Devon

East Soar to Overbeck's Garden walk

The garden at Overbeck's with Salcombe Bay beyond — The garden at Overbeck's | © National Trust Images/George Wright

This walk takes you along the runway of what used to be RAF Bolt Head. With panoramic views of the South Hams coast and countryside, the walk leads to Overbeck’s Garden, a hidden paradise of subtropical gardens. The walk finishes outside the Overbeck's Garden entrance.

Near to

East Soar

Start point

East Soar National Trust car park, grid ref SX713375

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.2 (km: 1.92)

Duration 30 mins to 40 mins

Dog friendly***

*Flat gravelled track, fields and an uneven and steep woodland path. For further details, see section marked Terrain.
**Mostly flat but with an uneven and rocky path through a woodland at the end of the walk. For further details, see section marked Access.
***Dogs welcome for part of the walk but please keep on a lead. For further details, see section marked Facilities.

Total stages: 7
Total stages: 7
Start point
East Soar National Trust car park, grid ref SX713375
Stage 1
From the car park, go through the gate to the left of East Soar Farm. From there follow the signposts for Overbeck's.
Stage 2
Follow the track that borders the former RAF Bolt Head airstrip until it bends round to the right, where you’ll see a gate and signpost.
RAF Bolt Head airfield
During the Second World War, barracks, hangers, offices and stores would have been in the fields to your left. Fighter planes such as the Spitfire and Lysander landed and took off from the airstrips. The site was at its height during 1944 in the build up to the D-Day landings of 6 June. The adjacent radar station, RAF Hope Cove, was used until 1957 when it became a South West regional seat of government in case of nuclear war until the 1990s.
Stage 3
Pass through the gate and cross the fields heading towards the next gate.
The secret bunker
The grey concrete cube is the regional government HQ 7.2. Built during the early 1950s, it was officially known as a radar station but it was in fact a nuclear bunker. The bunker was designed to hold 150 staff including cabinet ministers, members of the emergency services, scientists and communications experts. Together they would have assumed regional control of the South West until central government was able to recover. The bunker is encased in one metre thick walls. It had its own filtered ventilation, water and sewerage systems.
Stage 4
After the gate, continue to follow the signs for Overbeck’s Garden.
Stage 5
Keep walking down the hedgerow path until you reach a stile and gate. Cross the stile, go through the gate and walk straight ahead, following the woodland path.
Stage 6
As you turn the corner, you can just see the subtropical garden at Overbeck's below and the view across to Salcombe beyond. Notice the Grand Bug Hotel, a welcoming habitat for many species of local wildlife to call home.
Stage 7
The walk finishes outside Overbeck's Garden's entrance gates. Do come in and enjoy everything Overbeck's Garden has to offer.
Devon's banana crop
Overbeck's Garden sits high above the sea overlooking miles of coastline and with spectacular views across the Salcombe estuary. It's a great walk for plant people. The local warm micro-climate allows Mediterranean type plants, rarely found growing outside in Britain, to flourish here. Meandering pathways to banana and palm gardens lead away from the Edwardian villa, originally called Sharpitor.
End point
East Soar National Trust car park, grid ref SX713375
Trail map
East Soar to Overbeck's Garden walk trail map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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A walker in a U-shaped valley, with craggy cliff rocks up to the left, walks towards a sea with headland in the distance

Trail

East Soar to Bolt Head Walk

Explore an easy circular walk on the South West Coast Path near Salcombe, taking in the views and beaches around Bolt Head, Starehole Bay, Overbeck's and Tor Woods.