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Salcombe Countryside
DevonA coastline of dramatic cliffs, open farmland and hidden sandy coves around Salcombe.
M T W T F S S Open
Closed
Opening times for 5 March 2026
Asset Opening time Salcombe Countryside Dawn - Dusk - Café
Walkers Hut at East Soar Farm (NT tenant) open seasonally. Cash only. For more information, please visit: www.eastsoaroutdoorexperience.co.uk.
- Car park
National Trust car parks around Salcombe countryside use a digital payment system via the JustPark app. Option to pay or verify membership by using the car park machine or the app. We recommend downloading and setting up the app before you visit.
- Dogs allowed
Please pick up after your dog. Keep dogs under close control around cattle and on leads around sheep. Dogs on leads allowed on beaches (please follow local signage).
- Family friendly
- Restaurant
Thirty-Three By The Sea (not National Trust) near Bolberry Down serves a range of fresh, locally sourced, sustainable light lunches and meals. For opening hours and more information, visit https://33devon.co.uk or call 01548 562467.
- Toilet
Toilets available for customers using the Walkers Hut at East Soar farm. Near Mill Bay toilets are provided by South Hams District Council.
No toilets. Undulating and uneven ground, steep in places. Accessible walks and parking at Bolberry Down and Mill Bay.
- Accessible route and/or map
There is a purpose-made circular route at Bolberry Down suitable for most mobility vehicles.
- Designated parking
Blue Badge holder parking is available and Blue Badge holders park for free.
- Drop-off point
Drop off point at the start of Bolberry Down route if designated parking is full. Drop off at East Soar by the track going down to the farm. Arrangements to drop off near the Walkers Hut need to be made with East Soar Outdoor Experience directly, please visit: www.eastsoaroutdoorexperience.co.uk.
- Level access to food outlet
For Bolberry Down please contact Thirty-Three By the Sea directly to find out about accessibility by visiting https://33devon.co.uk/ or calling 01548 562467. At East Soar, please contact East Soar Outdoor Experience directly for the most up-to-date information: www.eastsoaroutdoorexperience.co.uk.
- Steps/uneven terrain
- By road
- The A379 from Plymouth and the A381 from Totnes both meet at Kingsbridge. The A381 continues south to Salcombe where you can follow signs to Soar and Bolberry Down. Head into Salcombe and catch the ferry (seasonal) to Mill Bay. For Mill Bay: A3121/A379 from Ivybridge to Kingsbridge, or A381 from Totnes to Kingsbridge. From there, take A379 towards Torcross and turn south at Frogmore to South Pool before following coast road to East Portlemouth. Carry on through village, along coast to car park at Mill Bay. N.B narrow lane with some passing places which can get busy at peak times.Parking: Our on-site car parks use a digital payment system via the JustPark app. We recommend setting up and downloading the app before your visit. Parking is free for National Trust members via the app. Charges apply for non-members.Sat Nav: Bolberry Down: TQ7 3DY East Soar: TQ7 3DR Mill Bay: TQ8 8PU Prawle Point: TQ7 2BX Snapes Point: TQ8 8NQ
- On foot
- The long distance walking trail, the South West Coast Path, travels along the coast from Plymouth to Salcombe. It passes National Trust land at Thurlestone, Hope Cove, Bolt Head, Bolberry Down, Bolt Tail and East Soar on the way. The path continues again on the east side of the estuary, accessible via the ferry, going from East Portlemouth to Torcross via Prawle Point and past Mill Bay.
- By ferry
- To visit East Soar, there are ferry services (seasonal) at Salcombe to South Sands. Check with www.southsandsferry.co.uk for more information. From South Sands it is a short hike up the hill to Overbeck’s and a further kilometre to East Soar along footpaths. To visit Mill Bay, take the East Portlemouth ferry from the ferry pier, Salcombe (Easter to end of Oct) or Whitestrand (Nov to Easter) to East Portlemouth. Please note there is a 5-10 minute walk from the ferry to Mill Bay either along the road or at low tide along the beach.
- By bus
- Regular bus services from Totnes train station and Plymouth city centre to Kingsbridge. From Kingsbridge there are buses to Salcombe.
- Cycling
- See local cycle routes on the Sustrans website.
Planning your visit
Article
Parking in the Salcombe countryside
There are a number of car parks in the Salcombe countryside. Find out parking costs and where to find them, to help plan your next day out.
Article
Visiting Salcombe countryside with your dog
Find out about visiting Salcombe countryside with your dog, from where you can and can’t take them, to the facilities available for dog owners. Salcombe countryside is a one pawprint rated place.
PDF
Highlights
East Soar coast
Miles of footpaths with impressive ocean views. Alternative parking for nearby Overbeck's Garden, with a walk through fields and woodland.
Bolberry Down
Circular walks and access to the coast path and Soar Mill Cove, a small sandy cove. Flat, easy access route along the cliff top.
Beaches
Predominantly sandy beaches at Mill Bay, Sunny Cove and Seacombe Sands accessed from the coast path.
Hillfort
Situated along the coast path are earthworks of a Iron Age hillfort at Bolt Head.
Gara Rock lookout
Once a lookout to spot smugglers, Gara Point bothy has great ocean views to be enjoyed all year round.
Things to see and do
Activity
Things to see and do at East Soar
With a variety of walks and views, East Soar has plenty to see. Discover seascapes, secret coves and rugged clifftop walks along the way. You could even try out some outdoor activities.
Article
Things to do at Bolberry Down
Head out for a walk, discover a historical landscape and take in spectacular views of the surrounding coast and countryside at Bolberry Down.
Article
Explore the coastline around Mill Bay
Find hidden coves, access to golden beaches and a coastline dotted with history between East Portlemouth and Start Point.
Place
Overbeck's Garden
A signposted 1.2 miles (1.9 km) gentle walk from the car park will bring you to a stunning tropical seaside garden, perched high on the cliffs above Salcombe, with glorious views over the estuary and coast. A great place to stop and explore or just grab a cuppa or an ice-cream at the Gastrobox outside the entrance.
Top trails
Trail
Bolberry Down and Soar Mill Cove walk
Discover a circular walk that takes in some of the most scenic coastline of South Devon. Find out more about the history of the area and enjoy far-reaching views out to sea and along the coast.
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.
Trail
Amble on the Down coastal walk
Follow this circular route around the flat plateau of Bolberry Down, offering easy walking and far-reaching inland and sea views.
Trail
East Soar to Overbeck's Garden walk
A linear walk from East Soar to Overbeck's Garden. Follow the trail along the runway of what used to be RAF Bolt Head, taking in panoramic views of the South Hams coast and countryside.
Trail
Walk to Snapes Point
Enjoy a short walk to Snapes Point, a viewpoint that offers panoramic vistas of Salcombe and the Kingsbridge Estuary.
Trail
Mill Bay walk
Leave the Salcombe crowds behind to explore woodland paths leading to quiet sandy coves. The path climbs to the old lookout at Gara Rock, before returning back over the fields.
Trail
Prawle Point walk
This walk is full of drama: heart thumping cliff-top climbs, with rocky raised beaches below. Look out for the sunken Demetrios below Signalhouse Point and don't miss the ancient boundary stones that dot the landscape.
Outdoor activities
Activity
Parkrun at Bolberry Down
Find out everything you need to know about joining a Parkrun at Bolberry Down, from what to wear, to route details, to where and when to meet.
Trail
East Soar Ranger Run
A circular running route that dips and climbs along the rugged cliffs through wild, partially tamed landscape with views of the Atlantic ocean, sandy beaches and farm land.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Salcombe Countryside
A perfect starting point for exploring the unspoilt and isolated coast around Salcombe. Grab your walking boots and discover a stretch of coast made up of secluded sandy beaches and majestic ragged cliffs which have claimed countless ships over the centuries.
With routes from East Soar to the exotic clifftop garden at Overbeck's, taking in the dramatic Bolt Tail and Bolt Head walk, or an accessible level trail along Bolberry Down with sea views. There's sandy beaches and turquoise waters at Mill Bay, Sunny Cove and Seacombe Sands, as well as the wild and rugged peninsula to explore towards Devon's most southerly point at Prawle.
Look out for cirl buntings and silver-studded blue butterflies along the way, with wild flowers carpeting the cliffs.
Don't miss the chance of a cake in the quirky drop-in Walker's Hut at East Soar Outdoor Experience, or treat yourself to a well-deserved lunch or cream tea at the Gara Rock restaurant. Livestock may be grazing the cliff land, please keep dogs on a lead. If animals become curious and approach:
- Stay calm and do not run.
- Avoid getting between cows and calves.
- If walking with a dog let go of its lead and meet up with your dog further along the path.
- If animals are blocking the path, whistle, talk or clap which lets them know you are there and encourages them to move. If they are still blocking the way then it may be best to avoid passing them and find an alternative route.
Our work
Project
Caring for the Salcombe coastline
Working with our tenant farmers, we've been making improvements for nature and access between Bolt and Bolt Tail.
Project
Article
South West Coast Path: creating a year-round economic asset in Devon
Thanks to funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, places in Devon have started improvements to help make the South West Coast Path a year-round experience. Find out where has benefited.
Article
Our work: saving the cirl bunting
Find out about the measures we have taken in partnership with local farmers and RSPB to help reverse the decline of the cirl bunting, which has recovered from the brink of extinction.
History
Article
History of Bolberry Down
Learn about Bolberry Down's history, from an Iron Age fort and shipwrecks still submerged beneath the waves to radar stations from the Second World War.
Support us
Article
Volunteering in Salcombe Countryside
Discover more about volunteering in the Salcombe countryside area, and find out what volunteering opportunities are currently on offer.
