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    Great pub walks: Paignton to Brixham

    Bolster the pleasures of a walk along the South West Coast Path by starting – and finishing – at a good pub. Try this Paignton-to-Brixham walk (which can also be a circular route) which starts at Harbour Light in Paignton and finishes with dinner at Old Market House in Brixham.

    Start: Harbour Light, Paignton

    Occupying a scenic spot on Paignton’s waterfront, the Harbour Light is in a prime position for lunch with sea views.

    Kick off waterside wanderings with something appropriately piscatorial – the menu often includes the likes of local fish in St Austell beer batter or seafood sharing platters. Not in the mood for fish? Choose from a number of reimagined pub classics – the menu changes on an almost weekly basis – paired with a pint of one of our award-winning ales.

    Finish: old market house, Brixham

    It’s easy to enjoy great views of Brixham’s picturesque harbour thanks to two floors and extensive outdoor seating at the Old Market House.

    Reward your rambling with a taste of the terroir – the menu here is a real showcase of locally sourced food and includes the freshest fish along with succulent West Country meats. Be sure to pair your pick of the dishes with hand-selected fine wines or a St Austell Brewery beer. And whether you plan to walk off dessert or get to the bus back to Paignton, the tempting puddings are worthy of indulgence.

    The route

    Paignton to Brixham

    5.8 miles (around 2.5 hours)

    Moderate walk, featuring coast, towns and woodland

    1. Leave the Harbour Light and head left round the harbour on Roundham Road. The harbour, created in 1838, has been used to transport everything from cider and giant pole cabbages to smuggled contraband. Today, its focus has shifted to seafood and leisure boats.

    2. Turn left into Cliff Road and follow the road towards the coast, where you’ll pick up the South West Coast Path.

    3. The walk round Roundham Head takes you from shipwrecking rocks along winding paths to the promenade path above the safe sands of Goodrington Beach.

    4. At the end of the beach, the path is joined by the railway line. The two meander and intertwine to Broadsands Beach – the railway viaduct is a particularly impressive overlap. At Broadsands, quaint beach huts line a promenade that arches around the red-sand bay.

    5. The walk continues to Elberry Cove, a pebbled pocket of paradise said to be a favourite bathing site of the novelist Agatha Christie. From here, woodland abundant with salt-resistant sycamore trees limits the sea views to tantalising glimpses until you reach the secluded shingle idyll of Churston Cove.

    6. Trees hug the coastline a little longer, before eventually giving way to the outskirts of Brixham. Follow the Coast Path through Battery Gardens to Brixham Harbour, where you’ll find the Old Market House on The Quay.