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.

A Gentle Introduction

If you've never walked any of the South West Coast Path before, this walk makes an excellent introduction. It is challenging without ever becoming arduous. It gets you far enough away from the towns and villages without ever becoming remotely remote. And it is pretty without ever becoming truly spectacular. On the coast path, if you want the best views of all you generally have to tackle the most punishing inclines and will often find yourself some distance from luxuries such as cafes and pubs. The walk from Exmouth to Sidmouth gives a tantalising glimpse of the best characteristics of the West Country without too much effort. An added attraction is that it's very easy to get to the start and finish from any of the resorts in south and east Devon by public transport, so you can leave your car at home.

Regular walkers will find the compromise more of an occasional irritation than a downright turn-off. Particularly during the early stages, the wilderness seeker will find it difficult to escape human intrusions; a firing range, holiday parks and a golf course are among the seemingly inappropriate developments passed on the way. At Budleigh Salterton, the route passes through a riverside nature reserve before finally soaring to a few tantalising views eastwards. Here it begins to feel like the 'true' coast path again.

At 12.5 miles, this is a very good day walk for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. There are plenty of places to stop for a bite or a drink in the early stages of the walk, although out of season there may be little available after leaving Budleigh Salterton.

Ordnance Survey's Landranger map 192 covers the whole route - and the continuation as far as Seaton in 1:50,000 scale. For more detail at 1:25,000, Explorer map number 115 will see you through the day.

The Route

Exmouth's long, flat promenade isn't the most stirring of starts, but it's a good leg-stretcher and an easy warm-up. There aren't any coast path markers, but just keep walking east with the sea on your right. The pebble beach gives way to high sand dunes, and along the way you'll find all sorts of tempting ice cream shops and souvenirs. The modest old seaside resort of Exmouth is a happy, unpretentious place to pass through.

Jurassic Mark

Towards the end of the promenade, the road sweeps uphill to the left, and you'll see the Foxholes car park in front of you. Cross the car park and find a tarmacked path leading uphill; surprisingly, there is no official sign here. The path meanders uphill to the Geoneedle on Orcombe Point. This five metre high marker was installed in 2002 to commemorate the Jurassic Coast's inauguration as a World Heritage Site, and was unveiled by Prince Charles¹.

Beyond the marker, the land rises gently and overlooks a long stretch of beach at Sandy Bay. This is a very popular beach in the summer; so popular, in fact, that a cliff-top holiday park has been built at the eastern end of it! This makes for a very strange juxtaposition with the Royal Marine firing range at the end of Straight Point. The whole of the headland is fenced off to keep the public from straying onto the range, which is probably a good idea. The coast path runs along the perimeter fence, just inside the holiday park. Do not be tempted to obey the sign at the entrance to the firing range, which reads 'Please ring bell'. Beyond the gate, cross the reception area of the holiday park (buses run back to Exmouth if you're feeling lazy) and start to ascend the hill. It's not a tough climb, but the terrain gets a little wilder.

You start to feel like you're on the Coast Path at its wild best. Wildflowers, bracken and gorse begin to prevail. The view improves. As you approach the triangulation point atop the hill, you feel you've left civilisation behind at last. There's a bench at the top that looks like a great place to take in the view. Two paces from the bench, the view opens up to your left. It's a bloody golf course.

The path descends for a mile or so through scrub, patches of woodland and a common before a final downhill to the promenade at Budleigh Salterton, perhaps the most understated of all the resorts on this part of the coast.

Budleigh and Beyond

Budleigh is a quiet little town. Hanging baskets adorn the houses right down to the long pebble beach, and the sea front is completely uncluttered with the souvenir shops and ice cream kiosks found elsewhere. While it does liven up somewhat in the summer, those who have walked through the resorts further south and west will find the place a refreshingly quiet change. If you need any supplies, the short main street is 100 metres off the main promenade, and there is a cafe open on the beach in all weather from Easter to October. Nude hikers can head 300m back along the beach for an officially sanctioned stretch of pebbles on which to sit naked in the sun.

Continue along the prom almost to the end. It looks as if the pebble beach can be crossed directly, but it can't, as it is bisected by the river Otter. Instead, turn left at a car park and enter the Otter Estuary nature reserve. The wetlands here are a haven for wading and sea birds, and there are two bird hides on the route. The path through the reserve runs for a kilometre either side of the river, and when you have walked downstream to rejoin the sea you'll be exactly halfway through the day's walk. If you have time, it's a great place to stop and watch the birdlife for an hour or two.

High and Wild

After the reserve, the path begins to rise and fall in an almost true classic coast path style. The ups and downs are longer and steeper elsewhere, certainly; but the rolling ups and downs here give good views and the walking is strenuous without being exhausting. The names of the cliffs here are evocative; you pass Danger Point, Brandy Head and Crab Ledge. All too soon, the path levels out beside some clifftop fields, and another holiday park appears above Ladram Bay.

Ladram Bay is notable for two things. The first is the impressive sandstone formations, behemoths standing a few metres from shore in defiance of tide and erosion. The second is the bar at the holiday park, which is open to coast path walkers. Real ale fans looking forward to the traditional-sounding Three Rocks pub should be warned that there is no comforting fire and beer garden here; it is the holiday park's glass-and-concrete entertainment complex! You're just under three miles from Sidmouth here, and this is your last chance to stock up on food and drink. The steepest climbs of the day are still to come, so make sure you have plenty of fluids if it's a hot day.

As you sup your pint of generic beer or tuck into your cream tea, you'll be struck by imposing-looking hills up ahead. In fact, they're not as bad as they look. The climb up to High Peak looks uncompromising, but in fact it's fairly gentle for most of the way and the path veers to the left to avoid the summit. After a pleasant level stroll through woodland, there is one more climb up Peak Hill, the highest point of the day at 156m, but you've already done most of the ascent before you start! The views are worth it; to the east, you should be able to see the Isle of Portland, and on a clear day Berry Head at the southernmost extremity of Torbay will be clearly visible. Relax; you've done the hard work.

The path descends alongside the main road into Sidmouth, a pleasant, old-fashioned seaside town with great fish and chips and a few good pubs. The first you pass is the Bedford Hotel, which does not allow walkers into its bar, but further on there are a few refreshing watering holes which are perfect for ending your walk. The town has plenty of good places to stay and eat, but in the school holidays it's worth phoning ahead to reserve accommodation.

Getting There and Back

You can get to the start of the walk by train, usually by changing at Exeter - direct trains run from Paignton through Torquay, Teignmouth and Exeter to Exmouth. For a more pleasant but more expensive way over the river Exe, a regular ferry connects Starcross (at the end of the previous days walk) with Exmouth from Easter to September.

If you're based further east, you can either go to Exeter and catch a train or bus, or go to Sidmouth; from here bus numbers 157 and 357 connect the two towns via Budleigh Salterton every half an hour through the day. This is also very handy for connecting with your bus, train or ferry home.

There is plenty of pay and display parking in Exmouth if you're driving.

See Traveline South West for more up-to-date information about public transport.