This short coastal walk benefits from dramatic cliffs, ocean and estuary views, plus access to 4 spotless beaches in addition to as much time on Bantham Beach as you like while avoiding the expensive car park there. The South West Coast path covers a good proportion of the Bigbury Bay section with plenty of examples of coastal erosion.
The inland route back offers a brief change of scene and two pubs. The whole area is in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and rightly so. The steep climb into Thurlestone warrants some consideration before attempting it, but means a pint at The Village Inn is much deserved! It’s only 4 and a half miles but could easily be made into a whole day out.
7 km / 4.4 Miles Link to OS Map Route: Thurlestone and Bantham Beaches Circular Coastal Walk Conditions: Low teens, sunny but breezy in places. Dry. Parking: Private car park, south of the golf club, day rate varies with seasons.
There’s a couple of parking options and you can make the route slightly longer by parking at South Milton Sands. We opted for a “car park” roughly equidistant between South Milton Sands and the Golf Club (no public parking there). The car park is marked with a P symbol on OS, and if you’re looking on Google, it’s the triangle next to the coast path. We paid a day rate to a woman in a Bantham Estate fleece, who was holding a card reader on a 2 metre long stick, and parked up. Although it was empty when we arrived, the car park had filled up by lunchtime when we got back.
South Milton Sands, Thurlestone Rock, and Thurlestone Beaches
Before setting off, we admired the crescent shaped Thurlestone Sand/ South Milton Sands and the famous sandstone arch-shaped “Thurlestone Rock” poking out from the turquoise waters.
The rock has been there since at least the ninth century and was originally the mouth of a sea cave. Over time, erosion from waves caused the cave roof to collapse and the rock was formed.
It was initially called “thirled stone”; thirl being Anglo-Saxon for or hole or opening. This is how the neighbouring village of Thurlestone got its name.
We started to walk North and weren’t on the South West Coast path long before reaching the first beach – Leas Foot Sand – where the tarmac road fell away in 2014. The broken tarmacked track heads towards the golf club, the village of Thurlestone nested into the hilltop behind.
We snaked around to follow the unstable cliff edge. The coastal path was mainly sandy, with lush green grass and the occasional autumnal wildflower. Without getting too close, we looked down the ragged cliff edge for dramatic views of the crystal clear rock pools a sheer drop below.
Juxtaposing this wild landscape was the manicured golf course immediately to the right! The golf course was built in the late 1980s on land called the Warren, named so as rabbits were bred here in Norman times.
Slate Cliff Erosion and Rock Pools
As the path came back round the headland (Warren Point), we approached Thurlestone’s other half moon beach and went down onto it at the only access point, in the centre of the beach. We dog-legged on ourselves to the rock pools at the southern end of the beach.
The eroding slate cliffs had spectacular geographical folds, but they looked fragile and brittle, with shards of rock scattered around like dust and shredded paper. The ragged rocks at the headland’s base were tall, and we hopped between them looking for crabs as the incoming tide steadily flooded the pools.
The beach was quiet, besides us there was a family with some dogs, and a couple sleeping on a picnic blanket above the high-tide line.
Butter Cove
Retracing our steps across the fluffy sand we followed the coast path north and passed another beach, reached by a steep sandy path. It’s not hard to see why these once remote sandy coves were a haven for smugglers in the 1700s.
Still bordered by the golf course, the manicured lawns contrasted with the windswept wild grass on the cliff tops. This section of the path was narrow and fairly busy – one man remarked “traffic here’s almost as bad as the roads, isn’t it!?” as we passed him in a make-shift human lay-by.
The coast path here remains unstable. There is a small cove (Butter Cove) beneath the cliff where the golf course ends. The path here collapsed suddenly 5 years ago. The number of coves and cliffs on this short route means this area can expect to see more erosion.
Bantham Beach
Approaching Bantham Beach we had a good view of Burgh Island. Erosion created the island and now only a precarious looking sand causeway connects it to its former mainland. During our walk the causeway was steadily shrinking in size but never fully disappeared during the time we were there. At the entrance to the island is a retro hotel and a sea-level garage that for some reason made me think of Thunderbirds’ Tracy Island!
As we got closer to the beach the wind picked up; unsurprising since this is a famous surfing beach. Although there were very few waves on this day, surfers were still taking the opportunity to practice. (In October, brrr!).
They were observed by families using rocks as windbreakers, dog walkers, joggers, and an RNLI lifeguard. A bustling beach even in early October.
Although the previous beaches are dog friendly, dogs are not allowed on the main Bantham Beach (only on the estuary part of the beach) between 1st May and 30th September.
As with the previous beach north of Thurlestone, the bigger rock pools are to the south of the beach, but the tide was too far in for us to explore. Instead, we took an easy walk along the compacted sand towards the estuary.
To head back on ourselves, we climbed some steps at the estuary mouth up onto the Bantham Ham headland. This headland has seen a lot of action over the years. It has been occupied since prehistoric times, was the site of a failed Viking raid in the ninth century, and was an important Roman settlement.
We traversed the undulating sand dunes (a large portion of which is fenced off for habitat protection) towards the car park before admiring the sailing boats in the tidal River Avon.
Bantham
As we left Bantham Beach repeat signage reminded us we were on the Bantham Estate. As well as the beach, the Estate owns the dunes, the golf club, the estuary, and numerous other residential properties and pieces of land. As a result, most of the car parks are also on the estate and parking is a bit pricey as you have to pay a whole day rate. However, one can’t argue that the area is very well maintained and the beach is spotless; it’s won Blue Flag and Marine Conservation awards.
The village had a lot of foot traffic so, what with COVID and all, we didn’t pay too much attention to the port itself; a shame, as there are plenty of historic buildings including a row of nine 17th Century cottages (owned by the estate) and the 14th century Sloop Inn.
We didn’t stop, but this is pub 1 of 2 on this walking route. The footpath passes down the side of the pub and through a tree tunnel.
Farmland to Thurlestone (and a steep hill!)
The clearly signposted foothpath opened out into vibrant, sap green pasture in the valley and went around the field, over a gate, and past some free-range guinea fowl.
The farm is in a valley and the climb out is steep. We intentionally haven’t photographed it for fear of putting you off the walk, but those with breathing difficulties will struggle, and in wet or muddy weather it would probably be impossible.
It’s a climb of 135ft over about 150metres. The incline steadies out but continues another 50-60ft over the next 100metres – but to be honest, that bit felt like a break after the steep section!
There is an alternative route into the village, turning left at the bottom of the hill instead. Although this is a steadier incline, the climb is actually higher. You’re in a valley and you need to choose the lesser of two evils, elevation or gradient!
Thurlestone
The path into the village continues over grazing pasture and we took a brief de-tour to The Village Inn when we arrived in Thurlestone. We can’t comment on the pub as COVID-19 precautions meant it was outside seating only. The pub is housed in a former granary dating to the 18th century, and today is owned by the attached hotel. We downed our pint of Otter swiftly then re-traced our steps, taking the main road south out of the village.
The main street still has many cottages from the 17th century and the original church was built in 1042, though it has been through many changes over the centuries. Besides the church, the oldest surviving building is Church House, near the Old Rectory, and dates from 1536.
There was a pavement alongside most of the road, but when we got to the golf course driveway, opposite some public toilets, we headed back towards the coast to finish the walk on the same section of coast path from which we started.
The final treat was the sight of a WWII pill box embedded in the red sandstone cliff edge; we’d completely missed it when walking south to north.
Love Wild Walks
