Dartmouth & Dartmouth Castle

Follow the path down to the very mouth of the River Dart and you come upon a low grey castle set almost in the water, a little church at its shoulder, the tide swirling past its walls. Look across the narrow harbour entrance and you can see its twin on the far bank. Between these two strongpoints, in centuries past, a great chain could be hauled up from the riverbed to seal the harbour against enemy ships. Behind you, up the wooded estuary, a beautiful tiered town packed with boats climbs the hillside. This is Dartmouth, one of the great historic ports of England.

The setting is everything here. Dartmouth sits on the steep slate sides of the drowned Dart valley — another Devon ria — its deep, sheltered water making a superb natural harbour. From this haven, medieval fleets sailed on the Second and Third Crusades, and later gathered to fight the Spanish Armada. The town grew rich, first on wine and later on the Newfoundland cod trade. Dartmouth Castle, at your feet, was begun in 1388, and it holds a special place in military history: it was among the first English forts designed from the start for artillery — for guns rather than bowmen. Paired with Kingswear Castle directly opposite, and that famous harbour chain strung between them, it could close the river mouth to any hostile fleet. High above the town stands a later guardian of a different kind: the Britannia Royal Naval College, established in 1863, its grand building opened in 1905, where the officers of the Royal Navy are still trained today.

Here is what to look for. First, the castle itself at the harbour mouth, hard against the water, and beside it the old church of St Petrox, a striking pairing of stone and tower. Second, the narrow harbour entrance — picture that defensive chain stretched taut across the gap to Kingswear on the far shore. Third, up in the town, seek out Bayard's Cove, a cobbled quay with its own small Tudor fort, one of the loveliest corners of old Dartmouth. Fourth, lift your eyes to the Britannia Royal Naval College riding high above the rooftops. And fifth, the estuary alive with movement — the passenger and car ferries crossing, the steam railway puffing along the Kingswear bank, herons and waders on the mud, and seals sometimes surfacing in the harbour.

Let me linger on that castle by the water. When it was begun in the late fourteenth century, Dartmouth was one of the busiest ports in the land, and a rich port was a tempting prize for raiders. So the townsfolk built not just walls but a fortress made for the new age of gunpowder, with openings shaped for cannon that could rake any ship trying to force the narrow entrance. Stretch the great chain across to Kingswear Castle opposite, run the guns out, and the Dart became a trap. For centuries this quiet spot where you now stand was the locked front door of one of England's most important harbours.

A gentle word of care. This is a working estuary, busy with ferries and pleasure craft crossing constantly, so keep well clear of the water's edge and mind the traffic where the ferries land.

The Coast Path does not leap the river here — it crosses it. From Dartmouth you take the ferry over the Dart to Kingswear to rejoin the trail on the eastern shore, passing beneath the ruins of that matching castle. Before you board, take one last look back: the little fort at the water's edge, the church tower beside it, and the tiered town rising behind, its harbour crowded with masts, just as it has been for six hundred years and more.

Walk safe.