Beesands – Dartmouth

17 July 2026

Distance on Coast Path: 17.5km; ascent: 346m

Total distance: 19.1km; ascent: 346m

Walking time: 4h 35′

Total time: 6h 16′

Overnight: Bus and train back home.

I’d always planned an early start for today as I’d chosen to travel back home the same day. This meant reaching Dartmouth in time to catch a bus just before 3.00pm which would get me to Totnes Station in time for the train journey home. Coupled with the forecast of another hot sunny day with little or no wind to help keep me cool I was happy to feel a slight chill still in the air as I loped down the hill back to the coast at Beesands and turned north to retrace yesterday’s walk to where the bus had dropped me in Torcross.

Torcross was still waking up, and as I expected there was nowhere to buy anything for breakfast. That meal, I reckoned, was another 5km away at the end of the long straight stretch of road which runs along a natural dyke between the shore and the freshwater lake – a nature reserve – of Slapton Ley.

A Sherman tank recovered and preserved.

Crossing the village car park I saw a strange sight – a military tank which seemed to be covered in black tar. I went to investigate. There was a memorial stone nearby whose inscription told the story. It read:

“This American Sherman tank took part in the D-day practice landings at Slapton Beach in 1944 where it was lost at sea and there remained until its recovery in 1984.

It stands as a memorial to those American lives lost during the course of the D-day practice landings at Slapton Beach in 1944. Their sacrifice was not in vain. Be they ever at peace.”

Slapton Sands road closed

Just past the car park were ‘Road Closed’ signs. Parts of the road – the A379 – were washed away in storms in January 2026 and long-term repair work had not yet started. So the only travellers on the road north from Torcross were cyclists, walkers and runners – including a young woman who had passed me in the car park and who had started running as soon as she reached the road. That’s her in the distance in the photo. It meant that the road was very quiet, and although the SWCP Guide Book recommends walking on a path between the road and the lake I soon found the soft sand too much effort and gladly switched to the tarmac where I could keep a good pace.

Motor traffic started again once I reached the junction where a minor road joined the A road, but not so much as to tempt me back onto the sandy path. So I carried on past the end of Slapton lake until I reached Strete Gate, where the A road turns away from the coast and where I was very happy to find my planned breakfast stop open – the Salcombe Dairy Beach Café. Mindful of the need to have plenty to drink and to take good rest breaks I ordered a double espresso, a can of San Pellegrino orange and a hot sausage roll, sat down on one of the café’s benches and took my time before setting off.

By now it was starting to feel hot in the full sun. There was no wind and the sea was flat calm. From Strete Gate the Path leaves the sea shore and climbs to rejoin the main road at Strete before leaving it again, negotiating a short but particularly steep dip above Landcombe Cove, and finally rejoining it to continue as far as Blackpool Sands. Here there was a car park and a café so I had another longish break drinking a can of iced coffee.

Leaving Blackpool I headed uphill alongside the road in some welcome shade. Bright blue hydrangeas were in full bloom on either side, as brightly coloured as rhododendrons. The Path continued to track the road for a few more kilometres – sometimes on the road, sometimes on a path alongside – until finally parting company at the far end of Stoke Fleming village. A minor road, a wide farm track and a bridleway then took me to the edge of Dartmouth.

For a major Devon river the Dart Estuary is surprisingly discreet. Steep cliffs on either side mean you don’t see it until you’re upon it – the view along the coast across the river mouth looks continuous. So it was not until I rounded Blackstone Point and saw the castle on the far side of the water that I knew I had almost reached the town.

I felt pleased and relieved that I’d made the day’s walk in good time. I had plenty of time to get into town and catch my bus despite taking more and longer breaks than usual, and without any hint of the problem of two days ago. A long flight of very steep stone stairs took me down through a wood, and I was thankful I didn’t have to climb anything like that again today. There was just one last thing which could go wrong!

Dartmouth Harbour

As always on my Coast Path odyssey I’d used Luggage Transfers to shift my larger bag from one overnight stop to the next. They had delivered a 100% unfailing service. But … where can they leave a bag if you’re not stopping overnight?

I’d called their office. Did they have anywhere in Dartmouth they could drop a bag? Sorry, no – but they suggested I ask the Visitor Centre. I called the Centre: a helpful woman said they might have been able to accept it but she couldn’t guarantee they would be open on that Friday afternoon as they were all volunteers and no-one had yet been rostered for that time. But maybe the Harbour Office could help – they have lockers. I called the Harbour Office. “No”, said Clare, the Office Manager, “we don’t have lockers, just somewhere people keep their lifejackets.” I explained the problem. “Well, we close at half past four, but if you’re sure you’ll be here before then and give me your name and contact details, and your bag’s clearly labelled, I think we can do it.”

And so it was that at 1.45pm I climbed the stairs to the first-floor Harbour Office, walked up to the Reception desk and announced “Hello! I’m Tony and …. that’s my bag!” as I pointed to it behind the receptionist. After a few more minutes thanking Clare and the others in the office I and my bag left to find first a cold beer (The Crab on the harbour front) and then where I should catch the bus to Totnes. An eventful few days with more lows than highs was over, and I was going home with the Salcombe to Beesands section of the Coast Path on my Unfinished Business list.