25 June 2010 – Walk: Mothecombe to Aveton Gifford (15.1 Miles)

Synopsis: After numerous failed attempts I finally cross the Erme Estuary by arriving at low tide. Several steep ascents on way to Bigbury. Superb views of Burgh Island as I approach along the coast.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

Another section of the South Devon coast path plugged this year, meaning I’ve now walked the entirety of the path west of Torquay. After setting out I had second thoughts about whether I’d chosen the best bus route. I could have cut down on the preliminary lane walking if I’d caught the bus to Plymouth (X38) and then the bus in the direction of Noss Mayo (94), and got off at Battisborough. That’s just a note for me, should I be repeating this walk and wishing to cut down on the leg work.

Mothecombe - Erme Estuary - Tide Out

Low tide was set to be at 11:55 am for today, and I arrived at Mothecombe about an hour before then. I could see the tide was well out and therefore crossing the Erme Estuary was going to be no trouble whatsoever. As I stood on the approach to the beach a gentleman heavily laden with a large rucksack spoke to me. He asked if I was crossing, and I said yes, I was, and it looks like I’ve got the tide time right this time. He asked if I was also walking the South West Coast Path, to which I explained I had done that, but these days just go out and do a stretch once in a while. He told me about someone he’d met who was doing the walk in the opposite direction, as he’d done it anti-clockwise already. Apparently he told this chap he should do the walk from Lands End to John O’Groats, because it’s easier, even though it’s 300 miles longer. I sympathized with the chap telling me this story, who was finding the going hard. He was carrying a tent which I never did. He said that he was now retired and thought that as he had the time, this would be something to do, and he said he was enjoying it.

Looking across the Avon Estuary

So, I took my boots and socks off and waded out into the estuary. It was actually rather nice and refreshing, to dip my feet in the cool water on this hot and sunny summer’s day. Being a Friday it was relatively quiet, just a few beach goers here and there. I hadn’t realised that Mothecombe Beach itself is only open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. Anyway, little time to waste, so I hurriedly put my socks and boots on and seek out the coast path. I wended my way through some stunted trees which now and again afforded me lovely views out across the estuary.

 

A beautiful azure blue sea

At first the walking was light and easy but looking ahead I could see that there were some steep climbs ahead. Undaunted I ploughed on, blasted by the full heat of the sun. There is rarely any shade on the coast path, and certainly none afforded me along this stretch of the path. I’d set out this morning without packing any sun screen, but thankfully had the good sense to buy some in Totnes earlier in the morning. I wouldn’t have lasted long out in the sun today without protection.

Looking across the mouth of the River Erme in the direction of last week's walk.

 

 

 

Looking back west of where I was I could make out the walk I had done last week. I could see the wide dip of land on the skirt of which I’d parked myself to have lunch last week. I always gain a certain satisfaction from looking out over my previous feats.

 

 

Lunch spot, in the blazing sun

Choice of lunch stop this week was going to be tough, because as mentioned, there was going to be no respite from the sun. Ahead of me, on the top of a cliff ridge, I could make out a bench, and decided that that might at least afford me a bit of a cool breeze. The spot did offer me a fantastic view which distracted my thoughts quite nicely. The best thing to do was going to be to eat my lunch as quick as possible and set out once again on my way. As I was packing my rucksack to go I could make out the gentleman I had been speaking to earlier, descending the hill slope opposite my perch.

Challaborough

 

Just before Bigbury is a beach resort named Challaborough. It has a pleasant beach, but few facilities. Behind it lies a very large holiday campsite. This provided the prelude to Bigbury, which was quite busy with tourists. I took some time out to wander across the spit of sand to Burgh Island to briefly take a closer look at the hotel opposite, named Burgh Island Hotel, funnily enough, and made famous by Agatha Christie.

Bigbury, nature reserve on the River Avon Estuary

 

 

 

Picking up the coastal path once again, this begins to drop down to a nature reserve at the mouth of the River Avon. There were splendid views across the mouth of the river over to the beach at Bantham, an old family favourite.

Tidal road approaching Aveton Gifford

 

After that there was yet more climbing to do, up through a golf course, before yet again dropping down to the tidal road that sweeps into Aveton Gifford. At high tide this road is lost to the sea. There are guide posts dotted along it should an intrepid motorist wish to try to navigate it at high tide. This stretch of the walk, from Bigbury to Aveton Gifford is part of a walk designated the Avon Estuary Walk, the other half of which I walked on 22nd May 2010, Kingsbridge to Aveton Gifford, when I was on the other bank of the River Avon.

A hard day’s walk with some steep hill climbing involved, all the more tiring on a hot June’s day, but I’m not complaining, honest. This was a walk through some of Devon’s finest coastal scenery, which is breathtakingly beautiful. And finally I got the better of the tide!

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 15.1 miles
Moving Time: 5hrs 32 min
Stopped Time: 51 min
Total Ascent: 769 metres
Maximum Elevation: 110 metres

Buses: X64, 91 & 93 (First, £3.35)

19 June 2010 – Walk: Noss Mayo to Mothecombe (14.5 Miles)

Synopsis: A walk along Revelstoke Drive, the coastal path from Noss Mayo towards Mothecombe. No luck with the tide, and have to back track to Yealmpton to catch bus home.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

As Basil would say, “What’s the bleedin’ point?” That’s to say, what is the point in spending time planning a walk and then not using it? Well, it’s like this: I planned a walk that would include a visit to Antony, a National Trust property, only to discover (thankfully) at the last moment that it’s not open on a Saturday. As I had no time to plan another walk I decided I would get on the intended bus to Plymouth anyway, and see what ideas came up. This walk is what came up, and jolly nice it was too.

This summer I’m trying to walk the whole of the South Devon coast path, plugging sections with each walk I do. I have a couple of western sections to plug, of which this was one. It’s not all that accessible, but there are buses that travel in the required direction. As I’d made an early start, catching the 6:55am bus out of Exeter, I could make an early connection with a bus in Plymouth to take me to Noss Mayo. I arrived at my walk start by about 9:30 am.

Noss Mayo - Newton Creek

Noss Mayo is an idyllic place, and it was looking gorgeous in the early morning sun. The tide seemed to be in, as a tidal path I’ve used recently was submerged. I did hope that the tide might be out by the time I got to Mothecombe, as I had a route planned out from there if only I could cross the Erme Estuary, but this proved a forlorn hope.

 

Noss Mayo - Newton Creek

 

 

The coastal path took me out along a creek with views back to Noss Mayo church on top of the hill, which struck 10am as I looked across the water to it. From here the coastal path took me down a lane through trees following along the course of the water. I passed the passenger ferry landing that I’d used on a previous walk in April, when walking in the opposite direction to that planned for today.

The path then snaked and climbed taking me out onto the headland from where there were sweeping views along the coast in both directions. I could make out the beach and church at nearby Wembury.

Revelstoke Drive

 

Here on the headland I joined the Revelstoke Drive. This is perhaps an odd place to find a drive. It is a wide track that follows the contour of the coast with very little in the way of gradients along it’s length. I suppose horse drawn carriages would not have dealt well with any significant slopes. Anyway, it makes for easy walking which was pleasing.

Bloody Cove

 

 

At one point I pass Bloody Cove. I’m intrigued to know how it came by this name. I did Google later that night, but didn’t find any trace of information. And there I was hoping for stories of pirate intrigue, or smuggling at the very least. I posted a picture to Flickr as I thought that it would amuse Helen and Laura.

Landmark?

 

The path cuts inland at Stokes Beach where there is a holiday park. From the coastal path I looked down on the caravans which are on a shelf close to the beach. There’s a row of dead trees, possibly Monterey Pines, close to the coastal path. I’m not sure what is more of a landmark, the dead trees or the caravan site. The dead tree trunks have been under-planted with some saplings, presumably the same tree type as those that have died. It’s nice to discover that someone has thought to replenish them.

Big dipper! Lunch stop.

Just a little further along from here the coastal path can be seen to swoop down and up again. Before considering how to tackle this I decide to stop high on the bank and gaze out on this view as I eat my lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

St Anchorite's Rock

Not long after setting out on my walk again after lunch I came across this large rock in the landscape. The first impression I get is that this should be named Sheep Rock, as there are numerous woolly creatures dotted all about it. On closer inspection I find that this is named St Anchorite’s Rock. Once again, a subject for Google later that night, with a little more luck than Bloody Cove. The term Anchorite refers to a religious hermit in medieval times,  and although I found no direct reference, I can only suppose this was once the site of a hermitage at sone time. Nice location for one. By now the clouds looked quite heavy and ominous, but I was hopeful they’d not come to much.

Erme Estuary

Approaching the Erme Estuary near Mothecombe I see that I’m not going to have any luck with the tide, as there is a lot of water in the estuary. Still the sun shone and the water was a terrific colour. There weren’t many people about which rather surprised me. I suppose the weather forecast wasn’t brilliant, and people stayed away. There were a group of youngsters swimming off Meadowfoot Beach (possibly braver than me), and a couple of families, but otherwise the place was very quiet.

 

Seeing that there was no way forward (I had planned to cross the estuary and walk to Modbury, but that wasn’t possible), I had to come up with an exit route. I walked up to Battisborough where I considered my options. Actually there weren’t many. I decided that Yealmpton was my best bet, as I could catch a 94 bus out from there, and this would connect reasonably well with a bus for Exeter from Plymouth.

Bull and Bear Crossroads - marked by bull and bear gates

One final word before I conclude this blog post. Not far from Dunstone, at the Bull and Bear Cross Roads, I passed these bull and bear gate piers. At the time I didn’t know what the significance of them was but whilst browsing the excellent book Curious Devon by Derrick Warren I came across their story, and quite intriguing it is too.

They are the gate piers to what was the Bull and Bear Lodge as built by the banker Edward Barings in 1877. That makes these the original bull and bear icons from which all others are derived, including that to be found on Wall Street. I think that’s pretty impressive. The bull represents speculation on a rise in the market, the bear on a fall.

Apparently the Bull and Bear Lodge was demolished in the 1950s. I’ve recorded some further details about the story against the photo in Flickr (simply click on the photo right).

 

What with adding in the distance to get back to a bus, this walk was longer than I had imagined it would be. I was glad of the opportunity to rest on the bus and write my blog. Another lovely day’s walking, and another section of the coastal path plugged.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 14.5 miles
Moving Time: 5hrs 08min
Stopped Time: 40min
Total Ascent: 503 metres
Maximum Elevation: 112 metres

Buses: X38, & 94

12 June 2010 – Walk: Strete to Dartmouth (9.8 Miles)

Synopsis: A relatively light walk,not of any great distance. Time to dawdle in Strete and Stoke Fleming to compare old photos with how these places look today. Blackpool Sands looked glorious.

Photo Set – Flickr -:- (Map)

GPS Tracklog Download (.gpx) Microsoft OneDrive -:- Google Drive

 

Tracklog and Photos - Google My Map

Tracklog overlay - OSM – ViewRanger -:- OS – WheresThePath

 

(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)

The weather for today promised to be very good, so my very early alarm call of 5:00 am was not too unwelcome. There’s so much daylight at this time of year, who wants to stay in bed anyway? So I was in good time to catch the 6:30 am bus to Totnes, which connected with the 111 to Dartmouth, which in turn connected with the 93 (First) bus to Strete.

Dartmouth

I had a little time to spare in Dartmouth, so I wondered around the attractive gardens taking a few photos to pass the time. It was nice and cool and very quiet at this time of day, an ideal time to savour the delights of Dartmouth. I was fortunate in that Mum had leant me her camera as mine had failed me on the previous weekend. I’d be totally lost without a camera, so I was grateful for the loan.

I really don’t think the road from Dartmouth to Strete was meant to take the large double-decker buses of today. Several times we found ourselves in jams and having to wait for cars to back up to let us through. Anyway, our driver seemed to be taking it all in his stride, but rather him than me.

Strete

 

 

The Kings Arms in Strete is easily recognizable today, having exactly the same terraces as it has in the photos of old. The ivy has gone, but otherwise it looks just as it did. The same can’t be said of the building further down the road, that is now completely missing, having been hit by a mortar during war time manoeuvres that occurred in this area as part of allied preparations for the D-Day landings.

Looking north east

 

I picked up a footpath from the road that took me out onto the hills in the direction of the sea from where the sweeping coastline south towards Start Point (last week’s walk) can be seen. There’s something quite satisfying about looking out on the miles of coast covered on a previous outing; I suppose it’s the “done that” feeling. That aside, the sweep of the bay looked stunningly beautiful in the mid morning sun.

Blackpool Sands

 

The path, after a very steep dip into a valley, cuts across the main road, picks up a dirt track, and then drops sharply into Blackpool sands. This has to be one of the most attractive beaches in Devon. Apparently it was a favourite of Agatha Christie, who lived during summer months just down the road at Greenway on the River Dart.

Blackpool Sands

 

The beach at Blackpool Sands is made up of a fine shingle, said to consist of fragments sea shells. This is perhaps the perfect material for a beach, as it both provides a comfortable surface to laze out on, and doesn’t cloud the water as sand does. The sea is in fact so clean and translucent it looks like one big swimming pool, although it is said the water can be quite cool.

Blackpool Sands

 

There seem to be two schools of thought on the origin of the name. One school suggests it has spiritual connotations, derived from the old Devon dialect word ‘blag’, denoting holy or sacred, a word often used to mark the boundary line between the parishes, here that of Blackawton and Stoke Fleming. The other school of thought (somewhat less imaginative) says it is simply a reference to the black pool of water that sits on the beach at the point where a stream runs across the sand. I leave it to you to decide which of these versions you favour.

Stoke Flemming

After a brief break on Blackpool Sands to have a snack and re-apply some sun cream, I then set off climbing the steep hill out of the beach in the direction of Stoke Fleming. The path follows the side of the main road before crossing it and picking up a lane that enters the back of Stoke Fleming. I believe walkers are then, because the streets of Stoke Fleming are narrow and busy, directed to continue on along this lane, but I wanted to drop down into Stoke Fleming, which is what I did.

 

 

Stoke Flemming

I first stopped briefly to take a quick look around the church, but didn’t see anything that inspirational. I knew that some of the old photos had the church in them, so next I went in search of the location of these. There are a couple of houses that appear in these photos which remain very recognizable to this day. Unfortunately the land in front of these houses has been sold off and a new house has been built on it, somewhat obscuring the view these days.

Stoke Flemming

I get the impression the post office has moved too. I think it used to be in a narrow part of the road, but now it’s just around the corner. Then, taking the course up this ridiculously narrow main road, I eventually look back over my shoulder and recognize the location of more of the old photos. This part of the village is thankfully little altered, despite the traffic, from the days of old. I bet though it was a good deal more quiet and tranquil back then.

Looking south west

 

 

On the outskirts of the village the coastal path directs walkers off the main road down a very quiet lane, which comes as something of a relief. I immediately relaxed once away from all that traffic. A fair distance needs to be covered along this lane before a path is picked up at a National Trust car park. About 400 metres along this path and the views along the coast opened up to me once again, so, despite there being no shade, I chose this spot for my lunch.

St Petroc's Church

After lunch my walk took me down to the shoreline which it hugs for some considerable distance before ascending into trees and then descending to the location of Dartmouth Castle. I didn’t go in the castle (English Heritage) but I did go in the nearby church of St Petrock’s. I’ve been in the church before and do find it rather austere. There is reference to a church at this location in a title deed that pre-dates the Norman Conquest, but the present church was virtually completely rebuilt in 1641. The church at one time operated a beacon light for ships, but this practice ceased in the 14th century.

Dartmouth - Bayard's Cove

 

I swept around Warfleet Creek, site of a substantial mill at which pottery is now produced. My route then followed the road up hill before picking up a path that dropped down into Bayards Cove where this is a small castle and an old quay fronted with attractive houses.

 

Dartmouth - Ice cream shop? Or is it? (family joke)

 

 

 

 

By the lower ferry I can’t help myself and have to take a photo of what used to be an ice cream shop that we frequently used when we were young. I, more recently, when out with my family, proudly stepped into here to proclaim to my daughters that this was where we bought our ice creams only to look about me and see nothing but spectacles. Yes, this has now become an opticians, and I am perhaps in need of their wares. Oh, the passing of time.

 

Dartmouth - Saint Saviour's Church - early door

On entering Dartmouth I glimpsed sight of a church up a narrow street and decided to investigate, and was glad I did. The church was that of Saint Saviour’s Church. The first thing that I noticed on entering the church was that it has a west gallery, and there aren’t too many churches that do in the south west. The next thing I noticed was the rood screen on which I could detect some very early painting. On checking this later I found that the rood screen dates from 1480. Then I notice a very unusual carved altar table, which subsequently I discover this dates from 1490. And then, as I was about to leave I notice the door that I’d walked past on entering without giving heed to how special it is. I subsequently discover that it is indeed unique, dating from about 1340, but refurbished in 1631. It has wonderfully crude lion braces on it. After finding all these amazing things in this church it was little surprise for me to discover that it is a grade I listed building. What a little treasure.

Dartmouth

 

 

 

By now it was time I gave some thought to getting home, for which I had no real plan. I decided I’d like to travel through Torbay so I crossed to Kingswear on the Lower Ferry and from there caught a bus to Paignton.

 

This walk took me along some of Devon’s finest coast. The day was glorious and sunny, perhaps a little too hot for walking, but I’m not going to complain. It had been a superb day with so much that was beautiful and interesting.

Walk Statistics:

Total Distance: 9.8 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 46min
Stopped Time: 1hr 39min
Total Ascent: 448 metres
Maximum Elevation: 121 metres

Buses: X64, 111, 93 (£3.55), 120 & X46
Plus: Ferry crossing from Dartmouth to Kingwsear (£1.10)