Challenging – Moderate to strenuous
1 April 2025
Clovelly to Hartland Quay is a wild and demanding stretch and is one of the most dramatic on the Coast Path, filled with wooded combes, towering cliffs, and spectacular geological formations.
Points of Interest: Clovelly to Hartland Quay
Here’s what to look out for along the way:
Clovelly & Hobby Drive
The walk begins at the top of Clovelly, following a wooded track past the 1826 Angel Wings shelter and onto open ground.
Gallantry Bower
A prominent hill offering the first sweeping views of the rugged coastline ahead.
Mouth Mill
A secluded cove with remnants of old buildings and views of striking folded cliffs shaped by tectonic forces.
Brownsham Cliff
A steep ascent from the valley leads to open heathland and the beginning of more strenuous undulating terrain.
Blackchurch Rock
A dramatic sea arch seen in the distance—an iconic formation framed by layered, contorted rock.
Shipload Bay
A remote cove once used by smugglers, now almost inaccessible, with towering cliffs and a currently defunct radar station above.
Hartland Point & Lighthouse
Where the Bristol Channel meets the Atlantic. The lighthouse, built in 1874, still stands guard over the cliff edge.
Uppacott Valley
A steep and challenging combe descent and climb—one of the toughest parts of the day.
Hartland Quay Formation
Spectacular folded cliffs of sandstone and shale, carved into jagged fins and ridges by sea and time.
Hartland Quay
A dramatic end to the walk. Once a busy port, now a museum and hotel perched above crashing Atlantic surf.
Logistics
| Sleep Dog Friendly Accommodation | Tarka Cottage, Woolacombe (Thanks Dermot and Jan) The Old Smithy Inn, Welcombe |
| Eat & Drink | The Old Smithy Inn, Welcombe |
| Travel Transport back to Clovelly! | BPS Taxis with Rod (07584 318308) https://bpstaxis.co.uk/ |
Alternative: The Stagecoach bus service 319 runs from Hartland Village to the Clovelly Visitors’ Centre. There is a service at 10:15 but then it’s every 2 hours or so. Unfortunately, Hartland Quay is two 2½ miles away, about an hour’s walk!