Hartland: Trade & Settlement
1. Park in top car park at Hartland Quay. From car park return up road to Hartland Quay entrance at top, above attendant’s hut. Turn left in front of Rocket House and follow Coast Path fingerpost along cliffs. The coastal section of this walk follows Coast Path fingerpost signs and ‘acorn’ waymarkers.
2. Follow coast path down into valley, and bear left at the fingerpost, signed ‘Hartland Point 2m’. Bear left at field. At fingerpost behind cottage at Blackpool Mill turn left, then bear right to climb steeply up long flight of steps to Berry Cliff.
3. At bottom of next valley, continue up far side. Alternatively, detour to left down footpath to visit Blegberry beach, then retrace your steps and bear left to continue along Coast Path.
4. To follow shorter route, leave the coast path near top of climb turn right at fingerpost signed ‘Blegberry ½m’. Follow field along, then up to left between two fields, and right to join green lane to Blegberry Farm. Bear right in front of farmhouse to join directions at end of instruction 9.
5. Near the bottom of descent, bear right at waymarker post and follow coast path up valley at Smoothlands. Coast path climbs and follows valley a little inland before dropping down steps to left. Cross stream and bear left past static caravan to continue along cliffs.
6. When you reach the car park below radar station (‘mushroom’) tower, turn right up lane.
7. Pass Lundy Heliport on right.At junction go straight on following fingerpost signed ‘Public Bridleway Blegberry 1 mile’. Follow route down old track past farm and down fields.
8. At next fingerpost turn left signed ‘Blegberry ½ mile’. Follow bridleway, which crosses stream and follows green lane up hill.
9. At the road turn right. Walk straight through Blegberry Farm. Turn left around end of farmhouse to follow grassed track, then bear right to follow green lane down hill.
10. At road go straight on, past ‘Unsuitable for Motors’ sign. Follow road down into valley and up other side to Stoke.
11. At junction in village turn right through lych gate and along path to left of church. Beyond the tower, fork right through back of churchyard. Cross stone stile and follow fingerpost along public footpath in front of houses.
12. Footpath continues along field edge, following route of road along ridge. At end of field, turn left through gate by Rocket House to return to car park.
2. Follow coast path down into valley, and bear left at the fingerpost, signed ‘Hartland Point 2m’. Bear left at field. At fingerpost behind cottage at Blackpool Mill turn left, then bear right to climb steeply up long flight of steps to Berry Cliff.
3. At bottom of next valley, continue up far side. Alternatively, detour to left down footpath to visit Blegberry beach, then retrace your steps and bear left to continue along Coast Path.
4. To follow shorter route, leave the coast path near top of climb turn right at fingerpost signed ‘Blegberry ½m’. Follow field along, then up to left between two fields, and right to join green lane to Blegberry Farm. Bear right in front of farmhouse to join directions at end of instruction 9.
5. Near the bottom of descent, bear right at waymarker post and follow coast path up valley at Smoothlands. Coast path climbs and follows valley a little inland before dropping down steps to left. Cross stream and bear left past static caravan to continue along cliffs.
6. When you reach the car park below radar station (‘mushroom’) tower, turn right up lane.
7. Pass Lundy Heliport on right.At junction go straight on following fingerpost signed ‘Public Bridleway Blegberry 1 mile’. Follow route down old track past farm and down fields.
8. At next fingerpost turn left signed ‘Blegberry ½ mile’. Follow bridleway, which crosses stream and follows green lane up hill.
9. At the road turn right. Walk straight through Blegberry Farm. Turn left around end of farmhouse to follow grassed track, then bear right to follow green lane down hill.
10. At road go straight on, past ‘Unsuitable for Motors’ sign. Follow road down into valley and up other side to Stoke.
11. At junction in village turn right through lych gate and along path to left of church. Beyond the tower, fork right through back of churchyard. Cross stone stile and follow fingerpost along public footpath in front of houses.
12. Footpath continues along field edge, following route of road along ridge. At end of field, turn left through gate by Rocket House to return to car park.
- Start/Finish: Hartland Quay car park (3 miles west of Hartland)
- Distance: 6 miles (9.5 km); shorter route 3.5 miles (5.5 km
- Circular walk: Yes
- Grade: Short route: moderate to strenuous.
- Full route: strenuous
- Terrain: Coast path, public rights of way, surfaced road. Mostly reasonable underfoot. Some tricky footing on coast path
- Obstacles and steep gradients: 6 flights of steps; 4 stiles; 5 steep ascents; 3 steep descents
- Accessibility: This route is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs
Directions
In the Early Stone Age Devon was sparsely
populated by nomadic hunter-gatherers.
Much has changed since then. The land has
been permanently lived in through the later
Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age; seen
Roman invasion, Anglo-Saxon settlement,
Viking raiders and Norman Conquest. These
have all left their mark on the landscape,
from Prehistoric barrows and Iron Age hillforts
to Norman castles but the land has remained
settled and farmed to the present day.
North Devon AONB Unit,
Bideford Station,
Railway Terrace,
East-the-Water,
Bideford,
Devon EX39 4BB email: aonb@devon.gov.uk
