Dog Walks: Devon, from Branscombe:

Dog Walks: Devon, from Branscombe, the initial part of this walk is really lovely and has to be said is definitely the best part, down to beach, and then up on to the cliffs, you then walk through a shady area for a while before emerging back on to the cliffs and you are then rewarded with stunning views. Sadly the last half of the walk is spoiled by difficult conditions * as described below.

Please keep your dog under strict control as there are livestock and huge drops and cliffs in the area.

Click on any of the images below to enlarge.

Start/finish: Car Park Adjacent to Branscombe Village Hall.

Directions: Turn offthe A3052 after Sidford, the lanes down to Branscombe from the are narrow so take care

Parking: Car Park Adjacent to Branscombe Village Hall, contribution to park recommended

Nearest Public Conveniences: Village Hall Public Conveniences at Branscombe, and also on opposite side of road at entrance to The Old Bakery.

Approximate Total Mileage: 4.6 Miles

Terrain: Hard footpath, gravel footpath, earth paths, fields, stiles, a few extremely boggy areas due to natural springs running through, footbridge, very steep paths that are only passable with care, approx 100 steps.

Description of suitability of and ability: The path from Branscombe down to the seaside is a good path and is perfectly suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs, thereafter the remainder of the route is not suitable though.

*Please note that at the time of walking this in Sept 2010 that the footpath in the wooded area at the rear of Berry Hill is extremely steep, very overgrown and if wet would be very difficult. Then the stile here from the wood into the next field has no alternative to get a dog through, so anything bigger than terrier would need to jump or be lifted over the stile as there is wire lining the fence line. Also the footpath leaving StreetVillage, near Branscombe, over the stile just behind the dwelling, here the path is very overgrown, and has broken edges and is difficult under foot. And then towards the end of the walk beyond Hole Hill having crossed over Branscombe Airfield, in the lower field here there are very deep bogs, with very little option to bypass, it is over the ankle deep!

Dog Walks: Devon, from Branscombe Route:

Walk from Branscombe Village Hall Car Park down to edge of main road next to the wishing well. Here you cross straight over the road and turn left, walk along the edge of the main road only for a few steps until you come to the right turning down the into Mill Lane. This lane takes you down to the Manor Mill and the Branscombe Mouth Beach.

Having walked down the edge of this little lane for a short distance you will come to a small wooden gate with a footpath on the other side, here you pass through the little wooden gate and follow ahead signposted Branscombe Mouth. The path does split at a small green, here you follow the right fork, you then follow this path all the way down to the beach.

On reaching the beach there is the Sea Shanty Tea Rooms, Restaurant and Gift Shop on the left, here you can stop off for a range of refreshments or gifts.

To continue on the walk from here, as you approached the beach from Branscombe, with the rear of the Sea Shanty buildings on the left and as the path comes to an end, you do a sharp right U-turn and follow the footpath across the field on the right here.

Enter the field, and almost following the contour of the hill on the footpath continue ahead to reach the next gateway in the top corner of the field as signed. On reaching the next gateway, here you turn left up the very steep hill to the kissing gate at the edge of the trees.

Go through the kissing gate, and follow the path only a few metres and then the path splits, you turn left up the steps, go up these steps, continue to follow the path, and you will then come to another section of steps, and past a bench on your right, there are approximately 98 steps in total, you then enter a shady area.

You will pass through a kissing gate into a field, here you follow the path which takes you along the edge of the fields, in the open and in shady areas, you will then go through another kissing gate, then just continue ahead on the coast path.

Eventually your path will emerge into a more open area and the path widens and rises up a slight incline, almost at the end of the field here is a waymarker on the right signing straight ahead to Fountain Head or left to Western Mouth, here you turn left, you will pass a shed on your left, and then the path brings you into a flatish area, and on the right is the marker post signing off to the right on the ‘Coast Path Western Mouth’ 2 miles, turn right here and follow the path.

The path turns sharp right up the edge of a mound up a quite steep stony path, it then swings left through a wooden kissing gate entering a field, you are now walking along through a field near the cliff edge, walk along this field and out the gate on the other side. Follow the path along the top of the cliffs.

So follow the path ahead, there are some great views along this stretch, and having followed the path along the cliffs you will soon come to a kissing gate into a field. Go through the gate and turn left, here you are still running parallel to the coastline, walk ahead in this field until you get to the wooden markerpost ¾’s way along the field, this 4 point marker post is signing ahead on coast path Western Mouth, left to down Littlecombe Shoot, but the one you follow here is off and back diagonally to the right Public Footpath Berry Barton.

So at this markerpost you almost do a U-turn to the right and follow parallel to hedge line back along the upper side of the field you have just walked along. You will pass a wide metal gate on the left, and here as you are walking along the field you go through a gap in the banked hedge-line. Here you continue along parallel to the hedge-line, and you will come to metal gates at the end of the field next to a marker post signed Public Footpath.

Pass through the metal gate and on to the lane, do not turn right on the lane but follow the lane straight ahead, you will go along a straight, then around a left corner and along into the farmyard. When you reach the farmyard with the caravan site visible ahead, here you turn right and go down the concrete slope heading towards farm buildings.

* At the bottom of the concrete slope you meet a lane – at this point you can take a detour back to Branscombe to avoid the difficult points as previously described, see photo for possible options of detours, but they are untried by us.

So at the bottom of the concrete slope you meet a lane, there are farm buildings on the other side of the lane, here you turn left, you are now walking on the lane parallel to the farm buildings over on the right and just as you are leaving the farm yard area there is a gateway into the field on the right.

Pass through the gate into the field and turn right and follow along the lower side of this field going parallel to the back of the farm buildings, you will then pass through another gate and enter another field, follow straight ahead to the gateway ahead but do not enter the next field, instead the footpath marker here signs you left along the hedgeline in this field, so on reaching the footpath marker turn left and follow along the right fence-line of this field.

Follow this fence-line to the end where you will find a stile down into a small scrub wood area. There is an earth path down into the wood here, but it is very overgrown and extremely steep with little grip. Follow down this bankside, and soon the path bears right, you will pass another footpath marker on your right, walk through the trees and you will come to a stile into a field. (This stile has no alternative to get a dog through, terrier may get under just). Having climbed the stile enter the field and turn left down the field and keeping parallel to the fence-line walk down the field and you will come to a gate and stile out on to the road.

Having crossed the stile and met the road in the Village of Street, here you turn left and walk up the road for a short distance and soon you will see the wooden markerpost signing you off to the right next to a hedge and alongside a garden and dwelling.

Follow this path alongside the garden and next to the dwelling it branches left up a few steps and up a slope and over another stile. Here follow the path ahead as it zig-zags up the bank-side, this path was very overgrown here and very difficult to walk along due to the ruts and edges broken off, and would be easy to fall along here due to the terrain. However once you reach the top of the bank you reach a field, here you turn right and follow along the lower side of this field.

At the end of this field you come to a fenceline, here you turn left and follow along this fenceline keeping the fenceline immediately on your right, walk up the gentle slope of the field and soon you come to a gateway and stile in the fenceline, here you cross into the next field but you continue to follow along the same fenceline up the field.

In the top corner of this field there is another stile, cross over the stile but BEWARE here as you are now on an Airfield so you must be aware of planes!

Cross straight over the grass strip and there is another stile directly on the other side, cross over this stile and turn left on the little lane, walk just a few paces , then turn sharp right through a wide metal gate on to the Public Bridleway and signed Hole House. Follow this bridleway along the straight, then it bends right and down into the trees. Towards the bottom of the hill there is a stone wall ahead with the Wooden Bridleway Marker against the wall, here there is a path left or right infront of it, and at this point you turn right.

Follow the track down into the open area infront of the dwelling, here you turn left and follow down the little lane for a very short distance and on the first left corner you will see a stile on your right and there is a Public Footpath sign here also, cross over the stile and enter the field. Here the path initially follows along the top of this field, but beware as very soon the path leads you through an extremely boggy area, having passed the boggy area the path then leads you down the edge of a little wooden fence and stream into trees.

At the bottom of the field there are sleepers laid to help you over the boggy area, then you come to another stile, cross over the stile and then over the footbridge straight ahead, at the end of the footbridge you follow the path to the right and emerge into a field, here you turn right and walk along this field, you may notice a fallen down footpath marker on the right of the path here.

You are then aiming towards an arched hollow in the next hedge line where there is another stile into the next field, here there is also another footpath marker sign, but BEWARE just infront of this stile is another very boggy area!

Having crossed over this stile you enter another field, here the path leads you ahead and slightly left handed up the field, you will pass a footpath marker on your right in the field, here there are 2 paths running parallel to each other after the marker, you need to go along the upper one, it will lead you up ahead and slightly left into the 2^nd part of the field, here if you look up on the left are telegraph poles, they are following the lane you wll be emerging on to soon.

So follow up into the top corner of the field, and here you will find another stile. Cross the stile and when you meet the lane you turn right. Follow this lane down and you will then emerge into the village where you will find your car parked on the right side in the Village Car Park.