The South West Coast Path is a national footpath that extends from Minehead via Cornwall to Poole, and passes through Lee Abbey on its way.
You can enjoy short or long stretches of this famous path in both directions from Lee Abbey.
East to Lynton
Following the road from the Lee Abbey estate through the stunning Valley of Rocks takes you to a relatively easy but rewarding section of the coast path. Fully surfaced and accessible, this walk ends in the village where you can visit the shops or cafés.
- Round trip: 5 km
- Time needed: 1-2 hours
- Difficulty: easy
West to Woody Bay
This route takes you along the lane through the trees to the next bay with very little climbing or descending. Here’s a way to experience the coast in a different way without emerging from the cool green of the woods.
- Round trip: 6 km
- Time needed: 2 hours
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
West to Hunters Inn
If you don’t mind a little up and down, you can carry further along the coast path and reach the Hunters Inn pub set in the beautiful Heddon Valley. Going along both cliff edges and through shady valleys, you’ll pass stunning views like this one (left).
- Round trip: 12 km
- Time needed: 4-5 hours
- Difficulty: moderate
And even more West
You can continue as far as you like beyond Hunters Inn! But be warned: past this point the path climbs from sea level to some 250m in altitude and drops again. But the adventurous will be rewarded with breathtaking views from the rugged cliff edge along one of the most scenic sections of the whole Coast Path.
- Round trip: more than 12 km
- Time needed: a full day (really)
- Difficulty: strenuous
