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Slapton
Slapton is on the coast road
between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge and is one of the jewels in South
Devon's crown.
Slapton Ley is a fresh water
lake separated from the sea by a road and the beach. It is an important
nature reserve with lots on interesting bird and other wildlife and is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest.
For the naturist area, park at
the Strete Gate car park and follow the path along the beach away from the
Ley. If Strete Gate is full, which it usually is on sunny days in summer,
the War Memorial car park is about 1 mile away towards Torcross.
Warning: Don't park
outside the marked areas in South Hams District Council Car Parks - even
if you pay; the attendants either have 'Jobsworth' qualifications or they
are on commission and patrols are rigorous!! Also, take plenty of 'car
park change with you; at Slapton, the charges are an exorbitant:
1 hour
4 hours
Over 4 hours |
70 pence
£ 3.50
£ 4.50 |
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Naturism at
Slapton started over 60 years ago at Pilchard's Cove at the north end
but it's still unofficial! On a normal day, the naturist area now starts
at the end of the path, and families tend to head from there at an angle
of about 30 - 90° towards the sea, but when it's busy, it's
naturist from beyond the winches. |
| Slapton can get a bit
breezy and windbreaks are a good idea but inflatables are definitely
not. Swim with care when it's calm but I prefer not to when there are
breakers, as they can have quite an undertow. The beach is coarse sand -
OK for most things but useless for sand-castles. |
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It's one of the few naturist
beaches which may be suitable for some people with disabilities. Access is
about 1/2 mile, mainly on the level. Most of the path is wheelchair
friendly but there are a couple of areas of soft sand which may be
difficult.
After a day on the beach, where
you are likely to find many families, some with three generations all
enjoying the sun together, there are plenty of good hotels, pubs and
restaurants nearby. There are basic, though excellent, naturist camping
facilities at Manor Farm at Strete village.
Enjoy!
Map
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