Our six favourite Winter walks

The end of Christmas and the New Year celebrations marks the perfect time to get into shape for the summer. You can never start too early, so if you have made a resolution to lose those Xmas pounds, why not start by indulging ….in some serious exercise? Brisk walking is an aerobic activity and can really shift that winter flab. Sea and country air is also excellent for the lungs, skin and general well being. We have chosen six of our favourite walks, which will tone, shape, and introduce you to the South West’s spectacular countryside.

SOUTH EAST CORNWALL

1. Cawsand to Rame Head 

This stretch of the South West coast path, just south of Torpoint, is partially wooded, providing shelter from the cold or hot summer sun. Start at Cawsand, a pretty seaside resort with an attractive town square, where you will find The Cross Keys Inn, open every day for lunch, with dinner every day except Sunday. If you are driving, park in the car park behind the town and walk down to the seafront. A sign opposite the beach store will point to Rame Head, and here you start the wooded stretch of the walk. When you emerge onto the cliff path, the view is spectacular. The grassy cliffs drop away on your left to reveal an azure sea lapping into secluded beaches and coves.

Listen for the flap of a buzzard’s, kestrel’s or peregrine’s wings, or if you are lucky you may catch a glimpse of the rare Dartford Warbler. In the distance the remains of a medieval chapel project high on the rocky outcrop which is Rame Head. Dedicated to St Michael, the archangel, this chapel was first used for Mass in 1397. As you climb steep path you will be passing through the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, which was perfectly placed to overlook Whitsand Bay and defend the mainland. A sunny winter’s day is ideal for photography as you don’t suffer from the summer heat haze, and the horizon should be crystal clear, so be sure to take your camera.

After visiting the chapel, you can either retrace your steps back along the cliff path or walk along the road into Rame village, stopping off at the 11th century church which has no electricity and one of the last remaining hand-pumped organs in England. Carry on down the road for Cawsand and the car park.
Blue Chip has properties at Looe which are ideal for this walk.

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TORBAY

Torbay has earned a reputation for mild winters, and indeed, it benefits from some of the mildest winters in the whole of the South West due to its micro-climate, which keeps it virtually frost and snow free. An above average rate of winter sunshine means you can catch a weak dose of vitamin D without the risk of sunburn.

2. Manscombe Woods

Start from Cockington Country Park, park in one of the car parks and follow the signs to The Lakes and Gamekeeper’s Cottage, where a sign will direct you right to Manscombe Woods. You can either walk through woods themselves or on the path just outside, which is signposted the John Musgrove Heritage Trail. Dogs will love this walk as they can rummage in the undergrowth to their hearts’ content. At the top of the hill you will come to a field full of friendly cows. Don’t worry if they come and take a peak at you; they have a penchant for passers by.

Carry straight on to Scasdon Woods, where you take the higher woodland path. Just before the end, if you don’t want to retrace your steps, take the bridle path to the right, but it is sharp and steep and only for the very fit. Climb deep into the woods and when you emerge you can either press on towards Occombe Farm or return to Cockington, where you can enjoy a cream tea in Cockington Village or in the Court House Café in Cockington Court, which also offers an extensive menu of freshly prepared local food, much from the organic Occombe Farm. For those in need of a pint, The Drum Inn stays open all year round, even on Christmas Day.

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3. Daddyhole Cove to Shaldon

The beauty of this walk, again along a sheltered stretch of the South West Coastal Path, is that you can dip in and out of it depending upon how energetic you are feeling. The walk embraces the very best views along Torbay’s coral coast, once a sea of coral in the Devonian period, and is not too arduous. There are several car parks along this route plus on-street parking, and you can also return by the 32, 33, 34 or 85 bus, which all run along the Babbacombe Road.

Park in the car park at the end of Daddyhole Road and start the walk at Daddyhole Cove, said to have been dug by the Devil, and with its sheer, craggy cliff face where a choppy sea swirls through the arch in the rock, it does look particularly evil. The path then merges into Meadfoot Sea Road. Walk up this road and then turn right into Ilsham Marine Drive. Carry on until you see the footpath sign at Thatcher Point (nothing to do with a certain female prime minister) and take this path round the point until it rejoins Ilsham Marine Drive. Carry on until you see another sign pointing right to the coast path, which will lead you to Hope’s Nose. This is a dead end, but it is worth making the trek for the panoramic view towards Berry Head in the west and Lyme Bay in the east. From here you can either retrace your steps back to Daddyhole or carry on up the road, until you see a further footpath sign on the right. This is Bishop’s Walk, named after the man who created it, Henry Phillpotts, Bishop of Exeter in the 19th century. You will now pass Brandy Cove, once the landing stage for smuggled liquor.

Now leading through woods, the path wends its way through Black Head, a swarthy, basalt volcanic point, and on to Anstey’s Cove. Descend the steep path to find a peaceful secluded beach surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and bordered by Devil’s Point, a sharp, fang-like rock. The next beach, Redgate, is closed because of rock falls so continue on over Babbacombe Downs to Babbacombe and Oddicombe beaches, where you can take the 80-year old cliff railway down to the sea. Again, the views are spectacular and stretch over to Lyme Bay. If you feel the need for refreshment, there are plenty of pubs and cafés in the area, both on the Downs and in Babbacombe Road. For those who have the energy, the path presses on, past the beautifully secluded Watcombe and Maidencombe beaches, and on to the Ness at Shaldon. Only the 85 bus runs back from here, but stop and explore Shaldon village first with its bow-fronted houses and perhaps take a cream tea along the Strand or stop for a pint or lunch in one of the five pubs. See our Valentine’s article for a perfect place to propose.

Blue Chip has a wide choice of properties in Torbay, Shaldon and Teignmouth from which you can explore the coastline on this walk.

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 4. Berry Head

Torbay's most important wildlife site and is perfect for a winter walk as it attracts the sun all day long, when it will afford spectacular views over Torbay. You can either opt for a short circular walk from the car park around the lighthouse and back, or you can go on a nature treasure hunt, especially if you have children in tow, and try and note down some of the 500 species of flowers. If you are quiet you may see a butterfly or two – 28 different species breed here – together with 200 species of birds.

Berry Head is home to the largest breeding colony of guillemots on the South Coast of England. You may even spot a basking shark, but you will have to be very lucky because they are few and far between. Dolphins have also been spotted.

If you dare, you can abseil down the 200-ft limestone cliffs. Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust runs occasional abseiling courses so check the website http://www.countryside-trust.org.uk/ for more details. These towering cliffs have formed part of headland’s defence since Iron Age and anyone who has abseiled down them will understand why.

Berry Head has always been used for defence, which you will see from your walk. Turn right from the car park and you can explore the ruins of the Southern Fort, built between 1795 and 1805 to protect the Devon coast against the Napoleonic navy. The tarmac path from the car park leading to the lighthouse takes you through the North Fort, where a tarmac bridge crosses a dry moat. The café was once a Napoleonic fort guardhouse.

Press on to the old artillery store for a free exhibition telling the story of Berry Head from the Devonian period. The underground bunker was built in the late 50s when Britain was under threat from a nuclear attack during the Cold War, and the radio mast is a navigational aid for air traffic controllers.
The café is normally closed during the winter, so why not head back to Brixham where you can enjoy a hot lunch or cream tea at one of the many cafés and tea shops along the harbour?

Blue Chip has many properties in Brixham which are conveniently located for Berry Head and its beaches, Shoalstone Beach and St Mary’s Bay.

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DAWLISH

5. Dawlish to Dawlish Warren

This gentle seafront walk is perfect for the winter as Dawlish is fairly sheltered and protected from the worst of the winter winds, although you may find you cannot complete the walk during a rough high tide unless you want to be splashed.

Pick up the South West Coast Path anywhere along Dawlish sea front. It runs alongside the railway line from here until Dawlish Warren and is what makes this stretch of the line so attractive. This is a very easy, flat walk along the sea wall, called Ladies Mile, because it was built for Victorian ladies to take their promenade. However, in places you will be crunching shingle, so wear flat shoes or trainers. Dawlish Warren, which took its name because rabbits were once hunted for their meat and fur, is now a nature reserve as well as a holiday resort and home to around 600 different types of flowering plant including the Warren Crocus, which is exclusive to the area, and a collection of orchids, a protected species so don’t pick them. Take a look in the Visitor Centre which is full of interesting facts about the wildlife.

Twitchers should watch out for the avocet and Brent Goose during the winter, and oystercatchers, terns, widgeons, godwits, redshanks and turnstones all year round. You can view Exmouth across the Exe Estuary to the east, and Cockwood and Starcross to the north. Dawlish Warren is quiet during the winter and the beach cafés will be closed, although there are a couple of pubs and baker. Otherwise, walk back to Dawlish and build up an appetite for lunch or a cream tea in one of the traditional tea shops.

For a beautiful riverside walk, try the Templer Way from Shaldon to Newton Abbot, as featured in our July edition of Inspire.

Blue Chip has properties in Dawlish, Teignmouth and Shaldon, perfect for either of these two walks.

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DARTMOOR

Dartmoor lends itself to winter walks. On a bright, sunny day the landscape sparkles, and when it is cloudy or misty, romance takes over and you find yourself remembering some of those eerie Dartmoor legends.

6. Merrivale Stone Circles

Stone circles were placed on Dartmoor by the Bronze Age inhabitants, around 2300-700 BC, either for religious or astrological purposes. The Merrivale Stone Circles and Stone Rows, near Tavistock, are the most famous and are well worth a visit. From Tavistock, take the B3357 towards Two Bridges. Drive past The Dartmoor Inn at the tiny settlement of Merrivale and carry on past a small car park on the right hand side of the road until you reach the next car park on the right, which is called Four Winds and is surrounded on three sides by trees. Park here and find the leat which bubbles along just to the south and follow that along a grassy path until you come to the stone rows, headed by one large pointed, molar-type stone. Mid-way along the row, just to left, is the Kistvaen or burial chamber – two broken pieces of stone over what looks like a shallow grave. It should be completely covered but a farmer cut out the middle stone for gate post sometime in the mid-19th century. Rising up in the distance to your left is King’s Tor and before that is the Standing Stone, a solitary pointed spear-like menhir reaching up towards the sky like a sundial.

There are several stone circles, which are said to have surrounded the huts, and another smaller standing stone, simply called the Menhir. Children can climb on the larger, flatter stones, and you wonder whether these may have been used for ritual sacrifice. A quick walk along the Stone Row and back will take you no more than 30 minutes, but you can spend over an hour wandering around the different stone circles and rows, which look particularly attractive when bathed in a warm orange sunset. As the moors can be a little chilly in winter, wrap up warm, and when you have finished the walk you can always head back to The Dartmoor Inn, with its log fire in the inglenook fireplace, or you can carry east along the same road, taking the right fork to Princetown and enjoy a light lunch or cream tea in the Old Police Station café.

For more information about Dartmoor and its legends, log onto http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/.

Blue Chip has properties at Honicombe Manor, Tavistock, just a short drive from the stone rows, from which you can enjoy this walk and all the other activitives Dartmoor has to offer.

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If you fancy seeing north Cornwall in the winter, why not try the Bude Canal walk or the Tamar Lakes, as featured in our July/August e-zine, or Porth Reservoir, featured in September/October. Blue Chip has properties near Bude and at Newquay, so you will not be too far away.

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