South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is England’s longest National Trail: a 630-mile (1,014 km) route running from Minehead on the Somerset coast to Poole Harbour in Dorset, waymarked for the whole length.

Expect a constant “rollercoaster” profile—rises and drops at every river mouth—so total ascent and descent add up to something on the scale of roughly four ascents of Everest. It’s typically walked over many years in stages (a single-through hike is often quoted in the 30–60 day range).

The path hugs the coastline as it runs through Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, passing through Exmoor National Park (including the Exmoor coast section around headlands and cliffs) before continuing along the Devon and Cornwall coast.

Classic high points on the route include Great Hangman near Combe Martin (listed as the highest point on the path at 318 m / 1,043 ft) and the Valley of Rocks on the Exmoor coast (known for its herd of goats and dramatic rock formations).

As it enters Dorset, the route follows the Jurassic Coast coastline, and it also crosses into major landscape designations such as World Heritage Sites including the Jurassic Coast and the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Run and support for the trail is organised around the South West Coast Path as a National Trail: it uses an acorn waymarking system, with larger markers at key points such as Minehead (start) and South Haven Point (mid/end marker noted on the route guidance).

Typical planning is built around sectioning the route, because diversions can happen over time and the scale is large (tens of thousands of steps, hundreds of signposts and stiles were measured in a past survey). For logistics, most walkers base itineraries on the standard waymarked sections rather than trying to link arbitrary start/finish points.

More information: Official website, Wikipedia, South West Coast Path Guide | Everything You Need