Devon, England

Ilfracombe Watersports Hub slipway

Launch — A 36-metre concrete slipway, 8.15 metres wide, built as part of the Ilfracombe Watersports Hub, which opened in July 2023; it lands on Larkstone Cove's sandy beach among seasonally moored boats.

Parking — No vehicle access or parking at the slipway itself; the nearest car parks are Larkstone Lane (117 spaces, 2.4m height limit) and Hillsborough (93 spaces), both run by North Devon Council.

Access — Reached on foot only, adjacent to the South West Coast Path leading down from Hillsborough. The slipway is for non-powered craft only; powered craft, including jet skis, must use the main harbour slipway instead.

Season — No published seasonal closure of the slipway itself. Boats moored in the cove are seasonal, and the harbour office moves to reduced, weekday-only hours over winter.

Regulations — The slipway sits within Ilfracombe Harbour Authority's jurisdiction (North Devon Council), governed by the Ilfracombe Harbour Byelaws 1992 and the Harbour Acts and Orders 1870 to 2019; the harbour speed limit is 4 knots. Non-powered craft may launch free of charge, with no permit or registration required.

Larkstone Cove is a small sandy cove on the eastern side of Ilfracombe's working harbour, at the foot of Hillsborough headland and a short walk from the town's harbour entrance and pier.

The Ilfracombe Watersports Hub

The slipway is part of the Ilfracombe Watersports Hub in Larkstone Cove, opened in July 2023 and built by North Devon Council with funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, the Coastal Communities Fund and Sport England. It is home to three clubs, Ilfracombe Pilot Gig Club, the Y-Sail sailing charity and Ilfracombe Canoe Club, alongside commercial watersports operators based at the Hub.

Larkstone Cove sits within Ilfracombe's working harbour, which has a large tidal range for this stretch of coast. The harbour entrance and pier, where Damien Hirst's sculpture Verity stands, are visible to the west across the cove.

Nearby

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The Lime Kiln Cafe

On-site cafe at the Watersports Hub, also licensed as a bar and restaurant.

Website

Hele Cornmill

Cream-tea cafe at the historic Hele corn mill, about 900 metres from the slipway.

Hele Valley Holiday Park

Campsite with tent and touring pitches plus static lodges and glamping pods, open to individual bookings rather than groups only.

Website

Conditions to check

Tidal flow

Ilfracombe has a tidal range of around 3 metres at neaps to 10 metres at springs, with tidal streams in the approaches reaching 2 to 3 knots and a tidal rip recorded near the Buggy Pit.

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Boat traffic

The Hub sits within a busy working harbour with multiple vessel movements a day.

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Shallow or rocky

Unlit shellfish store pots lie approximately one cable south-east of the pier.

Source

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