Southwest coastal walks: Great Mattiscombe Sand, near Stokenham, South Devon

A genuinely secluded sweep of pale-brown sand and smooth pebbles, Great Mattiscombe offers some seriously impressive rock formations. Dotted along the shoreline, these tall and twisted natural henges can look – as the sun dips below the horizon – like something from a Dalí painting, and provide the beach with an eerie, otherworldly beauty. Our suggested walk, which throws up some breathtaking views across the water to Dartmouth and Slapton Sands, takes you around the rugged headland of Start Point and along some of the more rudimentary sections of the Coastal Path. Watch your footing.

Walk grade: Moderate

Distance: 2 miles

Time: 35 mins

Take the A379 to Stokenham, then follow signs to Start Point. Take the path to the lighthouse from the car park – about halfway along, you’ll see a path to the right. This takes you along the southern edge of Start Point and then to the beach.

Getting there

Take the A379 to Stokenham and then follow signs to Start Point. These will guide you all the way to the car park. Parking costs £3.

For a scenic diversion, walk to the lighthouse and back – it only takes ten minutes.

The beach is 15 minutes or so along the coastal path. The track to the sands is easily spotted.

To get back to the car park, return to the coastal path and look for the sign just behind the beach. Walk for half a mile back to your car.

The beach

Seclusion: 4

Sand: 3

Rockpools and caves: 4

Swimming: 4

Ebb & flow
At low tide, the pebbly areas are comfortable to sit on and there’s plenty of shade in which to relax. Though the beach shrinks radically at high tide, it’s still worth a visit. The grassy headland that overlooks it makes a lovely stopping place when the water’s high.

OS Map beach ref
SX 817,369

Car park postcode
TQ7 2ET

The pitstop
Though it’s a good 10 minutes’ drive away, the Tradesman’s Arms in Stokenham is a great stopping-off point on your way back from the beach. A flower basket-festooned, thatched inn that dates, in part, back to the 14th century, it serves a good selection of beers and real ales – including several from the surrounding area. It has a good reputation for food, too; and its kitchens make excellent use of fresh locally sourced meat and fish. Make sure you try the hand-dived scallops on crispy belly pork or the classic fish pie, made from fresh seafood landed in the nearby coastal villages.
The Tradesman’s Arms, Stokenham, Devon TQ7 2SZ (01548 580996; www.thetradesmansarms.com)

This walk is taken from 'Secret Beaches Southwest – 50 Short Walks to Secluded Shores' by Rob Smith (One More Grain of Sand). The book is available at www.secretbeaches.co.uk, at £14.95 (including p&p).