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Tamar Estuary - Saltash Walk

1.55 miles (2.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Explore the Tamar Estuary Nature Reserve on this short walk near Saltash. The reserve is located a couple of miles north of Saltash. You can follow a footpath along the estuary from Cargreen to Landulph. Look out for wildlife including avocet, shelduck and large numbers of waders. You can see a great view of the estuary at Cargreen using the google street view link below. It's a lovely spot with lots of sailboats and the Cornish countryside in the background.
To explore the beautiful Tamar Valley further you can pick up the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail and visit the lovely Lopwell Dam Nature Reserve.

Postcode

PL12 6PA - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Tamar Estuary OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Tamar Estuary Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Saltash

  • Tamar Valley Discovery Trail - This beautiful trail takes you through the Tamar Valley AONB from Tamerton Foliot in Devon to Launceston in Cornwall
  • Lopwell Dam - Lopwell Dam Local Nature Reserve covers an area of 5 hectares on the River Tavy near Plymouth and Tavistock
  • Kit Hill - This country park in Cornwall covers 400 acres with miles of good footpaths to try
  • Plymouth's Waterfront Walkway - A nice easy walk along a section of the south west coast path which highlights the city's history and heritage
  • Mount Edgcumbe Country Park - With 865 acres of parkland, beautiful landscaped Cornish gardens and stunning coastline, Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is a fantastic place to visit
  • South West Coast Path - This incredible 600 mile walk follows the coast from Minehead in Somerset, through Devon and Cornwall and onto the finish point at Poole in Dorset
  • West Devon Way - Explore the western edge of the Dartmoor National Park on this walk through beautiful Devon.
    The route begins in Okehampton and passes through Sourton, Lydford, Mary Tavy, Tavistock and Bickleigh before finishing in the maritime city of Plymouth.
    Trail highlights include the picturesque Meldon Reservoir and the town of Lydford with its noteworthy castle and nearby Lydford Gorge
  • Callington - This Cornish town has some fine local hill climbs and riverside walks to try

Pubs/Cafes

Head into Saltash and there's The Ferry House Inn to visit. There's a nice garden area where you can sit outside and enjoy views across the river. You can find them at 888 Wolseley Road with postcode PL5 1LA for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The area makes for a pleasant dog walk and the Ferry House Inn mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Tamar Valley Line is a great way of seeing the area from a different perspective. The scenic railway takes you through rolling green, sleepy villages and beautiful river crossings. The highlight of the journey is when the train slowly creeps down over the impressive Calstock viaduct and you are 120 feet high looking down on the river below.
Saltash is located near to Plymouth where you can visit Plymouth's Waterfront Walkway and Mount Edgcumbe Country Park. You can also pick up the long distance South West Coast Path and West Devon Way here.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Cornwall Walks page.

Photos

Saltash Foreshore - geograph.org.uk - 817684

Saltash Foreshore. Low tide on the Tamar Estuary.

Tamar bridges from Saltash - geograph.org.uk - 1510326

Tamar bridges from Saltash. Just before the bridges, the railway skirts close to the estuary, allowing you to hang out of the window to grab a photograph. From this viewpoint (SSW), the railway bridge is in front of the road bridge.

Saltmill Creek meets the Tamar Estuary - geograph.org.uk - 817710

Saltmill Creek meets the Tamar Estuary This small triangle of marshland is all that is left of what must have been a marshy area covering the whole of Saltmill Park before it was used as a rubbish dump and then converted to parkland.

Coombe Park, Saltash - geograph.org.uk - 1195629

Coombe Park. Babis Lane swings across the Coombe valley at the head of Coombe Creek, and passes Coombe Park, a small cul-de-sac of modern houses. Just before the bridge, a footpath heads off left into the woods and up the valley.

Chichester Crescent, Saltash - geograph.org.uk - 1194322

Chichester Crescent. Housing drops down the hill towards the valley behind Coombe Viaduct. Across the valley are buildings on Higher Port View, including St Barnabas Hospital.

River Tamar at Saltash - geograph.org.uk - 51118

River Tamar. The river has many moods depending on the seasons, as can be seen in this scene looking across the river from the quay, to Saltash Passage within early morning light.

Coombe Viaduct from Barne Barton - geograph.org.uk - 1709171

Coombe Viaduct from Barne Barton. Looking across the River Tamar to Saltash from Foulston Avenue. 

Railway Bridge, Wearde Road - geograph.org.uk - 1191160

Railway Bridge, Wearde Road. Wearde Road has become a track carrying bridleway 636/26/1 since the lane to Wearde Quay turned away from it; after crossing this bridge over the Oaddinton-Penzance line it becomes a rather muddy one. The notice proclaims Churchtown Farm Community Nature Reserve. In the background is the River Lynher.

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Tamar Estuary.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Tamar Estuary.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)