Saturday August 4
Section 8. TORQUAY HARBOUR TO SHALDON. Miles: 10.8. Grading: Strenuous
Start time and location
Could you please report for registration at the English Riviera Tourist Offices in Torquay at midday.
The walk will commence at 12.30pm.
Parking
Plenty of parking avaialble at start points.
Bus Services
Bus services operate regularly between Torquay and Shaldon. Particularly useful is Stagecoach number 85 (Torquay to Exeter via Shaldon, Teignmouth and Dawlish). For local Stagecoach enquiries ring 01803 664500.
Confirmation of all buses should be obtained from traveline on 0870 608 2608 www.traveline.org.uk before relying on a service.
Trains
There is a station at Torquay, which connects to the main Paddington to Penzance line at Newton Abbot. For information on train services, contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.
Maps
Ordnance Survey Landranger series (scale 1:50 000) Number 202, Torbay and South Dartmoor.
Ordnance Survey Explorer series (scale 1:25 000) Number 110, Torquay and Dawlish.
General Information
TORQUAY: accommodation, cafés, pubs, shops (including a chemist), post office, parking, toilets and public telephones.
BABBACOMBE: accommodation, cafés, pubs, shops (including a chemist), post office, parking, toilets and public telephones.
MAIDENCOMBE: accommodation, cafés, pubs, shops (including a chemist), post office, parking, toilets and public telephones.
SHALDON: accommodation, cafés, pubs, shops (including a chemist), post office, parking, toilets and public telephones.
TAXIS
Torbay Taxis – 01803 211611
Dawlish Taxis – 01626 888111
FERRY
River Teign Ferry, telephone on ferry 07760 240927. For details, please check our current Annual Guide.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
Vaughan Parade, Torquay, TQ2 5JG. Tel: 01803 297428.
The Route
You will soon leave the easy tarmac walking and tourist diversions of the previous section: there is much tougher walking ahead on wilder, narrow paths as you leave Tor Bay (bounded by Berry Head and Hope’s Nose) and face the sweeping views of Lyme Bay. Much of the farmland towards Shaldon is either protected nature reserve or managed under a Countryside Stewardship Scheme, and the benefits are obvious in the diversity of flora and fauna you will encounter.
TORQUAY
Situated at the northern end of Torbay on a peninsula, this attractive town has long been a premier seaside holiday resort and a much sought after town for retirement. A mild climate the symbol for Torbay (the English Riviera) is a Palm Tree ensures its attraction as a year round resort.
Needless to say the facilities here are numerous, with many cafés, pubs, restaurants, shops and a large range of holiday accommodation. There are theatres, cinemas and a marina adjacent to the inner harbour. There is a good Tourist Information Centre situated just by the inner harbour.
If you have time, do visit some of Torquay's attractions. Cockington Village, one mile (1.6 km) from the centre with its extensive grounds, thatched cottages, and a 17th century manor house, the headquarters of the Torbay Coast and Country Trust which maintains the whole of the coast path along this section. There are interesting craft studios, displays of the Trust’s work, and an organic garden here. Or there is Kents Cavern which are show caves and are open all year. There is also an excellent Torquay Museum in Babbacombe Road, only yards from the harbour, and, the Model Village at Babbacombe is a masterpiece of miniature landscaping.
TORQUAY TO SHALDON
Annual Guide Section 65 (10.8 miles – 17.3 km) Grading: Strenuous
From Torquay Marina, bear right to cross the Millenium footbridge spanning the entrance to the inner harbour to reach Beacon Quay, still with its D-Day launching slipways. The huge netting ‘tent’ ahead encloses the ‘Living Coasts’ centre, and as you walk up the hill behind it you will get good views of the penguins and other wildlife inside.
Shortly reaching Torquay's five star Imperial Hotel, turn as if you are going to the hotel entrance (there is a signpost on the wall), and continue past the entrance along a signposted path to Rock End with its fine views round the Bay. Now comes a path, rising, falling and meandering through gardens with good seaward views until it
eventually emerges onto the broad grassy expanse of Daddyhole Plain, yet another splendid viewpoint.
The path now descends through a wooded grove, passing a little promontory on the right, then turns through an arched opening in a wall and down a flight of steps to reach Meadfoot Beach.
Now comes a pleasant promenade walk of about 0.5 mile (800 m) to the far end of this pebble and sand beach, popular with summer holidaymakers.
Once again toilets and refreshments are available, and there are views of nearby Thatcher Rock and the Ore Stone.
At the far end of the promenade is a small car park and a coast path sign sends you through this and then up a path for a few yards to emerge onto Ilsham Marine Drive, where you turn right.
The route now ascends the road until an area of 7.5 acres of attractive open parkland is reached on the seaward side and there is a plaque commemorating the gift of this land in 1968, by an anonymous donor, for public use and enjoyment. There are seats available and again this makes a superb picnic area.
This area is immediately inland from Thatcher Rock and adjacent to the park is a track with a footpath sign to Thatcher Point. Take this to emerge onto the small grassy point with splendid views, particularly of Thatcher Rock. The path should continue, to bring you back onto the road, but unfortunately the next section is currently closed due to subsidence. So instead, turn up through the park to rejoin the road and turn right once more. Follow the road to reach a small area known as Thatcher Pines, a much photographed landmark and with a small shelter; carry on now until you reach a footpath on the right pointing down to Hope’s Nose, an area much frequented by sea anglers, and a pleasant diversion if you have time and energy, affording good coastal views..
Otherwise immediately cross the road to take a path, with a coast path sign, running slightly above the Marine Drive. This is a rather boring path running between hedges for about a 0.25 mile (400m), but it does get you off the road until you emerge from the hedge and descend a grassy path to reach the Marine Drive once more.
Cross the road here and take the path opposite with a coast path sign to Ansteys Cove, and a few feet beyond this another sign will tell you that you are on the Bishops Walk. This is so named because it was a favourite walk of a former Bishop of Exeter, who established his palace near Torquay now the well known Palace Hotel.
A short way along there are good views back to Hope’s Nose and the Ore Stone, and thereafter the path, still high above the sea, passes through the wooded section round Black Head. Now will come views to the North of Long Quarry Point and beyond.
The route emerges onto a road opposite the large car park above Ansteys Cove, turn right and in about 75 yards (70 m) turn right into a wooded area, the signpost telling you this is the path to ‘Babbacombe and St Marychurch over the Downs’. Follow this path to emerge onto Walls Hill Downs, a large grassy area with splendid seaward views.
(If you walk down the steep road from the car park to Ansteys Cove, you will be rewarded by good views and the pleasures of a peaceful, undeveloped cove backed by rejuvenated woodland. Redgate beach, to its north, is impassable for the foreseeable future because of the danger of rock falls, so you will have to return up the road to the main route.)
Where the official route reaches Walls Hill you will find a signpost ‘Coast Path Babbacombe’. Follow the cliff top edge before descending a steep wooded path to a minor road. Turn right here and shortly take a signposted track on the right and at a waymark immediately before a stone arch, turn right. Very shortly at a path junction turn left down steps to the road by the Cary Arms and descend to Babbacombe Beach. In addition to the Cary Arms, there is a café and public toilets.
At the far end of this beach a wooden bridge-type structure takes you round the cliff face to Oddicombe Beach, where in calm weather you can walk along the hard at sea level, or go up some steps to follow a track through the woods just above. In either case you will emerge on to the road by the cliff railway. This runs from the beach to Babbacombe Downs above ideal for holidaymakers visiting the beach, and who prefer to ride up rather than face a stiff climb!
Now ascend the road and in about 100 yards (90 m) where the road bears left, climb some steps by the railings of the cliff railway. Continue left up more steps and at the next junction turn right to return to the railings and up to the point where the route takes you under the cliff railway. Turn right and follow the path to reach an open grassy hill. Go diagonally up this hill (the route on the right is now permanently closed because of the instability of the cliffs above Petitor Beach). Follow the signs up to the road, turn right along it as far as the mini roundabout and then right again along Petitor Road. At the end, go through the gate and turn left to rejoin the signed ‘coast path, Watcombe 1.5’.
The route now follows a well marked path with an extensive golf course on the left and good views back to Babbacombe and Thatcher Rock. You now come to the choice of two paths: the more seaward one is the coast path which descends to a lower level, then climbs back to rejoin the other path. At the next junction carry straight on and descend to the valley road linking the main Torquay/Teignmouth road (A379) and Watcombe Beach.
A few yards up the road turn right at a signpost ‘Coast Path Maidencombe’ and a pleasant undulating wooded path now takes you through the Valley of Rocks and up some steep steps. More choices of route to come – the true coast path is of course always the more seaward one, which descends a narrow, twisting wooded path to follow the hedges above the cliff. (The marked permissive path across the fields just above actually affords better views and is easier!) Either will eventually bring you to the small car park in
Maidencombe village.
MAIDENCOMBE
This is a pretty village, compact with thatched cottages and the attraction of refreshments and cream teas available a few yards up the road. There is also a steep path descending to an attractive and sheltered beach with swimming available.
Leave Maidencombe by turning right outside the car park, signposted ‘Coast Path Labrador/Teignmouth’ and from here on the going becomes very much harder with steep ups and downs with the final steep slog bringing you up to the A379 main road above Labrador Bay.
Turn right and after about 40 yards (35 m) leave the pavement to continue along a parallel path until at a waymark you enter a field on your right via a stile by the field gate.
Now follows a most attractive and easy section of the path descending through fields, keeping to the coast edge and with superb views forward over Teignmouth. You soon pass a pitch and putt course on your left and towards the end of this a path on the right takes you onto a broad track. By the car park take the waymarked upward path through woodlands to the top of the red sandstone cliff. The Ness, with more splendid views of the River Teign, Teignmouth and the promenade which will be your route onwards to Dawlish and the River Exe.
A steep descent now takes you past the Ness Hotel and along the road to Shaldon. Look out for the ferry landing point on the beach where a year round ferry operates to Teignmouth (but take care it doesn't operate at weekends in the winter). If the ferry is not available then you will have to continue along riverside roads to cross the Shaldon Bridge into Teignmouth.
SHALDON
For all practical purposes part of Teignmouth, but the village lies along the south shore of the River Teign, has a pleasant beach, an attractive variety of 19th century houses and cottages, and accommodation and refreshments.
This version updated by June Haywood, February, 2006.
(Original version by Frederick White, May 1997)
Torquay
Award-Winning Gardens next to the
Coast Path
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