Combe Martin to Lynton Coastal Walk

13.8 miles (22.2 km)

The walk from Combe Martin to Lynton is a challenging trek across some of the highest coastal cliffs in England, beginning with a long ascent out of the village toward the towering Hangman Hills.
As you move east, the path levels out across the high, heather-clad moorland of Holdstone Down and Trentishoe Down. These vantage points offer immense, unobstructed views across the Bristol Channel toward the Welsh coast, with the trail staying high above the sea on rugged, windswept terrain.
From the heights of the downs, the route plunges into the deep, wooded ravine of the Heddon Valley.... You descend to the rocky cove at Heddon Valley, where a stream meets the sea, before facing a strenuous climb back up the eastern side of the valley. The landscape then softens as you enter the ancient hanging oak woodlands of Woody Bay. This section provides a more sheltered atmosphere, with the path winding through lush trees and passing the remains of a Victorian pier far below.
The final leg of the journey leads you into the dramatic, prehistoric landscape of the Valley of the Rocks. Here, the path is flanked by massive, weather-beaten stone formations like Castle Rock and the Devil’s Cheese Ring. Feral goats are a common sight, expertly navigating the near-vertical crags above the path. The walk concludes on the North Walk, a relatively level and paved cliff-side path that carries you directly into the heart of Lynton.