Little Dartmouth and Dartmouth Castle

Further on, the walk passes behind old coastguard cottages and offers views of the entrance to the historic Dartmouth Harbour and, on the opposite side of the river, of Kingswear Castle, built in 1491 as a part of a chain of sea defences.

The present Dartmouth Castle was started in 1481 and was the most advanced fortification of its type at the time. Nearby is the Church of St Petrox dating from 1641.

From the castle, the route descends to Sugary Cove before continuing along the coast to Blackstone Point. On the way, you pass a coastguard look out hut with a flagpole and rack for notices. The grassy path now descends almost to sea level and runs along the back of a shelf of rocks which projects in rugged outcrops out into the sea. Further along, a bridge crosses a narrow inlet where the waves rush in, thundering into the cave they have cut into the cliff.

Near here at Compass Cove, one of the first submarine cables was laid across the channel to Guernsey in 1860. A reminder of this is the telegraph marker pole showing where the cable lies.

From Compass Cove the walk climbs a steep grassy hillside, continuing along the cliff top. When you reach Warren Point there are splendid views westwards along the whole length of Start Bay as far as Start Point with its lighthouse.

From Warren Point the walk turns away from the stunning coastal scenery and heads inland along a bridlepath back to the start at Little Dartmouth.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.