Morte Point

If you want to understand what makes the North Devon coast so extraordinary, walk to Morte Point. Just a mile or so from Woolacombe, this dramatic National Trust headland pushes out into the Bristol Channel like the prow of a ship, and from the tip you have views in every direction that will genuinely stop you in your tracks.

The walk out from Mortehoe village takes around 20 to 25 minutes along a well-kept coastal path, and the landscape gets progressively more spectacular as you go. The final stretch involves picking your way across ancient Morte Slates, rocks worn into extraordinary shapes by centuries of Atlantic weather. On a clear day you can see Lundy Island to the north-west, Hartland Point to the south-west, and the Welsh coastline across the channel.

Morte Point is a grey seal colony, and at the right time of year, late autumn is particularly rewarding, you can watch them hauled out on the rocks below the headland or bobbing in the swell offshore. Seabirds are a constant presence: fulmars, razorbills, guillemots and shags all use the cliffs throughout the year.

This is also one of the most dramatic spots on the entire South West Coast Path. Walkers making the longer route from Woolacombe to Ilfracombe come through here, and even if you are not doing the full route, the circular walk from Mortehoe village via Morte Point and back through the fields is one of the finest short walks in Devon.

There are no facilities at the Point itself, but Mortehoe village has a pub, a café and the excellent Mortehoe Heritage Museum within comfortable walking distance. Access is free at all times, with National Trust car parking available in Mortehoe village. Dogs are very welcome. This is one of those places that you return to on every visit, and it is less than ten minutes from your doorstep.