Thurlestone Parish Footpaths

This article appeared in the October-November 2025 issue of the Village Voice magazine and was written by David Smyth.

The dog walkers amongst you will be familiar with most of the wonderful public footpaths in our parish, but there may be a few that have escaped your attention. Others, living in this spectacular part of the world, will also have enjoyed strolling along the coast path admiring, perhaps, the sun setting over Burgh Island, waves crashing against Thurlestone Rock, and will have recognised just how lucky we are to have all this at our doorstep. But here again there may be paths that you’re not aware of and have yet to explore.

​So what I want to do is provide you with a map of the parish showing all the public footpaths and a brief summary, which hopefully will inspire you to plan, and trial some new circular or varied walks, which up to this point may not have occurred to you.   

It rather goes without saying that the most familiar and undoubtedly most scenic path in our parish is Path 3, our section of the SW Coast path. Conveniently, for walkers, there are numerous designated access paths to Path 3 from Thurlestone village which run principally across or adjacent to the golf course. There are also two undesignated paths, one at the far end of the Golf Club car park and another immediately in front of the Clubhouse. The paths across the golf course you are all familiar with are No’s 16, 20 and 19 and, with regard to these paths and Path 3, it is in all walkers’ interests to be aware that they are crossing or walking adjacent to a golf course, with all the attendant risk of flying golf balls. Golfers are very conscious of walkers’ safety however awareness and two-way consideration is in all of our best interests. Leading on from the splendid viewpoint at the north-west corner of the golf course, Path 1 follows the coast around Bantham Ham and then Path 6 provides a very pleasant loop along the estuary to Stiddicombe Creek and back again around the rear of Lower Aunemouth Farm. However while Path 6 provides the loop I’ve described it also continues into Bigbury Parish towards Stadbury opening up opportunities for a walk down to Aveton Gifford or a loop back via the inland path past Osborne Newton Farm and Paths 12 and 13. Alternatives such as Path 13 from Worthy to Clanacombe and Path 4, running along the inland boundary of the golf course, provide further options for very pleasant circular walks with varied scenery but, as I’ve alluded to above, there is no need to confine yourselves to the Thurlestone parish. South Milton to the south and Bigbury to the north feature equally beautiful scenery so hopefully the accompanying map, and link below, will provide inspiration for experimenting with some alternative routes you haven’t thought of. 

As the accompanying map is mostly confined to the Thurlestone Parish, for more widespread coverage I suggest you visit: - 
https://www.devon.gov.uk/prow/interactive-map.

Apart from the routes I’m sure many of you wonder and are at time concerned about the condition of the paths and the relevant signage. Well in very simple terms the Devon County Council (DCC), Public Rights of Way (PROW) Department is responsible for the actual underfoot paths and the relevant signage while the landowners are responsible for the verges and adjacent shrubbery. With regard to stiles and kissing gates again these are the responsibility of DCC however boundary gates, used for general access, are subject to discussion and agreement between the Council and the landowner. An audit/assessment of the condition of the paths is conducted annually in the Spring so, as the PROW representative on the Parish Council, I conduct an audit and file a return to DCC by the end of March. The DCC, PROW team then draw up an action plan and in discussion with the respective landowners appoint contractors to carry out the work. Needless to say simple repairs and emergency work can and will be attended to in the meantime but that is essentially the programme.

Many of you will be very aware of much of what I’ve covered but for those who aren’t I hope you found it useful. 

And my final message...get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!