Trentishoe, Combe Martin, EX31 4QF
Trentishoe Down sits on the edge of Exmoor between Combe Martin and the sea, an open expanse of coastal heathland and grassland that offers some of the finest walking in the area for those who want to escape the more popular trails and find a stretch of coastline that feels genuinely wild and unhurried. The down rises steeply from the valley at Heddon’s Mouth to a broad ridge with views that stretch in every direction, and the combination of high moorland, ancient hedgerow banks and a network of quiet paths makes it a wonderfully rewarding place to spend a morning or afternoon on foot.
The path up from Trentishoe village takes you quickly into open country, climbing through a patchwork of heather, bracken and rough grassland to the top of the ridge. The effort of the ascent is quickly rewarded with views over the Bristol Channel that can reach across to the Welsh coast on clear days, while inland the rounded hills of Exmoor roll away to the south in a landscape that has changed very little over centuries.
The descent towards Heddon’s Mouth is one of the most atmospheric sections of walking in this part of Devon, dropping down through a wooded valley where the River Heddon runs over rounded boulders to reach the sea at a dramatic shingle beach backed by towering cliffs. The Heddon Valley is a National Trust property and the beach at Heddon’s Mouth is one of those special places that feels almost impossibly remote given its relative accessibility.
The walk from Trentishoe village to Heddon’s Mouth and back covers around five miles and takes about two and a half hours. The paths can be wet and boggy on the higher ground after prolonged rain, so waterproof footwear is always a sensible choice for this route.
A complete and thoroughly satisfying coastal hill walk on the edge of Exmoor.
