Warna’s Cove, named for the patron saint of shipwrecks who allegedly arrived here from Ireland in a wicker coracle. Heading north along the west coast, you’ll encounter wind-sculpted granite tors like the Nag’s Head (looking like a cross between a horse and an angel), the famous Troy Town Maze laid out by a bored lighthouse keeper in 1729, and the old lifeboat house in Periglis Cove. From here, cut inland past the grand old lighthouse and Britain's smallest school before coasting down to the quay for that well-earned pint. You can read the full story about Beady Pool on St Agnes here Granite rock formations on St Agnes, 2. St Mary’s Northern Circular: Ancient Tombs and Oceanic Pines Distance: ~6 miles Terrain: Undulating coastal footpaths, sandy tracks, and quiet interior lanes. While St Mary’s boasts a grand 12-mile outer circuit, this northern loop is the absolute jewel of the island. It gathers everything Scillonian into a single afternoon: white sand beaches, prehistoric monuments, and windswept maritime pine forests. IF YOU ARE ENJOYING THIS POST CHECK OUT OUR CORNWALL & SCILLIES PAGE The northern tip of St Mary's Starting in Hugh Town, head past Town Beach and down into Porthmellon, where the island’s famous gig racing boats are housed. Pass the panoramic terraces of Juliet’s Garden and pick up the northern coast path towards Halangy Down. Here, the remarkably preserved ruins of an Iron Age village rest beneath Bant’s Carn, a monumental Stone Age chamber tomb. St Mary's Harbour Rounding the northern cape, the path dips into a sublime woodland of dark Scotch pines above Bar Point, offering sweeping views across the roadstead to Tresco and St Martin’s. Farther along at Helvear Down, you’ll pass the twin chambered tombs of Innisidgen before reaching the quiet crescent of Watermill Cove. After taking in the lonely beauty of Pelistry Bay, turn inland up Pelistry Lane, weaving through the lush shelter of Holy Vale and Rocky Hill to complete a smooth return circuit back to Hugh Town. Martin Hesp leads walkers in the Scilly Walks Festival on St Marys 3. Tresco: Sub-Tropical Gardens and Civil War Castles Distance: ~6 miles Terrain: Coastal paths, grassy downs, and garden trails. Tresco often feels less like an English island and more like a tropical paradise that drifted north into the Atlantic. Thanks to Augustus Smith—the Victorian reformer who leased the island in 1834—Tresco is home to the world-famous Abbey Gardens, where exotic flora flourishes under the Gulf Stream. Read about the amazing Tresco annual flower count here Bench for walkers on the east coast of Tresco Stepping off the boat at Carn Near, track north past Abbey Pool, keeping an eye out for the ruinous ramparts at Blockhouse Point. These fortifications overlook Old Grimsby and offer vast across-water views towards St Martin's. New Grimsby, the main harbour on Tresco Further north, the path skirts the wild shoreline to Cromwell’s Castle, an imposing Roundhead fortress built in 1651 to guard the narrow passage between Tresco and Bryher. Above it stand the high ruins of King Charles’ Castle. After exploring the wild heather downs of the far north, loop back along the western shore towards New Grimsby, finishing with a slow meander through the dreamy, sub-tropical paths of the Abbey Gardens. The Abbey on Tresco 4. St Martin’s: Caribbean Sands and the Scarlet Daymark Distance: ~5 miles Terrain: Soft dune paths, sandy beaches, and open granite downs. Few islands in Europe can compete with the pure, dazzling brilliance of St Martin’s coastlines. The sand here is so exceptionally fine and white that in centuries past it was gathered up and exported to dry the ink on scribes' parchment. If you want to explore St Martin's properly, I've written more about the island's extraordinary white-sand beaches here: St Martins and the Daymark Starting from Higher Town Quay, follow the dune-lined path past Little Arthur Farm and curve around the blindingly white crescent of English Island Point. The landscape quickly shifts from soft shorelines to rugged, heather-clad headlands as you approach the Daymark—a striking 45-foot red-and-white striped beacon built in 1683. St Martin's Higher Town From the beacon, strike west along the wild northern coast above Bread and Cheese Cove and Wine Cove until you hit the great sweeping arch of Great Bay. Leaving the northern coast, cross south towards the island's central ridge lane. This elevated track offers views across the entire archipelago as you descend towards Lower Town, where a stop at the Seven Stones pub provides the perfect vantage point before doubling back along the sheltered southern shore. White sand beach on St Martin's 5. Bryher: Wild Atlantic Crag Meets Sub-Tropical Calm Distance: ~4.5 miles Terrain: Rugged coastal tracks, sandy coves, and short, steep hill climbs. Bryher is an island of fierce, dramatic contrasts. On its eastern shore, sheltered waters lap gently against quiet beaches; on its western flank, the full, unbridled power of the Atlantic hammers against jagged granite cliffs. See our post dedicated to the island of Bryher here Sandy beach near Fraggle Rock pub Heading clockwise from the landing quay, pass Veronica Farm towards the southern tip at Rushy Bay, one of the most picturesque bathing spots in the islands. Rounding Heathy Hill, the path turns north along Great Porth, passing the reed-beds of Great Pool—a haven for migratory birdwatchers. Low tide on Bryher, looking across towards Tresco Take the brief detour up Gweal Hill for a panorama across the uninhabited off-isles, before marching into the wild northern realm of Hell Bay. Here, even on gentle summer days, the ocean swell thunders into the rocky chasm with spectacular force. Round the wave-beaten headland of Shipmanhead Down before turning south, passing the Fraggle Rock pub as you return to Church Quay. The wild west side of Bryher 6. St Mary’s Garrison & South-West Cape: Bastions and Big Ocean Views Distance: ~3.5 miles Terrain: Well-paved military paths, gentle gradients, and grassy headlands. For those short on time or stepping off the Scillonian ferry for a day trip, this short circuit packed into St Mary’s south-western corner delivers maximum Scillonian charm with minimal fuss. You can read all about the full walk on St Marys here St Mary's harbour with the Garrison walks behind Starting right in the heart of Hugh Town, pass through the imposing 16th-century stone archway of The Garrison. The perimeter walk around this massive fortification takes you along stone curtain walls and gun batteries that have stood guard over the harbour since the days of Elizabeth I and the English Civil War. View from The Garrison, St Mary's on a winter's evening After completing the Garrison circuit, drop down into the sheltered sands of Porthcressa Beach. Pick up the coastal path as it climbs out of the bay and tracks around the high granite headland towards Peninnis Head. This southern tip of St Mary’s is famous for its massive, weather-worn granite formations—including the Pulpit Rock—and its distinctive metal lighthouse. From Peninnis, the track turns gently back towards town, offering fine views over Old Town Bay before delivering you neatly back to the harbour. Porthmellon Sands, close to Hugh Town, Frequently Asked Questions What is the best island for walking in the Isles of Scilly? Each island has its own character. St Mary's offers the greatest variety of routes and historic sites, Tresco combines coastal walks with its famous Abbey Garden, Bryher is wonderfully wild, St Martin's has spectacular white-sand beaches, and St Agnes feels delightfully remote. There really isn't a bad choice. How long do you need to explore the Isles of Scilly on foot? A long weekend allows you to discover St Mary's and perhaps one or two of the off-islands. For walkers, however, five to seven days is ideal, giving you enough time to enjoy each island at a relaxed pace and travel between them by boat. Are the walks in the Isles of Scilly difficult? Most walks are moderate rather than strenuous. The islands have no mountains, but the coastal paths can be uneven in places, with occasional short climbs over granite headlands. Good walking shoes are recommended. When is the best time to visit the Isles of Scilly? Late spring and early summer are particularly beautiful, with wildflowers in bloom and generally mild weather. September is another excellent month, when the sea is warm, visitor numbers are lower and the islands enjoy some of their finest sunshine. Can you visit all the Isles of Scilly in one trip? Yes. Regular inter-island boats connect the five inhabited islands during the season, making it easy to explore St Mary's, Tresco, Bryher, St Martin's and St Agnes over several days. Do you need to book accommodation in advance? Absolutely. Accommodation in the Isles of Scilly is limited and extremely popular, especially from May to September. Booking well in advance is highly recommended if you're planning a walking holiday. Planning Your Stay: A quick word of advice—the Isles of Scilly have very limited accommodation, and iconic spots sell out many months in advance. While a few places can be booked on platforms like [Booking.com], many local cottages and B&Bs are booked directly through island agencies. If you're planning a walking trip, book your stay as early as possible.

Sand is a very important topic when it comes to seasides – secret or otherwise – people often ask which beaches have the best sand, partly because the stuff comes in so many forms… The answer is simple – but you’re going to have to travel 28 miles west of Land’s End to walk barefoot in it. The beaches of St Martin’s in the Isles of Scilly have amazing white sand. It is the Rolls Royce of granular geology – the fluffy-lightweight version of something that, at the other end of the scale, can be heavy, cloying and damp. The Fine White Sands of the Scillies – Famous Beyond the Islands The sand you find on some Scillonian beaches is so fine that islanders used to export the stuff so that it could be used in those early pepper-pot-like blotters which writers used before the invention of blotting-paper. I don’t know whether William Shakespeare ever said: “Pass me the Scillonian,” so that he could shake the fine white grains all over his still wet, inky, words of wisdom but, if he didn’t, one hopes that at least he had some idea of the glorious place from which the magical dust hailed. Solitude and Beauty: Why St Martin’s Beaches Are the Best Few small islands in Europe can boast such beaches as St Martin’s. As I say, some of the other Scillonian isles can boast fine sand as well, but there is something about the big white shores of this particular island which do the trick for me. I've also written about my favourite walks across the Isles of Scilly, including St Martin's, St Mary's, Bryher and Samson. Even in high summer you can find yourself alone on these wonderful strands – which itself is utterly extraordinary given how gorgeous they are. Visit this most northerly of the inhabited Scillonian isles at this time of year and you are more or less guaranteed solitude. Arriving on St Martin’s and Exploring the Island on Foot In most tidal conditions the inter-island boats will take you to Lower Town Quay at the St Martin’s western tip, but the last time I went our boatman deposited us at the southerly end of the island and from Higher Town Quay we were able to fork right and walk along the dune lined path past Little Arthur Farm. This rather idyllic establishment looks as though it ought to be nestling somewhere in one of those innocent and harmless BBC TV series they have on Sunday nights. Lambs frolic, goats do much the same, and when I was there a young bull was playing with the redundant roof of a pick-up truck – chucking it about the field as if it were some hapless matador. See another of of our Isles of Scilly posts here The Big Three Beaches – And a Hint of White Island The beach here is one of the big three on St Martin’s – unless, that is, you count a fourth which strictly speaking belongs to neighbouring White Island – but more of that in a minute. Walking the Coast: Circumnavigating St Martin’s To explore these beaches it’s best to do something which all the Scillonian isles somehow beg you to do – by which I mean circumnavigate the island using the little coastal paths which each boasts. So, walk along this first curving white beach to English Island Point where there's an excellent view of the uninhabited and mysterious Eastern Isles. From here the island begins to show its more rugged face as the path wends its way across the rocky downs towards the Daymark. You can't miss this building - it's a 45 foot high edifice which, windowless and doorless, is painted with bright red and white stripes. It has only one other feature, albeit an inaccurate one: an inscription claims the place was built in 1637, but apparently 1683 would be closer to the truth. Secret Beaches and Cold War Secrets at Great Bay Now the walk turns westward along St Martin’s wilder northern coast, passing first the oddly named Bread and Cheese Cove. Out to sea you can watch the swell uneasily breaking over the Santamana Ledges and thank the Lord you're not trying to tack past them in a gale. Soon the path passes Wine Cove, which is a modest introduction to the splendid white sweep of Great Bay. And if I was to give just one of St Martin’s amazing littorals the Secret Seaside crown, this would be it. Indeed, if I was to make a shortlist of the 10 best beaches in the region, then Great Bay would be in the top three. When I last lolled upon its soft, gleaming, white acres I noticed a big hawk, later identified as a Gyr Falcon, a feathered visitor which is about as common as hens’ teeth in the UK. A huge green net lay spread across the fine white sand and you could imagine merry hell such a thing could play with the propeller of any passing boat had it not been washed ashore. Check our Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Page here A Secret History: Cold War Torpedo Trials on St Martin’s But, as I sat on the beach, I recalled another visit I made to the island years ago on behalf of this newspaper. It was the brightest day of the summer of 2003 and we needed our sunglasses as we walked from one end of St Martin’s to the other. But, after we met two islanders, we were taken inside a cottage, the curtains were closed and we were cast into an impenetrable gloom… In a way, the darkness was a fitting introduction for what we were about to witness – a secret, clandestine world that has been shrouded in a hush-hush wall of Cold War silence for half a century. Terry Perkins and his brother Derek had agreed to show me a video taken from an old cine-eight film and soon we were watching the faded, fuzzy, black and white images of the secret torpedo trials of St Martin’s - top-secret experiments that were once conducted around the back end of the island far away from prying eyes. Few people witnessed the dramatic, low-level sorties of the experimental bombers - but the Perkins brothers did. And on that hot summer day nine years ago they told me how they and a handful of other islanders were held in thrall by the exciting menace of the Cold War world that suddenly invaded their tiny island. A Boy's Own Adventure on a Top-Secret Beach Being boys, the pair showed a particular fascination for the world of intrigue that had arrived on their maritime doorstep. After all, low flying aeroplanes, explosions and bouncing missiles are the stuff of Boy’s Own adventures. “They started with Swordfish bi-planes and then went on to twin-engined aircraft and also the Wyvern single engine plane which was fast,” remarked Terry as we watched the old film. “They came in fast, at about 200 mph - about 100 feet high - along the back of the island and zoom across half a mile or even a quarter of a mile out when they dropped the torpedoes. “They were trying different heights, speeds and different tails – that sort of thing. Whack and splash, they went in – they used to hit the water and bounce like a porpoise.” “They almost dropped a torpedo on to the beach once,” said Derek. “The aeroplane was belching smoke and its engine was spluttering and popping. It just made it back to the airport on St Mary’s – and his torpedo dropped in the water just off the beach. That’s as close as they ever got to hitting the island.” Talk about secret seasides – Great Bay was once officially designated as top secret… Towards the West: Top Rock Hill and White Island Today such explosive, arcane, Cold War goings-on seem very off indeed as you wander west along the beach to Top Rock Hill, which you have to round to reach the western shores of the isle. Beyond this to the north there is White Island – and if the tide is out you can wander across the bar and pretend you are Robinson Crusoe on your very own desert island. And Robinson Crusoe you will temporarily be if you don't keep an eye out for the tide. St Martin’s Southern Shoreline: A Taste of Madeira Back on St Martin’s you can wander around Tinkler’s Hill to discover the last of its magnificent beaches. The stretch along the southern underbelly of the island between Lower Town and Middle Town is one of my favourite pieces of England, partly because it reminds me of being somewhere else entirely. More Madeira than St Martin’s... Exotic shrubs line the way, punctuated by the occasional lordly pine, in which a thousand birds chatter and fuss in the sunshine. The big sandy sweep of Lawrence’s Bay or St Martin’s Flats makes up the island’s south-west shoreline – and although it isn’t quite as secret as the other beaches we’ve discovered, it comes close to coastal perfection nevertheless.

See our full Somerset Walks Page here 1. Somerset Levels Walk: Aller and the Rhynes Is a taste for landscape similar to our liking for food? Our appetites change; Brussels sprouts seem the work of the Devil when we are young, but by 40, we crave that bitter depth. That is how a love for "flat country" came to me. As a child, I loathed the Somerset Levels’ empty skies, preferring the hilly intimacy of home. Today, I find those magical marshes and rhynes irresistible. Bridge across the River Sowy near Aller The Route I began this "lowland lope" under Oath Hill. A footbridge leads across the River Parrett and the Sowy River, placing you on a path heading dead straight toward Aller Church. This peaceful spot belies a bloody history. In 1645, during the English Civil War, 17,000 soldiers clashed here. As the Royalists were routed, men fled into these marshes. It is said the rhynes ran red that July day. Today, only swans "skirmish" here. The path continues past Aller Court Farm—once an island in an impenetrable swamp—into the churchyard. From here, follow Aller Drove to the hamlet of Pathe, returning along the waterside to join the River Parrett Trail back to Oath. Distance: 4 miles. Difficulty: Easy. Map: OS Explorer 140 & 128. Somerset Wildlife Trust:Aller and Beer Woods – Information on the "island" woodland and views overlooking the moor. Swans near Aller, on the Somerset Levels Path up from Bicknoller to Weacombe 2. Quantock Hills Walk: Bicknoller and Weacombe After many years and thousands of miles of "perambulating" for the Western Morning News, I often return to this: one of the very first walks I ever described. It remains a prime example of why hiking in the West Country is the best free thing you can do. The Route Start at Bicknoller, walking up toward the "hallowed confines" of Bicknoller Coombe. Instead of entering immediately, turn left to fringe the hills toward Weacombe. This stretch offers sublime views of the Vale of West Somerset—keep a sharp eye out for wild red deer. Weacombe is a dramatic cleft in the red sandstone. Follow the stream upward to Bicknoller Post. This spot marks the watershed junction and offers 360-degree panoramas that rival any in the world. From the ridge, find the "big groove" that is Bicknoller Coombe and descend back to the village for a well-earned pint at the local pub. Distance: 4 miles. Difficulty: Easy/Moderate. Map: OS Explorer 140. Quantock Hills NL:Quantock Hills National Landscape Official Site Check our some excellent Somerset pub walks here Walkers on top of Brent Knoll with the M5 motorway in distance 3. Brent Knoll Hike: Sentinel of the M5 No bit of terra firma is more "bleedin’ obvious" than Brent Knoll. This mini-mountain presides over the M5 like a sentinel. For many, it’s a place they’ve driven past a thousand times, promising, "I must go up there one day." The Route Starting in East Brent, the path ascends through pleasant fields before becoming as steep as a house roof. At the 449-foot summit, it feels like flying. You’ll see Glastonbury Tor, the Mendips, and Wales across the channel. This giant outcrop of clay and limestone was once "Frog Island," surrounded by Jurassic seas. It has hosted Bronze Age tribes, Roman temples, and a Saxon battle against the Danes in 875 AD. Descend via the National Trust path toward Manor Farm, circling the seaward slopes back to the village church. Distance: 3 miles. Difficulty: Gentle with one steep climb. Map: OS Explorer 153. National Trust Guide to Brent Knoll 4. Langford Heathfield: A Sylvan Dream In the rural triangle between Wellington and Wiveliscombe lies Langford Heathfield. I’ve driven past its sylvan acres a thousand times, but finally stopping felt like stepping into a Turgenev novel—wild, silent, and hauntingly beautiful. Bluebells at Langford Heathfield The Route This 226-acre Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve is a mosaic of ancient woodland and heath. Entering from the south, I felt mesmerized by the light and the solitude. It is a haven for nightingales, tree pipits, and woodpeckers. Follow the thread of paths north-west to the Poleshill lane. To extend the walk, take the public footpath south through the fields past Stancombe. In spring, the bluebells are a force of nature. It is a place to wind down, chill out, and lose yourself in a very pleasant dream. Distance: 3 miles. Difficulty: Easy. Map: OS Explorer 128. Somerset Wildlife Trust – Langford Heathfield Reserve Maunsel Lock on the Taunton to Bridgwater Canal 5. Maunsel Lower Lock: Canal-Side Idleness They used to say a spade handle would grow if planted in the peat of the Somerset Levels. In the 1800s, navvies used those spades to carve the Taunton and Bridgwater Canal. Today, their handiwork offers a perfect, level "bucolic idyll" for walkers. The Route Start at the Maunsel Lower Lock car park (which features a fine tea room). Head north past Coxhill Bridge and North Newton. This waterway was built to link Exeter to Bristol, bypassing the treacherous sea route around Land's End. The path follows the lowest contour of the Quantocks. To your left, the hills begin; to your right, the Levels are as flat as a pancake. Return via the footpaths across the rhynes toward Wisteria Farm. It is a gentle, watery stroll—perfect for the "balmy midlands of middle age." Distance: 4.5 miles. Difficulty: Very level; easy going. Map: OS Explorer 140. Canal & River Trust: Maunsel Lock Visitor Centre 6. Burrowbridge: The Magic Portal to Sedgemoor Junction 24 of the M5 looks like urban sprawl, but it is actually a magic portal. One turn takes you into a landscape of rhynes, drove roads, and the furtive wildness of centuries past. You are on Sedgemoor. Burrowbridge Mump looms above the River Parrett The Route The centerpiece is Burrow Mump. At 100 feet high, it’s a mountain by Levels standards. King Alfred used this "island" as a stronghold while the Danes hunted him. At the top sits a roofless, mystical ruin of a chapel with views like a hot air balloon panorama. From the Mump, follow the lane along the River Parrett to Samways Farm, then take Burrow Drove across the flat vastness. Cross toward Pathe and follow the footpath south across Southlake Moor toward Stathe. The final leg brings you back to Burrowbridge along the East Deane Way, ending at the door of the excellent King Alfred Inn. Burrow Mump: National Trust: History of Burrow Mump Post-Walk Pint: The King Alfred Inn, Burrowbridge Distance: 4 to 8 miles (extendable). Difficulty: Easy but occasionally tricky to navigate. Map: OS Explorer 140. Visit South Somerset: Explore the River Parrett Trail – The Official River Parrett Trail Guide . View of the flooded Levels from the top of Burrow Mump Love the West Country? Join the Adventure If you enjoyed these Somerset rambles, there is plenty more to discover. I’ve spent decades exploring the hidden corners, local flavours, and untold stories of our remarkable peninsula. Explore More: View my full collection of Westcountry Walks and Travel Guides. Stay Updated: Don't miss a single step. Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest recipes, hikes, and features delivered straight to your inbox. Get in Touch: Have you walked these routes recently? I’d love to hear your thoughts or see your photos. If you enjoyed these walks, please scroll down to the bottom of this page to join my newsletter and stay updated on my latest West Country adventures…

The South West Coast Path has been making headlines recently, partly thanks to the now rather infamous Salt Path debacle, but also because we’ve had a glorious summer (if you’re a walker and not a farmer, that is) and increased numbers - inspired by the book or the film - have been trudging along at least some of its 630-mile length. But where should our most famous long distance trail really begin and end? Minehead or Portishead – Where Should the Path Begin? I ask the question because, although the 47-year-old path begins at my own home-town of Minehead, there have been a few changes in recent times - namely the development of the England Coast Path (officially called the King Charles III England Coast Path), a new walking route that will eventually encircle the entire coastline. So, why should something called the South West Coast Path begin 40 or 50 miles along our glorious peninsula’s littoral, and not at the actual start? And where is the actual start? Well, you could argue it’s at Portishead, near where the River Avon joins the place where the Severn Estuary comes-of-age to become the Bristol Channel proper. Look at a map of the entire peninsula and that really is the most obvious corner for a coast path to begin its march west, rather than way down the Somerset coast more than halfway to Devon. And guess what. There is a glorious section of coast path that you can enjoy that would begin an easterly extension of the greatest public right-of-way in the world. Take a look at other Somerset walks on this website by clicking here Setting Off: Portishead to Clevedon How do I know that to be the case? Because my pal Richard, the editor of the Western Daily Press, told me so and he took me along the surprisingly lovely stretch from Portishead to Clevedon. If you’ve never tarried in the area and are in doubt as to where exactly I mean, then imagine driving along the scenic bit of M5 motorway that climbs south into the hills just past the Gordano Services. As the motorway ascends to weave along a series of dramatic flyovers you’ll see a deep valley to your right, beyond which is a wooded ridge that protects the small vale from the sea. It stretches from Portishead down to Clevedon and it’s seaborne slopes play host to this six-mile length of coast path. Portishead: Swimming Pools, Forts and Fossils I met Richard at Portishead’s open-air swimming pool, an excellent and highly popular amenity judging by the crowds there in last week’s sunshine. The community-operated pool is situated directly adjacent to Battery Point. This small rocky promontory has a history that goes back to the Civil War when a fort was built here to defend the sea-way to Bristol. Guns were once again mounted here during both world wars, but the small headland is now open to the public - however, you can still see just a few remains of the old coastal defences. Turn to face the direction of our walk, and you will see the rather attractive area around Woodhill Bay, with its boating pond and the town’s cricket pitch, a hallowed zone much beloved by my companion Richard. The beach is not the kind of sandy affair you’ll see down the coast at Weston-Super-Mare, more of a mix of rocks and mud, but it has a history of its own and is an important site for geologists because of the fossil fish beds that have been found in the rocks. Kilkenny Bay and the Wild Somerset Coast After Woodhill Bay, there’s Kilkenny Bay, which is really part of the same inlet. The name, Kilkenny, feels out of place in the Westcountry, but it’s been on the maps for centuries. It is a place of mudflats and salt marsh, an important habitat for birds. You can stand there and feel the sense of wildness that still exists on this coastline, even so close to a growing town. From there, we headed south-west along the newly named King Charles III England Coast Path - a narrow weaving track that was enjoyed by locals long before its present designation. Black Nore Lighthouse and Football Legends And it threads its way along a surprisingly remarkable bit of coastline. Not a bad option if it was to be officially recognised as the very beginning of the Westcountry’s coastal path network. A symbolic start to a journey - just a few miles outside the centre of Bristol - that could take you all the way to Land’s End and back around the English Channel Coast to Poole. We were discussing such weighty matters as we started the gentle climb Black Nore Lighthouse, when Richard was hailed by a friendly gentleman strolling along the path. He turned out to be a proud Portishead local, but also a retired professional footballer - one who happened to play for Arsenal, Coventry City and West Ham and who later enjoyed managerial stints with Wimbledon, Coventry City, and the Wales national team. If you’re interested in football, you’ll know exactly who I mean, if not you won’t care. We enjoyed a pleasant chat with this affable old-pro, who told me there was “not enough shooting and too much passing” in the modern game. Black Nore Lighthouse is one of those small leggy adaptations to the usual lighthouse genre. Erected in 1894, it once ran on gas and I am told was lit and extinguished manually twice a day by the Ashford family, from nearby Black Nore Farm. During WW2, it was even fitted with a master switch so the light could be turned off during air raids. You can imagine the scene… A family looking out across the Bristol Channel, ready to plunge the coast into darkness to protect against some unseen threat rumbling in the skies. A Wild and Ancient Footpath After the light, the path becomes rather narrow here and there, winding between stunted trees and over exposed roots. Somehow you can feel the age of this coastal trail under your feet - a reminder that this is not a new path, but a route people have been walking for centuries. As we walked, Richard told me that our footballer friend was not the only famous person to have a home in the Portishead area. Kelsey Grammer, the star of the hugely successful TV series, Frasier, also owns a house hereabouts with his wife, Kayte Walsh, who is from Bristol. Apparently, they bought a ‘little place’ up on the nearby ridge to be closer to her family and the actor has talked about the property’s magnificent coastal views. See a selection of the best pub walks in Somerset by clicking here Redcliffe Bay to Walton-in-Gordano The path ducks and dives as it continues south-west along the cliff-tops. We leave any traces of the urban world once we’re past the fuel tanks at Redcliffe Bay - from now on there’s nothing but woods and fields, with the exception of Walton Bay where there’s a holiday camp that looks as though it’s been there for the best part of a century. Next comes Culver Cliff and Pigeon House Bay - all very wild and remote - we only saw three other walkers along this section. If you were to head inland here, you’d climb up to the celebrated tumulus at Walton-in-Gordano. The Bronze Age round barrow is on Walton Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust. The nature reserve’s other features include hut circles, a field system, and a banjo enclosure. Well worth visiting, if you’re in the area. Further along the ridge there’s Walton Castle, a folly that looks as though it’s been there since the time of knights and dragons. It is actually a 17th-century hunting lodge, but it has a magnificent, storybook quality to it. From up there you’re treated to a wide panorama that takes in landmarks such as the Llanwern steel works and the Welsh cities of Newport and Cardiff as well as the twin the Severn bridges. Secret Bays and Clevedon Pier Back on the coast path, we proceed to Ladye Bay. This picturesque inlet is just outside Clevedon, and is one of those half-hidden coves that tend to be known by locals only. The kind of place where teenagers clamber down for moonlit swims and where families escape on hot days when the more obvious beaches are heaving with visitors. The place feels secretive, tucked beneath red sandstone cliffs and reached by narrow paths. The day we were there we watched two guys belting effortlessly and silently about the gentle waves on their hydrofoil style mini-surfboards. I cannot figure out how these things work - maybe someone could tell me. From here it’s a short walk into Clevedon. The pier, of course, is the town’s most famous calling card - a slender, elegant ironwork structure that arcs out into the swirling brown waters of the Bristol Channel. John Betjeman once called it “the most beautiful pier in England,” and you only have to walk its planks on a sunny afternoon to see why. The Grade I listed structure was completed in 1869 and is a wonderful piece of engineering that hints of a time when this was a thriving seaside resort. A Walk Linking Past and Future Did I say “was”? It still is. At least it was the day we ended our walk at the pier. The place was absolutely heaving - but then, I am talking about mid-August in a heatwave. We had started at the mouth of the Severn, at a place that feels like the very beginning of the West Country’s magnificent coastline, and we had finished at a seaside symbol of England’s proud Victorian heritage. I reckon that makes it a pretty special stroll indeed, if you’ve a morning or afternoon to spare. Check out our Somerset Walks Page here

Devon has plenty of famous beaches, but you don't always have to join the summer crowds to enjoy the county's extraordinary coastline. Some of the best beaches in Devon are reached only after a walk, lie beneath cliffs or at the end of a narrow lane, and can feel remarkably remote once you've left the car behind. I've picked out ten of my favourite quieter beaches and coves, stretching from the wild North Devon coast and Exmoor to the cliffs and sandy coves of South Devon. Some are easy enough to reach; others demand a bit of effort. That's often precisely why they're quieter. Sillery Sands 1 - Sillery Sands, Lynmouth Struggling around the base of the North Devon Foreland at sea-level is one of the West Country’s great coastal challenges. I did it once with the late Kester Webb who was an expert coastal climber renown along this littoral. Looking at the place from the other side of the bay – from the comfortable window seat of one of Lynmouth’s pubs – there is only one word for such an adventure. Mad. But when you go along with the highly experienced Mr Webb – then all is safe and all is possible. See our best Devon pub walks here Looking down on Soar Mill Cove 2. Soar Mill Cove, near Salcombe Soar Mill Cove is one of those South Devon places that feels considerably more remote than it actually is. The little sandy cove lies below the cliffs of the Bolt Head coastline and is reached on foot. The walk is part of the attraction: by the time you arrive, you've left the roads and most of the paraphernalia of the modern seaside behind. The setting is magnificent, with high cliffs and open countryside surrounding a small sweep of sand. It is the sort of place where the journey is as important as the destination. For those who don’t know the wonderful Soar Mill Cove Hotel in South Devon, it is located at the top of a small remote valley that drops down to one of the most picture perfect beaches you’ll find anywhere on this peninsula - which really is saying something because the West Country boasts some of the nicest beaches and coves in all of Northern Europe. The rocky, magnificent, more-or-less empty coastline, which runs seven miles from the Salcombe estuary in the east to the village of Hope Cove in the west, is widely regarded as one of the finest stretches of littoral in the country. And there is only one building or establishment of any size along this lonely section of coast, and it is the Soar Mill Cove Hotel. Why go: a beautiful sandy cove reached by a proper coastal walk. Scabbacombe Sands 3. Scabbacombe, near Brixham Scabbacombe is one of those beaches that rewards people prepared to make the effort. Hidden away on the South Devon coast between Brixham and Kingswear, it is reached by walking down from the surrounding countryside. The approach helps preserve the feeling that you've discovered somewhere rather than simply arrived at another Devon resort. The beach is backed by steep countryside and cliffs, and the combination of clear water, rocks and surrounding greenery makes it particularly attractive. The National Trust describes both Scabbacombe and nearby Man Sands as peaceful beaches that are worth the walk to reach. Why not take a look at some of our best Devon walks here At the car park we found the little path that descends a grassy valley to the coast at Scabbacombe Sands. One or two naked people were draped decorously around this remote beach, which is presumably a favourite place with naturists. We had a quick swim before head south along the coast path around Scabbacombe Head to begin a two-and-a-half mile roller coaster of a walk that tok us all the way to Inner Froward Point. Great walking it is too, if you don't mind the ups and downs, because the path offers a variety of views - both vast and sweeping, and intimate. One minute you are atop some windswept heath looking at the great vista of Start Bay, culminating far to the south at Start Point - the next you are down close to the tumbling waves, surrounded by cliffs and delighting in the unexpected sight of half-dozen violets peeping from a grassy nook in the rocks. Why go: an unspoilt beach where the walk keeps the crowds away. Ness Beach near Shaldon 4. Ness Cove, Shaldon Ness Cove is a rather different proposition because its great attraction is the way you get there. For a start, if you haven’t got a boat you can only reach it by a genuine smugglers’ tunnel - which, to me, puts any beach well inside the romantic hush-hush zone.When you are a child there is a world of difference between, say, being introduced to a beach that lies under a resort’s promenade or beyond a car park, and a small exciting bit of littoral that you must enter the bowels of the earth in order to reach. As far as I can make out, no one really knows who had the lengthy tunnel dug through the soft red sandstone of Shaldon’s enigmatic Ness headland. All the tourist literature I’ve seen claims it was burrowed by local smugglers, which seems reasonable as half the coves in these parts seem to have some kind of connection to the art of illegal importing. The little beach below Shaldon's red cliffs is reached through the historic Smugglers Tunnel. Emerging from the tunnel with the beach and sea ahead gives the place an almost theatrical quality. It is close to the civilisation of Shaldon and Teignmouth, yet the cliffs make it feel surprisingly secluded. Why go: the tunnel, the red cliffs and the feeling of discovering a secret beach. 5. Lannacombe Beach Lannacombe is a small, beautifully positioned cove on the South Devon coast, close to Start Point. It has the combination that makes so many of Devon's less-known beaches special: a strip of sand, rocky edges, green countryside and no great resort development around it. It is also part of a superb section of the South West Coast Path. The effort involved in getting here is one reason it can retain its peaceful character, although on a fine summer day you shouldn't expect to have the place entirely to yourself. A secluded beach with golden sand, rocky outcrops, and clear waters, making it ideal for a peaceful getaway. Surrounded by scenic farmland, this small, unspoiled cove offers a charming escape with minimal crowds. Lannacombe is perfect for families, swimmers, and those seeking a relaxing day by the sea, with beautiful coastal walks nearby to explore the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its uncommercialised atmosphere adds to its appeal as a hidden gem along the coast. Why go: beautiful sand, clear water and a wonderfully rural setting. See more about the amazing pub at East Prawle here Speke's Mill beach 6. Speke's Mill Mouth, Hartland This is the wild one. Speke's Mill Mouth, on the Hartland coast, is a dramatic place where cliffs, rocks, sea and waterfall come together. The waterfall dropping towards the beach is one of the great sights of this rugged stretch of the Devon coastline. This isn't somewhere I'd recommend if what you're after is an easy family beach with facilities close at hand. It is much more about the landscape — and the walk required to experience it. The surrounding Hartland coastline is among the most spectacular in Devon, and the South West Coast Path provides the means of exploring it. This beach near Hartland is a wild, rugged cove surrounded by steep cliffs and a stunning waterfall that cascades onto the beach. With a mix of sand, pebbles, and rock pools, this beach offers a dramatic coastal landscape perfect for adventurous visitors. The scenic walking trails along the South West Coast Path provide breathtaking views of the Atlantic waves crashing against the cliffs. Why go: wild scenery and one of Devon's most dramatic coastal waterfalls. Man Sands, near Brixham 7. Man Sands, near Brixham Man Sands is another South Devon beach that makes you work a little for your reward. The beach lies below rolling green countryside and is reached on foot, helping to keep it considerably quieter than the big beaches around Torbay. There is a mixture of sand, shingle and rocks, while the surrounding landscape gives it that wonderful feeling of being somewhere well away from the English Riviera — despite actually being fairly close to Brixham. Certainly if you walk down to lonely Mans Sands you will feel far from life's modern merry-go-round – despite the fact that you will have probably seen the massive urban conurbation of Torbay from the tops of the hills which loom behind this secret seaside. You could describe the deep valley which plays host to Man Sands as one of the most fascinating places in the region and it is certainly attracting the attentions of scientists and geographers. Why? Because it is a place where the trust is overseeing what scientists call “managed retreat”. Where farmers had for decades drained the low fields at the sea end of the valley as best they could for agricultural purposes, there is now a rapidly changing wetland area. Some years ago the trust decided to allow Mother Nature to have her wicked way – partly because the charity began the question the wisdom of constantly bolstering up the beach to keep seawater out of the fields. Why go: a peaceful beach within easy reach of Brixham but with a much wilder character. The beach at Heddon's Mouth, Exmoor coast 8. Heddon's Mouth, Exmoor Heddon's Mouth is one of my favourite places on the North Devon coast — and it is the walk down the valley that makes the experience. The River Heddon cuts through an extraordinary wooded valley before reaching the sea, with enormous cliffs rising on either side. Eventually the trees give way to the open coast and the pebbly beach at the mouth of the river. The National Trust describes the beach as a hidden gem reached by roughly a mile's walk through Heddon Valley. And there is another reason to make the journey: Hunters Inn sits at the bottom of the valley, making this one of those rare remote coastal walks where you can reward yourself afterwards. Why go: one of the great combinations of Devon walking, wild coastline and good food and drink. The beach at Salcombe Regis Mouth 9. Salcombe Regis Mouth Just east of Sidmouth, Salcombe Regis Mouth is a quieter corner of the East Devon coast. The beach sits beneath steep cliffs and feels a world away from the bustle of Sidmouth. There is little in the way of conventional seaside infrastructure here, which is part of its attraction. The red cliffs and surrounding countryside give this section of coast a distinctive East Devon character, and walkers can combine a visit with exploration of the South West Coast Path. Why go: red cliffs, solitude and a taste of the wilder East Devon coast. The beach at Weston Mouth 10. Weston Mouth And finally, one of my favourite lonely stretches of the Devon coast: Weston Mouth, east of Branscombe. This is not a beach for anyone looking for an easy stroll from a car park. The approach involves a proper climb and descent on the coast path — and if you return along the beach, the shingle makes the going surprisingly hard. But that effort is exactly why Weston Mouth retains its sense of isolation. I've written about the walk from Branscombe to Weston Mouth separately, and it is one of the best ways to experience this extraordinary section of the East Devon coast. The basic route takes you west from Branscombe Mouth along the coast path before returning along the beach if the tide permits. Why go: solitude, dramatic cliffs and one of Devon's best coastal walks. Devon's quieter beaches are worth the effort The best thing about these beaches is that none of them really feels like a conventional seaside resort. Some require a long walk. Some demand a steep descent. Others are hidden behind cliffs or reached through a tunnel. That is precisely the point. If you're prepared to leave the easy-access beaches behind, Devon still has plenty of places where you can sit beside the sea and feel as though you've escaped the crowds. And for me, that's often when Devon is at its best. The last one is Salcombe Regis Mouth, just east of Sidmouth. A serene, less-frequented beach where steep, wooded cliffs meet the English Channel. With striking red sandstone, shingle, and scenic walking trails nearby, it's a perfect spot for a quiet, natural escape.

Looking down on Strangles Beach, North Cornwall A Wild and Wondrous Hidden Beach Once upon a time I climbed the long descent down to this Secret Seaside and saw a fat naked man wobbling along in nothing but a sandal and a boot, neither of which seemed to fit him. If that sorry image puts you off reading any further, then I only mention it because it gives a clue as to the whereabouts of one of the finest secret seasides in the region. Nudist Beaches and Washed-Up Footwear I’ll admit that you’d need to be an ardent West Country-lover with the kind of brain that allows you to do difficult crossword-puzzles. But let’s take the clue apart… For a start, you are only likely to see naked people on nudist beaches of which there are several dozen dotted around the region – and part of this secret seaside is known to be, unofficially, one of those places where folk strut about in their birthday suits. But why the odd footwear? Well, real West Country aficionados will recall that one curious feature of the infamous Boscastle Flood of 2004 was the liquid release of 100s of shoes which bobbed out to sea having been washed out of some of the submerged tourist shops up in the village. A large flotilla of the floating footwear was carried north and deposited on the next sizeable, or at least reachable, beach up the coast – and all summer long healthy hardy visitors to that bit of littoral would, for some reason, carry shoes, boots and sandals up to the top of the cliff and hang them on a wire fence. I well remember a friend of mine walking up and down the wires having found a fine boot that matched his size exactly – alas, he searched in vain to find its partner. Strangles Beach: Stories, Myths and Name Origins The National Trust, which owns a great tract of the coast between Boscastle and Crackington Haven, will probably not thank me for mentioning either the nudists or the habit of hanging washed-up shoes on its fences – but I would argue that every good beach needs a good story. Strangles probably has more than most. Including its odd name, which many people believe has something to do with the tortuous and dangerous rocks that lie ready and waiting to throttle you should you be washed away from its mile and half length of sand and shingle. Wildlife of the Cornish Coast: Goats, Peregrines and Rare Insects But there’s a lot more than fascinating flotsam and jetsam to get excited about in this lonely corner of the north Cornish Coast. You might see wild goats, you have an outside chance of spotting Cornwall's feathered emblem or even a rare Mediterranean ant – you may even see an even rarer butterfly – and are quite likely to spot stooping peregrines. I went to see the wild goats years ago to report on their introduction for this newspaper - they're all part of a land management strategy put in place by the National Trust and the family which runs Trevigue Farm. “They brought 18 of the wild goats down from the Valley of the Rocks near Lynton,” I was told by a trust spokesman who added they were doing a marvellous job of grazing the cliffs around Cambeak and Strangles. A Coastal Conservation Success Story The secret of successful coastal management along these lonesome marches seems to lie in grazing. Stop the chewing and the shady stuff grows up. And that is no good at all for - among other things - the rare Mediterranean ants that used to live here. Not a lot of people know that these rare ants were the key to the happiness and the contentment of the Large Blue. This noble butterfly became extinct in our islands in 1979 - partly, it's thought, because of the under-grazing-shadiness problem. The ants didn't like the gloom, and the butterflies - or at least their larvae - were reliant upon the ants. Luckily the Large Blue survived in a wild part of Finland and there are moves to re-introduce the species to properly grazed sections of the British coast. One day the rugged downs above these cliffs may rejoice in the fluttering of blue wings. It has already witnessed a fluttering of black wings – by which I mean that Cornwall’s national bird, the chough, has been spotted returning to the area which offers it an ideal habitat in recent times. Cambeak, Geology and Rare Bats Cambeak is the massive tooth of a headland that separates Strangles with Cracking Haven – but between it and our secret seaside is one of the most tortured pieces of ground you’ll find in the region. Like a very old person it is profoundly wrinkled and about to fall off the twig. Literally, this is a part of Cornwall consigned to oblivion – it can only be a matter of time before the whole lot falls into the sea. A trust ranger told me all these rocky wrinkles are actually internationally important bits of geology and that the deep fissures play home to all sorts of rare bats. Little Strand and Samphire Rock: Nudist Retreats Far beneath the tortured rocks you’ll see a beach called Little Strand which acts as a kind of annexe to the main beach at Strangles - and it’s this bit, by the way, to which the nudists demurely retire by clambering their way past the intervening Samphire Rock. It’s all very wonderful indeed down there – in a purely, sandy, beachy, wave-torn, oceanic kind of way. But I warn you - the only way down is to follow the footpath that plunges almost 700 feet down to Strangles. A Remote Coastal Paradise for Walkers and Wildlife Enthusiasts This is a long way down – which means it’s a long way up – which in turn means you get very few tourists on this fabulous littoral even in the height of summer. I’ve never seen anyone on Rusey Beach located just next door to the south – probably because you’d need climbing expertise and ropes to reach it. At this time of year you are unlikely to see a soul along the whole lonesome bit of littoral – unless it comes in the form of a patrolling peregrine falcon. Last time I was at Strangles one stooped past us travelling at what I imagine was well over 100 m.p.h… It only missed us by a few feet – so close that we could hear the hiss of its wings – which I suppose is the last sound that reaches the ears of many a hapless pigeon in these parts. Final Thoughts: A Secret Seaside Worth the Effort For this is peregrine country as well as being a walker’s paradise - and a perfect labyrinth of secret seasides.

View of Totnes and its castle with Dartmoor looming behind South Devon’s South Hams district and its Dartmoor fringes occupy some of the most enviable geography in Britain. Tucked between the untamed, granite heights of the high moor and a dramatic, ria-indented coastline, this landscape of rich red earth and lush valleys has bred prosperity for centuries. Rather than standard commuter dormitories or sleepy seaside halts, its inland settlements are working market hubs steeped in maritime trading, Saxon origins, and fierce civic independence. Here are four historic towns well worth stepping off the highway to explore. 1. Totnes: Merchant Grandeur and Free-Thinking Flair Totnes is as fine a place as any to understand the enduring power of a Devon market town. Once one of the wealthiest mercantile boroughs in England, trading has animated its steep main street for so long that history seems to cling to the stones like a river mist rising off the Dart. See some fabulous pub walks in Devon here A walker on a hillside looking down on Totnes on a nice sunny day Climbing away from the river through the arch of the historic East Gate, Fore Street and the High Street form an architectural showcase of Elizabethan and Tudor prosperity. When merchants traded cloth and moorland tin across the seas, they erected fine timber-framed and slate-hung properties atop ancient Saxon burgage plots—narrow strips of land that run deep behind the street frontages, connected by narrow, cobbled alleys. High above the town sits the circular shell keep of Totnes Castle, planted by the Normans on a steep knoll guarding the lowest bridging point on the River Dart. While celebrated in recent decades as the capital of the alternative, free-thinking Westcountry, Totnes’s radical streak is nothing new. Long before modern organic bakers and artisan cheesemakers lined the Friday and Saturday markets beneath the colonnaded Butterwalk, nineteenth-century pioneers were attempting to establish medicinal spas at the ancient Leechwells. Later, the progressive Dartington estate nearby attracted artists, philosophers, and visionaries from around the globe. Today, the town marries that creative, independent spirit with a deep architectural heritage. Totnes Fact File Market Days: Friday and Saturday (Civil Hall square and the High Street, featuring local food, crafts, and vintage goods). Key Landmarks: Totnes Castle (English Heritage), the Tudor East Gate Arch, St Mary’s red sandstone church, and the Elizabethan House Museum. Famous Son: Charles Babbage (born 1791), the mathematical polymath who conceived the first automatic digital computer (the Analytical Engine), went to school in the town, where his grandfather served as mayor. Curiosity: The historic bridge crossing the Dart at Totnes has marked the river's lowest road crossing for nearly a millennium. The earliest recorded bridge was built here in 1210; at just five feet wide, it was once notorious as one of the most hair-raising crossings in Devon. Check out our selection of market towns in Mid and East Devon here 2. Kingsbridge: The Bustling Capital of the South Hams Kingsbridge sounds appealing before you arrive, but the reality easily exceeds expectations. Clinging to the rolling hillsides at the northern head of the Salcombe Estuary—strictly a ria, or flooded river valley—it manages the rare trick of being both a working agricultural market centre and a lively coastal haven. On a bright day, Atlantic light reflects off the incoming tide, bouncing directly up the hill into ancient Fore Street. Writing in 1861, author Francis Young declared that "a prettier, more prosperous, more pleasant spot shall not exist in the earth-encircling realms of Her Majesty", praising its extraordinary array of independent tradesmen. That self-sufficient character remains intact. Fore Street climbs steeply from the water, flanked by independent butchers, fishmongers, ironmongers, and quirky shops rather than homogeneous retail chains. Looking up the Salcombe estuary towards Kingsbridge Down on the quay, little egrets stalk the tidal mudflats just yards from the open-air market stalls. While today the water hosts pleasure craft and small tenders, Kingsbridge was once a prolific shipbuilding hub. In the mid-nineteenth century, local yards launched topsail schooners, barques, and brigantines—many built specifically for the high-speed, perilous fruit trade rushing citrus from the Mediterranean and Azores. At the top of the town stands the Cookworthy Museum, housed in an atmospheric 1670 grammar school where generations of South Hams schoolboys carved their names into dark oak wainscoting. Kingsbridge Fact File Market Days: Tuesday and Thursday (open-air market on the Quay). Key Landmarks: The Cookworthy Museum, the bulbous four-sided Town Hall clock tower, and the ancient Shambles arcade. Famous Son: William Cookworthy (born in Kingsbridge in 1705), the Quaker apothecary who discovered china clay (kaolin) in Cornwall, transforming the British porcelain and ceramics industries. Curiosity: Look closely at the Town Hall clock tower (now housing the cinema). While the tower has four sides, it famously boasts only three faces—the north dial overlooking the old workhouse was deliberately left blank so the inmates inside could not watch the passing hours. See our slelection of towns around North Devon here 3. Modbury: The Sitting-Pretty Borough with a Fiery Past Approaching Modbury from the west along the A379, you climb out of the Erme valley until the church spire catches your eye, before dropping suddenly into a tidy, compact settlement tucked neatly into a green hollow. With its slate-fronted cottages, steep lanes, and welcoming hostelries, it looks for all the world like a pastoral sanctuary that has slumbered undisturbed for centuries. The placid exterior is deceptive. Modbury was granted its market charter in the thirteenth century and has witnessed extraordinary upheaval. For nearly 500 years, the parish was dominated by the powerful Champernowne family—a colorful dynasty whose members included Katherine Champernowne, mother to both Sir Humphrey Gilbert (founder of Newfoundland) and Sir Walter Raleigh. During the English Civil War, Modbury became a bloody flashpoint. In February 1643, a force of 8,000 Parliamentarian troops clashed with 2,000 Royalists defending the town. Fierce hand-to-hand combat erupted through the streets, with the garrison making a desperate last stand in the fortified Court House before retreating under cover of darkness down what is still known as Runaway Lane. At the crest of the town stands St George’s Church, a grand building often described as a miniature cathedral. The spire features a curious architectural kink—the result of construction suddenly grinding to a halt when the Black Death decimated the local stonemasons, leaving later generations to complete the works without the original designs. Down in the main street, traditional shopfronts like the legendary Pickles hardware store maintain a thriving rural community spirit. Modbury Fact File Historic Fair: The eight-day Modbury May Fair, inaugurated by royal charter in 1329, opened with the traditional Ceremony of the Glove. Key Landmarks: St George’s Church, the historic merchant houses of Brownston Street, and the old coaching inns along Broad Street. Curiosity: Modbury was once celebrated across the Westcountry for its potent "Nappy Beer", an ale so formidable that even Henry III’s court jester penned an unprintable ballad in its honour. 4. Ivybridge: The Town Ruled by Rapids Most South Devon settlements look south to the water, but Ivybridge is bound inextricably to Dartmoor. The entire settlement is defined by the tumbling, crashing waters of the River Erme, which races straight off the southern granite bogs into a wooded ravine right through the middle of the town. The river gives the town both its name and its historic reason for being. An ancient, hump-backed packhorse bridge—widened in the eighteenth century to carry stagecoaches along the old Eastern Plymouth Turnpike—still spans the white water where the boundaries of four ancient parishes meet. The rushing torrent provided limitless free water power, spawning a thriving industrial legacy of mills and leats. The most famous of these, Stowford Paper Mill, was founded in 1787 and processed specialty papers beneath an imposing brick chimney that looms dramatically against the valley side. Today, the river banks are threaded with landscaped walks and viewing platforms. Look north from anywhere along the river, and the wild contours of the high moor rise above Brunel’s towering railway viaduct. Within minutes, a walker can leave the bustling Saturday farmers' market, head through Longtimber Woods, and emerge onto the open expanse of Western Beacon and the southern moorland wilderness. Ivybridge Fact File Market Days: The popular Ivybridge Farmers' Market is held along the riverbank on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month. Key Landmarks: The historic Ivy Bridge, the Erme river walks, Stowford Mill, and Brunel's railway viaduct. Literary Connection: Sherlock Holmes scholars point to Ivybridge as the rail station where Dr Watson first disembarked before his fateful drive up onto Dartmoor in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Watson’s description of ascending steep, mossy lanes alongside a foaming granite torrent perfectly mirrors the climb out of Ivybridge onto the moor. Curiosity: The artist J.M.W. Turner painted the picturesque falls beneath the Ivy Bridge, while the Duke of Wellington once famously walked through the town alongside a local farmer and two navvies when his coaching horses failed to appear on time. See our post on the towns of Dartmoor and West Devon here Thurlestone where the South Hams meets the sea

North Devon's market towns are shaped by powerful landscapes—the wild southern reaches of Exmoor, the vast pastoral amphitheatres carved by the Taw and the Torridge, and the salty Atlantic tides running into broad estuaries. Unlike places that have traded their identities to become manicured tourist postcards, these communities remain stubbornly authentic, working towns. From ancient river ports with ties to the New World to clifftop bastions that survived Civil War cataclysms, here are five of North Devon's finest market towns to explore. The old bridge at Barnstaple 1. Barnstaple: The Grand Doyen of West Country Markets You can make all sorts of jokes about Old Barum (borrowing its pet name from the Latin Barumensis). You can raise an eyebrow at the stubborn traffic snarls, and you can sigh over modern planning intrusions. Yet Barnstaple remains the undisputed doyen of regional market towns. It defies the standard modern rule that surrounding a settlement with retail superstores empties the centre. Step into its bustling commercial heart on any given day, and it is packed to the gunwales. That magnetic pull is hardly new. People have gathered to trade in this natural amphitheatre since long before written records began. Alfred the Great granted a charter around 880 AD, and King Athelstan strengthened its fortifications in 928 AD. The street layout between Boutport Street and the River Taw has endured practically unchanged since the Norman Conquest. The magnificent exception is Butchers’ Row, an elegant street of shopfronts created in 1855 alongside the monumental, timber-roofed Pannier Market. They were erected following an 1849 cholera outbreak, when London commissioners ordered an end to the medieval squalor of livestock being traded on the open High Street alongside meat, fish, and greens. Tucked behind the busy market halls lies a quieter heritage: the seventeenth-century Dodderidge Library (founded in 1667), the tranquil churchyard split by Paternoster Row, and the dark, ancient stones of St Anne’s Chapel sheltering beneath the trees. Barnstaple Fact File Market Days: Pannier Market runs general produce, artisan, and specialist stalls Tuesday through Saturday. Key Landmarks: The Victorian Pannier Market, Butchers’ Row, St Anne’s Chapel, and the Norman Castle Mound. Curiosity: Barnstaple was once the tobacco-importing capital of Europe and a major jumping-off point for early emigrants bound for the Americas. Check out our post on East and Mid Devon Market Towns here 2. Bideford: The Little White Town on the Torridge While most inland market towns grew around ancient fords or castle gates, Bideford is an entirely different creature: a salty estuary port boasting a distinctly continental swagger. Charles Kingsley famously christened it the "Little White Town", and its steep streets share that intense, luminous Atlantic light reflecting up from the river. Bideford waterfront on a sunny day Climbing the hill away from the quay, narrow alleys frame glimpses of the glittering Torridge below. At the waterfront sits the town’s most celebrated monument: the Long Bridge. First raised as a timber span by Sir Theobald Grenville in the late thirteenth century and cased in stone in 1535, its 24 graceful arches are famously all of different sizes. Local tradition holds that individual parishes across North Devon funded the construction, each building an arch according to what their collection plates could muster. During the reign of Elizabeth I, Bideford was alive with swashbuckling maritime energy. Devon seafarers like Raleigh, Drake, and Grenville made this quay one of the foremost conduits in England for trade with Virginia and Carolina. In 1588, Bideford proudly sent five warships over the bar to join Sir Francis Drake’s fleet against the approaching Spanish Armada—more than any other port along the northern coast. Up on the hill, trading shifted from the wharves to the grand Pannier Market, built in 1883. Here, alongside the old Butchers' Row, local crafts, plants, and farm provisions continue to be traded in style. Bideford Fact File Market Days: Tuesday and Saturday (at the Pannier Market and Market Place). Key Landmarks: The 24-arched Long Bridge, the Pannier Market, and the Burton Art Gallery and Museum. Curiosity: In 1585, Sir Richard Grenville returned from Roanoke Island with a Native American man who was baptised in Bideford Church—the first recorded Indigenous American to walk on British soil. A real Devon welcome in Great Torrington 3. Great Torrington: The Clifftop Bastion Above the Void Perched high upon an inland promontory with the River Torridge sweeping through a wooded gorge hundreds of feet below, Great Torrington lives quite literally on the edge. It is an ancient town that has endured more than its fair share of trial and tribulation, repeatedly demonstrating a ferocious instinct for survival. Its darkest hour arrived during the English Civil War. In February 1646, Lord Hopton’s Royalist garrison was attacked and overwhelmed by Sir Thomas Fairfax’s Parliamentary army in bitter street-to-street fighting. The battle reached a horrifying climax when the parish church of St Michael, requisitioned as a Royalist gunpowder magazine, blew up. The explosion obliterated the building and killed around 200 prisoners and guards inside. As an 1850 directory dryly recorded, Fairfax vacated the town the following morning, "the quarters being inconvenient on account of the church having been blown up". See some fabulous Devon pub walks here The one time mayor and deputy mayors of Great Torrington Today, the town wears its battle scars with immense pride. The compact centre features independent shops, the lively Plough Arts Centre, and a Victorian glass-roofed Pannier Market. Best of all is the clifftop perimeter: step through an old gateway in the town walls and you emerge onto a panoramic pathway offering dizzying views across the valley, leading down to one of the most spectacularly situated bowling greens in Britain. Great Torrington Station back in the day Great Torrington Fact File Market Days: Thursdays and Saturdays (in the glass-roofed Pannier Market). Key Landmarks: The Bowling Green ramparts with gorge views, The Plough Arts Centre, and the 1646 Civil War heritage trails. Curiosity: Torrington Common surrounds the town with 365 acres of open land, gifted to the inhabitants in the late twelfth century by the lord of the manor and preserved by an act of parliament. 4. South Molton: The True Gateway to Exmoor For years tourism chiefs have marketed South Molton as the "Gateway to Exmoor". Spend a few hours here, and you realise the moniker is well earned. Exmoor seems to run directly through the veins of this upland town. Down from the high sheep pastures drift the distinctive accents of hill-farmers, and upon every Atlantic breeze comes the clean, bracing air of the moors. South Molton is an unpretentious, working hub. Recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having four priests, its central Square was laid out in the Middle Ages with classic long, narrow burgage plots stretching back from the road. When the historic wool industry declined, the town adapted smoothly into an administrative and coaching centre. The star attraction is the grand Market House, completed in 1864 by architect John Cock. Light, airy, and vast, it hosts a vibrant weekly gathering of local producers selling regional honey, baked goods, artisan cheeses, and fresh seasonal vegetables. Adjoining the hall sits the handsome eighteenth-century Guildhall, home to an exceptional local museum that houses historic town fire engines and royal market charters granted by King Charles II. South Molton Fact File Market Days: Thursday and Saturday mornings (Pannier Market). Key Landmarks: The Victorian Pannier Market, the Guildhall and Museum, and the broad historic Square. Curiosity: The town Corporation obtained the fine building materials for its 1739 Guildhall second-hand, buying salvage from the demolition of the grand Grenville mansion at Stowe in North Cornwall. Check out a selection of wonderful Devon coastal walks here 5. Holsworthy: The Undaunted Heart of the Culm Hidden deep in the expansive border country between Dartmoor and Bude lies Holsworthy. Often overlooked by travellers rushing along coastal bypasses, this town serves as the proud capital of the rolling Culm Grasslands—an unspoilt agricultural terrain of heavy clay soils, lush pastures, and quiet valleys. The town sign welcomes visitors to an ancient "Port-Town". Far from hinting at ships or salt spray, the title stems from the Saxon term port, designating a fortified, secure place for inland trade. A royal charter was proclaimed in 1154 establishing St Peter's Fair, an event celebrated every July with the traditional Court Leet, the proclamation at the site of the Great Tree of Holsworthy, and the ceremonial tasting of ales across local inns. Faces at the old Holsworthy cattle market Holsworthy’s heartbeat remains bound up with rural farming. It hosts one of the largest and most significant agricultural livestock markets in the South of England, drawing livestock trailers and auctioneers from across Devon and Cornwall. Up in the wide Town Square, traditional stalls trade beneath historic facades, serving a community that retains an old-fashioned warmth and stubborn self-reliance. Holsworthy Fact File Market Day: Wednesday (Pannier Market in the Square and weekly livestock sales). Key Landmarks: Market Square, the Holsworthy Museum, and the massive stone railway viaducts along the Ruby Way trail. Curiosity: Holsworthy claims the quirky historical distinction of being the last town in England to use the public stocks as an active judicial punishment. Holsworthy Street Market