Best Clifftop Walks in England
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best clifftop walks in England are Carn Marth Amphitheatre, Honister Pass, Hawkstone Park Follies, Chee Dale, Cheddar Gorge, Higher Sharpnose Point, Curbar Edge and Baggy Point.
England is ringed and ribbed with high ground, and some of its finest walking hugs the edge of a drop. This national round-up gathers eight clifftop and edge walks from across the country, each with its own character.
Down in Cornwall you can pick along the fin of Higher Sharpnose Point near Morwenstow, or wander the old quarry theatre of Carn Marth. Devon offers the level track out to Baggy Point above Croyde, while Somerset holds the deep grey walls of Cheddar Gorge in the Mendips.
The Peak District brings two gritstone classics, Curbar Edge above the Derwent Valley and the squeezed limestone path through Chee Dale near Buxton. Up in the Lake District the road over Honister Pass climbs between Borrowdale and Buttermere beneath towering fells.
And in Shropshire, the follies of Hawkstone Park thread past sandstone cliffs, tunnels and towers. Whether you love sea air or inland crags, there is plenty here for a head for heights.
Here are eight clifftop walks to seek out across England.
Carn Marth Amphitheatre
Photo: Tony Atkin via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Carn Marth Amphitheatre On the hill of Carn Marth in Cornwall sits a former granite quarry that has been turned into an open-air theatre. The rock-walled pit holds stone terracing, and audiences settle on the grassed banks for summer shows put on by touring companies.
Out of season the place stands dry and empty, a quiet bowl of stone and turf with the cliff-like sides all around. Worth knowing before you visit: this is the quarry used for performances, which is a separate spot from the water-filled pool found elsewhere on the same hill.
It makes a striking, unusual clifftop stop in west Cornwall.
Honister Pass
Photo: Raymond Knapman via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Honister Pass High in the Lake District, Honister Pass is a steep road linking the valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere, climbing to over a thousand feet with gradients as sharp as one in four. At the top stands the Honister Slate Mine, the last working slate mine in England, still cutting green slate and offering underground tours and a via ferrata up the crag.
The fells of Fleetwith Pike and Dale Head rise above, hemming the pass in with rock. It makes a dramatic drive or walk between the two valleys, with crags close on either hand and Cumbrian scenery at its wildest all around you.
Hawkstone Park Follies
Photo: Chris Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Hawkstone Park Follies Near Weston-under-Redcastle in Shropshire, Hawkstone Park is an eighteenth-century landscape of follies laid out among steep sandstone cliffs and woods. Paths climb past a grotto, a tall white tower and a monument, ducking through dark tunnels cut into the rock and crossing bridges between the crags.
The going is steep and rugged, with plenty of steps and climbs, so sturdy footwear helps, and a torch is handy for the tunnels. It runs as a visitor attraction, open on set days through the year, so it pays to check ahead.
For anyone who enjoys drama underfoot, it is a memorable clifftop wander.
Chee Dale
Photo: Chris Morgan via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Chee Dale South of Buxton in the Peak District, Chee Dale is a narrow limestone gorge on the River Wye. Its best-known stretch is a line of stepping stones set at the foot of an overhanging cliff, where the path is squeezed hard against the rock by the river running alongside.
Those stones and the low riverside path flood and turn impassable when the water runs high, so take care after rain. The tall walls of the dale draw rock climbers, and the old railway line of the Monsal Trail runs above, giving an easier route with views down.
It is a fine, atmospheric corner of Derbyshire.
Cheddar Gorge
Photo: norman griffin via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Cheddar Gorge Cheddar Gorge cuts a deep limestone canyon through the Mendip Hills in Somerset, its road threading along the floor between high grey cliffs. The walls climb to around 450 feet at the deepest point, standing sheer above the road in places.
Show caves open off the lower end near Cheddar village, among them Gough's Cave, which runs far back into the hillside. The National Trust holds the northern side and the Longleat estate the southern, and a footpath runs along the clifftops for those who want the airy view down into the gorge.
It is one of the grandest inland cliffscapes in the country.
Higher Sharpnose Point
Photo: David Hawgood via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Higher Sharpnose Point On the north Cornwall coast near Morwenstow, Higher Sharpnose Point is a narrow, fin-like promontory of rock running out to sea. A ridge barely a hundred metres long juts from the cliffs past a ruined coastguard lookout, with an airy path along its spine for walkers who have a head for heights.
The great dishes of a satellite listening station stand on the cliffs at the neighbouring point nearby, an odd modern contrast. The coast path runs along the top, cliffs falling away on both sides.
It is a thrilling, exposed spot with the Atlantic on every side and few people about.
Curbar Edge
Photo: Graham Horn via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Curbar Edge Curbar Edge is a gritstone edge running along the moors above the Derwent Valley in the Peak District, near the villages of Curbar and Baslow. A line of dark rock stands along the top, dropping to a jumble of boulders below, with wide views west across the valley to the hills beyond.
Walkers follow the edge along the moor, while climbers work the crag, one of the well-known gritstone venues of the Peak. Behind the top, heather moorland spreads away into the distance.
It is an easy, rewarding stroll with a real sense of height, and glorious in late summer when the heather turns purple.
Baggy Point
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Baggy Point On the North Devon coast, Baggy Point is a long sandstone headland reaching into the sea between Croyde Bay and the wide sands of Woolacombe. A fairly level track runs out along its southern side to the tip, easy walking with the sea on your left and grazed fields on your right.
The crags on the point draw climbers, and seals and seabirds work the water below. On the grassy plateau you can still spot concrete dummy pillboxes, put up when American troops trained here for the D-Day landings.
The National Trust was given the headland in the 1930s, and the coast path carries on toward Woolacombe.
FAQs
Which clifftop walk is best for families?
Baggy Point in North Devon suits families well, as a fairly level track leads out to the tip with sea views, and the wide sands of Woolacombe are close by.
Are any of these walks near the sea?
Yes. Higher Sharpnose Point and Carn Marth sit in Cornwall, and Baggy Point lies on the North Devon coast, while Cheddar Gorge, Curbar Edge, Chee Dale, Honister Pass and Hawkstone Park are inland across England.
Do I need a good head for heights?
For the exposed spine of Higher Sharpnose Point in Cornwall, yes, but gentler edges such as Curbar Edge in the Peak District let you enjoy the height from a safer, broader path.
Conclusion
From the Atlantic fins of Cornwall to the gritstone edges of the Peak District, England's clifftop walking is wonderfully varied. You can trace the sea path out to Baggy Point in Devon one weekend and stand above Cheddar Gorge in the Mendips the next, or head north for the fell-hemmed road over Honister Pass in the Lake District.
Some of these routes are gentle and level, others steep and exposed, but all of them reward you with big views and a sense of standing on the edge of things. Pack sturdy boots, check the weather and mind the drops, and take your time.
Wherever in the country you find yourself, these are the clifftop walks to seek out across England.
