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Start Point Lighthouse, South Devon, England

Standing tall on a rugged cliff in Devon, England, overlooking the English Channel, the Start Point Lighthouse is probably one of the most renowned maritime structures in the country. Built in 1836, this elegant lighthouse was designed by James Walker—a British civil engineer—and its bright beam guided vessels to safe passage throughout its existence. Towering structures such as this have always played an invaluable role in shaping maritime history and ensuring the safety of seafarers in treacherous waters worldwide. The Start Point Lighthouse is open to the public in the summer months if you find yourself nearby and would like to see it up close.

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20.12.2019_3:31 PM

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Walk 5: Start Point Lighthouse and circular walk

‘I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve.’

George Bernard Shaw

‘Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.’

Benjamin Franklin

The tower of Start Point Lighthouse

This walk description is from my Tumblr blog ‘Dartmoor (and other) walks’, where you will find guides some of my other walks, and (eventually) hints, tips, for successful hiking and some of my favorite places

The photo album of this walk can be found by clicking here

There is always something attractive about lighthouses, standing a lonely vigil on windswept promontories,which is ironic, as their function is often to warn you to stay away. This is certainly the case with Start Point lighthouse. The stretch of coast around it is famous for shipwrecks. The last major wreak was the Dimitrios in 1992. The worst was that of the HMS Ramilles which went down in 1760 with the loss of 700 lives. The seas around Start Point may be beautiful and dangerous, but the coastal around are beautiful and safe for any sensible walker.

Walk data

Distance: 10 miles (16.1 km), including the detour to the lighthouse

Grade:Moderate

Start and end point : Car Part at Start Point (SX821375)

Facilities: There may be an ice cream van at the Start Point car park, if you are visiting in Season. Pub, cafe and shop at East Prawle.

Transport: public transport: There is no direct public transport to Start Point. Journeys from either Exeter or Plymouth (or even Torquay) involve several changed, followed by a taxi from Kingsbridge, all of which are time-consuming and expensive. driving: A bit complex to describe in detail, but easily enough using a map or suitable software. About 35 miles from Plymouth, 45 from Exeter and 19 from Totnes.

Ordinance Survey Explorer OL20. Coordinates are taken from this map

Walk overview

The walk is along roads and well defined footpaths. The coastal stretches of the walk are on the official South West Coast Path, and so are well signed and maintained. There are two particularly easy ways to shorten the walk if time is pressing. These will be indicated below. The visit to the lighthouse is a slight detour from the circuit. A map is needed, and is essential if you don’t know the area. It is not advisable to take the coast path in stormy weather or high winds.

One of the delights of coastal walking is trying to identify the places on the map: Almost every little cove, islet, cliff, rock or beach, has a name. The names are sometimes strange, sometimes obvious, always evocative of something indefinably maritime, and often on the coast around Devon, sounding as though they have been taken from a pirate novel. Here are some of the names to be found along the coastal stretches in this walk. I have put them in alphabetical order. If you go on the walk, see if you can identify them all

Black Stone

Bullock Cove

Chap and Crater

Copper Stone

Frenchman’s Rock

Gorah Run

Gull Island

Hare Stone

Limpet Cove

Lobster Rock

Long Cove

Ravens Cove

Stinking Cove

Route Map

The starting point for this walk is, appropriately, near Start Point. It is the car park on the eastern side of the map above, where a viewing point is also indicated. The alternate paths mentioned below are indicated with green dots.

stage 1:Start Point to Hallsands

View from the track by the car park, facing north across Start Bay

At the edge of the car park is a finger post with three directions. One pointing back to the light house, one to Minehead, which is helpfully designated as 462 miles away, and one to Poole, 168 miles away. We are following the Poole direction, if only for a couple of miles.

The track heads more-or-less northwards along the cliff top. It is rocky, but easy to follow. On the left are the green fields of South Hams, and on the right, grassy slopes with scattered gorse bushes fall steeply down, terminated by rocky cliffs into the sea. Little patches of unreachable beach can sometimes be glimpses at the foot of the cliffs.

The track rises and falls, but generally heads downwards, and soon you find yourself looking at the broken remains of cottages, their roofs gone and their tumbled down walls jutting precariously over the sea.This is the lost village of Hallsands which was destroyed by fierce storms in 1917. The story of the storm can be found here. Only two or so houses remain standing, These are now holiday homes.

The Lost Village

There is a pleasant pebbly beach at the bottom of the dip, where the track meets the coastline. It can be a busy place in July and August, but often it is empty. There are several houses that are part of modern Hallsands, and quite a few further from the sea, like many tiny, peaceful villages on the south coast of Devon

Hall Sands

Stage 2 : Hall Sands to East Prawle

As the trail descends to the level of the beach it joins a road with a row of bright white cottages, here our path diverges from the South West Coast Path and turns left to follow the road up hill, in a westerly direction. It is a shame though to miss the pebbly beach at Hallsands, especially is the weather is good, so go down to the beach and watch the sea. In the height of summer this is a very busy little bit of seaside, but most of the year it is quiet, and you can sit and watch the Brixham Trawlers passing in the distance.

The road is a typical Devon Lane, with high hedges on either side for most of the way. Occasionally there are breaks in the hedges, usually at gateways to fields, and one gets an unexpected vista of farmland or sea. Sometimes the lane is roofed by trees and the filtered light makes changing patterns on the road surface.

Pass by a junction that points to Lamacraft Farm. Very shortly after this is a four-way junction with a direction post called Hollowcombe Head, standing on a little triangle of grass. Cross the junction and take the load in the direction of Lannacombe. This is a ‘proper’ Devon lane. Although it is a public road, it is barely wide enough for a single car, and the hedges are tall and ancient. It is not a frequently used road. Where the hedges disappear and there is a gate or or a farm house, there is a clear view of the valley of Lannacombe that we are descending into.

The road reaches a bend, to the right under the shade of oak leaves, and there is a left turning, marked as going to Lannacombe, and with a dead-end sign. This is the first of the two shortcuts.

If you are taking this short cut merely follow the road in the direction of Lannacombe. This will lead you to the coast at Lannacombe Beach. Turn left and pick up the trail again. I have marked this point with an asterisk in brackets below like this (*)

If you are not taking the shortcut, pass this turning and follow the bend in the road, taking the next left. Shortly after you will come to another left turning and on your left under the shade of trees, a gate to a public footpath, Take this track. (see picture below)

The gate from the road to the footpath to East Prawle (SX801383)

This footpath leads over fields and along farm tracks until it reaches the village of East Prawle. Down the valleys are patterns of hedges and walls, and glimpses of the sea between the gentle slopes of the hills.

The second shortcut, which misses east Prawle is at Woodcoombe Farm (approx SX789372). where the map show a footpath heading south east to the coast. After about a third of a mile (half a kilometer) this path diverges. At this point it joins the main trail again. I will indicate this with a double asterisk as (**) below.

View from the footpath to East Prawle

East Prawle is an ancient village. It’s name comes from an Anglo Saxon word Præwhyll, which means a look-out place. Prawle (at least the western part) is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1066, along with the following data

Hundred: Chillington

County: Devon

Total population: 22 households (quite large).

Total tax assessed: 1 geld units (very small)

Taxable units: Taxable value 1 geld units.

Value: Value to lord in 1086 £1. Value to lord c. 1070 £0.5.

Households: 10 villagers. 8 smallholders. 4 slaves.

Ploughland: 6 ploughlands (land for). 2 lord's plough teams. 4 men's plough teams.

Other resources: 0.25 lord's lands. Meadow 4 acres. Pasture 64 acres. Woodland 60 acres.

Livestock in 1086: 4 cattle. 15 pigs. 40 sheep. 15 goats.

Lord in 1066: Osfrith <of Okehampton>.

Lord in 1086: Odelin.

Tenant-in-chief in 1086: Baldwin the sheriff.

( There really was someone called Baldwin the Sheriff!)

It is still blissfully behind the times. It is only very recently that the pub started accepting credit cards. There is a little village green with geese waddling across it.

The pub is called the Pig’s Nose Inn and is worth a visit. It is a ramshackle building with little bars and odd places to sit. The food is excellent, and the only drawback is that it is often packed.

There is a village store and cafe combined called the ‘Piglet Stores’.

Stage 3 : East Prawle to Start Point and Light House

Head south out of East Prawle and then east on the public footpaths. The trail has now joined the South West Coast Path again, and the finger posts will have a little acorn symbol on them.

The view of the coast path from below East Prawle

The path climbs up and down many little valleys, some steep some not After about two thirds of a mile ( 1 kilometer) the path passes into a protected area called Woodcombe point. (**) and then on to Lannacombe Beach. This is a small, rocky beach with a stream bisecting it. If it is off season,this is a lovely peaceful place to sit and watch the endless waves.(*)

Typical rock formations on the coast path

From Lannacombe Beach the path continues northeastward and then, following the coast, bends almost eastward. Just before Frenchman’s Rock (at approx SX818369) there is a path left that leaves the Coast path and climbs almost northwards along a shallow valley. From here the coast path is rugged and steep, so if you wish to avoid a strenuous stretch, the path up the valley will take you back to the car park. Otherwise the car park is reached by following the coast path around the headland

As the path takes a U turn you will find the road to the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1836. It (and the adjacent buildings) are painted white, and the tower has crenelations at the top, which gives it something of the appearance of a castle tower. There is a visitor center, and (if your timing is good) there are guided tours. Information about the lighthouse is here

A short walk up the road brings you back to the car park fro where the trail began.

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Start Point Lighthouse - views of coastline on a dark day - October 2017

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