Heddon Valley coast walk

This short but strenuous circuit on the North Devon coast packs a serious 500 m of ascent into just under 5 km, dropping from the hamlet of Martinhoe down into the wooded cleft of the Heddon Valley before climbing again to the exposed cliffs above Trentishoe. The scenery shifts quickly from sheltered oak woodland to some of the highest sea cliffs in England.

Setting out from Martinhoe, the path descends through steep woodland towards Heddon's Mouth, where the River Heddon meets the Bristol Channel across a boulder beach. From here the route swings east and climbs onto the coast path, tracing the airy slopes towards Trentishoe with wide views back across the valley mouth. A quiet lane returns you inland past the tiny hilltop church of St Peter and the shaded paths of Invention Wood.

Although listed as linear, the walk finishes back at Martinhoe by looping through the combes above the coast. Give yourself the full two hours: the gradients are relentless in both directions, and the coastal viewpoints are worth lingering over.