To a Long Steep Hill

  Looking back, I see that I don’t usually write about the journey home.   But this one starts with a ferry, and so is worth recording, I think. So, we pack up The Secret Garden, which has really suited us.   Rather than risk getting stuck in the narrow street while we load up. We take our stuff down to the Mayor’s Avenue car park.   We have checked that no one is scheduled to come into the flat today, so we do not rush.   We do remember to return our parking voucher before setting off to the Dartmouth lower ferry.   The cost is £6.00.   It isn’t a chain ferry.   A tugboat pushes it across.   From the ferry, a glimpse of Dartmouth's historic paddle steamer - The Kingswear Castle The route takes us on the ring road around Torbay.   We are soon on the M5 at Exeter.   We stop at Exeter Services to eat sandwiches in the picnic area.   We are home in good time.

  Last walking day. We get the 93 bus from the harbour at 10.30, having bought smoked salmon bagels at the deli.   We get off at Torcross and we set off along the flat stretch parallel to the Slapton Sands beaches.   There is a monument erected by the Americans to commemorate the civilian population who were all forced to leave their homes so the entire area could be used for D Day training from the autumn of 1943 right up to June 44.    Then it’s up to Strete, lunch in a meadow and a sharp climb up to the main road before descending to Blackpool Sands.                                                                              I love this tree.   We have brought our swimming togs.   However, it clouds over and the ...

                                                   The beach at Torcross looking back where we just walked   We met our feisty taxi woman Suzie at Torcross.   She regaled us with how she built up her business from nothing.   While waiting for her to arrive I looked at the memorial and read about the disaster there during a D Day rehearsal when 946 US troops were killed. Suzie drove us to Start Point, where we walked back to Torcross.   It’s quite easy.   We stop at Beesands and have a very convivial drink sitting outside The Cricket.   We get talking to an Australian guy and his wife.   We ask if they are on holiday.   It turns out that they live in Beesands.   He is very interested in our SWCP adventure and wants to know all about it. There is a big hill to get over before we are back ...

  We had planned this as a rest day with Becky and John joining us for lunch.   We cancelled booking at Bayards Cove restaurant but rebooked for supper tomorrow. Our last day’s walk on Tuesday is a long one, so we decide to cut it back by a short day walking to Blackpool Sands.   This begins with the ferry to Dartmouth Castle and a quick tour.   The castle – more a fort really – still has its guns in place. We stopped for lunch in Stoke Fleming – I had an excellent pizza. Chris' sandwich turned out to be a burger which was not so great. We got to Blackpool Sands in time for tea.                                                                              Tea at Blackpool Sands It is a beautiful location, but the beach isn’t really sandy – m...

  We met the essential Duncan at Start Point. There was no one to collect cash at the car park, so we got a free day’s parking. Duncan took us by winding routes to East Portlemouth, opposite Salcombe.   Not long after setting out, the heavens opened with a sharp shower.   I had convinced myself it wasn’t going to rain.   I had no anorak ang got soaked to the skin.   There were a couple of heifers on the very narrow path happily munching the grass verges.   We had no choice but to wait in the freezing rain while they ambled along.   We finally got to a clearing wide enough for us to scramble past. The weather improved quite quickly and I was soon dry again, but the water may have got into one of my hearing aids.  Repair cost: £150.00.                                                      ...

  Friday 14 th June It’s another non-walking day.   We book on a trip up the river to Greenway, Agatha Christie’s house.   We have both been before, but this time we also explore the gardens which are very extensive.   I got a lot more out of the house this time, having recently read a Christie biog.   It’s a lovely day, although there are a few spots of rain in the afternoon and it rains in the evening.   We have baked potatoes outside the NT café and in the evening an excellent fish supper at the Bayards Cove Inn.                                                            Outside Agatha Christie's House, Greenway                                          ...

  We are out of the flat by 10.30.   Should be 10.00, but we check and there is no one coming in.   We linger in the car park whilst going to the Salcombe Coffee Co. for excellent coffee.   It is stormy, so it’s lucky that we are not walking.   Journey to Dartmouth should be easy but sat nav got us seriously lost. Eventually we get to The Secret Garden.   It is an excellent Airbnb with a second bedroom and not too far from the centre. We have lunch at Rockfish.   Delicious fish and chips.   We don’t feel like going out again, so I cook our emergency pasta in the flat.                                                                 The Kitchen at Secret Garden

                                                                    The Ferry Inn - again Duncan from Modbury is our driver again.  There is some confusion about where we are to meet him in Bigbury.  (See what we have done here – avoided the ferry) but we eventually meet up and he drives us to the east side of the Erme – thus avoiding having to wade across – there is no ferry here.  This is a beautiful sector with some steep climbs.  It’s windy, but the wind is behind us.  We stop for tea at Charlborough caravan site just before Bigbury.  Back to The Ferry Inn for supper.  I have scallops                                            ...

We drive to Bantham and park. Our taxi driver then takes us back to Hope Cove.  He is Duncan, a retired engineer who worked for BP in Exeter. Chris tracked him down in Modbury. He says he is working more now than he did before. It’s a short and easy walk from Hope Cove back to Bantham.  We stop for coffee at the beach shack at South Milton.  Coffee is OK but the staff are not very friendly.  We sit outside.  It’s sunny but windy. At the Bantham car park we encounter yet another film crew.  We buy pittas from the car park refreshment van.  I am curious about the ferry which links to Bigbury on the other side of yet another estuary, this time the river Avon. We walk down to the ferry and have to tell the ferryman that we don’t need to cross.  Just looking. We are back at the flat in good time having stopped for petrol.  We have supper at The Ferry Inn right next to The Salcombe              ...

  Monday 10 th June We failed to get a taxi to take us to the Erme estuary.   Rather than just take a day off, we decide to simply walkout of the door and do the final section into Salcombe – backwards.   We bought water and chocolate at the deli opposite. Heading towards North Sands beach, we pass an old man cutting his hedge and sweeping up the clippings.   He tells us he is over 90. “I have worked all my life and I can’t sit and watch someone else doing the job. I’d rather do it myself. The North Sands beach is shut for yet another film crew. They try to stop us, but we just say “sorry we are in a hurry” and plough right through.   ' Just a minute’ in filming terms can turn into half an hour!                                                                    Sa...

  We park up again at Mothercombe, where there is an actual person to take our car park money (£3).   Taxi puts us down by the Ship in Noss Mayo, and finally we get started.   It’s the 5 th day.   The path is easy until lunchtime. It follows the Revelstock carriage drive.   First part is on a circular walk from Noss Mayo and is quite crowded, being Sunday.   It’s a beautiful day.   We eat our sandwiches in amongst the caravans at Stoke Beach, and take a diversion to the semi-ruined St Peter’s church.                                                                 St Peter's Church at Stoke Beach After lunch, the good carriageway continues for a while.   Then, quite abruptly, it becomes very overgrown and difficult.   I get phone calls from both Becky ...

                                                                               Burgh Island   I am now fine, and Chris is feeling better too.   We decide to do a recce.   We drive to Burgh Island where you are encouraged to pay the parking by phone – but there is no signal. We are about to give up, when Chris spots an old-fashioned pay machine.   We walk over the sand to the island and have a drink at The Pilchard.   We eat our sandwiches sitting on the hill.   Then we drive on to Mothercombe, where we check out the car park and go down to the beach, where we find the Path.   Back in the car park we find The Schoolhouse café and have tea and (for me) cake.   We still have not got started, but we now feel well enoug...

  Chris is struck with vomiting in the night.   So, it probably wasn’t food poisoning but a bug.   There is news of a national Norovirus outbreak.   I walk down to the harbour where there is a small pharmacy and load up with Dyorlite.   We have no choice but to press on to our next Airbnb in Salcombe.   I manage to get an early check in and Chris goes straight to bed.   We are in a block of flats called The Salcombe.   It’s right on the harbour with amazing views.   However, it is really tiny with a pull-down bed.   Chris is not impressed, but the view makes up for it, and there’s free parking, which is a very big deal in Salcombe.   Day three of our precious trip and we haven’t put a boot on the SWCP.                                                            ...

                                                             Newton Ferrers, looking across to Noss Mayo I feel OK and Chris is fine too, so we hit the road at 11.00.   This sector is very tricky logistically.   We decided that having a car was essential.   We stop for a light lunch at our favourite Sol Café in Cricklade.   I still feel queasy. We are in Newton Ferrers by 17.00.   Our Airbnb didn’t get the message that we were delayed.   We would have arrived earlier, but there were tricky diversions off the A38.   The Courtyard is nice and we are sorry to only have one night here.   The original plan was to walk from here to Plymouth and take a bus back to NF.   We decide the best solution to our late arrival is to cut this bit out completely and pick it up anoth...

  Wed 5 th June Today was supposed to be the start of our next two-week attack on the SWCP.   However, I developed a nasty stomach bug overnight – vomiting- so we decided not to go.