Ferry across the Dart and around the wooded Froward Point cliffs past Man Sands to the harbour of Brixham.
Highlights
- Dartmouth ferry
- Froward Point
- Brixham & Berry Head
Know before you go
- Switchback cliffs after Kingswear
Climbs 1,024 m and descends 1,021 m, topping out at 123 m and dropping to 0 m. Measured along the mapped route.
What you walk on, by distance (from OpenStreetMap way types).
Four axes rated 1–5 — the single rating above is only the headline.
Ferry across the Dart and around the wooded Froward Point cliffs past Man Sands to the harbour of Brixham.
This stage depends on 1 crossing. Check times before you set out — most are seasonal or tide-bound, and the inland detour is long.
Dartmouth to Brixham is 10.9 miles (17.5 km). Allow about 5 h 54 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 41 climbs about 1,024 m and descends about 1,021 m, with a high point of about 123 m. On the South West Coast Path the ascent, not the distance, is what decides how long a day takes — the route repeatedly drops to sea level and climbs straight back out.
It is graded moderate. Rated out of five: physical demand 3/5 (Moderate), terrain 3/5 (Moderate), navigation 2/5 (Modest), remoteness 2/5 (Modest). On the SAC hiking scale it is T2 — some steep, rough or uneven ground.
By distance the surface is footpath 83%, track 1%, road & lane 16%. Percentages come from the mapped way types along the route.
March to October is the usual window for this leg. Outside it, daylight is short, some estuary ferries stop running and cliff-top wind and rain make an exposed route much harder work.
Water on this stage is moderate. We map 6 refill points on the leg — mostly pubs, cafés and taps in the villages the path passes through. Shade is minimal: this is open cliff-top walking, so carry more than you think in summer.
Yes — Dartmouth–Kingswear ferry. Year-round ferry across the Dart (Lower/Passenger ferry).
Highlights on this leg are Dartmouth ferry, Froward Point, Brixham & Berry Head.
Switchback cliffs after Kingswear.