Otterton to Budleigh Salterton via South West Coast Path

John Coombes

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The walk starts in Otterton village centre, very picturesque with thatched cottages and brick and cob buildings, once a port town but over the centuries the River Otter became laden with silt. Then Otterton became more agricultural and still is today, but now it also includes tourism because of its great coastline and Otter Estuary Nature Reserve. There are also walks to Ladram Bay where you can see the shingle bank mixed with red sandstone stacks and small caves.

The South West Coast Path gives you great views out to sea and all along the coastline, with glimpses of Sidmouth and far beyond. Stand at the top of the cliffs and watch the sea break over the craggy rocks below and in some places, see where the rock face has just slipped down into the sea.

Also on the walk you pass Otterton Mill which dates back to the Norman era. Today there are tea rooms and giftshop and plenty of places just to sit and enjoy the sun. There is also an artisan bakery along with West Country crafts in the gallery.

The walk is highly recommended for its beautiful scenery and mix of quiet country lanes and river walk along one of the best sections of the South West Coast Path.

England - South West England - Devon - Coast

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Cafe, Church, Flowers, Food Shop, Gift Shop, Good for Kids, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Nature Trail, Pub, Public Transport, Restaurant, River, Sea, Tea Shop, Toilets, Wildlife

7/7/2019 - Harry Cook

Completed this walk on a beautiful July day (no rain and not too hot). The weather had been dry for the previous three weeks son no muddy patches. I chose to walk in reverse of the published plan as the gradient profile was more appealing. It is lovely walk with a delightful mix of village farmland, coast and river. All very charming. I chose to alter the plan to spend more time on the South West Coast Path(SCWP) and less on Stantyway Road. The revised, reverse route was, at Grid ref: SY090850 take the lane heading 112 degrees which will take you downhill through fields to Grid ref: SY094846 where you join the SCWP. Turn right (to the South) and follow the SCWP to Grid ref: SY 092839 where you re-join the original route. This alteration verified on Memory map and empirically by GPs brought the route length up to 5.6m. Total Ascent/Descent 646ft. At Grid ref: SY090836, there is an old wartime RAF observation post. There are plans to renovate this to be a holiday let but one which, apart from piped water will be totally off grid. The current owner who has recently applied for planning permission and assured me that there are no plans for a road or track to be laid to this site in future, access will only be for pedestrians. It was also stressed that the existing facility of a bench in the shade will be retained, and a water supply for the use of walkers (and dogs) will be provided. At this point I also witnessed a pair of peregrine falcons in hunting mode along the cliff tops. We lunched at the Ottery Mill, which was busy as one would expect on a lovely July Sunday. A very good selection of quality food and snacks, but watch the prices. All in all an excellent route, so many thanks to John Coombes for devising it.

5/10/2014 - Graham Griffiths

Last Weekend I led a group from the Midlands on this walk following the exact route. The walk and the scenery were very good. However there are two points I would like to make: 1. The instructions state that the walk is 4.4 miles whereas on my GPS (and on measuring on the map) I clocked 5.4 miles. 2. The details state height gained 50 metres. I and other members of the group read this as total height gained where in fact it means the highest point on the walk. The actual height gained is over 200 metres.