Wonwell beach

Wonwell beach lies at the mouth of the estuary of the River Erme and is our all-time favourite! With fine sand perfect for digging and making sandcastles, the estuary also features the ruins of several old lime kilns upstream of the slipway.

Wonwell is a 30-minute walk from Apple Barn, along a quiet lane, across a couple of fields with splendid views across to Dartmoor, and finally down through Furzedown and Wrinkle woods (details of this walk can be found here).

Due to the strong currents off the coast, it is not advisable to swim in the sea from this beach, especially when the tide is going out. Instead, it is great fun to swim in the clear water of the estuary, or to simply lie on a bodyboard and float with the current.

At high tide you’ll see paddle-boarders and kayakers, and lots of fishing activity. This is when Wonwell beach becomes accessible only via the signposted footpath at the top of the track leading down to the slipway.

While you can drive to Wonwell, parking is only possible in the single-track lane leading down to it. There is no actual car park (and only a turning space to extricate yourself), so it can be difficult in high season. There are no facilities or lifeguard, but this is the price you pay for a beautiful, relatively untouched beach that you can sometimes have entirely to yourself at certain times of the year.

It is also worth noting that dogs are not permitted on Meadowsfoot (Mothecombe) or Coastguards beaches on the opposite side of the estuary between 1st May and 30th September. However, dogs are allowed on Wonwell beach all year round.

And make sure to check the tide times before you set off! More access information can be found here.