Synopsis: Far reaching views across swathes of Devon landscape. A quiet lunch in the churchyard of Salcombe Regis before arriving at the busy resort of Sidmouth. Plus a quote from Sir John Betjeman.
My start point, for the simple reason this is where the bus stops, was Putts Corner. A rather out of the way sort of place, and goodness knows why the bus does stop here (on request). There is the Hare and Hounds Inn here, and a camping site nearby; perhaps these are reasons enough for a bus stop. Whatever the reason, this stop was a good place to begin my walk back in the direction of Simouth, from whence I’d just come by bus.
The views open out
I was about 45 minutes into this walk, traipsing across fields and through woods, before the views really began to open out as I had hoped they would. There are some lovely sweeping hills in this area. These were looking very lush in the bright sun of this February morning. There were very few people about. I passed one gentlemen carrying what I believe to have been a double-barrelled shotgun, spaniel at his heels, I imagine in the hope of bagging the odd pigeon.
Salcombe Regis - church
I approached the village of Salcombe Regis around lunchtime. The village is snugly nestled in a little comb that runs down to the coast. I found a comfortable bench bathed in sun in the churchyard in view of the church, and it was there that I ate my lunch, by a small pocket of snowdrops, the first I’d seen this spring.
Apparently Salcombe Regis was given to to the monastery founded by Athelstan at Exeter, which is how it came by its royal connection. The village had a reputation for smuggling, something in which the church was willing to co-operate, sometimes storing contraband high in the roof of the church, for a small cut of course. Nearby Slade farm was also involved. Henry Northcott, labourer records in 1819 that the brandy was strong and treacly, being condensed for shipment from France, and later watered down before sale. “Once they were in Slade cellar, but the King (i.e. the Customs Officers) called and they were only just started down the drains in time. It made the rats squeak.” (extract from the Shell Guide to Devon) I bet it did!
Sidmouth - Alma Bridge (1900)
I entered upon Sidmouth sea front by crossing over Alma Bridge, named after a battle during the Crimean War. The strange thing is, this bridge looked completely different in 1895 than it does now. Searching the Internet I find the bridge was, ‘Originally constructed in the mid-19th century, it was replaced in 1900.” I guess that explains why. I find the Battle of Alma took place on 20th September 1854. But whatever the story behind the bridge, it’s a splendid way to approach the promenade, and how nice it always is to be beside the seaside.
Sidmouth
“Gem of ravishing Regency architecture,” is how my my Shell Guide describes Sidmouth. It goes on to say, “Elegant, little villas sparkle with white paint, delicate ironwork and small panes of coloured glass.” It is definitely taken with Sidmouth, and who would dispute them? I too think it is a very smart place, full of old world charm, and quite stately as far as seaside places go. Apparently the cricket field, laid out in 1820 is one of the oldest in the country.
Sidmouth - Connaught Gardens - Verse from Sir John Betjeman
It is easy to see why Sir John Betjeman described Sidmouth as 'A town caught still in a timeless charm'. Sidmouth boasts over 500 listed buildings, many of which are relics of Sidmouth's heyday in the Regency era. He penned this verse, commemorated on a plaque in the Connaught Gardens, which reads:
“Pause on Peak Hill, look eastward to the town,
Then to the Connaught Gardens wander down
And in the shelter of its tropic bowers,
I see its bright and outsize Devon flowers”.
Sidmouth - Connaught Gardens - time for tea
The Clock Tower, which now functions as a cafe attached to the Connaught Gardens, was once a lime kiln on the cliff top by Jacob’s Ladder. The chalk was brought by boat and carried to the cliff top by donkeys. It eventually formed the foundation of a pseudo-fort with clock tower lookout and boathouse, complete with boat on davits (from blue wall-mounted disk nearby).
If you’d like to read about the Connaught Gardens, East Devon District Council have provided this informative guide to these gardens.
It was good to be out in the on this warm and sunny day in February. The peace and tranquillity of the countryside was nicely contrasted with the busy but sophisticated elegance of Sidmouth.
Note: I made a minor navigation error at this point (N50.70961 W3.20505) on the route where I took the left path but should have taken the higher path to the right, which had been my original intention. Not a significant problem, but simply involved me in a trek along a very wet and muddy track, one which could have been avoided if I’d taken the right course. I recommend adding a note to a waypoint with proximity indicator at this location to avoid making this error, something I’ve now added to my GPS route for this walk.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 9.5 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 58min
Stopped Time: 49min
Total Ascent: 392 metres
Maximum Elevation: 253 metres
Buses: 52B
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