Where to stay along the Salt Path

The Salt Path – both the bestselling memoir by Raynor Winn and its film adaptation – captures the raw beauty of the South West Coast Path and the resilience of the human spirit. Following Raynor and her husband Moth as they walk the entire path from Somerset to Dorset after being evicted from their home, the story is steeped in the power of the landscape.

If the film’s spectacular coastal scenery has inspired you to explore the Devon, Cornwall, or Dorset coast for yourself, try this selection of one-of-a-kind accommodation set along or near the South West Coast Path. Each offers a deeply atmospheric place to stay – whether tucked in a wooded valley or perched above wild sea cliffs, along the salt-blown edge of Britain. 

Peppercombe, North Devon

“We’re nearly at a little ravine, think it’s called Peppercombe. There’s a stream there and trees, so we can get out of the heat.” The Salt Path 

In the lush green seclusion of Peppercombe Valley, two Landmark hideaways await: the 1920s Castle Bungalow and the charming, pink Bridge Cottage. The coast path threads through the valley, passing near to both. In The Salt Path, Raynor and Moth seek refuge from the heat by a cool stream running through the valley, before camping overnight on the beach.

Coombe and Duckpool, North Cornwall

"It seemed fitting that we were finding shelter in his wooden hut, shipwrecked from life, lifewrecked in the driftwood." The Salt Path 

A short walk inland from the sea at Duckpool, where the South West Coast Path rises and falls across the bay, the hamlet of Coombe nestles at the junction of two wooded valleys. Coombe consists of a watermill, the mill house and several cottages, built among orchards around a ford across a shallow stream - and all available to hire for holidays. It was here in the 1820s that Robert Stephen Hawker, the flamboyant Vicar of Morwenstow, lived. Well known as a poet, artist and rescuer of shipwrecked sailors, Hawker built himself a hut from driftwood on the cliffs below Morwenstow, which he would walk to most days to write, reflect and watch the sea. In the Salt Path, Raynor and Moth visit Hawker’s Hut, ‘sheltering in his wooden hut surrounded by the gorse-filled air, among the rocks, sea and sky’. Explore our properties at Coombe.

Lower Porthmeor

"We found some stools in a dark corner by the bar of the Tinner's Arms, peeled off the waterproofs and ordered a pot of tea." The Salt Path 

Set on the wild, western edge of Cornwall near the village of Zennor (where Raynor and Moth dried their socks at The Tinner’s Arms), Lower Porthmeor overlooks the Atlantic. The coastal path skirts the cliffs above, revealing three Landmark cottages on the hillside: The Farmhouse, The Captain’s House, and Arra Venton. All three are currently being refurbished, with bookings open now for stays later this year. 

The Egyptian House, Penzance

"We carried on, the sun rising in medieval drama behind St. Michael's Mount. The tide was ebbing quietly away, freeing the mount from its seabound island existence." The Salt Path 

Directly on the South West Coast Path, the legendary pirating town of Penzance is a lively place with an artistic undercurrent. On the town’s main high street sits the Egyptian House: a rare and noble survivor of a style that enjoyed a vogue after Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt in 1798. Now divided into three apartments with views across the bay towards St Michael's Mount, it makes a wonderful base from which to explore Penzance and this stretch of the coast.

Frenchman's Creek, Helford

"The morning was bright, soft early-autumn air hanging damp with dew and cobwebs, a light mist clearing as we pushed through a scrubby copse to a viewpoint overlooking the Helford River and made tea."  The Salt Path 

At Helford, the coastal path is momentarily broken by the wide waters of the river and linked together by a small ferry that has passed for over 300 years between Helford and Helford Passage. Both villages have popular pubs with views of the water where you can wait for the ferry to arrive. On a quiet tributary of the Helford River, Frenchman’s Creek is a secluded and romantic cottage deep in the woods. Stay here to explore this dreamlike part of Cornwall, made famous by Daphne Du Maurier in her pirating adventure of the same name.

Kingswear Castle, Kingswear

"Mill Bay Cove, ferry, Compass Cove, Combe Point, sleep." The Salt Path

Built in 1502 and seemingly carved from the cliffs, Kingswear Castle stands sentinel on the mouth of the River Dart, across from Dartmouth. Located directly on the South West Coast Path, just around the headland from Mill Bay Cove, the castle offers panoramic views from rooftop to shoreline and ample walking opportunities directly from the door. 

Margells, Branscombe

"We stopped on the beach at Branscombe to make food, nestling the stove on the shingle beach." The Salt Path

The village of Branscombe winds down a steep valley toward the sea, ending in a wide, shingle beach. At the far end of the village sits Margells, a deceptively simple cottage containing fine Tudor wall paintings and a well-preserved 16th-century interior, which may once have been the parlour wing of a larger house. Stay here to explore this lush wooded valley, and walk the coastal path across the headland to the fishing village of Beer.

Belmont, Lyme Regis

"Leaving the sea, we entered the woods, our packs weighed down with fossilised ammonites from the beach." The Salt Path

Famous for its fossils, there’s plenty to explore in Lyme Regis itself, as well as its neighbouring Charmouth Bay, where you can still discover ammonites locked inside the rocks - just as Raynor and Moth did, as they walked from Dorset into Devon via the Undercliff. Overlooking the sea at Lyme Regis, Belmont is an elegant 18th century seaside villa, once home to John Fowles, whose novel The French Lieutenant's Woman takes place in the town in 1867. Sleeping eight guests, it's a fine place for families and groups of friends to stay and explore this varied section of South West Coast Path. 

Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge

"We filled the bottles at a spring at the base of West Hill and began a slow, slow walk up Houns-tout Cliff toward the Kimmeridge Ledges, where rock climbers hung in effortless patterns of Lycra and chalk bags" The Salt Path

Clavell Tower is known to many who have walked past its door along the South West Coast Path. High up on the cliff at Kimmeridge Bay the tower is an extraordinary place to stay - whether you want to head out for bracing coastal walks or simply stay indoors and witness the changing light, weather and sea from your cosy eyrie. One of our most popular and well-booked Landmarks, this is one to add to your bucket list for future adventures.