Slapton Sands to Start Point – South West Coast Path Walks
May 11, 2020
The walk from Slapton Sands to Start Point on the South West Coast Path is actually only 7 miles, so very do-able in one go. However, not fancying the walk back and public transport not an option, we did this section in two parts.
Slapton Sands to Torcross
Part 1 of this stretch was from Slapton Sands to Torcross, returning via the Slapton Ley Nature Reserve and the village of Slapton itself.
Slapton Sands is 3 miles of beautiful shingle beach backed by the nature reserve. It has a surprising history relating to WWII (see below), highlighted by the American Sherman tank located at the far end in Torcross,.
Slapton village is worth a stroll through to see the pretty houses, church and old tower that is located in the garden of The Tower Inn pub; somewhere we have earmarked for a pub lunch when lockdown is at an end (their menu looks fantastic…can’t wait).
Slapton Sands History
At Torcross stands a Sherman tank which sunk ¾ of a mile off the coast of Slapton Sands during training exercise “Tiger”.
So why here on Slapton Beach? The US trained at Slapton in preparation for D-Day as it has a steep shingle beach very similar to “Utah beach” in Normandy. The actual landing was horrific enough but the exercises saw a large loss of life before that fateful day.
Firstly, Commander Eisenhower ordered live ammunition to be used to get the troops accustomed and battle-hardened. Secondly, poorly protected landing craft in Lyme Bay (they sailed out towards Weymouth and back to simulate the length of the crossing) were spotted by 4 German E boats; 3 landing craft were torpedoed, sinking 2, which resulted in 639 deaths that day.
In fact there were more lives lost (749) during all the training exercises than the actual D-Day landing at Utah beach.
Torcross to Start Point
For the second leg we left Slapton Sands at Torcross and took the South West Coast Path to Start Point (and back again…via a pub stop at The Cricket Inn at Beesands).
The path goes steeply out of Torcross through woodland and fields high above the coastline. It then descends to the tiny village of Beesands, which consists of a row of houses, a pub and a cafe.
From Beesands to Start Point is an undulating cliff top path taking about 45 minutes. It passes The Lost Village at Hallsands, which is worth a slight detour to read about how the village was lost to the sea.
The Lost Village
The village of Hallsands was a small fishing village of 128 inhabitants. During the night of 26th January 1917 a huge storm hit the coast causing high tides and waves crashing against the shore. Four houses were lost before midnight and the next day another high tide took all but one house. Miraculously no lives were lost as everyone managed to scramble to safety. However, this was not totally a natural disaster. 18 years of dredging further up the coast (for Plymouth’s naval dock) caused the angle and shape of the beach to change, and affected the low water mark, which moved further inland; meaning the natural protection they once had was gone.
Don't miss on the Slapton Sands to Start point Coast Path:
- A walk along the beach – it’s hard work walking on the shingle but the sound of the sea is amazing. Stone skimming optional.
- A walk around Slapton Ley nature reserve – shady wooded paths along the banks of the lake and some great wildlife spotting opportunities.
- Grab an ice cream in Torcross. Start Bay Inn serves the local Salcombe ice-cream by the scoop.
- The Cricket Inn at Beesands – this pub serves the most amazing local seafood. Items we have to mention:
- The Beesands crab soup – there are no words
- The chicken liver parfait – amazing and huge, definitely a sharing starter.
- The Seafood Pancake – apparently it is their signature dish of 17 years. It is loaded with seafood in a rich creamy buttery sauce. Don’t look at the calorie count.
- Book at the weekend – a must (and if you want the seafood platter-book it)
- The lost village – there are a few remaining buildings and remnants to be seen and a great information board about the fate of the village.
- The detour to Start Point to see the lighthouse. Although not always open, it’s still great to see.
What's next on our South West Coast Path adventure?
We’re heading around the bend from Start Bay (which runs from Dartmouth to Start Point) and hitting the South West Coast path to the West along Lannacombe Bay. The first thing we discovered? – it’s windy around this side….
