About Slapton
Slapton is a small, unspoilt village perched on top of a hill between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. It's home to two pubs and a village shop and features a Grade 1 listed tower right next to The Tower Inn. It's only half a mile from Slapton Sands which is a coastal bar stretching for 3 miles with the sea on one side and Slapton Ley nature reserve on the other. The Ley is a large body of water and is fantastic for wildlife enthusiasts and bird watchers but is equally welcoming to all visitors and dogs on leads. There's a lovely circular walk alongside the Ley, up to Slapton village and back to the beach (which involves some steep hills) but if you're happy to retrace your steps, just walking beside the water can be very rewarding
The nearby village of Torcross is at one end of Slapton Sands and has a number of eateries, whilst the other end, Strete Gate, is much wilder and has a nudist area (you have been warned!) The entire stretch is dog friendly and the terrain ranges from sand and small pebbles to large pebbles which are great for skimming or building beach artworks.
You're likely to notice the old Sherman Tank in the carpark at Torcross and the memorial in the middle beach carpark: These both commemorate Exercise Tiger which was a huge tragedy in the war effort of 1944. The allied forces used the area to practise the D-Day landings as Slapton Sands had similar terrain to the Normandy beaches. Sadly, one night, things went terribly wrong and they came under a real attack losing 946 men. The incident was kept top secret for fear of scuppering the D-Day landings but finally came to light 40 years later after the tank was discovered by a local diver.
This area is steeped in history, and if you follow the South West Coast Path from Torcross towards Start Point you'll walk past the remains of old Hallsands village which was lost to the sea during dramatic storms in 1917.
So whether you're after a secluded spot for sunbathing, need space for some family fun, want to try out water sports or simply feel like fishing, Slapton Sands is a fantastic place for everyone to enjoy.
