Combesgate Beach

Located on the coast of North Devon, Combesgate Beach is a small but wide beige sand beach with many rocky portions.  The beach is positioned 600 meters north of the famous Woolacombe Beach, which lies at the mouth of the valley of Mortehoe along the shores of Bristol Channel. The beach has a beautiful background of rugged cliffs, coastal vegetation, and many oceanfront buildings, which together provide incredible views of Lundy Island and the vast Atlantic Ocean. 

Combesgate Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except restrooms and a nearby bus stop, so plan your trip accordingly.

Combesgate Beach offers many fun activities, including swimming, sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, surfing, windsurfing, building castles, rockpooling, watching wildlife, walking, and hiking.  If you are planning to go into the water, it has a safe swimming area, but we recommend being careful, as the water is known to have unpredictable rip currents.  It is important to note that visitors cannot access the beach during high tide, when the whole area becomes a large pool.   It is a perfect spot for windsurfing due to its frequently windy weather.  If you enjoy rockpooling, you may spot an array of marine life, making it a fascinating spot for nature enthusiasts.  Hikers can enjoy the nearby hiking trails, which offer unique insights into the local biodiversity.  This beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter experience, as it sees fewer visitors than other nearby beaches.  Dogs are allowed here if they are on a leash, except from Easter Day to October 31st, and the beach is open from sunrise until sunset.

Combesgate Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Combesgate Beach is easy - the beach has a large paid parking lot located at Hartland House, The Esplanade, Woolacombe, Ex 34 7DJ, which provides easy access to the beach.  After parking, visitors have to walk for around 10 minutes and climb down a long staircase to access the beach. 

Combesgate Beach can also be reached by a public bus (line 31 and 303), which stops near the beach.

Combesgate Beach is often referred to as a small sister to the famous Woolacombe Beach.

There are many attractions near Combesgate Beach.  Bull Point Lighthouse is a 36-foot-tall lighthouse positioned on the northern tip of the village of Mortehoe that served as a navigational aid for ships to safely pass the waters of the North Devon Coast and the Bristol Channel.  The North Devon Coast National Landscape is a protected natural area spread over 66 square miles that preserves the fragile ecosystem of the region, including sand dunes, coastal landscapes, estuaries, cliffs, and woodland.  Visitors can enjoy many fun activities, including hiking, picnicking, bird watching, and surfing.  Baggy Point is a dog-friendly two-mile-long circular paved walking trail that meanders through a headland and offers Instagram views of farmlands, cliffs, Lundy Island, and Bristol Channel.  Mortehoe Museum is located in a linhay barn and has a gallery that displays interesting exhibits on the history, culture, local tourism, and farming skills of the village of Mortehoe through historic artifacts, photographs, books, maps, postcards, and related memorabilia.  If you are looking for another nearby attraction, The Big Sheep is a family-friendly animal-themed amusement park that offers many fun rides for visitors of all ages. In addition, it also offers many other fun activities, including pumpkin carving, sheep racing, lamb feeding, wall climbing, tumble towers, mazes, obstacles, and an indoor gaming arcade.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants within a six-minute drive of Combesgate Beach.  The Jube serves amazing burgers, sandwiches, seafood, beef, meat, and poultry dishes.  The Tides Inn serves delicious salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, seafood, meat, pork, beef, and poultry dishes.  Bay Brasserie serves soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, seafood, meat, and poultry dishes.  Beach House Restaurant Woolacombe serves pre-designed four-course meals.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, The Beachcomber Cafe serves amazing eggs, pancakes, salads, sandwiches, and wraps.

If you are looking for a hotel near Combesgate Beach, there are many great options nearby.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star Woolacombe Bay Hotel is two minutes away by car and offers many amenities, including a spa, an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room, a fitness center, tennis courts, squash courts, a snooker room, a heated pool, a paddling pool, a fire pit, two restaurants, and a cinema.  A more affordable hotel is the 4-Star Saunton Sands Hotel, which offers many amenities, including indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, squash courts, a sauna, a spa, a fitness center, and a complimentary breakfast.  Another moderately priced option is the 3-Star Wildercombe House, which has many amenities including whirlpool tubs, outdoor seating areas, and complimentary breakfast. A more reasonably priced option is the 3-Star Westwell Hall, which offers a few amenities including an outdoor seating area and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star The Smugglers Rest & Miss Fea’s Bistro offers a few amenities including a cafe and complimentary breakfast.