Morwenstow South Circuit

The route

Numbers in circles match the points on the route map and the waypoint table below. Distances are approximate and measured between points.

Main walk – Hawker’s Hut, Stanbury Mouth, Duckpool, Coombe and Woodford (about 8 miles)

1. Church to the cliffs and Hawker’s Hut

   1 2 3 About 900 m (0.6 mile) West, then south along the cliff

   From the parking area, walk past the lychgate of Morwenstow church (the churchyard, with the replica Caledonia figurehead, is worth a look) and follow the track at the far end of the parking area to a gate with a coast path sign. Go through into the field and keep along its top edge, through two gateways, to a third gate at the cliff edge. Go through and turn left (south) on the South West Coast Path, signed towards Stanbury, with the sea on your right. A short way along, a signed detour leads down a few slate steps below a walled entrance to Hawker’s Hut, built into the cliff from shipwreck timbers. The hut sits right on the cliff edge – keep children and dogs close.

   Point 3: Hawker’s Hut – 50.90700, -4.56322 (SS 19884 15078)

2. Tidna Shute and Higher Sharpnose Point

   3 4 About 600 m (0.4 mile) South, steeply down and up

   Climb back to the coast path and carry on south. Go through the kissing gate at the end of the field; the path then zigzags steeply down into the valley of Tidna Shute, drops nearly 100 m to a footbridge over the stream (a waterfall spills over the cliff here after rain) and climbs just as steeply up the far side. The path was realigned with new steps and kissing gates after a cliff fall in 2017 – follow the waymarks. At the top you pass the old coastguard lookout hut on the back of Higher Sharpnose Point, a fine place to look back north towards Hartland. The cliffs here are unfenced and unstable in places – obey any diversion signs.

   Point 4: Old coastguard lookout, Higher Sharpnose Point – 50.90364, -4.56565 (SS 197 147 (approx.))

3. Along the cliffs to Stanbury Mouth

   4 5 About 2 km (1¼ miles) South

   Continue south along the clifftop with the sea on your right, past the rocky coves of Greenaway and the site known as Oldwalls. The satellite dishes of GCHQ Bude come into view ahead. The path then makes a sharp, steep descent to sea level at Stanbury Mouth, where a small stream reaches the beach (sandy at low tide). The valley path inland from here is signed to Eastaway and Stanbury if you need to shorten the walk.

   Point 5: Stanbury Mouth – 50.88942, -4.56312 (SS 1982 1312)

4. Past Lower Sharpnose and GCHQ

   5 6 About 900 m (0.6 mile) South, long steep climb

   Cross the stream and tackle the very steep climb out of Stanbury Mouth. At the top the path runs along the seaward side of the GCHQ satellite station, above Lower Sharpnose Point, where fins of hard rock jut out into the sea. Go through the kissing gate near Lower Sharpnose Point and keep to the cliff path.

   Point 6: Kissing gate near Lower Sharpnose Point (below GCHQ Bude) – 50.88313, -4.56154 (SS 199 124 (approx.))

5. Harscott High Cliff and Steeple Point

   6 7 About 1 km (⅔ mile) South

   Carry on south over Harscott High Cliff, past the small rocky inlet of Wren Beach below, and out to Steeple Point, about 90 m (300 ft) above the sea, with views over Duckpool, the Coombe valley and down the coast to Bude. At the waymark on the summit bear right to keep away from the cliff edge.

   Point 7: Steeple Point – 50.87606, -4.56016 (SS 199 116 (approx.))

6. Down to Duckpool

   7 8 About 400 m (¼ mile) South-east, steeply downhill

   The path swings round and descends steeply into Duckpool, a pebbly cove at the mouth of the Coombe valley with sand at low tide. The National Trust car park here has seasonal toilets (April to October, including a RADAR-key accessible toilet) and is the halfway point. Do not try to walk round the headlands on the beach – the rising tide cuts them off.

   Point 8: Duckpool National Trust car park – 50.87654, -4.55745 (SS 20172 11677)

7. Up the valley to Coombe

   8 9 About 900 m (0.6 mile) East, inland along the valley

   Leave the coast and walk inland along the lane from the car park, past Duckpool Cottage, following the valley of the Coombe stream. At the junctions keep to the lane signed for Coombe, bearing right past the houses into the hamlet. Much of Coombe belongs to the Landmark Trust; the tall stone building by the stream is Coombe Mill, a watermill of 1842 with its iron wheel still in place. This is a narrow lane with no pavement – walk in single file and face oncoming traffic.

   Point 9: Coombe Mill, Coombe – 50.87707, -4.54575 (SS 20997 11708)

8. Through the woods to Woodford

   9 10 11 About 2.3 km (1½ miles) North-east, climbing through woodland

   At the mill, take the public footpath that leaves the lane and follows the stream upstream into the woods – broadleaf woodland of birch, oak and sycamore, full of wild garlic and bluebells in spring. Where the path turns sharply right away from the stream, follow it along the edge of the trees to a junction; turn left here and cross the stream. Climb steadily through Parishpark Wood, ignoring a path joining from the left, and leave the wood onto farmland. Follow the field edges (first with the hedge on your right, then through a gap and with the hedge on your left) to reach a lane. At the road turn left, ignore the first lane on the left and take the next one, the lane past Shears Farm. At its end turn left onto the lane heading north towards Woodford.

   Point 11: Woodford (hamlet) – 50.89426, -4.53411 (SS 21882 13591)

9. Across the fields to Eastaway

   11 12 About 700 m (½ mile) West

   Just before the houses of Woodford, look for the signed public footpath on the left (west). Cross the fields with the hedge on your left, dropping to cross a small stream and climbing again, and continue along the hedge above Eastaway to come out on the lane opposite Eastaway Manor. Several stiles on this section are about 1 m high – dogs may need lifting over.

   Point 12: Eastaway – 50.89485, -4.54251 (SS 21293 13677)

10. Eastaway to Stanbury Manor

    12 13 About 450 m (¼ mile) North-west

    Cross the lane to the field gate opposite (the path straight ahead down the hedge leads to Stanbury Mouth). Bear right across the field to a stile, then into the next field and on into the yard at Stanbury Manor, a Grade II* manor house of the late 1500s. Turn right between the rose hedges, past the ornamental lily pond, and follow the drive down to the lane.

    Point 13: Stanbury Manor – 50.89684, -4.54695 (SS 20989 13909)

11. Stanbury to Tonacombe

    13 14 About 700 m (½ mile) North

    Turn left along the lane, then almost immediately right over a stile into the field. Head north across the fields, keeping to the left of the farm buildings, to pass the gated entrance of Tonacombe, a remarkable Tudor manor house (Grade I) that has changed little since the 1500s. It is a private home – please keep to the path.

    Point 14: Tonacombe Manor – 50.90219, -4.54815 (SS 20925 14506)

12. The Tidna valley and back to the church

    14 1 About 1.2 km (¾ mile) North-west, down and up

    Beyond Tonacombe follow the tree-lined path down through gates to the stream in the Tidna valley. Cross the footbridge (a post here is marked Tonacombe) and turn left along the valley. Then follow the Tidna Valley path uphill along the field edges to a lane; cross it and continue on the waymarked path over the fields, stiles and a farm track to the courtyard of Rectory Farm Tearooms, right beside the parking area. Alternatively, for the Bush Inn, take the right-hand branch where paths divide in the valley bottom, cross the last footbridge and climb the steep hill to the pub’s garden, then follow the lane left and right back to the church.

    Point 1: Parking area by Morwenstow church and Rectory Farm (EX23 9SR) – 50.90919, -4.55458 (SS 205 153 (approx.))

Option Short walk – Hawker’s Hut and the Tidna valley (about 2¼ miles)

Follow the main walk to Hawker’s Hut (step 1), then:

1. Down into Tidna Shute

   3 About 400 m (¼ mile) South, steeply downhill

   Continue south on the coast path through the kissing gate and follow the zigzags steeply down into the valley of Tidna Shute. Unfenced cliff edges – stay on the path.

   Point 3: Hawker’s Hut – 50.90700, -4.56322 (SS 19884 15078)

2. Inland along the Tidna valley

   3 A1 About 1.5 km (1 mile) East, inland

   At the foot of the zigzags, leave the coast path and turn inland on the path beside the stream, through heath, scrub and woodland – a stronghold of the rare large blue butterfly. At the waymarked junction turn left, signed Rectory Farm, and climb over the stiles and across the fields back to the tearooms and parking area; or keep ahead up the valley to the Bush Inn and follow the lane back to the church.

   Point A1: The Bush Inn, Crosstown – 50.90690, -4.54957 (SS 20843 15033)

All information is given in good faith and for guidance only. Always carry the OS map and check the South West Coast Path website for diversions.

Highlights along the way

Nearby

Photos

Route map and waypoints

Latitude and longitude (WGS84, as used by phones and sat-navs) with OS grid references. The markers show key points only – follow the waymarked paths between them.

Frequently asked questions