Walking on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills

Walking on Exmoor and the Quantock Hills

This page covers the coastal area from Baggy Point to Lynton, including Lundy and part of the North Devon Coast National Landscape. The coast progresses from sweeping sandy bays through the jagged slates of Morte Point, Bull Point and Ilfracombe to the massive sandstone hills east of Combe Martin, including at Great Hangman the highest sea-cliffs in England. Highlights are almost too numerous to list – they include Baggy Point, Morte Point, Lee Bay, Ilfracombe, Watermouth, Berrynarbor, Heddon’s Mouth and the Valley of the Rocks. Walks range from moderate to strenuous, but the reward is spectacular coastal scenery.

Because of the steep terrain several of the walks in this area are quite short: these are arranged so that it is easy to combine them into longer walks (as long as you are prepared for 1000+ metres of climb). Click the walk name to download the route. Read the walk safety information, and click for a key to the symbols used on the sketch maps in the instructions.

Notes:

· There have been minor changes to the Coast Path at Combe Martin (walks 7 and 8) and either side of Lee Abbey (walks 11, 13 and 14). These don’t affect the walks materially, but where I refer to the ‘Coast Path’ in the instructions this may now be incorrect.

· There are currently building works at Lee Bay (Ilfracombe), to convert the former hotel into residential units and provide a café. These do not affect the walks, but there is no longer a car park at the bay: the nearest is in Lee village opposite the church.

· All-day parking in many North Devon car parks is £10-16 (cheaper between the beginning of November and mid-March, except in Lynton and Lynmouth) – please check parking fees here before planning to use a particular car park.

1 Excursion to Lundy ♦♦♦ 9 or 6 mile circular

2 Croyde, Saunton Down and Baggy Point ♦♦ 8.5 mile circular

3 Mortehoe, Morte Point and Lee Bay ♦♦♦ 7.2 mile circular

4 Mortehoe to Ilfracombe ♦♦♦ 7.7 mile linear, bus connection

5 Ilfracombe and Lee Bay ♦♦♦ 9.1 or 7 mile circular

6 Berrynarbor, Hele and Watermouth ♦♦♦ 7.7 mile circular

7 Combe Martin, the Hangman Hills and Berrynarbor ♦♦♦ 8 mile circular

8 Around Combe Martin ♦♦ 4.2 mile circular

9 Hunter’s Inn, Holdstone Down and Heddon’s Mouth ♦♦♦! 9 mile circular

10 Hunter’s Inn, Voley and the upper Heddon valley ♦♦ 5.8 mile circular

11 Parracombe to Lynton via the Heddon Valley ♦♦♦! 9.5 mile linear, bus connection

12 Hunter’s Inn and Woody Bay ♦♦♦! 6.8 mile circular