Bolt Tail

Bolt Tail is a wild headland on Devon’s south coast, just south-west of Hope Cove. It stands at the western end of a coastal path that runs through National Trust land to Salcombe. The Iron Age promontory fort once defended the tip, but only earthworks remain today. The land rises to about 60 metres above sea level, giving wide views over the sea. From here the coast stretches east to Bantham Beach and Burgh Island. On clear days the view reaches as far as Cornwall’s Dodman Point. The headland has a history of shipwrecks. In 1907 the steamer SS Jebba grounded near Bolt Tail. Nearly two centuries earlier, in February 1760, the 90-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Ramillies met the same fate. These wrecks add a layer of maritime drama to the landscape. The Salcombe Estuary lies at the foot of the cliffs, its waters meeting the open sea. Visitors can walk the headland and still sense the old fort’s defensive line across the neck of land. A coastal path leads from Bolt Tail eastward past Bolberry Down and Bolt Head. The route follows National Trust land, so the scenery stays unspoilt. On the clearest days the Lizard Point in Cornwall appears on the horizon. The path offers changing views of beaches, islands and headlands. Wildflowers grow along the cliff edges in summer. The wind carries the sound of gulls and the crash of waves below.