Synopsis: Started with a roam around the older parts of Kingskerswell, exploring the locations of old photos. Lunch at Stokeinteignhead before a hill ridge to coastal path and finally on to Teignmouth.
I began this walk by roaming around the older parts of Kingskerswell looking for the location of some old photos from the Francis Frith collection. I found both St Mary’s Church and Whitpot Mill, and neither had changed very much.
St Mary's Church, KingskerswellThe old style railway signal no longer exists, but otherwise the photograph from the railway bridge remains much the same as it did in 1910, which is quite something after the transition of one hundred years. The trees in my photograph look bare and wintery compared that of the old photo, but otherwise very recognisable.
Whitpot Mill, Kingskerswell
The days when Whitpot Mill was a working mill were probably long gone even when the old Francis Frith photograph of 1935 was taken. And today it isn’t even serving teas as it evidently was back then. The building front right now looks derelict and lacks the style of its older self. And also you will note there was little call for traffic calming back then. Apparently the traffic calming here is quite controversial, probably because it only allows for a very restricted flow of traffic. The road probably saw more horse drawn carts than cards back in 1935.
I had a harder job placing the early photographs of Kingskerswell village. I think this could be because some cottages have probably been cleared to make way for modern dwellings. For this reason I’m less certain whether I have found the locations for these. If you would like to see the complete set of 6 photographs of Kingskerswell from the Francis Frith collection, use the link above.
The Linny Inn, CoffinswellFrom Kingskerswell my path took me over a hill into the next valley where upon I entered the village of Coffinswell. There’s a very stylish old village pub here named The Linny Inn. I must give it a try sometime, but no time today!
Stokeinteignhead church yard
From here I climbed yet again over another hill before dropping into the next village which was Stokeinteignhead. In need of a bench on which to eat my lunch I search out the local church set slightly back from the village on the hillside. This was a quiet and tranquil spot to have lunch and brew up. The early morning snow had long cleared and the day was sunny if still rather cool when not walking, so I was glad of a cup of tea.
Views of TeignmouthFrom Stokeinteignhead the my path climbed a lane which took me to the start of a track at a place called the Forches. I chose this path as it seemed to follow a hill ridge above the River Teign, and this was a good decision as the views along the river right out to Teignmouth were spectacular. There was quite a lot of water collected on the track causing me to detour into a field at one point, but it was well worth the effort.
View of Teignmouth from The Ness, Shaldon
I then walked a short stretch of the busy Teignmouth to Torquay main road before picking up the coastal path along the cliff top before dropping steeply into Shaldon. Thankfully the view spot at The Ness looking across the Teign Estuary to Teignmouth had been cleared of vegetation which had completely obscured my view on my last visit. Today the view was wide and magnificent, causing me to dawdle and gaze a while.
Voetstoots gallery, Teignmouth, seller of UV wares (from luv-uv.com)
A brief drop into Shaldon followed, and a walk along the beach to the bridge crossing the River Teign. I did a quick skirt of Teignmouth harbour and beach before heading back to Teignmouth town to catch my bus home. I stop briefly to look into a shop that sells UV ornaments and jewellery which really catch the eye. They’re made by a company name luv-UV that I subsequently discover is a Devon company; most interesting and enterprising.
If you are interested in seeing some early photographs of Teignmouth, navigate to 59 St Marychurch to Shaldon where you’ll find photos of a walk I did in September 2008. Some of these photos have links to early photographs.
What a glorious day!
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 11.3 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 38min
Stopped Time: 1hr 53min
Total Ascent: 517 metres
Maximum Elevation: 173 metres
Buses: X46 & 2
