Outer Hope: Beach, Harbour and Coastal History

Outer Hope is the smaller, northernmost of Hope Cove’s two sandy beaches, and is also known as Mouthwell Sands. The beach is in the South Devon National Landscape. Sand, rocks and the changing tide shape the shoreline, while the harbour and coastal history complete the picture of the destination.

Beach and Tides

The mix of sandy and rocky areas on Outer Hope beach is ideal for exploring rock pools. How much shoreline is visible depends on the tide: at high tide, only a small section of beach remains, while at low tide more beach and rocks are exposed. If you want to explore rock pools, it is worth taking the tide level into account when planning. This lets you make allowances for the changing shoreline without assuming the beach will be a fixed size throughout your visit.

Hope Cove’s beaches have seasonal lifeguards, and the water quality is rated excellent. Facilities there include toilets, beach restaurants and bars, as well as shops selling beach essentials and refreshments. These facilities apply to Hope Cove’s beaches as a whole. When finding your way around, it is also helpful to distinguish the smaller Outer Hope beach from information about Hope Cove as a wider beach area.

Activities around Hope Cove

Hope Cove is a popular place for sea swimming in its relatively sheltered bay. Surfing is also popular here, although consistently large waves are not a feature. Together, these details give a precise picture of the conditions associated with these activities: the bay is considered relatively sheltered, while large waves cannot be expected consistently for surfing.

Hope Cove also has reefs and is a diving area with four wrecks. Swimming, surfing and diving are activities associated with the wider Hope Cove area; Outer Hope beach itself is defined mainly by its mix of sand and rocks and its tide-dependent shoreline. If you are planning your stay around a particular coastal interest, this distinction helps avoid conflating details about the beach with all the activities available in the wider area.

Harbour and Maritime History

Hope Cove Harbour provides moorings for seagoing vessels. Outer Hope Harbour also has a tide-dependent boat-launching facility; harbour instructions should be followed. The harbour breakwater was completed in 1925. These features combine practical maritime use with a visible historic structure.

The sheltered twin coves of Inner Hope and Outer Hope provided natural protection for small-scale fishing along this stretch of the South Hams coast. The Pilchard Cellar, also known as the Cellars, is also by the harbour: a rustic building with lobster pots and fishing gear that makes a good photo subject. Outer Hope’s history also includes the fact that eight coastguards and their superintendent were initially housed in the buildings at Shippen.

Bolt Tail, Coastal Paths and Houses

On the climb from Hope Cove to Bolt Tail, you pass the remains of an Iron Age hillfort. The fort on Bolt Tail is about 2,500 years old. The earthwork rampart of Bolt Tail Camp stretches 274 metres along the neck of the headland and is up to 4.6 metres high. These measurements give a sense of the rampart’s form without assuming a particular walking time or level of difficulty.

A circular route follows the coastal path towards Thurlestone and then heads inland to South Huish Farm. Hope Cove’s maritime architecture includes Ashleigh and Tarqua, the only surviving examples of houses built in the 19th century by wealthy captains of seagoing fruit schooners from Salcombe. Known as Sea Captain’s Houses, they are an important testament to Hope Cove’s past.

The Kiln is a small ice cream shop right on Hope Cove beach.

Discover more destinations: Starcross, Crediton, Newton Saint Petrock, Ashreigney, Luppitt, Pennymoor, Hatherleigh, West Buckland

For the wider travel overview: Devon.