Route Filmstrip & Description
Berry Head is Torbay's most important wildlife site, with many rare plants dependent upon the thin soils, mild climate and exposed conditions of the headland. The high cliffs are home to large numbers of nesting seabirds and it is a good place to spot sea mammals. The walk also visits the two Napoleonic war forts that dominate the headland, and Britain’s highest and smallest lighthouse. It is looked after by the Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust.
Surveyed by: Allan Ginman, July 2013
(Summer)
Accessibility Rating: 2
Distance: 2.2 km
Car Park: Pay and display at Berry Head (Postcode for Sat Navs: TQ5 9AL).
Steps: No
Barriers: No
Toilets: Berry Head Visitor Centre Car Park (disabled) and Guardian Café.


The main tarmac track climbs gently up towards the lighthouse at the end of the headland. There are benches at regular intervals along the path.

The path levels off, apart from a gentle rise and dip as you pass through the ramparts of the Northern Fort.

Go through the narrow passageway between the North Fort walls, and you can imagine how difficult it would be for an enemy to get through here unscathed, with the defenders being able to attack them from above. On the ramparts on the left hand side are replica cannons.

Just inside the Northern Fort is a café. Unfortunately the toilets here are not wheelchair accessible. Behind the café, a level but slightly uneven path (short grass) leads to the viewpoint that looks directly across to the guillemot colony on the cliffs
below the Southern Fort.

The tarmac track ends about 50 metres before the lighthouse. This last section is a wide rough stony track, with smoother grass on either side.

Here the exposed limestone has
created a rough stony ‘ramp’ down to a smoother grassy area stretching across the last few metres to the end of the headland, where
there are several seats, and a toposcope.

The Berry Head lighthouse came to be known as the smallest, highest and deepest light in the British Isles. The tower is only 5m/15ft high, requiring no further elevation than that given by the 58m/180ft high headland.

According to this toposcope from here you can see over 2000 sq km/800 sq miles of sea. On a clear day the Isle of Portland, 42 miles away on the other side of Lyme Bay is visible.

... as it slopes 1:20 gently downhill. Stop when the slope becomes too steep for you. Return back to the Radio Beacon path.

This time take the path leading off the tarmac track. It is a 1 metre
wide rolled stone path, with a slightly loose surface. This path is virtually level apart from
a short gentle descent off from the tarmac track.

The track is initially flat, but then descends gently at first, and gradually
becoming steeper. This photo shows the view at the steepest section, and the gate at the end.
Berry Head Phototrail
Map Markers
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Vertical Profile
This is an approximate vertical profile with samples taken at 100m intervals along the trail.
