The South West Coast Path is one of Britain's National Trails and, weighing in at a mighty 1,015km (or 630 miles), is its longest. It covers the whole coastline between Minehead in Somerset and Poole in Dorset, and can be tackled as a series of day walks or all in one go. The Entries in this series are suitable for either type of walker. All routes are described in the traditional anti-clockwise direction of travel.

As on much of the coast path, wheelchair users and those with push-chairs and prams will find the going difficult away from the more accessible beaches, mainly due to the steep hills - in fact, the SW Coast Path has ascents totalling more than three times the height of Everest! Sections of the coast path can be remote and difficult, and walkers should make sure they have taken sensible precautions in case of an emergency:

• Let someone know where you are going, and when you expect to be back - and don't forget to contact them on your return to let them know you are safe!

• Waterproofs, warm clothing, a good map, plenty of water and food are considered essential, even on short walks in good weather.

• Be extremely careful near cliff edges, especially in windy or wet weather, and remember that your dog (if you have one) may not have the same wariness of danger that you have.

Brunel's Coast

The association with England's greatest engineer is strong. Much of the route follows Brunel's railway north from Teignmouth, where he enjoyed occasional holidays, and he also owned an estate in Watcombe in the northern part of Torquay, not far from the coast path. Indeed, the red sandstone building by Starcross station at the end of the walk is well described by the AA Book of the Seaside:

The building was one of the ten pumping stations which sucked air out of the cylinder laid between the rails. This created a vacuum which acted on a piston that pulled the train along. Although considerable speeds were reached, horses had to be used to get the train going. The system was abandoned in 1848, after enormous expense, because rats ate the grease of the leather airtight seals.

This walk is a long, hard day, which is much more pleasant and, of course, easier if split up into two halves. It takes a dishearteningly long time to leave Torquay, and the continuation of the walk to Shaldon takes far longer than one would expect. At first, the walk is full of steep ups and downs; these flatten quickly after Teignmouth and at Dawlish level out altogether, and it finishes with a final flat five mile walk from Dawlish to Starcross. Most walkers will require a full day of steady plodding to navigate the whole distance, although it can be split quite easily. If you're walking the whole route, you'll really want to finish in Starcross, as the ferry to Exmouth is seasonal and reliant upon weather. If it isn't running, you can always get the train, but the last thing you'll want to do is to end one day in Dawlish and find you have to take a train halfway through the next days walking! Here are a few tips for those who don't want to tackle the whole route in one go:

• Walkers tackling the whole route could push on to Babbacombe at the end of the preceding day, taking a good couple of miles off the start of the day as described here. The final two and-a-half miles are all on roads, so you could always cheat and take the bus for the last bit - you won't be missing anything. Or you could take it easy and split the day into two equal halves at Teignmouth.

• Day walkers have easier options. Regular buses and trains run back from the start (and on to Exeter) from Teignmouth, Dawlish and Dawlish Warren, so you can just walk until you get tired if you wish! Buses also stop at Babbacombe, Watcombe, Maidencombe and Shaldon if any of the initial stages don't appeal.

In fact, if you're not pressed for time, walking the route in two stages is an appealing option. All along the way there are places worthy of further exploration, such as the nature reserves at Hope's Nose in Torquay and at Dawlish Warren (a National Nature Reserve), the long pebble beaches that line much of the route and the seaside towns of Teignmouth and Dawlish. Serious coast path walkers will appreciate the opportunity to get some solid miles in, but there is plenty to divert casual strollers too.

Ordnance Survey Explorer map 110 covers the whole day.

What Goes Down...

From Torquay harbour, follow the road around to the left and ascend Beacon Quay beside Paignton Zoo's coastal park, Living Coasts. After a few hundred metres, the path cuts through the car park of the Imperial Hotel and zigzags up and down, with some great views over the Bay, up to the small open field of Daddyhole Plain. A little further on is a viewpoint marked from the path; if you're lucky, this can be a great place to watch rock climbers on one of Devon's most popular climbing venues. These sharp ups and downs are a feature of the long departure from Torbay; you'll descend to Meadfoot beach, go up to Hope's Nose (the northernmost point of geographical Torbay), down again to Anstey's Cove, up again to Walls Hill, down to Babbacombe and Oddicombe beaches and up again to Babbacombe Downs. If it's a clear day, you will be treated to views across the coast to Sidmouth, the white cliffs at Beer Head and possibly all the way round to Portland! All of the places mentioned en route are worthy of a stop, and you're unlikely to pass through them all without finding a refreshment van somewhere - quite a relief, as some of the uphill sections are long and quite steep. The Cary Arms pub on Babbacombe beach is a great lunch stop if you're not walking the full distance.

The brief section between Babbacombe and Watcombe is quite poorly marked, and you may find it best to avoid the official route for a few minutes, especially as it appears to have disappeared for now! From Babbacombe Model Village (a well-known tourist attraction - rest assured, you won't miss it) walk along the main road towards Teignmouth and take the first right at the roundabout to rejoin the coast path proper. The path now undulates through some wonderful woodland, with occasional great views northwards, passing through the hamlet of Maidencombe along the way. If you're walking just part of the route, the Thatched Tavern pub here is another very highly recommended lunching and watering stop, and the beach below displays some beautiful geological lines.

The path meanders through woods and takes in a few more rises and falls before emerging underneath a car park overlooking Labrador Bay. This is well worth a look if you have time, as the views from here are sensational, and the viewpoint is about five minutes' diversion from the main path. Two more steep hills lie between you and some more wonderful views up the coast; after descending past a golf course, the path gently rises up the Ness - once a famous smugglers' cliff; if you are approaching the end of your day, a tunnel leads through to the beach, which is wonderful - and drops sharply down to the village of Shaldon.

Shaldon is a pleasant enough place, with a few cafés open in the summer, but otherwise there isn't much to detain you. Just across the river Teign is Teignmouth, which can be reached by ferry year-round - just queue by the sign on the beach, or call the mobile number in the nearby shelter. If for any reason the ferry isn't running, you can cross the river by Shaldon Bridge 500m upstream, once Britain's longest wooden toll bridge. Either way, head for the promenade and you'll soon find the seafront at Teignmouth.

Stretch Those Legs

If you're continuing to Starcross, you'll be glad to know that there is only one hill left, and you're only halfway! As long as you checked the tides, that is. We did mention the tide, didn't we?

From Teignmouth, you can pretty much stride out along the sea wall all the way to Starcross, unless the tide is in. Look north, and you'll see the coastal defence and railway; follow this to the end, then pass under a footbridge and walk up Smugglers Lane to meet the main road. The coastal defences that protect the railway from the constant barrage of waves and tide make this the most expensive stretch of line to maintain in the country.

If the tide is in, or looks like it might be coming in, just turn left at the yacht club and follow the road towards Dawlish. Remember that the path along the sea wall is a good mile long, so it's not worth racing against the incoming tide.

The two paths converge at Holcombe Cross; from here the path leaves the road to make broad swoops before rejoining it, avoiding the excellent Smugglers Inn with an almost deliberate masochism. The paths are quite exposed and very muddy in the wet, so be careful not to slip, especially if you have a full pack! It goes without saying that the barbed wire fences around the fields are not the best things to grab onto if you do happen to fall. Approaching Dawlish, the path meanders through suburbia for a while; the views appear once in a while, but all in all it's unexceptional. The final diversion takes you down to Dawlish seafront via a long zigzag path, and once again there are plenty of places for refreshment.

Again the path follows the sea wall, with high tide diversions well marked inland, and eventually passes a promontory to arrive at Dawlish Warren. Often considered the worst of tourism park trash, the resort is a mess of amusement arcades, cart rides and holiday chalets. What is often missed is the National Nature Reserve poking out into the Exe estuary; a sensational spit of land frequented by just about every wading bird that visits this part of Britain. Try to make time for this rare treat, backed as it is by the oddest family resort in the county, though it is a fair diversion from the coast path.

From here, follow traffic signs for the exit and turn right - the final two and-a-half miles are on the road. Often you will find that there is no pavement, and if the hour is late the bus is preferable, if only for your own safety. You soon leave the tourist excesses behind and walk alongside fields, then the village of Cockwood, with two great pubs close together; the Anchor Inn having possibly the widest selection of Scotch whiskies south of the border. Another ¾ mile on is Starcross, with a couple of half-decent pubs and a few bed and breakfasts. Ferries run from here to Exmouth, with a wider range of accommodation, in the summer; or trains run regularly back to Torquay and on to Exmouth and Exeter.