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| Distance : 8 miles | Grading : ++++ | OS Sheet : 202 |
This walk starts in the popular resort of Teignmouth. Crossing the river Teign to Shaldon, there is a very steep climb to the cliff top, and many hills after that, although there are stunning views around the coast from the cliff top. The path flattens out a little towards to Babbacombe.
Teignmouth is on the A379 from Exeter and Torquay, and connects with the M5 near Exeter. There is parking all along the sea front in Teignmouth, as well as shoppers car parks. Parking is more limited at Babbacombe.
Local and longer distance train services stop at the station in Teignmouth. There are frequent services from Exeter and Paignton to Teignmouth.
Regular bus services go to Teignmouth from Exeter, Torquay and Newton Abbot, running every 20 minutes for much of the day. For more information on public transport, see the links below.
There is a good choice of accommodation in Teignmouth and Babbacombe. There is a tourist information centre in Teignmouth and Torquay, which can help with accommodation.
This walk starts from the sea front in Teignmouth. It is worth noting that there are two ways to go initially. The first barrier is the river Teign. There is a ferry which operates daily in the summer, and weekdays in the winter (often also at weekends in the winter if the weather is good), and is apparently the oldest working ferry in Britain. This runs from the back of the beach at the far end, towards Shaldon and the Ness. The service runs pretty much to demand and is reasonably priced. If the ferry is not running, do not be tempted to cross the river yourself, it is deep and the currents are very strong. Instead there is a road bridge (with a pavement) a little in land. It is difficult to find from Teignmouth however, as pedestrians are not allowed on the first section of the road. The best thing to do is follow the footpath at the back of the town to cross the railway line, then follow the road signs from there (mainly about a weight limit on the bridge!).
If you cross on the ferry it will drop you on the small beach at Shaldon. If you cross the bridge, turn immediately left on getting across, to get to the coast path. The path starts from just behind the hotel at the back of the car park. Considering the size of the place, Shaldon is a thriving community, with a hotel, small tourist information centre (in the car park), excellent pitch and putt course, and even a small zoo (the Shaldon Wildlife Trust). There is an excellent (seaside award) beach here, accessed through a genuine smugglers tunnel. In the summer months and on busy weekends out of season, there is a small refreshment kiosk on the beach.
The coast path takes you round the Ness (if you wish to walk this small bit), then along side the excellent pitch and putt course here. This section is however very steep in places, and gets slippery in the winter. The climb is very tiring, but worth it for the views at the top! You will pass the back of some fields here, around Labrador Bay. The path runs around the back of some fields for a while here, and tends to go up and down rather a lot! Soon the path descends into the pretty village of Maidencombe (at the car park). There are buses back to Teignmouth from here, if you are tired. The path is signed at the car park and is down a small line for a short distance, running through some woods around Watcombe Head.
Once round Watcombe Head, the path rejoins the coast into Babbacombe. Again there are some climbs around this section. The cliffs are very high on this bit of the coast, and the views are stunning. There are two beaches below the cliffs here, Oddicombe beach to the north, and Babbacombe beach a little further south. Oddicombe beach has both a Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, so is a clean and safe beach. Both are accessed down very steep roads, however there is a cliff railway from the top of the cliff to Oddicombe beach. Built in 1926, the railway normally operates in the summer only. A low-level path links to the beaches. A bell is rung when the last train on the cliff railway is about to depart. There is a pub at Babbacombe beach, and also refreshments at Oddicombe beach, as well as plenty of restaurants and Cafes in Babbacombe.
Buses operate frequently from the main road to Torquay, and also back to Teignmouth.
From Babbacombe buses operate very regularly into Torquay (the strand), and on past the station to Paignton. From Torquay trains run frequently to Teignmouth (at least hourly most of the time). They travel up to Newton Abbot, then along the edge of the river Teign to Teignmouth, a very scenic journey. On some services a change of trains is required at Newton Abbot.
Bus service 85/85A runs from Babbacombe direct to Teignmouth, crossing the road bridge from Shaldon to Teignmouth. For more information on these services, see the links below.
Here are some photos of the walk. Click a picture for a larger version and description.
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Ordnance Survey Landranger map 202 covers this area of the coast path and is available from most book shops nationwide. It is also stocked at the tourist information centres in Teignmouth and Torquay, and some local shops.
Multimap is a web site which provides maps of the UK, including around around Teignmouth and Torbay. The links below will be of most use to the coast path from Teignmouth to Babbacombe. These maps join to provide the complete coast path between the two points.