Silver Mines, Smugglers and Two of North Devon’s Quietest Beaches
- Rating: Good Beach
- Terrain: Tricky
- Level: Beginner – Intermediate
- Dog-friendly: Seasonal – Combe Martin main beach bans dogs from 1 May to 30 September. Newberry Beach (the better glass beach) has no dog restrictions year-round. Hele Bay has no dog restrictions year-round.
- Location: Combe Martin and Hele Bay, North Devon
- Sat Nav: EX34 0DN (Kiln Car Park, Combe Martin) or EX34 9QY (Hele Bay car park)
- Common colours: Green, brown, white
- Rare colours: Cobalt Blue, Black, Lavender
Best For:
- Sea glass hunting
- Rock pools
- Long beach walks
- Family visits
Why Combe Martin and Hele Bay – the North Devon pairing most hunters walk straight past
This is a two-beach guide covering a four-mile stretch of North Devon coast that sits in the gap between Ilfracombe and the Exmoor coast, and gets a fraction of the footfall of either.
That’s partly because neither beach is on the main tourist circuit, and partly because the dramatic scenery, Great Hangman looming above Combe Martin at over a thousand feet, the highest sea cliff in England, tends to draw walkers rather than beachcombers. Their loss.
Combe Martin is one of the most historically layered villages on the Devon coast. Records for silver-lead mining in Combe Martin date back to at least 1292, and for over six centuries, Combe Martin’s silver-lead ore contributed significantly to the local and national economy.
The silver from these mines funded medieval military campaigns. The cove that sits below the village has been receiving the waste of that industrial activity, plus centuries of coastal trade, smuggling, fishing and shipbuilding, for longer than most English harbours have existed.
Combe Martin’s sheltered cove supported imports and exports, coal vessels, fishing smacks, and pilot cutters. For centuries, the village operated as a small fishing port and harbour, with local families engaged in piloting, netting, and coastal trade.
Hele Bay, a mile west toward Ilfracombe, is a quieter and less visited cove with confirmed sea glass finds, a pebble and rock pool foreshore, and no dog restrictions at any time of year. Way back in the Iron Age, Hillsborough, the 135-metre promontory separating Hele Bay from Ilfracombe, was an important hillfort, the local centre for trade and probably the seat of the local chieftain. The site has been a coastal landing point for longer than recorded history.
Done together in sequence, Hele Bay to Combe Martin makes a highly civilised half-day: two beaches, the coast path between them, good rock pools at both ends, and some of the best industrial history on the North Devon coast to explain what you’re finding.
What you’ll find here
Colours commonly found: Green, brown, white
Occasional finds: Blue, Aqua, Amber, Turquoise
Rare finds: Cobalt Blue, Black, Lavender
Bonus: Sea pottery, Victorian ceramic shards, smooth Devon slate pebbles, rock pool life at both beaches
When to go
Low tide is essential at both beaches. Combe Martin’s main beach is sandy at low water, but it’s the pebble and rock pool margins and, in particular, Newberry Beach just to the east, where glass concentrates. Hele Bay opens up significantly at low water, revealing the full extent of the rock pool foreshore and the rocky sections toward Blythes Cove.
Combe Martin beach usually offers good pickings, especially after a storm or some rough weather. Both beaches face northwest into the Bristol Channel and pick up Atlantic swell after westerly and northwesterly weather. Post-storm is worth targeting particularly in autumn and winter when the storms are more frequent, and the beaches are empty.
The dog restriction on Combe Martin main beach makes winter the natural hunting season anyway. From October through April, the whole stretch is yours, the storms are producing, and the coast path between the two beaches on a clear morning with the Exmoor cliffs behind you is one of the better short walks in Devon.
Today’s tide times & Sea Glass Score
Both Combe Martin and Hele Bay sit on the North Devon coast facing northwest into the Bristol Channel, with a tidal range of around 7 metres on a spring tide generous enough to expose a wide foreshore at low water, but with fast-moving tides that demand attention. The northwest-facing aspect means westerly and northwesterly winds push onshore here, freshening the strandlines and sorting the shingle after a blow.
The widget below uses Ilfracombe tide data (UKHO station), the nearest standard port for this section of coast, to show today’s Sea Glass Score, tide curve and best hunting window. Plan to arrive at Hele Bay around two hours before low water and work east toward Combe Martin, timing your arrival at Newberry Beach for the lowest point of the tide
Where to look – two beaches in sequence
Hele Bay is the western starting point, a small sand and pebble cove tucked between Hillsborough headland and the cliffs to the east, about a mile from Ilfracombe on the A399. The part sand, part shingle beach is popular with families and has good rock pools. The sea glass hunting concentrates in the shingle patches above the sand line and in the rock pools at the eastern end of the beach toward Blythes Cove.
At very low tide, the rocks around Blythes Cove expose additional ground worth working. The smugglers’ caves named Samson’s Hole, Joe Moon’s Hole and Tom Norman’s Hole are set into the cliff, worth poking into at low water, where glass can accumulate on the cave floors.
The coast path east to Combe Martin – the South West Coast Path runs between the two beaches, climbing over the headland east of Hele Bay with wide views across the Bristol Channel toward Wales. Allow thirty to forty minutes for the walk. It’s uneven in places and not suitable for pushchairs, but it’s one of the more rewarding stretches of the North Devon path.
Newberry Beach, Combe Martin -this is the productive end of the Combe Martin visit. Newberry is a small pebble cove immediately east of the main Combe Martin beach, accessed via steps from the car park area. It has no dog restrictions year-round, no seasonal ban, and consistently better glass-trapping terrain than the main beach.
Newberry Beach is a pebble beach with no dog restrictions. Work the shingle thoroughly and check the rocky crevices at the base of the cliff — pieces accumulate in the gaps and sit undisturbed between tides.
Combe Martin main beach – worth a look on the way back, regardless of season. The rock pool margins at both ends of the beach are the productive zones. The caves and inlets along the cliff base hold glass at low water. Sandy at low tide, but don’t ignore the transition zones between sand and pebble.
Key Tip:
Treat Hele Bay and Newberry Beach as a single hunting trip. Search the shingle and rock pools at Hele Bay first, then make the short journey to Newberry Beach, where the pebble terrain consistently traps more glass than the main Combe Martin beach.
Difficulty Level – Intermediate
- Multiple hunting zones are spread across two locations
- The best areas are exposed around lower tides
- Rocky sections and cave approaches require careful footing
- Coast path links involve uneven terrain and gradients
- Success comes from targeting rock pools, caves and pebble beaches rather than open sand
Hunting Style – The Cove Explorer
This stretch of coast rewards hunters who enjoy exploring hidden corners. Search the shingle patches and rock pools at Hele Bay, investigate the cave margins around Blythes Cove at low tide, then move on to Newberry Beach, where pebbles, cliff-base crevices and sheltered coves create natural traps for glass.
Beach Personality
Hele Bay and Combe Martin feel like a coastal treasure hunt spread across a series of coves. Smugglers’ caves, rocky inlets, pebble beaches and dramatic North Devon scenery create an atmosphere of exploration at every turn. This is not a beach for standing still. The best finds come from moving between coves, peering into rock pools and following the coastline wherever the tide allows.
Dog friendly?
Nuanced – read the details before you go.
Hele Bay – dogs welcome all year round with no restrictions. Dogs are allowed on Hele Bay Beach in Ilfracombe, Devon, all year round.
Newberry Beach – dogs welcome all year round, no restrictions. This is the better glass beach of the two Combe Martin options, and your dog can come any time.
Combe Martin main beach – dogs are banned on the main beach between May 1 and September 30. Outside those months, fully accessible. The practical upshot: if you’re visiting from October to April, the whole stretch is open. If you’re visiting from May to September, stick to Newberry Beach and Hele Bay, both of which are unrestricted.
The coast path between the two beaches is dog-friendly year-round.
Check our Yappy Places listing for Combe Martin and Ilfracombe for dog-friendly pubs and cafés in both villages. Combe Martin has five pubs along its famously long high street- take your pick on the way back.
Practical information
Parking: Kiln Car Park, Combe Martin (EX34 0DN) – pay and display, with public toilets. For Hele Bay, park at Hele Bay car park (EX34 9QY) – pay and display, a few minutes’ walk to the beach, reportedly around £2.50 for the day.
If doing the full walk from Hele Bay to Combe Martin, park at one end and either walk back or arrange a short car shuttle – the two villages are around four miles apart by road.
Toilets: Public toilets at Kiln Car Park, Combe Martin. Facilities available near Hele Bay car park.
Food and drink: Combe Martin has multiple cafés, pubs and ice cream parlours along the high street. The Redwood Café is close to the beach end of the village. Hele Bay has a café near the beach. Ilfracombe, a mile west of Hele Bay, has a full range of options if you want a longer post-hunt stop.
Getting there without a car: Bus services connect Ilfracombe and Combe Martin, check First Devon & Cornwall for current timetables. Ilfracombe is the nearest hub with good connections from Barnstaple, which is served by rail from Exeter.
Accessibility: Combe Martin main beach has level access from the car park via a slope. Newberry Beach has steps down. Hele Bay has a short slipway suitable for wheelchairs. The coast path between the two beaches is an uneven cliff path, not suitable for wheelchairs.
What to bring
- Wellies or sturdy shoes – both foreshores are rocky and slippery, and the coast path between them is rough underfoot
- A bag or tin for finds – glass at both beaches tends to be well-tumbled and compact
- A hand rake for working the Newberry Beach shingle and Hele Bay’s pebble patches
- Layers and a windproof jacket – this coast faces the Bristol Channel directly and is exposed in all but the calmest conditions
- A tide table or app – the tidal range here is significant, and the foreshore shrinks fast on the flood
- Binoculars – larger vessels pass through the Bristol Channel regularly, and the view from the coast path toward Wales is exceptional on a clear day
The history behind the glass
Combe Martin’s history starts underground. Records for silver-lead mining here date back to at least 1292, and from the late 13th century, the Combe Martin Mines were among the principal sources of silver and coinage in England and Wales.
Historic mines like Knap Down and Fay’s Mine provided silver that famously helped fund the Hundred Years’ War in the 13th century. The silver was real, the mines were extensive, and the industrial infrastructure that supported their smelting works, ore processing, the constant movement of people and provisions, all fed waste into the cove below.
The coastal trade layered more history on top. A local 19th-century steam sawmill built vessels up to 100 tons on the River Umber. Combe Martin’s sheltered cove supported coal vessels, fishing smacks, and pilot cutters. Coal was shipped in from Wales across the Bristol Channel. Lime was quarried locally and exported. A steam saw-mill and shipyard operated from 1837 to 1843 on Borough Road, launching vessels via spring tides.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, North Devon, particularly around Combe Martin, was a hotbed for smuggling activities. High taxes on imported goods like tea, spirits and tobacco fuelled it, and organised groups of free-traders navigated the Bristol Channel. Smuggled spirits came in glass bottles.
The caves at Hele Bay and Combe Martin were used as storage points. When cargoes were lost, chased, or jettisoned, the bottles went into the water.
J.M.W. Turner sketched Combe Martin’s lime kilns and harbour scenes in 1811, now held in the Tate collection. The village he drew was already centuries old as a trading port. The mining declined through the 19th century, the coastal trade gave way to the railway, and the village eventually settled into tourism. But the cove below still holds what six centuries of industry, fishing, smuggling and coastal trade put into it.
Hele Bay adds its own layer. Way back in the Iron Age, Hillsborough was an important hillfort, the local centre for trade. The caves in the cliff at Hele Bay carry the names of known smugglers. The quarry on the Hillsborough headland was used as a waste-sorting station between 1880 and 1886. The history here is quieter than Combe Martin’s but no less real.
From beach to jewellery
Found something worth keeping on the Combe Martin shingle? At Mermaid Tears, every piece starts exactly where you’re standing, hand-hunted from UK beaches and handmade into something lasting. Browse the collection.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Tide times, dog restrictions, parking charges and beach conditions change regularly. Always verify before visiting. Dog restriction dates on Combe Martin main beach are reviewed annually- check with Devon County Council and North Devon District Council before visiting with a dog. The coast path between Hele Bay and Combe Martin involves cliff walking and should not be attempted in poor visibility or high winds. Always check tide times before visiting either beach.
Last updated: May 2026
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for sea glass – Hele Bay or Combe Martin? They’re different in character. Hele Bay is slightly smaller and quieter, with good shingle and rock pool margins, including the smugglers’ caves at the cliff base. Combe Martin’s Newberry Beach — the pebble cove east of the main beach – is consistently the more productive stop, with better glass-trapping terrain than the sandy main beach. Done together in sequence, they make a thorough half-day hunt.
Can I walk between Hele Bay and Combe Martin? Yes – the South West Coast Path connects them over the headland east of Hele Bay. Allow thirty to forty minutes and expect some uneven cliff path. It’s the best part of the visit on a clear day, with wide views across the Bristol Channel.
Are dogs allowed at both beaches? Hele Bay and Newberry Beach (Combe Martin) are dog-friendly all year round. The main Combe Martin beach bans dogs between 1 May and 30 September. If you’re visiting in summer, head straight to Newberry Beach and Hele Bay – both unrestricted and both better for glass anyway.
What is the best time of year to visit? October to April – the dog restrictions lift on the main beach, storms are more frequent, and the beaches are empty. Post-storm conditions after westerly or northwesterly weather are ideal at both locations.
Is the Combe Martin silver mining history visible? Yes – the old mine workings on Bowhay Lane are preserved and occasionally open to visitors via the Combe Martin Silver Mines Society. The Combe Martin Museum on Cross Street tells the full story of the mining and maritime history. Worth combining with the beach visit.
How do I get to Newberry Beach? Park at Kiln Car Park (EX34 0DN) in Combe Martin and walk east along the foreshore past the main beach. Newberry Beach is accessible via steps just around the headland to the east. It’s a short walk from the car park and is signposted locally.
