Walk 2161 - printer friendly version

Appledore to Westward Ho! Walk

Author - Lou Johnson

Length - 4.5 miles / 7.3 km

Ascent - 150 feet / 45 metres

Grade - easy

Start - OS grid reference SS465307
Lat 51.0550720 + Long -4.1915745
Postcode EX39 1RL (approx. location only)

This walk from Appledore to Westward Ho! uses a section of the South West Coast Path between the two centres. The route follows a clear waymarked path along the south side of the River Taw estuary and a sandy coast following a long pebble ridge for the final section of the walk.

The walk starts from outside the Seagate Hotel in Appledore (grid ref. SS465307) overlooking the Taw estuary. (See final paragraph for return transport details from Westward Ho.) To start the walk, turn north along the Quay with the Taw on your right. Continue past the car park on your right. At the end of the car park bear right along Irsha Street passing between rows of terraced cottages. Follow the street as it bends right and then left briefly passing the river on your right.

At the end of Irsha Street at the junction of Jubilee Road on the left continue ahead down a no-through road. Continue ahead past the Lifeboat Station on the left to join the South West Coast Path. Bear right to pass Watertown Garage on your right and join Long Lane. (Note there is a toll path nearer the coast on this section.) Walk along the lane for 400 metres to the first junction. Turn right and enter Northam Burrows Country Park. Once through the gates bear left following a tarmac drive. Which reaches a small car park after just over a kilometre (grid ref. SS450313).

The SWCP bear rights off the tarmac drive and after 250 metres turns left across a small peninsula. Reaching the north side of the peninsula the path turns left and follows the shore through a sandy landscape with Greysands Beach off to your right. The path slowly veers left and continues through the dunes to reach a visitor centre and toilets by Sandymere (grid ref. SS440308). Continue south beside an access road to a road junction and nearly car park. Bear right and then clamber up onto the pebble bank into Westward Ho! to reach the Slipway Car Park (grid ref. SS434295).

The walk starts from Appledore where the large car park opposite the Seagate Hotel is the most convenient. After arriving at the Slipway Car Park in Westward Ho!, walk along Westbourne Terrace passing an amusement arcade on your right. Continue to a T-junction and turn left into Golf Links Road to a bus stop on the left-hand side of the road (grid ref. SS434294). Take Bus 21 and change at Northam for an onward bus 21A to Appledore with a journey time of 25 minutes. Alternatively, park in Westward Ho! and take the bus to the start of the walk.

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