Plan Your South West Coast Path Hike The Easy Way!

22 August, 2022

Plan Your South West Coast Path Hike The Easy Way!

In 100-mile Sections!

The South West Coast Path is thet UK’s longest waymarked national trail – 630 miles of bucket-list hiking!

630 miles though – that’s a planning nightmare! It’s overwhelming. There’s an easy way to plan your South West Coast Path hike though, and that’s to break it down into much smaller chunks, which is where this guide comes in.

It’s much easier to organise your South West Coast Path itinerary in 100-mile sections, whether you’re thru-hiking or walking the trail in stages.

Most section-hikers can comfortably walk around 100 miles a week, and if you’re thru-hiking the whole trail you’ll find shorter sections less overwhelming to plan.

It’s a difficult task to put all that amazing hiking into one guide, so here at 10 Mile Hike, you’ll find 2! This one gives you

a short guide to each 100-mile section
some planning details for each section, including travel and resupply
plus links to my individual articles within that section. You’ll find loads of inspiration in those, from photos to stories and more travel details (these particular travel details are really handy for day hikes or shorter section hikes)

The sculpture in Minehead marks the start of the South West Coast Path national trail

The other guide is Your ultimate Guide To Hiking The South West Coast Path. The Ultimate GuideTo Hiking The South West Coast Path gives you the big picture – all the general planning details you need. It includes things like wild camping, best times to go, gear, navigation, and so on. Head over there if that’s what you need right now. Otherwise, dive into planning your hike in 100-mile sections!

Graphic: Plan A Hike Like A Pro, step-by-step in-depth guide

This article explains how to plan any hike and includes budgeting, gear, choosing the right trail for you – and so much more!

100 Mile Sections

The trail begins in Minehead in Somerset on the north coast and finishes on the south coast at South Haven Point (Poole Harbour) in Dorset. Each 100-mile section (ish) is laid out consecutively:

Contents

Minehead to Hartland Point 105 miles
Somerset, crossing into north Devon at County Gate, and into Cornwall at Marsland Mouth
Hartland Point to Perranporth: 96.5 miles
Cornwall
Perranporth to Mullion Cove: 91.8 miles
Cornwall
Mullion Cove to Looe: 95.4 miles
Cornwall
Looe to Torquay 105.1 miles
Cornwall, crossing into South Devon in Plymouth
Torquay to Weymouth Ferrybridge (including the Portland loop): 92.3 miles
South Devon, crossing into Dorset at Lyme Regis
Weymouth Ferrybridge To South Haven Point (Poole Harbour) 42.6 miles
Dorset

I'm head down some cliffs wearing a backpacking rucksack on a sunny day

Hiking on the north Cornwall coast

Notes On Travel And Resupply Details

The travel details I’ve given for each section include the most direct bus and train routes to and from a main line railway station.

Trains

Main line rail routes provide connections to towns and cities all around the country. The route that serves areas closest to the South West Coast Path is operated by Great Western Railway between London Paddington and Penzance (Cornwall).

Other useful train operators for smaller sections of the trail include Cross Country (with links via Birmingham) and South Western Railway (serving Weymouth, Poole, and London Waterloo.)

The best way to work out a route is to use this map:

National Train Operator’s Network Map

I’ve included links to the closest stations in each section, with maps that show local bus stops too.

Find the best price rail tickets with this guide: How To Plan A Backpacking Trip On A National Trail: Travel

Buses

You’ll find links to the relevant bus operators below, as well as the route number to search for in their timetables.

Ferries

There are lots of ferry crossings on this national trail and most of them are seasonal. This means that some sections are only feasible to hike between April (usually Eastertime) and October- be sure to check the timetables linked below.

Resupply

I’ve listed the main towns and villages along the route that have convenience stores and/or large supermarkets, cafes/pubs that should have charging points and most other services you’ll need – open all year.

There may well be small hamlets and villages that I haven’t mentioned that also have cafes, pubs, public toilets etc, but these could be seasonal.

1. Minehead to Hartland Point: The First 105 Miles

Somerset and North Devon, Crossing into Cornwall

Highlights include Croyde, Clovelly, the Exmoor Coast including Valley of Rocks and Lynton and Lynmouth, Great Hangman (the highest cliffs on the whole trail), and the fantastic Blackchurch Rock.

You can expect steep climbs, uneven flights of endless steps, remoteness and spectacular views that make the effort worthwhile!

Croyde Bay

A narrow cobbled street is lined with quaint, colourful old cottages and a group of walkers stand smiles in the foreground

The steep cobbled street of Clovelly. Enjoy a pint at the Red Lion before trudging your way back up again!

Blackchurch Rock is a large stack with 2 arches that stretches into the sea. It looks like a fallen pack of cards.

Blcakchurch Rock is between Minehead and Hartland Point in North Devon – and not to be missed! (It’s near Clovelly at SS 29891 26642)

Daisies, poppies and cornflowers line the edge of a field and a group of women are walking beside it in the distance

Wildflower field edges on the cliff tops

Travel

National Train Operator’s Network Map

Travel To Minehead

Arrive by train at Taunton GWR main line station with Cross Country connections
Bus: Taunton to Minehead (approx 1.5 hours): First Somerset Route 28

Travel From Hartland Point

Walk from Hartland Point to Hartland village (approx 3 miles)
Bus: Hartland to Barnstaple: Stagecoach route 319
Train from Barnstaple (GWR branch line) to the GWR main line station at Exeter St Davids with Cross Country connections

Ferry Crossings

Instow to Appledore timetable – seasonal (NB if the ferry’s not running take the no. 21A bus that regularly runs around the estuary, operated by Stagecoach)

YHA And Places To Stay

There are no YHAs on the coast path in this section

UK Hiking Resources Links to find campsites, B&Bs and independent hostels
Campsites I’ve stayed at include:
- Clovelly: Ashcroft Farm (2022) offered clean, simple facilities including a basic kitchen with a washing machine. It’s about 4 miles from the coast path though and no taxis were available, and it’s expensive if you’re travelling alone. I’ve also wild camped on the coast near Clovelly, which was much easier.
- Hartland Quay: Stoke Barton Farm And Campsite A mile or so off-trail but worth the walk – it’s the best backpackers’ campsite I’ve stayed at. As well as a flat pitch there’s a brilliant large common room with comfy sofas, several microwaves and kettles, a complimentary stock of drinks from tea to hot chocolate, a fridge, freezer, and loads of sockets for charging. The shower facilities are simple but just what you need. There’s also a washing machine and a small shop.

Resupply – Main Towns And Villages

Minehead
Ilfacombe
Lynton and Lynmouth

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2. Hartland Point To Perranporth: 96 Miles

Highlights include the geology at Millook, plus Boscastle, Tintagel, Port Isaac, Padstow, Newquay (the beaches, not the town!) and Holywell Bay.

More steep climbs and uneven steps mark this section of the South West Coast Path, but the scenery is outstanding

North Cornwall

A tall cliff with a folded rock face drops vertiginously into the sea .

Spectacular cliffs at Millook

A tall sea stack rises from the bottom of the cliffs and there's a small island rising from the sea in the distance

Rock stack near Tintagel

From high on the cliffs the view looks down at a steep winding path that rises steeply on the other side of the combe. There are cows at the bottom and an azure coloured sea

Enjoy the climbs to Boscastle!

The twin peaks of Carter's Rocks rise like island from a green sea on a sunny winter's day

Carter’s Rocks at Holywell Bay, Newquay

Clear blue/green seas seen from the clifftops with a lifeboat station just visible in the distance

Mother Ivey Bay near Padstow