Monday 17th May 2021

This morning Jill misread her watch and so we started getting up soon after 6am which was no bad thing since we had to get a bus at 07:52. Fortunately the bus stops just a few yards from the flat where we are staying. Being a Monday there were more passengers than on our bus ride last night; the weekday buses have to include a stop at the secondary school in Looe so our ride took almost an hour.

We dozed our way to Polperro where we walked back down the main street to cross the river by means of the old town bridge and then walked down the west side of the quay back to the coast. Polperro was looking a little prettier after yesterday’s greyness but it wasn’t exactly bright sunshine either.

We started with some steep, uneven steps to Chapel Cliff. As we got to the top of them we realised there was an elderly, quite infirm woman scooping up her dog’s poop from the path. She was having great difficulty bending down. She let us pass and then she continued painfully slowly using a pair of walking poles as crutches. More power to her elbow! Long may she continue to be active, however limited.

The path soon became became very narrow only 30cm wide and much like sheep trods on mountains. It made it difficult to walk as fast as we would have liked and thus it continued for a few miles. We had good views into a number of tiny coves some of which appeared to be only accessible by sea.

We had hoped to reach Polruan and the Fowey ferry by 11.30 but due to the difficulty of the path we did not reach the ferry until 12:15. Polruan is an attractive little village but we didn’t dally as we wanted to get on the next ferry. That was just £2.50 per person.

From Fowey the path was wider and, more often than not, it was a grassy sward. There were still a number of ups and down but generally less severe than in the first part of the day. As we came down to Polridmouth, the heavens opened and we paused under the trees as we watched a couple cross the outflow from the little lagoon behind the beach.

From soon after Polperro we had seen the Gribben Daymark Tower. In the distance we could make out a parallel sided tower on a headland but we were far to distant to work out what it was but I had assumed it was a modern structure. However, this red and white banded tower was opened in 1832 by Trinity House as a guide to shipping and to help distinguish St Austell from Falmouth. The tower has parallel sides unlike a lighthouse and indeed it has never been lit. It is now owned by the National Trust. It is certainly a good landmark because it remained in our sight when the visibility was good for the next two days.

We sat on a bench just by the tower and had our lunch in the sunshine. After yesterday’s wall-to-wall rain, today was a real contrast with quite a bit of dry weather and intermittent sunshine.

From here we had just four miles to walk to get to Par where we had originally planned to finish today’s walk as it has railway station. It seemed reasonable that we could go on a bit further and so we kept walking quite fast to Par Sands. The only break in our speed was the clamber down to Polkerris just before we reached Par Sands.

We strode across Par Sands. It seemed like a long time since were last walking a substantial wet beach. As we set off across the sands, I thought I could see someone walking a couple of small ponies on the far end of the bay. When we we got to the far end we discovered that it was a man leading a pair of massive Russian Wolfhounds. He said they were known locally as “The Par Ponies”.

Par itself was rather disappointing and the coast path deviates inland and around the docks before getting back to the low cliffs that lead to Charlestown. We made good time and in Charlestown just before 5pm we managed to get to a café just before it closed and get a cup of tea.

Whilst having tea, I called a cab firm and arranged a pickup from the coast path at Lower Polpean which was only three-quarters of a mile further on along the path – or so we thought. No sooner had we set off again than we discovered that the path along the coast had been closed due to landslips and we had a rather tedious and considerably longer route (1.6 miles) to follow along roads until we reached Porthpean. The taxi arrived at almost the same time as we did. We had a short ride to St Austell Station and the taxi-driver was really helpful, ensuring she took us to the right side of the station for our train back to Liskeard which only took about 30 minutes.

Sunday 16th May 2021

We used the same taxi driver as last night to take us back to Wiggle Cliffs and we were walking by 8:45. Today we were in full waterproofs from the start. The weather forecast was for heavy rain brought in on strong winds. Actually it had also suggested thunder storms. As a result our daughter, ever vigilant, had urged us to take extreme caution or even abandon walking in the morning when the threat of thunder and lightning was greatest pointing out that even carbon fibre walking poles could serve as efficient lightning conductors. After a brief risk assessment we continued on our way. There seemed to be nothing to suggest thunder and lightning today.

There was not very much to report on the morning walk. The views were largely obscured by rain and cloud. The path ran parallel with the road or along the road itself for the first couple of miles or so and the main concern we had was keeping ourselves visible.

Eventually the Coast Path has an option of going through the army firing ranges. Since it was a Sunday the ranges were not in use and so we could walk into the MOD property and round the edge of Fort Tregantle and then across fields until we came to Portwrinkle.

At Portwrinkle there was a café was serving coffee and so we sat outside under a rush-covered shelter avoiding the worst of the elements

We pressed on and quite soon were at Downderry and then Seaton where we did walk the beach for a short way but it was not easy going and so we reverted  to the road.

It should have been a day to stop and enjoy views and have coffee and cake but the weather was just too foul. (Still under Covid rules no eating in). We decided just to keeping going  until we reached Looe. The coast path follows the road quite a bit between Seaton and Looe and so we made good time.

Looe is very attractive with the east and west halves separated by the river but united by a bridge. Arriving at Looe at about 2pm we felt like something hot so bought pasties and sat on a bench on the quayside to eat them during  a very short respite from the rain. Sadly Jill’s bacon and cheese wrap was almost inedible and she then discovered she had left her coffee flask at the flat so the brief stop did little to recharge her batteries. The rain resumed with a vengeance before I could find out our sandwiches. We decided it was worth pressing on to Polperro because if we finished there, we could get a bus back to Liskeard that would drop us right by the flat where we are staying.

The path follows the road out of Looe and then becomes a proper footpath along the cliff tops before finally descending to Polperro. The walk in the afternoon was largely dry from about 3pm and we arrived at Polperro shortly after 16:30. Unfortunately the few tearooms that had been open were closing but we did get a takeaway cup of tea each and then wandered up the road to the bus stop. Polperro is a pretty little village and largely traffic free with its narrow alleyways and roads. We were fortunate to visit it at the end of a wet afternoon when there were relatively few visitors; it must be terrible in the peak season.

We were the only passengers on the 17:30 from Polperro to Liskeard, it was not a great money spinner for the bus company because I go free-of-charge on my pensioner’s concession. The driver was quite friendly and with no other passengers to pick up or put down was always ahead of schedule. At various occasions he stopped to lose some minutes and would remark over and again about the terrible Cornish weather.

Sat 15th May 2021

Our flat in Liskeard is very nice and makes for easy living. It is also extremely convenient for both bus and train journeys being just 100 yards from Liskeard station.

This morning we caught the 8:08am train back to Plymouth.

From Plymouth we took a taxi to Wembury. Last night we had stopped part way along the path from the Noss Mayo ferry to Wembury. Fortunately there is a path that cuts across from Wembury to near where we had turned back last night. Having reached the coast path we followed it eastward to last night’s stopping point, then about-turned and started today’s walk proper.

We followed the path to Wembury church, an attractive little church just above the beach from where we descended to the beach. The path then follows the coast at low level and is easy walking. The first part of this morning’s walk was dominated by views of the Great Mew Stone as had been yesterday afternoon.

Having sent a photo to the family yesterday to say we were back on the trail, our shipping lawyer son had noticed the “lovely little product tanker moored off Plymouth” – which had prompted an exchange with his sister (who confirmed its name and location) with a warning to us that it had “minor fire safety deficiencies” on inspection in Hamburg the previous year.

After Wembury Point we turned northwards and were beginning the walk into Plymouth Sound. We could see the breakwater that protects the Sound from severe weather and the nearby Napoleonic Fort much like the forts in the Solent.

The weather was a mix of sunshine and showers but fortunately most of the showers were quite light . Beyond Heybrook Bay there is a holiday park but unusually it was a series of linked, single-bedroomed cabins which climbed along the hillside and I have to admit that they were quite attractive.

At Bovisand Bay the path climbs to pass inland to the  old Fort Bovisand. The path then becomes narrow, passing through woodland and near Staddon Height drops steeply by means of wooden steps; thereafter it follows the coast more closely until Mount Batten. The ferry from Mount Batten to the Citadel had just departed as we arrived at the boarding pontoon. We had about 30 mins to wait and so we sat in the shelter on the quay and ate most of our lunch as a shower of rain hammered down. The £2 crossing to the Citadel takes only a few minutes but felt like much better value than the R. Yealm ferry.

In Plymouth we had a three mile walk following the edge of the harbour. Initially we walked along side of Plymouth Hoe then skirting around the old dock area which is being redeveloped into, what appears to be, residential accommodation. The final part of the walk through Plymouth follows the old part of the town through Stonehouse to Devils Point. Here we had good views of Drakes Island before walking along the old quays where former naval buildings of the Royal William Yard have now been developed as apartments and all sorts of bars, restaurants and shops.

We arrived at the Cremyll Ferry just before he was due to depart. There is a very long slipway to where the ferry was waiting because the tide was well out. The slip way was exactly what it was. The tides leave thin layer of weed and slime along the slip way making extremely slippery. The ferry ride is only about 400metres. Once across the Tamar we were in Cornwall.

The path follows the coast closely and goes through Mount Edgcombe Gardens and estate. It seemed a bit odd to be able to walk into the grounds of a country house with no admission fees.  There were some more showers but since we were largely under tree cover we did not need to put waterproof trousers on.

Having climbed up to Raveness Point, the path descends gently to Fort Picklecombe and then continues to descend gently all the way to Kingsland and Cawsand, a pair of conjoined villages, each with its own little beach.  We stopped in Kingsand for an ice-cream and ate them sitting on a bench overlooking the beach; there were one or two others doing likewise. I called for a cab to meet about 4.5 miles further along near the village of Wiggle where we had decided to finish today’s walk instead of where we were. We wanted to roll on the advantage we had given ourselves by crossing the R.Yealm on Friday afternoon.

The walk from Cawsand was thoroughly pleasant, the gradients were fairly easy and the views good. We had a gentle climb up to Rame Head where we diverted up to the tiny chapel on the head. We sheltered from a sudden shower inside and had the remains of our lunch.

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Then the weather cleared just long enough for us to walk the 1.5 miles to the Wiggle Cliffs where our pre-arranged taxi arrived a few minutes later.

Friday 14th May 2021

Today we set off on Leg 10 of our walk around the coast of Britain. We had to drive from home in North Yorkshire  to Liskeard where we have rented a flat for the week. Covid restrictions still mean that only self-contained holiday accommodation can be used. It was a long drive and we had not really been expecting to do any walking today. However, we made good time on the journey and were near Noss Mayo at about 13:45 so we decided to go to The Warren and walk the two and a half miles to Noss Mayo. Assuming the ferry was running we could get the ferry across the River Yealm and back again before walking back to the car. That would mean an easier start tomorrow because the ferry doesn’t run until 10 am.

We walked to the coast path and resumed from where we had finished twelve days ago. Indeed it could have been the very next day because the air was warm, the sun was shining and it all looked beautiful just as it had been when we finished – though perhaps the gorse was a little past its most vibrant now. The walk to the ferry at Noss Mayo is very easy; there is a broad, grassy path which descends gently as it rounds Gara Point and Mouthstone Point.

Wembury Bay is beautiful. So too is the R. Yealm and indeed the villages of Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers, which are both on the east side of the R. Yealm but separated by Newton Creek. On the opposite side of the R. Yealm  there are just a couple of cottages .

We walked down to the slipway for the ferry and were joined a few minutes later by an elderly couple who asked if we had raised the board to request the ferry; we hadn’t, we hadn’t even noticed it. The board was duly raised and soon the ferry appeared and the four of us scrambled aboard for the very short trip across the Yealm.

It must be the most expensive ferry trip we have done, costing £4 each for the few yards across the river. I explained to the boatman that we just wanted to go across and come back but he was keen for us to at least look at the other side. We agreed we would be back for 4pm for the last ferry crossing and he said he would take our fares when we returned. So we had thirty minutes to play with; we legged it along the coast path and in fifteen minutes we had got within 800 yards of Wembury Marina when we had to turn and retrace our steps to get back to the the ferry. The boatman was obviously in a generous mood as he gave us a discount for “cheap day returns”.

From Noss Mayo we walked back to the car park up Hanford, a track un-named on the map.

From there we had a drive of an hour or so to Liskeard where we eventually found the flat we are staying in for the week.

Having walked 3.9 miles today we can have a slightly more gentle walk tomorrow. Well that is theory at least.

Wednesday 27th April 2021

This morning showed a change in the weather. There was a dull, cloudy sky and it felt very cold without any sunshine. We had a drive of an hour to get back to Bolberry Down where we finished last night. As I explained in a previous posting, Jill and I had independently decided we would like to try and cross the R. Erme before returning home. The alternative of trying to schedule the start of our next walk in May with the tide times seemed fraught with difficulty so getting the crossing done today would be a huge bonus. Today low tide would be just before 2pm and safe crossing can be made an hour either side of the slack tide. That meant we had to walk six miles to the Bantham Ferry to cross the R. Avon and then another six miles to the R. Erme before 3pm and preferably an hour earlier.

We were walking by 08:40 and continued along the broad grassy path generally down hill. At Bolt Tail I decided to walk quickly down the tail even though it is actually off the route of the coast path. It only added a few minutes.

The path continued again downhill until Hope Cove. Here some early morning swimmers were emerging from the sea on to the slipway and towelling themselves off. As we left Hope Cove we passed a bench where the young backpacker I had spoken to yesterday was taking a break and said hello.

We continued through Thurlestone and around Thurlestone Golf Links. It seemed it must be Ladies Day  because no men were playing. As we rounded the headland we could see Burgh Island, a tidal island rather like St Michael’s Mount, and then more distantly the mouth of the R. Avon.

The Avon takes a wide sweep as it enters the sea. The ferry, which is just a small craft with an outboard motor. The boatman goes down stream and then swings across opposite Ham Cottage. The tide was running extremely fast.  As he explained, there was a huge tidal range today, being a Spring Tide. He had to ram the boat on to the sand to enable us to disembark but even in a few minutes and without our weight, he had difficulty getting the boat off again. During our short crossing he assured us we would be on time for the crossing of the R. Erme  but did mention that there were some decent ups and downs before we got there.

The first climb was not very long up to height of about 300ft. We then descended gently to Bigbury-on-Sea from where a sand bar runs out to Burgh Island. When we first saw Burgh Island from just before the ferry it was surrounded by water and we could see the tractor on stilts going across but by the time we approached Bigbury there was a wide sandy beach and people were strolling across.

The hotel  on the island is exclusive and at about £600-£700 per night it will remain so. There were three more ascents of around 200-350 feet before we turned Fernycombe Point and we could see into the mouth of the R. Erme. 

The tide was well out now and it looked as if it might be possible to cross at a number of points.  The time was actually 13:00 and so we were at the beginning of the two hour crossing window.  The information I had found on line and written on the board by the beach suggested one should cross between the two slipways on opposite banks which  involved walking at 45 degrees to the  flow. We watched one couple go across but they were taking a short direct route across rather than the diagonal and were finding the water going well above their knees.

As we were debating where to sit remove our boots, a local dog walker said that there was a blue marker on the cliff face closer to the mouth of the river near Malthouse point and that, with our back to the marker, we should aim for the slipway on the other bank. A Dutch/French backpacker was just changing into his shorts for the crossing and decided to join us in following her advice. We walked back along the beach until we spotted the rather faded blue rectangle on a post on the side of the cliff. Needless to say local knowledge was valuable and we watched as our companion crossed with the water barely coming halfway up his calves.

We eventually settled down overlooking Bugle Hole for a 14:30 lunch.

I went across bare-footed with my trouser bottoms zipped off. The water was very cold and the bed of the river a mixture of not very smooth stone and coarse sand. There were two stretches to cross, each with a deeper section but the water only ever splashed below our knees. Having not expected to do the river crossing this trip, Jill had not brought wading footwear with her and was not convinced by my suggestion that the river bed would be smooth and sandy. Fortuitously she found that the Torquay ASDA we bought supper from last night stocked rubber-soled beach shoes and bought a pair which allowed her to walk across reasonably comfortably except for the intense cold which she found really painful.  It took a while to dry off our feet and get socks and boots back on and we chatted to the backpacking chap while we did so. By now it was 2pm and we had not stopped all day except for the river crossing and so we were keen to find somewhere to sit and eat our sandwiches – but only after we had walked a little distance to warm up again. As we left the next small bay, where there was really nowhere very sheltered to sit, we passed the young backpacker we had seen near Hope Cove. We knew he hadn’t passed us between there and the R. Erme and realised, as we subsequently gained height and could look back to the river, that the water was now so low there were places to cross much closer to the mouth of the estuary and he had almost certainly saved himself a lot of time by crossing there and not walking right down to the slipway.

Our original idea was to cross the R Erme and then get a taxi back to get the car and have a short day (for a change). Crossing the R. Erme had got Jill’s endorphins up again and she was keen to keep going and make the most of the day to set us up for our next walking session in two week’s time, because tomorrow we have to go home. Also the path immediately after the crossing was not especially attractive and we felt we would prefer to find a nicer spot to resume walking from in May. I suggested Jill take the lead and stop whenever she felt she had enough.

Come 17:15 and seven miles on from the river crossing ,Jill agreed we should call it a day, having walked over nineteen miles. The ferry crossing at Noss Mayo was only 2.5 miles further on but the ferry would not be running by now and there were a couple more climbs to get there so, with a car park close to the path and a good place to resume from, it felt best to stop here.

I had photographed a list of local taxis as displayed at the R. Erme info board.  The first number went through to a voicemail from which we heard no more, the second sounded uninterested and then said they closed at 6pm and so could not do it (I thought that was a bit odd for a firm of taxis – perhaps she didn’t like the sound of my voice). The last number was answered and was a little hesitant but agreed to dispatch a driver. We finished the last of our provisions and chatted to a couple of ladies who were walking the path the opposite way from us and were waiting for the husband of one of them to come and pick them up. Being vaguely local they knew how crowded the area would be come the summer and agreed we were right to try to avoid the mayhem. After a couple of phone calls it was obvious that their lift was not going to find them so they set off to walk into Noss Mayo where he was waiting. Nearly an hour later there was still no cab and we were wondering if we should also start walking but when I rang again I was reassured that the driver was just a few minutes away, having also had trouble finding the car park where we were waiting.  It was worth the wait because he only charged us £40 for quite a long journey.

It was the end of what had been a memorable two week walking session.

Tuesday 27th April 2021

Another clear fine day greeted us as we drove back to Torcross. We had hatched a plan overnight. In fact we had each hatched identical plans; what a boring couple we have become. Since we have managed to exceed our daily planned distances by a couple of miles each day over the last few days we already have a few miles “in hand”. If we walk hard again today we can reduce tomorrow’s walk to about 12 miles. The reason this is important is that we have to cross the River Erme which can only be done an hour either side of low tide and low tide tomorrow will be at about 14:00. On our original walking schedule we would to have expected to arrive the R. Erme at about 5 or 6 pm and therefore be too late to cross. With luck if we can get about 5 miles beyond Salcombe today then tomorrow we will only have about 12 miles to reach the river crossing and we should be able to do that by 3pm and wade the river before it is too deep.

So today we set off with renewed vigour. The first 400 yards was along the promenade at Torcross and Jill had just commented on how nice it was to start the day with some level walking when we turned a corner and were faced with the steepest flight of concrete steps we have come across in our entire walk. Fortunately it was just a brief climb but it felt more like a ladder than a stairway. There were a couple of steep ups and downs at Beesands and Hallsands.

Then the path just ascended at a reasonably lazy gradient to Start Point with its lighthouse. We included the 1/4 mile to the lighthouse and the 1/4 mile back since on the return leg we walked along the crest of the rocky outcrop. The coast path leaves this little peninsula out. As we neared the corner before the lighthouse Jill heard something following her at speed and side-stepped to let a skateboarder pass – he was filming his run towards the lighthouse from the top of a very long selfie-stick held aloft. Sadly Cliff, who was passing a couple of dog-walkers at the time, hadn’t heard his approach so the skateboarder’s run was abruptly aborted. A short while later we saw him complete it without hindrance.

Thereafter the walking was just superb. The sun was warm and there was a light breeze. There were wild flowers everywhere and a lot of birds and insects. The rock formations were interesting. The path was solid, dry and easy going, albeit undulating and sometimes involving clambering over rocky outlets. We sat on a grassy bank beside the path for our lunch overlooking Venerick’s Cove. The path wound its way round to Salcombe and with every turn of the path new vistas opened up with blue sea and sky, rocky cliffs and natural arches. This section of the coast really has to be one of the best.

We arrived at East Portlemouth just as the passenger ferry was being loaded so we jumped aboard and in no time we were across the water and in Salcombe.

We hardly paused but set off along the road to Bolt Head. However at South Sands there was a café which was also selling locally made ice creams; we were certainly ready for one and so we perched on a wall and enjoyed a well-earned ice in the warm sunshine.

Once past the the housing on the outskirts of Salcombe (and there is a lot of building and extending going on) we were on paths every bit as attractive as they were in the morning. We rounded Sharp Tor and headed on to Bolt Head.

The ice creams had done their thing and given us a bit of rocket fuel. We both felt we could make it to Bolberry Down today and set us up for the river crossing tomorrow. The late afternoon was delightful. There were bluebells and primroses and lots of other flowers. Jill noted that there were some Scottish Blackface sheep with new lambs – a long way from home. Earlier in the day we had seen some Belted Galloways. A few minutes later we happened upon a group of Highland cattle. (Is this a Fifth Column on behalf of the Scottish Nationalists?).

I spoke to a lad who was obviously backpacking and had stopped on a bench for a drink; he was walking the SWCP in the same direction as us and we probably would have been boxing and coxing with him if tomorrow were not our last day for this section.

It was just a perfect late afternoon. Even the final climb up from Soar Mill Cove did not seem too hard and then we were there at Bolberry Down just before 6pm. I called a taxi to take us back to Torcross where we collected the car and drove back to the flat for a fish and chip supper.

Monday 26th April 2021

We drove to Brixham and managed to find a free parking space on a rather steep hill. We walked down to the quay to pick up from where we finished last night. It was a very cold and rather windy morning and in contrast to the other days we needed sweaters jackets and gloves.

We walked around Berry Head which has a 19th century fort as part of the defence against invasion by Napoleon.

Thereafter there was a fair amount of going up and down and our progress seemed to be very slow but the scenery was spectacular. We did, in fact record a greater ascent than for yesterday.

Eventually we reached the Brownstone Battery. It was interesting to see the searchlight station and the old gun emplacement complete with the rails for the munitions to be passed down to gun.

The last mile or two into Kingswear seemed to go on for ever.

When we did arrive at Lower Ferry, the ferry was ready and waiting. We walked on board and it started to move almost immediately. In Dartmouth we walked along the quay and found some benches close to the old tower. At last the cloud had cleared and the wind dropped and so we were able to sit quite comfortably and enjoy lunch.

From our vantage point on the quay we could watch the lower ferry plying its trade across the R Dart. It is the oddest ferry I have seen and one could believe it was designed to avoid regulations relating to motorised craft carrying fare-paying passengers. There are two ferries which each can accommodate 6-8 cars plus pedestrians. The car deck is essentially an unpowered floating platform with a ramp at each end. The platform is propelled across the river by a tug boat which is tethered from the bow to the midpoint at the side of the car platform and a rope from the stern of the tug to the back of the platform. The tug goes forwards pushing the platform until it reaches the slipway. On the return trip, it backs off the slipway dragging the car platform, once it has a little momentum the stern rope is unhooked and the tug rotates through 180 degrees, tethered by its bow to the platform. The stern of the tug thereby comes alongside the other end of the platform and is linked by a stern rope once more. All one can say is that it has been performing this little “pas de deux” for years and so it must be reliable. I did take a video but it will not work on this platform.

Of interest, the same procedure was operating back in the days when it was a rowing boat manoeuvring a platform that took horses and carts!

I imagine a smart lawyer claiming that the tug does not carry fare-paying passengers and so can avoid passenger safety laws and the car platform is an unpowered floating carpark and can also avoid passenger safety laws.

The path now followed along minor roads to Dartmouth Castle and then around the headland. The bright sunshine made the coast look beautiful.

Eventually the path turns inland to Stoke Flemming.

We followed a combination of roads, tracks and paths until at last the path starts to descend to Strete Gate and the start of Slapton Sands. There was a good view back to Blackpool Sands.

I called for cab to meet us at Torcross and we continued across Slapton sands. 

The area is famous or infamous for being the test ground for the Allied Inavsion forces. The local villages were evacuated and the whole area was taken over by the Allies. There is a column recording the gratitude of the American Forces to the villages that were evacuated. Slapton Sands is linked to a disaster when, during a practice landing exercise, many troops were drowned because some German Torpedo boat discovered the landing exercise and sank several of the landing craft. The remaining men were instructed to take to the water but because many wore their life belts at their waists instead of under their armpits they very flipped upside down and drowned. The official death toll was 749, but the story was kept secret for thirty years.

At the the Tocross end of the sands there is an old tank preserved as a memorial.

Sunday 25th April 2021

Today was a real contrast to yesterday. No, it didn’t rain – it was yet another sunny if very windy day, but the walking was much more enjoyable.

Trains don’t run until mid-morning on a Sunday in these rural parts so we walked a long mile from the flat to a bus stop at Marychurch and got a bus at about 7:50 to Teignmouth. We were the only passengers and the bus driver was quite chatty; he was interested in our walk and thought we were right to try to be clearing Devon and Cornwall before the school holidays. He said he had worked throughout the lockdowns but when tourists flocked there last summer and he had to put up “Bus full” signs in spite of empty seats he got a lot of flack and when he did stop there were scuffles at bus stops as passengers tried to get on.

We got to Teignmouth at 8.15 and set off across the bridge to Sheldon continuing around the coast to Sheldon Ness from where the path is right on the coast again.

Most of the morning was relentless ups and downs with very little level walking in between. The path dropped into all the coves along the route from Sheldon to Babbacombe and there are a lot of little coves, some unnamed, on the OS map. In truth the path doesn’t  go right down to the beach at each cove but it certainly went far enough for the steps up the other side seem like a very long climb and resulted in one of the highest ascent totals for the whole walk to date. At Marychurch there is a path diversion inland for a short stretch. The walk past the various desirable properties on the diversion reminded me just how zealously people guard their privacy once they have claimed their stake to a piece of heaven/Devon.

At Oddicombe there is a cliff railway and the train was running just we as were about to walk under the railway tracks.

Once we reached Babbacombe the the ups and downs eased and our pace picked up.

There are four cruise ships moored in Babbacombe Bay area. Covid has left all the cruise ships moored off shore to avoid harbour dues.

The path was quite busy with all manner of people and dogs walking parts of the coast. One or two enquired about our walk. The coast is truly magnificent with its deep red cliffs and the white horses on the Atlantic swell. We sat on a bench and had our lunch.

The afternoon was given over to walking around the towns and villages of Torbay and their respective beaches.

Torquay was particularly busy. We walked around the huge marina and across the new bridge and harbour gate.   Before Paignton there is short inland, road section. and here a female runner paused to ask about our walk. She had seen us much earlier in the morning whist walking her dog.

The wind was very strong and with the tide rising water was threatening to come over the sea wall and indeed later at Livermead the sea was breaking over the A379.   

The walking was fairly easy going being along tarmac roads and paths or concrete promenades. We arrived at Brixham at about 18:00 and walked up to the Town Square from where buses depart just in time to see a bus pull out. Fortunately the buses go every 15 minutes even on a Sunday and so we did not have long to wait. 

I had originally planned on us stopping at Broadsands about three miles back but having pressed on we have every chance of increasing our advantage each day and I hope this might mean we will manage to reach the R. Erme by low tide on our final day.  

Saturday 24th April 2021

Needless to say today was another bright, sunny day though the wind had got up overnight and there were some strong gusts. The wind continued to strengthen through the day.

We took a train from Torre to Exmouth and then a bus to Budleigh Salterton. We were walking by before 10.00. We had a pleasant walk out of the town along the cliff top. The walk took a downturn as we wove our way through a large holiday park at Littleham Cove. The red sandstone cliffs gave a dramatic colour to the sea around the shoreline.

Further on at Orcombe Point we came to the “Geoneedle” which illustrates the geological history of the Jurassic Coast being built with rocks from each of the strata. The sun was not in a good place for taking a photo of the needle. You can find better pictures on line.

Further on we could see down to the Exe Estuary which seemed full of kite-surfers and windsurfers racing up and down with the very strong wind. It felt very reminiscent of Camber Sands which we had walked on a similarly windy day in the company of myriad brightly coloured sails. We got on to the beach and walked the wet sand right up to Exmouth.

We had planned on taking the Starcross Ferry across the Exe. I had checked it out and they had said it would resume on 20th April. Unfortunately due to a “supply problem” they had to delay resumption until 1st May. To walk all the way into Exeter and out again would take an extra day which we could not factor in at this stage and, from what we could see from the train, would have been mostly a walk along a tarmac path between the railway and the road. So we took the “train replacement service”. There is a regular train that run from Exmouth to Starcross and is a simple and more reliable alternative to the ferry. The ferry company does seem a bit dozy, they were very late updating their facebook page to say they would resume on April 20th having left last year’s info up all winter. One would have thought they would have made the effort to be ready the moment the season started again.

Starcross comprises a station, the ferry terminal, a pub and some houses but has little to recommend it. The coast path was now on tarmac for the next three miles to Dawlish Warren which is just another holiday park. The walk is pretty uninteresting with no real views of anything and the path is shared with cyclists of which there were plenty.

We regained the coast for the walk to Dawlish which should have been a promenade along the sea wall. Near to Dawlish the path is closed but fortunately there is a footbridge over the railway line and up to the road. It was fortunate there was a diversion that we were obliged to take because the sea was now occasionally breaking over the sea wall where we would have had to pass. Had the diversion not been in place Jill and I would have wasted time debating whether it was safe proceeding along the sea wall and risking a soaking of sea water (or worse still, getting swept off.)

Dawlish is a pleasant town. Unfortunately the path onward was not particularly nice and is mainly tarmac and main road. Where it does return to the coast for the final mile into Teignmouth there is a notice warning that the path is impassable at high tide and high tide was only thirty minutes away. We asked a dog walker if the path was passable but he told us that the sea was breaking right over the path. So we took the diversion path to Teignmouth which, once more, was mainly tarmac.

Having reached Teignmouth, Jill was keen to add another mile or so in by walking round to Sheldon, the village on the opposite side of the estuary from Teignmouth where there is a good bus service back to Torquay. This would have reduced tomorrow’s long day. We navigated our way through the town to a footpath which ran alongside the railway until it reached the road bridge where there was a link to get on to the bridge. What I did not know was that the final part of the footpath is tidal and so when we arrived just after high tide, the path was well under water. There was nothing for it but to about turn and race back to the station in Teignmouth to get the next train back to Torre. Our only consolation for a messy day is that we each used just a day return ticket for the three train journeys.

Friday 23rd April 2021

Today we were changing location for the next six days so we had to clear out of Laurel Cottage and load the car before the hour’s drive to Seaton to resume our walk. I had researched parking in Seaton on-line and only found the town long stay car park. Having noticed a police car as we entered the town, we realised he was parked in an unrestricted parking bay which was very close to the start of the walk so we stopped there and were walking again by about 9:30. It was yet again a bright ,sunny day but with a little more breeze than we had had for the past week.

This is the old bridge over the River Axe. It is the oldest standing concrete bridge in England. It was opened in 1877 and closed to traffic in 1990 and it is a scheduled monument.

We walked down the promenade at Seaton and followed the path over the cliffs to Beer.

Beer is a very attractive little village with fine set of flint-faced, terraced cottages on the hill that climbs out of the village. The cliffs are quite impressive and of chalk and limestone.

The path follows the cliff edge up to Beer Head and then, a little way further on, dives over the edge of the cliff into Hooken Under-cliff. Steps have been formed and the paths drops away very steeply. This under-cliff was formed by a massive landslide in 1790 and now the precipitous path takes the walker down almost 400ft to the beach. We were surprised to find two cloak-clad walkers ascending the steep path towards us – they had been for a morning swim and the cloaks were towel-lined. If their swim hadn’t tired them, the climb back up the cliff certainly would.

The path then picks its way along about 50 ft above the shingle beach until it arrives at Branscombe Mouth. We stopped here and had coffee from our flasks and shared a pecan tart left over from the excellent baker in Lyme Regis.

The second stiff climb of the day took us to West Cliff and Branscombe Down. Here we strode along the grassy cliff top enjoying the views.

Soon, however the path starts to descend to Western Mouth. From a distance it looks as if the path crosses Western Combe quite well up but the reality is that the path goes all the way down to the beach where you cross the little stream and then immediately start climbing up the other side to Dunscombe Down. In all we were on the beach for about 10 yards which did not feel worth the effort involved.

We continued along the cliff tops until at Littlecombe the path skirts around a combe which hangs and doesn’t reach the shore. Then a mile later there is a steep descent at Salcombe Mouth where the path crosses a bridge without the need to go all the way on to the beach.

As we were about to descend to Salcombe Mouth, we paused to chat to a couple of ladies. Jill had made a tapestry sign which says “Justcoasting Walking the Coast of Britain” which I had attached to my rucksack since we left Rochester. She felt it would help to explain our rapid progress in walking gear with walking poles along the busy seaside promenades and beaches. In fact quite a number of people we have passed have stopped to ask us about the walk; where we started from and how we were organising it. These two ladies, by contrast, were only interested in the tapestry itself and why it was done in tapestry (as opposed to embroidery) and why Jill had used the colours of the U3A (University of the Third Age). They made no mention of the walk itself or seemed at all interested in it.

At last we came to Sidmouth where we did not pause because we were a bit short of time. At the end of the prom at Sidmouth the path narrows to pass by cliffs at Jacobs Ladder.

We have seen a complete change of geology during today. At Beer we were in calcareous country with cliffs of chalk and limestone. Even at Sidmouth there was a lot of limestone but the rich red sandstone rocks start to appear. Out of Sidmouth, we climbed up to near the top of High Peak (157m) before dropping right down again at Ladram Bay where all the cliffs and stacks were red sandstone. Ladram is nothing more than a static caravan holiday park. After Ladram Bay we climbed back up to the the cliff top which is now much lower. The wind had got up and was whipping up the red sandy dust off the ploughed fields and throwing it in our faces.

Eventually we dropped down to the River Otter which could probably be forded on the beach. There were a pair of black swans on the river Otter.

We took the sensible decision to walk up the river for half a mile to a bridge  and then walk down the other side  to bring us into Budleigh Salterton where we got a taxi  back to Seaton where we had left the car. 

We had a drive of a little over an hour to Torquay and we found the flat we were staying in.