Sandy Cove and Windcutter Hill from Lee

This beautiful circular walk, especially at low tide because you can walk through the Morte-slate cliffs along a path and steps cut in the rock, provides a good way to discover Lee village, the gorgeous rocky bay and woods inland.

Technical sheet

4149152
A Ilfracombe walk posted on 06/10/20 by charentimoy. Last update : 25/02/21
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.80 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 223 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 226 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 153 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6 m
  • ⚐
    District: Ilfracombe 
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 51.195718° / W 4.168511°

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Sandy Cove
Shag Point from the coastal path
Lee Bay at low tide
Old Maids Cottage

Description

Park your car at Lee car park when you enter the village.

(S/E) From the car park, go past the beautiful thatched Old Maids Cottage until you bear left at the fork (dead-end signpost).

(1) Past the Grampus Inn, cross a footbridge and follow the public footpath to Lee Bay in front of you leading to the beach.

(2) At low tide only, head to the concrete path slightly left in the bay which leads to Morte-slate cliffs. Then, you can walk these incredible path and steps cut in the rock admiring characteristics rocks around you before you reach impressive Sandy Cove. Go up the steep stairs in front of you leading to the South West Coast path.
(At high tide, follow the road on the left along the bay next to the concrete path in the bay, go up until you reach and turn right "coastal path, Woolacombe 5m". Continue a few yards overlooking Sandy Cove before you join the stairs).

(3) Up the stairs, go down the coastal path on the right, cross the footbridge and go up the steep zig-zag path (can be muddy during wet conditions). Descend again until the path levels at the footbridge. Cross it, go through the gate and turn left immediately "Mortehoe 1m, Lee 3/4m". When you enter in woods follow again "Mortehoe, Lee" direction, then at the second signpost, bear left "Lee", cross the footbridge over the stream and ascend the path for 350 metres before you reach a track past the gate. Turn right onto this track before you reach another junction.

(4) Bear again right to "Footpath to Damage Barton". Next to the farm buildings, turn left and go up the track for 100 metres before you bear right (old signpost).

(5) Follow the path with a yellow arrow until you reach a junction signpost with 3 "public footpath" ways. Take the well-marked track on the right following the public footpath arrows. Go past a large gate, go across two open fields diagonally left before you reach a stile. Cross over the road, go through another stile and go across the field heading to the woods in front of you. Descend the steep and slippery path in Six Acre Woods until you reach a junction when the path levels in Borough Valley.

(6) Ignore the path on your left, go straight, then you cross a footbridge (yellow arrow) and ascend the steps. After 300 metres, cross over the track and take the footpath with a few steps in front of you (still following yellow arrows). Go through a stile and enter an open meadow close to Windcutter Hill. Follow the path for 300 metres along the hedge (can be very wet and muddy) before you bear left to the track in another open meadow.

(7) Go slightly down along the field for 20m, go through a new metallic gate and go past a tree with an incredible trunk before you enter the woods. Still following the yellow arrow, descend this last slope (steep, muddy and very very slippery because of a stream in wet conditions!) leading to Lee car park.(S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 42 m - Lee car park
  2. 1 : km 0.2 - alt. 33 m - Footbridge
  3. 2 : km 0.93 - alt. 7 m - Rock
  4. 3 : km 1.25 - alt. 18 m - Stairs leading to Sandy Cove
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 88 m - Footpath to Damage Barton
  6. 5 : km 4 - alt. 129 m - Signpost with 3 "public footpath" ways
  7. 6 : km 5.03 - alt. 79 m - Footbridge
  8. 7 : km 6.18 - alt. 134 m - Characteristic trunk
  9. S/E : km 6.8 - alt. 41 m - Lee car park

Useful Information

Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 1 review

Clarity of route description
2 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Walk interest
5 / 5
Max B
Max B

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : 12/09/21
Clarity of route description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Walk interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Quite a few puzzling sections esp 5 & 6. However with map and some wandering managed to refind route. Despite this , a great walk. with good mix of costal/inland.
Found a few of the hills tough, but I suppose I'm just getting old.

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