Barnstaple, Bideford, Westward Ho!, Newquay, Perranporth, Hayle, St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, St Austell, Plymouth, Brixton, Paignton, Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Bridport, Weymouth, Swanage, Poole and Bournemouth. There are some useful long-haul services to the South West; these include Edinburgh/Glasgow to Penzance, Newcastle to Plymouth, Grimsby to Westward Ho!, Liverpool to Weymouth, Eastbourne to Falmouth, and services from London to places such as Swanage, Plymouth, Newquay and Penzance. Bear in mind that there are seasonal variations on some services. Visit a National Express agent or tel 0871 7818181, www.nationalexpress.com.
Travel around the South West
By train
Rail services in the South West consist of a main line and branch lines, with Great Western Railway, www.gwr.com, being the main local operator. The West Somerset Railway offers seasonal steam-hauled services to Minehead, but doesn’t connect with main line services at Taunton, although there are bus links. The only coastal railway station in North Devon is at Barnstaple. Coastal stations around Cornwall include Newquay, Hayle, St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, Par and Looe. Stations on the South Devon coast include Plymouth, the Dartmouth Steam Railway, then Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Starcross and Exmouth. Stations on the Dorset coast include Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth. Steam-hauled services at Swanage do not connect with the rest of the railway network.
Waves beat against the sea wall supporting the railway line beyond Dawlish (Stage 37)
By bus
Walkers who plan to break their journey and cover the South West Coast Path in several stages may need to use local bus services. With careful reference to timetables, walkers could choose handy bases and ‘commute’ to and from sections of the Coast Path. Most bus services in the South West are operated by the First bus company, www.firstgroup.com, although there are other operators.
The two most important services are the regular buses from Taunton station to Minehead, before starting the walk, and from Sandbanks to Poole or Bournemouth at the finish. Throughout this guidebook, places with bus services are mentioned, with some indication of connections along the coast, but do enquire further for specific timetable information, as this is often subject to change, and some areas are only served by buses during the peak summer season.
Ferries
The South West Coast Path is broken into a number of stretches by several long, narrow, tidal rivers, especially on the southern stages. Ferries have to be used to cross these rivers, and as these are part of the South West Coast Path experience it shouldn’t be seen as ‘cheating’. If the urge seizes you, it is possible to walk around the estuaries, but this leads well away from the coast and may take several hours – or even days – to reach a point that can be gained by a ferry in mere minutes.
Be warned that while some ferries operate all year, others are seasonal or irregular, or are subject to tidal and weather conditions. In the peak summer months of June, July and August, all ferries will be operational. Others may run from May to September, or Easter to October. Winter walkers will find some ferries absent. In this guidebook, contact numbers are given for the ferries, with some indication of the level of service you can expect. For regular, all-year-round ferries, it is sufficient to turn up and catch one on a whim, but smaller, less regular ferries should be checked in advance or your walk may grind to a halt on a lonely shore.
See Appendix A for the contact details of ferry operators along the South West Coast Path, given in the order in which you will encounter the crossings as you walk the route from start to finish.
A ferry is used to cross the mouth of the River Fowey to reach Polruan (Stage 28)
Traveline
Check the timetables of any local train, bus or ferry through Traveline, tel 0871 2002233, www.traveline.info. It is also possible to use Google Maps ‘directions’ to search for public transport. Simply enter your start and finish points and hit the ‘bus’ symbol to be given the next available service and corrections. Use ‘options’ to change the time and date to search for later services.
Accommodation en route
Sarah Ward’s Minehead marker at the start of the path
There is abundant accommodation around the South West Coast Path, but think carefully a day or two in advance to ensure you have a roof over your head. There are long and difficult stretches of coast that seem remote from habitation, and some places where lodgings are restricted to only one or two addresses. Even in the big towns, it can be difficult to obtain a bed for the night in the peak season. Check the online database at Luggage Transfers, www.luggagetransfers.co.uk, which lists almost a thousand addresses around the South West Coast Path, and see Appendix B for an overview of what’s available along the way.
Backpacking
If you’re prepared to carry all your gear, backpacking is a great option. You can walk with a high degree of freedom: setting off at dawn, walking until dusk, generally pleasing yourself. To locate campsites, there are several marked on OS maps, but there may be many others. It’s well worth packing as light as possible, and there’s no need to carry several days’ supply of food as there are ample opportunities to restock.
Some campsites are geared for long stays or for large family tents, rather than one-night backpackers with small tents. Some walkers camp wild, unobtrusively, leaving no evidence of their overnight stay, but this is technically illegal and permission should be sought from the landowner. Ask politely for permission to camp, and offer to pay, or risk eviction for not asking! The Backpackers Club, www.backpackersclub.co.uk, offers a members-only list of over 200 Coast Path campsites and suggests wild camp locations.
Hostelling
There are 15 YHA hostels within easy walking distance of the Coast Path. However, there aren’t enough to be able to walk from one to the other without falling back on other types of accommodation. YHA hostels are marked on OS maps and full details can be checked at www.yha.org.uk. There are also around a dozen independent hostels that might prove useful, www.independenthostels.co.uk. Hostellers may need to carry a tent if they wish to walk within a low budget, or fall back on low-cost B&B accommodation to fill gaps along the way.
Tintagel Youth Hostel enjoys a fine outlook from its cliff-top situation (Stage 11)
Bed and breakfast
Walkers who want to travel lightweight and enjoy a bit of luxury can use B&Bs, guest houses and hotels. These are available at regular intervals, although in irregular concentrations. Not every establishment wants to have one person staying for one night only, and many prefer to have couples staying for a weekend or week-long periods. However, when there are cancellations at busy periods, they’ll take anyone! Some accommodation providers deal well with walkers, and may be prepared to offer pick-ups and drop-offs, packed lunches, or arrange to move luggage onwards, but there is usually a charge for such extra services.
Block bookings
If you book all your accommodation for the duration of your long trek in advance, you may regret it later. Bad weather, fatigue or injury can prevent you from covering the distance to your next lodging, and trying to unwind arrangements and re-book at short notice