Lynmouth to Valley of Rocks, Devon

Valley of Rocks is perhaps the most visited section of the coastline of Exmoor National Park - a dry valley, separated from the sea only by a narrow ridge, topped by jagged rock formations, of slate and sandstone from the Linton Formation, deposited in the Devonian period.

A paved road runs through the valley, but an alternative to driving is to walk here from the nearby town of Lynmouth, an easy trip of just one mile, initially on a trail that zig-zags up through the coastal woodland, and joins a paved, almost level track, North Walk, that traverses very steep, treeless slopes, around 400 feet above the sea. There are a number of such stretches of path along the coast of north Devon and north Somerset, a spectacular setting that is generally only found in this one part of the country.

After 0.7 miles the track turns inland, into the Valley, and meets the road. As well as exploring the surrounding formations, an optional side trip is to descend a short, steep path to a sheltered beach, Wringcliff Bay, filled with dark sand and lined by more sculptured rock formations.

Path from Lynmouth

The walk to the Valley of Rocks from Lynmouth starts along The Esplanade, a dead-end street beside the harbour, along which are many parking spaces. 400 feet from the west end of the road, a path enters the dark, dense, coastal forest, part of Seachamber Wood, rising through one switchback followed by a longer, straight section, climbing steadily. The coastal vegetation includes ferns, mosses, rhododendrons and various trees including holly, birch, ash and rowan. Gaps in the woodland allow views of the sea far below, and east towards Foreland Point. After climbing around 300 feet, the path curves through a few shorter bends and meets North Walk, the paved track from Lynton.

North Walk to the Valley of Rocks

Turning right (west), North Walk soon exits the woodland for the open slopes that extend to the Valley of Rocks; this is the best section of the hike, passing below slate cliffs and across precipitous scree slopes, with long-distance views all around. There is one junction along the way, at Middle Gate, where a path climbs to a pass and descends to the road through the valley, then a little further the main route also turns inland, through a similar gap, between two named formations, Rugged Jack to the east, Castle Rock to the west, both of which can easily be climbed, and provide many good photographic opportunities.

Wringcliff Bay

West of the Valley of Rocks, the coast path mostly follows the continuation of the road for a while, since for the next half mile, the land between the road and the coast is privately owned. One worthwhile side trip, just west of Castle Rock, the furthest slate outcrop in the valley, is to follow the short, steep path that drops down to Wringcliff Bay, down 200 feet to the beach, which has reddish grey sand and patches of shingle, flanked by extensive rock terraces and boulder piles. At low tide it is possible to walk a short distance east or west, across the slippery rocks, but soon the way ahead is blocked by sheer cliffs.