Heddon Valley, Exmoor

Hunter’s Inn, in the Heddon Valley, Exmoor, is a lovely and popular spot, but strike out onto the South West Coast Path and soon you’ll find peace and beautiful views. On this walk you’ll discover the stories behind three journeys: of smugglers, workers heaving quick lime and a Victorian carriage drive. Two sections are accessible for off-road wheelchairs (see info, right).

A Devon’s Red Rubies

Start this well-defined walk from the pub at Hunter’s Inn. Walk left of the pub and cross the River Heddon. Bear left with the road, keep right as you cross the Blackwater and follow the road uphill. After 20m, pick up a footpath, right, passing fields managed to support rare high brown fritillary butterflies. Look out for Red Ruby Devon cattle.

The path heads to the coast at Heddon’s Mouth. As loads of lime were carried from a limekiln there to farmers’ fields, some fell on the path, softening the acidic soil. Lime-loving plants, such as doves foot cranesbill, still thrive.

Look for spindle trees (there’s one to your right, just before the second gate), which come into fruit just before Christmas. The woods were coppiced for firewood, charcoal and for tanning leather – as well as for the kiln.

B Dodgy deliveries

This path is an old smugglers’ path, for Heddon’s Mouth was one of the places they used to land illicit spirits and tobacco. The path drops down beside the Heddon, amid wind-pruned ash, sycamore and alder, to the sea. At the kiln, limestone and coal from over the Bristol Channel were burned to create quicklime – an alkaline dressing to improve Devon’s acidic soil.

On the beach, the river goes under a shingle bar, which in storms can be breached, letting salmon swim upriver. If it’s dry, cross the river on the stepping stones (if wet and slippery, retrace your steps and cross the bridge). Turn sharp left, picking up the South West Coast Path. At the top, to your left are the Great and Little Hangman hills (names probably derived from the old Devonian word ‘an maen’ or stone hill).

C Exmoor gorse and heather

Above the path to your right, you can see an old carriageway, the return leg of this walk. But first, continue along the path, which slopes uphill through gorse and heather, a wonderful introduction to this wild Exmoor coast.

Further along, you walk through an archway of wind-stunted oak – less than three metres tall but around 50 years old. Cross a waterfall, called Hollow Brook Combe, then, when the path meets a road, follow it left down to Woody Bay.

D Doomed Victorian venture

In 1885, one Colonel Benjamin Lake planned an exclusive resort here. He bought Martinhoe Manor, turned the house into a hotel and sold plots for villas. But the venture was doomed. He built a pier to draw in steamers but it was not long enough for them to dock at low tide – and was also damaged by a storm in 1899. Woody Bay could not bring the visitors it needed and Lake died in debtors’ prison.

Today, you can walk down an overgrown path to the remains of the concrete landing jetty. Under the cliffs are the remains of a changing room and swimming pool built into the rocks.

To return, follow the road uphill, and keep going until you see the carriageway off to your right. Follow this all the way back to Hunter’s Inn, imagining the exhilarating ride Col Lake had in mind for his Victorian guests.