To a Long Steep Hill

  Budliegh Salterton to Sidmouth 6 miles John drives us to Budleigh Salterton, where we finished last year.   He has just retired and seems happy to be our chauffeur. It’s a glorious morning, and the forecast is set fair for at least the week.   Since we were last here, the wetlands scheme has been completed, and we are fortunate to arrive at high tide.   The whole valley of the River Otter is flooded, including the cricket ground.   Amazing.                                               The new wetlands at Budliegh Salterton We walk up the Otterton path which now has water and bird watching hides on both sides. We stop for coffee in the Ladram Bay caravan park.   Chris sees desecration of the landscape.   I see inexpensive holidays for families which can’t afford hotels.   I do admit she has a point. ...

  This time is special.   We will be walking through Sidmouth where I was born.   Coincidentally my daughter Becky lives at West Hill a few miles from Sidmouth, and we are hoping to persuade her to walk with us on at least one day. We leave after lunch and are in West Hill by five o’clock.   As we are early, we go to the shop and buy picnic supplies.   Becky and John have cooked a Sunday roast dinner.   Grandson Will is at home so it’s an enjoyable evening.   Will is studying at UWE in Bristol, but is an accomplished chef in his spare time, and is spending the   weekend working on the River Exe floating restaurant.

  Uneventful drive home with a stop at Sol bakery.   Our new tyre performs well.

  Top picture: visitor to our hotel balcony Middle picture: The front at Shaldon Bottom picture Mike on Maidencombe beach.  Smile wiped off his face a few minjutes later when he discovers the puncture. We check out of the hotel and go for a last coffee on the Shaldon seafront.  n either of us check the room properly and a charger gets left behind.   The first of many disasters on this day, probably our worst ever on the SWCP   and we are not even walking! We are spending the night at Becky’s in West Hill, Ottery St Mary, but we are not expected until tea time.   We plan a nice lazy day starting with a visit to National Trust Compton Castle followed by a pub lunch at the Thatched pub in Maidencombe.   We get to the castle – closed on Mondays.   Then drive to Maidencombe.   The pub is closed on Mondays.   Never mind.   The beach café is open and we have a sandwich there. As we get back into the car, intending to get a better look at...

  Delicious breakfast of scrambled egg and mushrooms.   Then over on the ferry and a walk up to Teignmouth Station for 11.21 train to Exmouth.   It’s a through service, no changing at Exeter.   We bumped into these ladies heading to Exeter for a charity ‘flower walk’.                                                                 Bling - Teignmouth style The walk to Budleigh Salterton is not the greatest.   Along the Exmouth sea front – very familiar from walking Becky’s dogs.   Then up the cliff at Orcombe point. Here, it’s all about the Jurassic Coast.   It hadn’t been invented when I used to be here as a boy.   I went to school in Exmouth but that was err 70 years ago.                      ...

  Drove to Shaldon. Parked at Ness Hotel. It’s a brilliant hotel.   Great room with proper bathroom and bath.                                                                               The Ness House  Then we walked down to the beach and caught the ferry to Teignmouth - £2.00 cash pp. We watched Michael Portillo doing this as part of his series walking the SWCP.   A guy we met last night was on the ferry.   He had walked from Torquay the previous day carrying a huge pack.   He had a Freedom pass, so not young.                                                       Sha...

First picture - The Thatched House pub at Maidencombe. We tried to get a drink twice - unsuccessfully Second picture one of the painted stones near Shaldon  Excellent breakfast, scrambled egg and smoked salmon for me.   We had to specify food choice and time the evening before. It’s one of those mornings where we don’t have to find a bus or get a taxi, but just walk out the door. We are wrapped up warm, but the weather soon warms up. We thought we would just get to Maidencombe and have lunch in the Thatched Inn, but we were there by 11.00. Pub shut but nice coffee on the beach. Rio.    We got chatting to a woman who was walking from her home in Norfolk to her mother’s birthplace at Liskeard in Cornwall.   No dafter I suppose than walking the entire SWCP.   She has her husband in support with a car, so she doesn’t have to worry about logistics.   She   told us it was one and half hours to Shaldon. So we cracked on. Got there by 14.30. It’s ...