Operation Devon
South Devon
Route by nigel Jenkins, Immersion Fitness
Beautiful coastal swimming in very picturesque scenery within South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Your journey will encounter the former Carriage track of Lord Revelstoke (of Barings Bank fame), smugglers' coves, a 16th century church and an old coffin track. This area of the South coast boasts amazing natural rock formations with many hidden coves and gullies perfect for a picnic stop. Not to mention a choice of 3(!) great waterside pubs within the beautiful villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo.
Location: South Devon: Wembury, Stoke Point, Noss Mayo, Newton Ferrers and the Yealm estuary
Total distance: 14.5 Km
Above distance (hike, run): 7.3 KM
Below distance (swim): 7.2 KM
A (start): Wembury National Trust car park
B (finish): circular
Duration: allow 5hrs swim/hike + extra for picnic/pub stops!!
Difficulty: 4/5 (knowledge of tides, rocky entries/exits, occasional steep parts)
OS MAP: OL20 SOUTH DEVON
Before you set off, please read our safety guide and blog post on the risks of biosecurity. And here is our recommended kit list.
need to know
Terrain:
ABOVE: SW Coast path, rocky coves, some steep climbs, mainly off road footpaths. Slippery if recent rainfall
BELOW: Open water sea swimming, estuary. Rocky coves and gullies, some beach entries/exits. Natural hazard
Facilities:
Public Toilets: Wembury and Noss Mayo
Pubs: The Swan Inn, The Ship Inn, The Dolphin Inn
Cafés: The Old Mill, Wembury
Supplies: Post Office & Stores or the Co-op in Newton Ferrers
DESCRIPTION
The first thing to say when planning this route is that it is strongly subject to tide times and requires knowledge and understanding of tides and sea conditions. See further advice in Local Safety tips below. Some of the best parts of this route rely on you swimming close in to the shore to discover and enjoy the many gullies and hidden coves to their full potential. We call it adventure swimming.
The route starts on the beach below the National Trust car park at Wembury. Enter the water and begin your first swim to the left under the high cliffs to Season Point; here you can rest before the crossing of the mouth of the Yealm estuary to Cellar Beach (approx. distance 1.5kms).
Exit the stony footpath from Cellar Beach up onto the main South West Coast Path. Turn right here and continue all the way around the headland overlooking the Great Mew Stone rock and the route you’ve come. After approximately 1.2kms, the track begins to bear left; at this point look down to your right and go towards the small, concrete look-out on Gara Point. Just below this to the left, you’ll find Swaney Cove, your next swim entry point. This requires a careful scramble down a short slope to get onto the beach. Enter the water and swim to the left for approximately 1.2kms to the small, sandy cove below Warren Cottage enjoying the many clear, long gullies on route. Exit the beach on the left via the carved out steps and continue up the grassy slope to meet the SW Coast Path again at Warren Cottage. Turn right to continue east along the path for approximately 2.3kms. t this point, go right down the grassy slope to Little Bloody Cove where you’ll find a flat stretch of rocks to begin your third swim.Swim to the left under the magnificent cliffs into Swale Cove around Stoke Point and continue hugging the cliffs below Stoke Down and into the tranquil bay of Stoke Beach, dotted with caravans on the cliff edge. Here again are numerous gullies and channels to explore. Continue all the way to Stoke Beach which takes this swim section to a 2km distance. On arriving at the small beach of Row Cove, exit the small metal staircase at the back of the beach that will take you into the main caravan site.
For a very slight but worthwhile detour, within the caravan site is the 13th century remains of the Church of St. Peter the Poor Fisherman; see if you can spot the pirate’s grave!
Continue 400m on the public footpath up through the caravan site up the tarmac road to the junction of Stoke Cross. Continue straight across (signposted Noss Mayo) towards Rowden Court, a collection of barn conversions on the left hand side. Approximately 50m before Rowden Court itself, turn right over the stile to follow the public footpath across the field. Continue straight ahead through the various metal gates and fields before entering the wood. Continue down the winding obvious path that meets the road near Bridgend. This track is known locally as ‘the coffin track’, where historically the dead were carried from the village of Noss Mayo (church-less at that point!), over the hill to be interred at St. Peter’s as mentioned above. From Stoke Cross, this walking section is approximately 1.5kms.
On meeting the tarmac road, turn right for 100m to the head of Newton Creek at Bridgend. Here begins your next swim section of approximately 1km down river to the pretty, waterside location of Noss Mayo on your left where you exit the water. You have a choice of two great waterside pubs here, The Swan Inn and The Ship Inn opposite each other. On the right hand side of the creek as you swim down is Newton Ferrers with another great watering hole, The Dolphin Inn. Take time to relax and enjoy the quaint cottages and stunning waterside locations.
To carry on with your route, walk along Passage Road, running behind The Ship Inn, alongside the estuary heading west for approximately 1.8kms back to the footpath on the right hand side dropping down to meet Cellar Beach again.
From Cellar Beach, you begin your final swim back to your original starting point of Wembury Beach, approximately 1.5kms. You might be in time for an ice cream or pasty from the Old Mill Café, just above the beach.
HIGHLIGHTS
ABOVE: Dramatic coastal views mixed with inland footpaths through ancient woods and stunning estuary locations.
BELOW: Inspiring swimming directly beneath magnificent cliffs and rock formations. An abundance of marine life and interesting gullies. If conditions are favourable, the water clarity rivals the Med!
LOCAL TIPs
For those wanting to finish at Noss Mayo (maybe after a few pints!) there is the option of a seasonal ferry back to the Wembury side which leaves from Wide Slip (800m along Passage Road on the right). Bill runs the ferry from 1st April – 30th September between 10am-4pm, ring 07817 132757 to confirm times, particularly in quieter times or poor weather. Once despatched on the Wembury side, it’s a breath-taking walk of about 2kms on the coastal footpath back to the car park.
When swimming within the Yealm estuary, please be aware it’s a popular area with yachts and other water craft. Be visible in the water and swim close to the bank rather than the main boating channel.
This entire route relies entirely of knowledge of tides and timings. We would strongly advise that you start your route 3-4 hours before high tide to receive tidal assistance in the right direction as parts of this route are not possible against the flow of water. Once started, your main goal is to reach Bridgend at high water or up to 1 hour after. You will then receive tidal assistance on the outgoing tide for your final swim.
On exiting Cellar Beach on the outgoing tide you will be pushed past Season Point fairly quickly so take a line towards the high cliffs between Season Point and Wembury car park. If you’ve a chosen day when there are Spring tides, there is a large volume of water that floods out from the river at a considerable rate on both the incoming and outgoing tide so do take this into account.
Local contact numbers:
River Yealm Harbour Authority: 01752 872533
Coastguard: 999 and request Coastguard
your guide
Want to give this route a go, but not ready to go it alone? Get in touch with local resident and guide Nigel Jenkins, Immersion Fitness, 07855 952438.
Nigel is an ex Marine fitness instructor and host of our RuckRaft Retreats in Devon. If you want to join Nigel and the team for a weekend of swimming, camping and hiking on and around the south Devon coastline, join us at our back to basics camp retreat.
All our local guides are qualified lifeguards or swimguides with first-hand experience of the route.