SWCP Braunton to Croyde ~ Griffmonsters Great Walks

Sunday, 6 February 2022

SWCP Braunton to Croyde

Author: Griffmonster | Sunday, 6 February 2022 | No comments |

Braunton to Croyde

Walk along the South West Coast Path between Braunton and Croyde on the North Devon Coast

Not the typical landscape for the SWCP, this section navigates around the Braunton Marshes that surround the River Caen and then the dunes of the Braunton Burrows, although this section is mainly on a track due to the dunes being part of a military training area. The route navigates between the bus service that connects the two towns, with bus stops at either end of the route.

NOTE

This is a walk summary intended to provide the user with just the essential information in order to navigate the walk route. Fully detailed information notes, refreshment stops and walk features are not included in this. A full write up will be included in the near future.

Braunton to Croyde - Essential Information

Walk Statistics (calculated from GPX):

Start location: Braunton
End location: Croyde
Distance: miles ( km)
Total Gain: ft ( metre)
Total Descent: ft ( metre)
Min Height: ft ( metre)
Max Height: ft ( metre)
Walk Time:
Walk Grade: Medium
Terrain: Footpath, Track, Beach

Maps:

The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map: OS Explorer 139 - Bideford, Ilfracombe & Barnstaple
GPX Route File

Route Verification Details

Date of Walk: 28/06/2021
Walk Time: 11:00:00 to 15:00:00
Walkers: Griff, Kat
Weather Conditions: overcast, some bright spells

Walk Notes

After walking vast sections of the South West Coast Path and witnessing all of its fantastic panoramas and spectacular scenes and dramatic coastline, the thought of the wide open marshes that occupy the area between Braunton and Croyde at first may seem a bit of a disappointment. These are certainly the sentiments felt prior to undertaking this section, a feeling that this was no more than a routine that needed to be performed in order to complete this section. Even walking out of Braunton following the stream known as the River Caen, those feelings still pervaded.

It has to be said that despite these resignations, the walk was something of a revelation, full of things to see with wide open vistas and a compliment to those arduous hills and craggy coves. There is always something to feast ones eyes upon from the river craft littering the muddy banks and the abandoned stones cottages where the marshes have been recalimed by the waters. The only disappointment is on the Brauton Burrows area which is a military range with little indication of if and when one can venture onto this land. The area was used by the Americans as training for their Normandy landings that initiated the end to WWII. The South West Coast Path uses the hardened track that borders the area and is heavy on the feet. Doing a little research after the walk would indicate there is some public access and this would have provided a more pleasant ramble.

The strech of the path from the main road through to Croyde firstly heads up the hills past Saunton Court. This route provides some amazing views of the Burrows, and the Taw estuary with the North Devon coast stretching through to Hartland Point. Eventually the path descends back down to the road then cross to take a coastal path that emerges onto the vast sandy beach at Croyde Bay.

There is a regular bus service that links Croyde and Braunton. On the occasion that we walked this an open top service was in operation which made a fitting compliment to the days walk, with the breezes and tree branches brushing head and hair on the back seat of this bright blue double decker. Despite this airy experience, as this was a bus and there was Covid restictions in place, facemasks were required!