Combe Martin to Great Hangman, Devon

Along the north Devon coast near Combe Martin, Great Hangman is the highest sea cliff in the UK, its summit rising 1,043 feet above and a similar horizontal distance from sea level - to the north, land slopes down steeply then falls away vertically by nearly 800 feet. The peak can be reached by a short (1.8 mile) walk from Combe Martin, on the way passing the secluded Wild Pear Beach and the smaller summit of Little Hangman, while further east the coast path continues by descending to the deep valley of Sherrycombe before rising again to Holdstone Down.

Shoreline access in this section of the coast is only possible at Combe Martin, where the harbour is lined by a nice array of rock formations, in the thin-layered Lester Slates and Sandstones Member, and at Wild Pear Beach, access to which is via a short, steep side path; otherwise all is completely inaccessible, at the foot of huge cliffs. The slate extends to the far side of the beach, where it is replaced by the Hangman Sandstone, and this extends a long way east, almost as far as the Valley of Rocks near Lynton.

The path to Great Hangman is easy enough; steep in some places but never excessively so, rather just a slow and steady climb. Most of the surroundings are moorland, with much gorse and heather. This region lies at the western edge of Exmoor National Park.

Combe Martin

Parking for the walk to Great Hangman is beside the harbour in Combe Martin, at the Kiln Car Park, formerly the site of a limekiln. The coast path heads off northwards, initially along a residential street, but the harbour is worth exploring first. The sea retreats a quarter of a mile at low tide, revealing an expanse of sand and shingle, bordered on both sides by slate formations. A thousand foot-long concrete path, submerged at high tide, follows the west edge of the harbour past rock pools, below cliff faces of the inclined strata, ending at Lester Point, an impassable headland. There are several sea stacks, the largest named Laver Stone, plus various inlets and short sea caves.

Wild Pear Beach

The coast path from Combe Martin follows a street, Hangman Path, then curves round a grassy hillside which has many wildflowers in spring including early purple orchids. It turns east, running along the edge of a strip of woodland, above though out-of-sight of Lester Cliffs, above the concrete path in the harbour, then rises to a minor summit, soon passing the little-used side path that drops steeply down to Wild Pear Beach; a secluded and scenic place, with some sand and much bare rock, jagged and wave-sculpted formations of the grey and brown slate. At the eastern edge of the beach, the land rises very steeply at the foot of Little Hangman.

Little and Great Hangman

The coast path climbs again to the 716 foot summit of Little Hangman, which is reached by a short spur. Sandstone ledges just below to the north provide good places to shelter and look out over the vastness of the sea beneath. Further east, the trail is fairly level for a while then begins its long ascent to Great Hangman, gradually steepening as it nears the top, which is marked by a huge cairn. Far below are more inter-tidal sands and rocks, Blackstone Beach, this completely out-of-view, and reachable only by boat. After Great Hangman, the coast path is forced inland quite a way to avoid the steep lower end of Sherrycombe, and it is two thirds of a mile from the coast at the point where it crosses this valley, en route to Holdstone Down and then to Heddon's Mouth.