BACK ROADS GREAT BRITAIN
Where to Stay: inexpensive, under £80; moderate, £80–150; expensive, over £15054
A two-hour clifftop walk
Start at the pay-and-display car park
at the end of Station Road and visit
the Heritage Centre 1 (open Easter–
Oct: Sun–Thu; Jul–Aug: daily) to learn
about the history of the area.
Exit the car park, turn left towards
the church passing the Post Office
and Village Store – good for provisions.
Go through the Victorian lych gate
for a look inside St Mary’s Church 2.
Though the entrance porch dates
from around 1500, the barrel-roofed
nave and chancel were built during
the 13th century. The square belfry,
which houses six bells, dates from- Much of the decoration is
Victorian; the pretty stained-glass
windows were re-glazed at this time.
To the right of the church a sign
points to the coastal path. Walk to
the left of the village cemetery along
the path fringed with bracken and
gorse. Over a sheep-dotted hillside,
the path drops sharply down to a
stream where it meets the 1,000-km
(630-mile) South West Coast Path
running along the clifftop.
There are views past Woolacombe
south across Morte Bay to the next
8 Mortehoe
Devon; EX34 7DT
This is one of the most spectacular stretches of the South West
Coast Path, England’s longest National Trail. A footpath leads along
the clifftops from Mortehoe over grassy slopes to Morte Point. In the
ancient village of Mortehoe, mentioned in the Domesday Book, a
handful of pubs and tea rooms cluster around the picturesque
13th-century St Mary’s Church, and just around a headland
is the golden sandy beach of Woolacombe.WHERE TO STAYMORTEHOE
Town Farmhouse inexpensive
Former farm B&B opposite the church.
EX34 7DT; 01271 870 204; http://www.
townfarmhouse.co.uk; open Feb–Nov
WOOLACOMBE
Woolacombe Bay expensive
Large seafront hotel overlooking the
beach with plenty of sporting facilities.
EX34 7BN; 01271 870 388; http://www.
woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.ukBARNSTAPLE
Royal & Fortescue Hotel moderate
Former coaching inn, centrally situated,
with restaurant, bistro and cafe-bar.
Boutport Street, EX31 1HG; 01271 342
289; http://www.brend-hotels.co.ukheadland, Baggy Point, and beyond.
Lundy Island is visible out to sea
27 km (17 miles) away and the South
Wales coast is just discernible. Walk
along the clifftop towards Morte
Point, watching the waves crash
onto jagged slate rocks. Just past the
aptly named Windy Cove 3 , sticking
out of the sea, is Morte Stone (Death
Stone), a reminder of the dangers of
the rocky reef. In the winter of 1852,
five ships were lost off this
treacherous coast. Continue to Morte
Point 4 itself, and rest on one of the
white boulders to admire the
seascape – look out for seals on the
rocks below. Follow the path around
the point to go eastwards.
Turn inland at the sign to Mortehoe
and return via a wide grassy path. For
a short detour, walk up to the 137-m
(450-ft) viewpoint (signed on left)
and the megalithic tomb, known as
the Cromlech, nearby. Finally, retrace
your steps back to the village for a
cream tea or a glass of heady local
scrumpy cider.
ª Follow signs along a narrow seaside
road to Woolacombe and park in the
beach car park.Above The graveyard of St Mary’s Church,
Mortehoe, with graves of shipwrecked sailorsVISITING BARNSTAPLEParking
Green Lanes Shopping Centre,
Boutport Street, EX31 1UL.
Tourist Information
The Square, EX32 8LN; 01271 375
000; http://www.staynorthdevon.co.ukBelow The road down to lovely Woolacombe Bay,
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