Maidencombe and Lyme Bay Need to know Distance: 3.5 miles Exertion: Moderate Time: Allow 2 hours Terrain: Coast path of varying quality, some steep sections - can be muddy. Dogs: Under close control near livestock Refreshments: The Thatched Tavern at Maidencombe & beach café in season. Accessibilty: Not suitable for mobility scooters, pushchairs or very young children. Parking: Watcombe Beach Car Park Start Postcode: TQ1 4SH /// happy.backs.lodge
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ith ground cover of ancient ferns and bracken, the tall and spindly elder and sycamore woodland gives way to soaring towers of weathered Devonian sandstone. One might expect to meet a prehistoric hunting party on a foraging trip from their Kents Cavern home at any turn in the path. Such is the feeling of ancientness one gets when entering the woodland at the beginning of this walk. The formations in the Valley of The Rocks are aweinspiring and make this walk an exciting adventure for families - watch out for the mud in the wetter months, welly boots are a must! The woodland paths are shaded and cool but carpeted
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with pretty wild flowers in the spring. Further along, the pathway deviates from the South West Coast Path along permissive paths and open access land under the Countryside Access Scheme. Take a break at Maidencombe and enjoy the picturesque beach or the recently refurbished Thatched Tavern.
1Leave the Watcombe Beach car park via the stile in the north-east corner and follow the meandering path down through the woodland and into the Valley of the Rocks. The South West Coast Path joins from Watcombe on the right and the path continues downhill veering to the left where it rises fairly steeply on an uneven path with a steel handrail. There are long views above the treetops back towards Hope’s Nose and the Orestone and Tor Bay’s more familiar limestone formations. 2 At the top of the path take the right hand fork downhill until you leave the woods. 3 Ignore the path to the left across open ground and proceed downhill following the coastline then re-enter the woodland via steep wooden steps. 4 After 200 metres or so take the left hand turning to follow the coastline again. At this point one can either cross the stile into open farmland (dogs under close control here) or stay on the path that skirts the pasture along the cliff top. After more rise and fall the path descends into the thatched village of Maidencombe.
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