Lydstep Head and Skrinkle Haven

The walk starts at the National Trust's Lydstep Head car park. A path leads out round Lydstep Point, the limestone headland above Lydstep Haven, with views to Caldey Island and its lighthouse and, on clear days, to Lundy and the Somerset coast; its cliffs show dramatic vertical folds. Back at the car park, the Coast Path runs west along the cliff top to the edge of Skrinkle Haven, where steep cliffs fall to the sea, and the walk returns the same way.

It is 4.6 km with 87 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy.

The cliffs are unguarded and the coastal slope is very steep: the National Park says to keep to the path. Cattle graze the headland. The caverns below Lydstep Head can be reached only at low tide, by 100 steps, and this walk does not go down. The path to Skrinkle Haven beach is closed because the cliff is collapsing, and the Manorbier firing range lies just beyond: look for red flags before you go west.

The National Trust runs the Lydstep Head car park; its trail page does not give a charge and nor does OpenStreetMap, so check before you go.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.