If you only do one walk during your stay at Hole Mill, do this one. The Branscombe-to-Beer cliff walk is the most spectacular section of the South West Coast Path within easy reach of the property — three miles each way of dramatic chalk cliffs, the famous Hooken Landslip, undercliff woodland, big sea views and a pebble cove with a fishing fleet at the end of it. We have walked it dozens of times and we still recommend it without reservation. This is the practical guide.

The basics

Distance: approximately 3 miles / 5 km each way (the inland return adds another 3 miles). Time: 1.5–2 hours each way at a steady pace. Difficulty: moderate. One steep climb out of Branscombe Mouth, one steep descent into Beer. The middle section is undulating along the cliff edge. Start: Branscombe Mouth (the beach), about a mile from Hole Mill on foot. End: Beer slipway. Surface: mostly grass and dirt path, becoming chalk and stones near Beer. Can be muddy after rain.

The route, step by step

Branscombe Mouth to the top of the cliff

From the Branscombe Mouth car park (or from Hole Mill, walking down via the Mill Lane footpath, ten minutes downhill), head east along the back of the beach past the Sea Shanty café. The South West Coast Path is signed clearly with the white acorn waymarker — follow it up the steps onto the eastern headland. The first ten minutes are a steady climb. Stop at the top to catch your breath and look back: Branscombe Mouth from this angle is one of the great views of the East Devon coast.

Across the open cliff to the Hooken Landslip

The path now follows the cliff edge for about a kilometre across open grassland. There are wildflowers in spring (sea pink, bird's-foot trefoil, wild thyme), a few sheep, and big airy views west to Sidmouth and east to Beer Head. After about 25 minutes you reach the dramatic edge of the Hooken Landslip, where in March 1790 a vast slab of chalk cliff slid downwards toward the sea, creating a dropped amphitheatre full of stranded pinnacles, tumbled boulders and woodland that grew up afterwards.

There is a choice here. You can take the upper path along the top of the original cliff — quicker, more open, with bigger views. Or you can take the lower path through the landslip itself — more sheltered, more atmospheric, with chalk pinnacles standing in woodland and the feeling of walking through the inside of a collapsed cathedral. Take the lower path; it is the highlight of the walk.

Through the landslip and along to Beer Head

The lower path winds through woodland and chalk debris for about a mile, gradually climbing back up to the cliff top above Beer. Watch for kestrels hovering over the open ground and (in summer) for fulmars nesting on the chalk faces. After about 45 minutes from the start of the landslip you reach Beer Head, the most westerly chalk headland on the south coast of England. Big views in both directions.

Down into Beer

From Beer Head, the path descends through grassland and a wood to the village of Beer. The descent is steep in places — take it slowly. You arrive at the back of the village near the cliff-top car park; from there it is a five-minute walk down the main street to the slipway and the cove.

What to do in Beer when you arrive

You will probably arrive hungry and a bit windswept. The standard plan is:

  • Eat at The Anchor Inn (halfway up the village street, beer garden with sea view), or at Eat from the Beach kiosk at the bottom of the slipway for fish and chips made with the morning's catch.
  • Watch the fishing boats and the catch being landed at the top of the slipway.
  • Walk to the end of the cove and look back up at the chalk cliffs you just came down.
  • Buy ice creams at the kiosk by the slipway.

If you have an extra two hours, Beer Quarry Caves is a five-minute drive (or 25-minute walk) inland — see our Beer guide for more.

How to get back

There are three options:

  1. Walk back the way you came. Easy navigation, you already know the route, but you will be doing the same climbs again in reverse. Allow another two hours.
  1. Walk back via the inland route. Slightly less spectacular, slightly less steep, on bridleways and quiet lanes. About three miles, ninety minutes. Use Ordnance Survey Explorer 115 or the OS Maps app — it is well-signed but you do need a map.
  1. Take the bus. The 899 runs from Beer back to Branscombe Cross (the village) approximately hourly in summer; less frequently in winter. From Branscombe Cross it is a fifteen-minute walk back down to Hole Mill. This is what we usually recommend for guests doing the walk for the first time.

What to wear and bring

  • Walking shoes or boots — trainers will do in dry weather, but the path is uneven and chalky in places.
  • Layers — the cliff is exposed and a wind comes off the sea even on warm days.
  • Water and a snack (there is no café between Branscombe Mouth and Beer).
  • Sun cream in summer; the chalk reflects the sun.
  • Ordnance Survey Explorer 115 map, or the OS Maps app on your phone.

Safety

The path runs close to a 100-metre cliff edge in places. Keep dogs on a lead near the edge. Do not approach the very edge — the cliffs erode and crumble. Listen for any cracking or creaking in the chalk, especially after storms.

When to do it

Almost any time of year. Spring (April-June) for wildflowers; summer for the warmest swim if you want to stop at Branscombe Mouth or Beer; autumn for the clearest views and quieter paths; winter is fine on a bright dry day but be careful of slippery chalk and short daylight.

The Branscombe-to-Beer walk starts ten minutes from Hole Mill's front door and is the single best half-day out within easy reach of the property. Check our availability for your dates, or read the full Best Walks from Branscombe guide for our complete list.