South West Coast Path

Co-authored by Henry Stedman & Joel Newton. Henry Stedman is the author of bestselling Trailblazer guides to Kilimanjaro, the Coast to Coast Path and Hadrian's Wall Path

INTRODUCTION About the Dorset & South Devon Coast Path History of the South-West Coast Path 9 - How difficult is the Coast Path? 11 - How long do you need? 12 - When to go 13 PART 1: PLANNING YOUR WALK Practical information for the walker Route finding 17 - Accommodation 18 - Food and drink 21 Money 26 - Information for foreign visitors 26 - Other services 28 Walking companies 28 Budgeting 31 Itineraries Which direction? 32 - Suggested itineraries 33 - The best day and weekend walks 35 - Side trips 36 - Village and town facilities 38 What to take Keep your luggage light 40 - How to carry it 40 - Footwear 41 Clothes 41 - Toiletries 42 - First-aid kit 42 - General items 43 Camping gear 43 - Money 44 - Documents 44 - Maps 44 Recommended reading 45 - Sources of further information 46 Taking dogs along the path 48 Getting to and from the path National transport 52 - Getting to Britain 53 - Local transport 55 Public transport map 59 PART 2: MINIMUM IMPACT WALKING & OUTDOOR SAFETY Minimum impact walking Economic impact 61 - Environmental impact 62 - Access 63 Outdoor safety Avoidance of hazards 66 - Weather and weather forecasts 68 Blisters 68 - Hypothermia 68 - Hyperthermia 69 - Sunburn 69 PART 3: THE ENVIRONMENT & NATURE Conserving the Dorset & South Devon Coast Path 70 Geology 72 Flora and fauna Trees 77 - Flowers 78 - Mammals 80 - Reptiles 83 - Birds 83 Butterflies and moths 88 PART 4: ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS Using this guide 89 Plymouth 91 Plymouth to Wembury 100 Wembury 106 Tackling the Yealm 106 Wembury to Bigbury-on-Sea 111 - Tackling the Erme 115 - Challaborough & Bigbury- on-Sea 119 Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe 120 - Tackling the Avon 120 Outer & Inner Hope 122 Salcombe 126 Salcombe to Slapton Cross 131 - East Prawle 134 Beesands 136 - Torcross 138 Slapton 140 Slapton Cross to Dartmouth 142 - Strete 143 - Stoke Fleming 144 - Dartmouth 148 Dartmouth to Brixham 153 Kingswear 154 Brixham 160 Brixham to Torquay 163 Paignton 167 - Torquay 170 Torquay to Teignmouth 178 St Marychurch 180 Maidencombe 180 - Shaldon 184 - Teignmouth 186 Teignmouth to Exmouth 190 Dawlish 192 - Dawlish Warren 196 - Cockwood 198 Starcross 198 Tackling the Exe 200 Exmouth 203 Exmouth to Sidmouth 207 Budleigh Salterton 210 Sidmouth 216 Sidmouth to Seaton 221 Branscombe Mouth 224 Beer 226 - Seaton 228 Seaton to Lyme Regis 231 Lyme Regis 236 Lyme Regis to Seatown 243 Charmouth 244 - Seatown 248 Chideock 248 Seatown to Abbotsbury 250 Eype Mouth 251 - West Bay 252 - Burton Bradstock 256 South Dorset Ridgeway (aka Inland Coastal Route) West Bexington 260 Abbotsbury 266 Abbotsbury to Fortuneswell 268 - Fortuneswell 274 Fortuneswell to Weymouth (via Isle of Portland Circuit) 276 - Weymouth 282 Weymouth to Lulworth Cove 287 - Osmington Mills 288 Lulworth Cove & West Lulworth 294 Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge Bay 298 When ranges are closed 302 Kimmeridge 304 Kimmeridge Bay to Swanage 306 - Worth Matravers 308 Swanage 312 Swanage to South Haven Point 316 - New Swanage 3 APPENDICES A: Poole 322 B: South Dorset Ridgeway Prehistoric Sites 323 C: Map key 324 D: GPS waypoints 325 INDEX 329