Jurassic Coast Walking Guide

Regular visitors to Ladram Bay will undoubtedly know about the Jurassic Coast and the South West Coastal Path that runs 95 miles through East Devon and Dorset.

Our latest post takes sections of this UNESCO natural World Heritage Site and breaks it down into more manageable family friendly lengths and includes paths well trodden by most of the Ladram Bay team.

We’ve tried to pick routes with all ages and abilities in mind and have graded our routes based on their difficulty.

Difficulty Rating:

Short Stroll:
Mid-Length Jaunt:
Steeper Climbs:

Ladram Bay circular walking route

This walk takes in the village of Otterton with it’s quaint traditional thatched Devon cottages, stunning scenery along the river banks and the beautiful Jurassic Coastline.

Route: 8km / 5 miles

Estimated time: 1.5 hrs – 2hrs

Coordinates: EX9 7BX – OS Ref: SY 096850

Difficulty: 

Route Details:

1) Turn left the main entrance to Ladram Bay Holiday Park and take the lane down the hill into the village of Otterton.

2) Continue along Fore Street to cross the river, turn left onto the footpath alongside the river and follow it downstream, passing the Clamour Bridge.

3) Reaching the aqueduct as a path joins from the right, carry on ahead for a few yards and then take the next path to the right, which curves around to the left. Ignore the next path heading to the right, to carry on ahead parallel to the river, passing a road bridge topped with a small windmill on your right and continuing ahead to go through the gate onto the western side of South Farm Road.

4) Cross the road and carry on along the path ahead , which will bring you back to the Lime Kiln car park.

5) From the Lime Kiln car park in Budleigh Salterton pick up the South West Coast Path as it head inland beside the river, following the tarmac path to South Farm Road.

6) From South Farm Road turn right to cross the river, and then turn left onto the lane which continues inland alongside the other bank of the river, travelling through trees.

7) Carry on past the pillars and Clamour Bridge, to follow the path alongside the river, continuing ahead along the tarmac surface of Park Lane.

8) At the T-junction turn left, bearing left shortly afterwards onto Churchill Hill, following the road to the right around the churchyard and then the Church. Take the main road up through Otterton and back to the Holiday Park.

Alternative  Walk:

You can extend this walk by leaving Ladram Bay and heading west along the Coast Path following the blue dotted route (see map above) and joining up with the red route at point 6 on the map. Here you can either turn left and take longer walk back via the Lime Kiln car park and the aqueduct, or turn right to take the shorter route back via Clamour Bridge. Both routes take you back through the pretty village of Otterton.

Otterton and Mutter’s Moor Walk

For the more experienced walker, the Otterton and Mutter’s Moor walk is the perfect route to take if you intend to spend most of the day out and about. You’ll hike through beautiful woods and moorland and view the landscape which is crisscrossed with ancient pathways.

Route: 11.3km / 7 miles

Estimated time: 2.5hrs – 3hrs

Coordinates: EX10 0NW

Difficulty: 

Route Details:

1) Take the Coast Path, west from Ladram Bay Holiday Park and cross the field, staying above the sea as the path pulls out around Smallstones Point.

2) Turn right on the permissive path on the far side of the second field, and follow it inland, going straight ahead onto the lane when you arrive at the buildings on your right, to where it comes out on the road by Stantyway Farm.

3)  Ignoring Piscombe Lane, on your right just before you reach Stantyway Farm, turn right onto the road a few yards further on, Stantyway Lane, and follow it in a roughly north -westerly direction into Otterton.

4) At the next junction, when Bell Street turns into Fore Street, turn right and walk up Ottery Street for about a mile, ignoring Chockenhole Lane, on your right a little way up.

5) At Pinn Lane Corner fork left and continue along the road past Burnthouse Farm until you come to Pavers and Passaford.

6) Turn right onto the footpath just beyond Passaford and follow it steeply uphill and into the woods.

7) In the woods turn left onto the track, and then sharp right, to reach the track on the open ground at the top. Turn left here and follow the track to the far end of Mutter’s Moor.

8) Ignoring the path which doubles back to your right, take the track to the right which drops downhill along the edge of the forest, turning right again about 150 yards later to pull back uphill along the far edge of Mutter’s Moor.

9) Stay on this track as it runs along the edge of the moor, beside the forest, all the way back to the car park.

10) From the car park cross the road and go through the gate and onto the area of open grassland, heading towards the sea. When you meet the Coast Path, turn right and drop downhill with it to Windgate.

11) The path starts to rise again towards High Peak, and goes into woodland. Ignore the track which bears away to the right, instead staying on the South West Coast Path as it makes its way through the woods. Dropping downhill, it comes out of the trees and heads towards the holiday park.

Bystock Wild Walk

Explore the Devon Wildlife Trust Bystock Pools Nature Reserve and East Budleigh village by lacing up your walking boots and embarking on this trail. With plenty of wildlife to look out for such as the Emperor dragonfly, common pipistrelle bat and Grayling butterfly, this is the perfect walk for nature lovers. You will even get the opportunity to pass Hayes Barton, the birthplace of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Route: 9.5km / 6 miles

Estimated time: 2hrs – 2.5hrs

Coordinates: EX8 5EE

Difficulty: 

Route Details:

1) Go through the gate at the corner of Bystock nature reserve north entrance car park and downhill across the field to a wooden gate at the bottom. Take a narrow path on the right and turn right in front of a large beech tree, then left onto a boardwalk. At the end of this loop turn left uphill. About 400 yards later at a path junction go left and very shortly afterwards descend towards the ponds. Follow the boardwalk past a pond to the end and then go straight onto a path. At a T-junction turn right over a bridge and through a gate, and eventually you arrive at a large pool. Go past a bench and continue round the boardwalk as it bends right and along the end of the pool to a lane. This marks the reserve boundary.

2) Turn left along the lane and right at the top of a rise onto a footpath. Follow the yellow waymarkers down the right-hand edge of a clearing, then past Squabmoor reservoir, keeping the reservoir on the right. At the dam follow the waymarkers down a field edge into a wood. Continue straight on, eventually passing a metal field gate where you continue straight on until you bear right onto a track and left onto a lane at Dalditch Farm. Go straight on along the lane to Brookside Cottage where you take a track on the left and approximately 300 yards later turn left onto another track.

3) After 300 yards bear right by a yellow waymarker onto a path. Take the left path at a fork, which goes uphill along the edge of a wood. At the top of a rise ignore a small path on the right and continue straight on along a grassy path into a clearing. Cross a couple of forest tracks to a yellow waymarker then continue five yards and turn left to a stile. Cross this and follow the field boundary, ignoring a metal gate. At the bottom of the field go through two gates and over a stile. Follow a yellow waymarker straight on, down a track and over a stile. Cross a second stile onto a track and turn left.

4) At the lane turn right past the free car park (alternative start point for the walk) into the village of East Budleigh. After your visit to the village, opposite the Sir Walter Raleigh pub retrace your steps up Hayes Lane, past the free car park.

5) Continue about 1 mile (1.6km) until you pass Hayes Barton. Walk another 0.5 miles (0.8km) to a T-junction where you go left. At the next road junction take a path on the right and turn left after 10 yards to join a path parallel to the road you just left. At the fork in the path go left, leaving some quarry workings on the right. 100m after this junction turn left up a path to rejoin the road, where you turn right back to the Bystock nature reserve car park.

West Down Beacon Walk

This walk travels along the route of the old railway line, taking you along the coast where there is the opportunity to see stunning ocean views. There is also an array of wildlife just waiting to be discovered including bats and lizards.

Route: 6km / 3.7 miles

Estimated time: 1 hrs – 1.5 hrs

Coordinates: EX9 6RJ

Difficulty: 

Route Details:

1) From Budleigh Salterton’s Public Hall, walk northwards up Station Road, carrying on along Moor Lane to come out at the top of Dark Lane, by the school. Turn right onto Dark Lane, and then almost immediately left, to carry on in the original direction up Bedlands Lane.

2) From the top of Bedlands Lane, turn lift onto the B3178 and then right a moment later to walk up Rear Lane.

3) At the railway bridge pick up the cycle path on your left, leading towards Exmouth, and follow it through the woods to Castle Lane.

4) Turn left up onto the path to Castle Lane, turning onto the lane at the top to head roughly southwards.

5) When Castle Lane turns sharply right, take the footpath ahead which continues in your direction, and follow this alongside the Golf Club for about 1 mile, ignoring the Littleham Church path which crosses yours, also ignoring the detours to the left shortly afterwards.

6) Turn left when you come to the South West Coast Path, and follow it for about three quarters of a mile towards Budleigh Salterton.

7) From West Down Beacon the Coast Path descends gently into Budleigh Salterton. Carry on along it, past the first few houses, until you come to an open green area. At the far end of the field turn left, to walk up Victoria Place and onto the B3178 road beyond.

8) Turn right here, and then take the next left, into Station Road, to return to the start of the walk.

Looking for more walking routes in East Devon? Take a look at our Coastal Walks in East Devon.