Onto the red Triassic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site past Budleigh Salterton to Sidmouth.
Highlights
- Start of the Jurassic Coast
- Budleigh Salterton
- Sidmouth
Know before you go
- Steep red-cliff climbs
Climbs 641 m and descends 604 m, topping out at 160 m and dropping to 2 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.
Onto the red Triassic cliffs of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site past Budleigh Salterton to Sidmouth.
Exmouth to Sidmouth is 13.3 miles (21.3 km). Allow about 7 h 18 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 44 climbs about 641 m and descends about 604 m, with a high point of about 160 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 84%, road & lane 4%, other 12%. 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 abundant. 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.
Highlights on this leg are Start of the Jurassic Coast, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth.
Steep red-cliff climbs.