4 Challenging Coastal Walks in the South West

ST JUSTINIAN’S, ST DAVID’S HEAD & WHITESANDS BAY (Pembrokeshire)

Difficulty: 3/5 Distance: 7 ½ miles Shortcut: St David’s Head circuit from Whitesands Bay car park (4 miles) Time: 3-4 hours

Highlights? Sensational coastal views; Arthur’s Qouit ancient tomb.

For the kids? Beautiful sands of Whitesands Beach; scramble up Carn Llidi.

At the very beginning

From St Justinian’s, with Ramsey Island RSPB Reserve lying across the turbulent Ramsey Sound, walk north along the coast path between hedges of sea buckthorn and gorse, above sharply canted cliffs.

Whitesands Bay

Round Point St John and descend to walk the broad strand of Whitesands Bay, superb for a dip – you did bring your cossie, didn’t you?

Out towards the Head

Continue onwards to the promontory tip of St David’s Head amongst white sea campion and blue buttons of scabious; then along the north coast past Arthur’s Quoit, a 6000-year-old tomb with an enormous, delicately balanced capstone.

Top of the world at Carn Llidi

Scramble up the 200-metre rocky peak of Carn Llidi for a panoramic view (the Wicklow Hills in Ireland on a perfect day); then descend to Whitesands Bay for the bu, which will take you back to St David’s.

PADSTOW, STEPPER POINT and HARLYN (Cornwall)

Difficulty: 3/5 Distance: 9 miles Shortcut: Head home from Trevone Bay – 7 miles/3 hours Time: 4-5 hours

Highlights? Wonderful scenery; surfing in Harlyn Bay.

For the Kids? Stepper Point’s Rapunzel-style tower.

Starting Point

Padstow is a charming old port. The town’s ancient and wild May Day street celebration features two Obby Osses (capering devils). Blow the post-festival cobwebs away on this walk, heading north from Padstow Harbour along the South West Coast Path.

Camel estuary

Walking the cliffs above the sandy, tide-swirled estuary of the River Camel, you look across the river mouth to the round green button of Brea Hill – former Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman lies buried there in St Enodoc’s churchyard.

Clifftop flowers

At Stepper Point, the Padstow women once paraded in their scarlet cloaks to frighten off the French. Follow the cliffs west via Trevone Bay to Harlyn, looking out for wildflowers – sulphur-yellow primroses, and the blue stars of spring squill.

Plenty of photo opportunities

If surf’s up in Harlyn Bay you will be working your camera overtime. Once you have taken your best shots, skirt the huge blowhole in the cliffs and retrace your steps to Trevone. Walk back to Padstow by way of the farming hamlet of Trethillick.

CLEVEDON, WALTON COMMON and WALTON CASTLE (Somerset)

Difficulty: 3/5 Distance: 6 miles Time: 3 hours

Highlights? Superb sea views to Wales; Iron Age enclosure.

For the kids? Big ships passing, Clevedon’s pier and rocky beach.

Starting Point

Begin the walk at Clevedon Pier (clevedonpier.com), an elegant Victorian beauty tiptoeing on long cast-iron legs into the purple-brown waters of the Bristol Channel.

Cliff path above the estuary

Follow the narrow coastal path out of town, just above the Bristol Channel, where big ships pass on their way to the port of Avonmouth. Carefully scramble down to explore the sea-eroded limestone pavements on the way, taking in the spectacular sea views as you go.

Banjo on the common

At Farley you climb steep fields to turn back along a spine of high ground. When you arrive at Walton Common you will see a rare ‘banjo enclosure’ – a walled Iron Age stronghold.

Back to Branscombe

Now comes a lovely stretch, which takes you through ancient woodland. You pass the 17th-century hunting lodge of Walton Castle in its thicket – perfect for telling Sleeping Beauty stories to help tired little legs along the final stretch – before descending to the coast path and making your way back into Clevedon for lunch, a cream tea and some sightseeing.

PORT GAVERNE, PORT QUIN and DOYDEN CASTLE (Cornwall)

Difficulty: 4/5 (hundreds of steep steps on coastal section) Distance: 8 ½ miles Time: 4-5 hours

Highlights? Fabulous views over dramatic Cornish coast.

For the kids? Sandy beach at Port Gaverne; rocky one at Port Quin.

Starting Point

Begin this strenuous and hugely rewarding walk with a steep climb from Port Gaverne (pronounced ‘Gay-vern’) up to the tiny hamlet of Trewetha, then through the damp green lanes and dells to walk west across big open pastures.

Rocky Port

Port Quin is even smaller than Port Gaverne, a narrow inlet sheltered by high cliffs, with photo-friendly stone cottages kept immaculate by the National Trust – great for tinies to explore the rockpools at low tide.

The Castle that Isn’t

Climb to the far headland, where from the squat, castellated tower of Doyden Castle (actually a 19th-century folly that was used as a drinking club by its builder Samuel Symons) there’s one of the best far-reaching views in Cornwall of the rugged coastline.

Rollercoaster Path

Gird your loins for a demanding few miles back to Port Gaverne, swooping down and slogging up flights of steps, into and out of coves and over headlands. A superbly beautiful coastal adventure.