The South West Coast Path

Walking the South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path is a 630-mile long-distance National Trail running from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Following the coastline through Exmoor, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, the trail forms a continuous walking route around much of South West England.

From Minehead, the trail begins beside the Bristol Channel before climbing into the coastal landscapes of Exmoor National Park. It then follows the north Devon and Cornwall coasts through a succession of cliffs, beaches, headlands, estuaries, fishing villages and harbour towns.

Around the western tip of Cornwall, the trail passes some of the most exposed coastal landscapes on the route before turning east along the English Channel. The character gradually changes again through south Cornwall and Devon, where river estuaries, wooded coastline and historic ports punctuate the journey.

The eastern stages continue through Dorset and along the Jurassic Coast, where cliffs, coves and distinctive geological formations accompany the route towards Poole Harbour. Across the full trail, repeated ascents and descents make the South West Coast Path considerably more demanding than its coastal setting can initially suggest.

Settlements including Minehead, Ilfracombe, Padstow, St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, Plymouth, Dartmouth and Weymouth provide natural stopping points along the route. The length of the trail also makes it particularly suitable for walking in sections, allowing individual stretches of coastline to be explored independently rather than completing all 630 miles in a single journey.

Waymarked with the National Trail acorn symbol, the South West Coast Path combines long-distance walking with changing coastal landscapes, maritime settlements and protected areas across four counties, creating a route whose character continually changes as it progresses around the South West peninsula.

Overview

Distance 630 miles / 1,014 km
Duration 6–8 weeks
Difficulty Challenging
Start Minehead, Somerset
Finish Poole Harbour, Dorset
Terrain Clifftop paths, steep ascents and descents, coastal farmland, estuary crossings, beaches and harbour towns
Waymarking National Trail acorn symbols throughout