Synopsis: I’ve travelled the road between these towns many times, so long overdue for walking this route. Started from Newton Abbot market out through Decoy Country Park on to Cockington.
Bit of a dash to get ready for this walk, as the planning had to be done in the morning. Luckily the idea for this walk worked well when I planned the route on the map. I've begun to use 'Where's the Path' for my route planning. This places an Ordnance Survey map adjacent to a Google map such that they move in synchronized way, the route points showing on both. Seeing the satellite image from Google Maps often allows me to place route points more accurately than just using the OS map. I was ready to leave the house by 10:15, which meant a bit of a dash to catch the 10:30 bus to Newton Abbot, but I made it with 4 minutes to spare.
Newton Abbot marketI spent a little time wandering around Newton Abbot market. This consists of stalls in both a covered hall and in the open-air. It always seems busy and seem to have a wide selection of fares. It's nice to see that this can still work very well in this age of global supermarkets.
Decoy Country ParkThe path then took me through the Newton Abbot town centre, across a park and on to Decoy Country Park. I'd heard of this many a time, but this was the first time I had seen it. It's an old quarry that was mined right up to the 1960s. There a photo of the quarry from this time on an information board you pass as you enter the park. Now it is completely transformed, the old excavations turned into lakes, one of which is quite large. Next to this large lake is a play and picnic area with toilets and a car park. There were many families here, some setting up their barbecues. It's possible to hire canues (£4 for half an hour), and there were many children out on the lake in these.
After Decoy Park I soon found myself crossing fields in quiet open country, which is I suppose my natural habitat. It was quite quiet and peaceful, and I hardly noticed that the valley in which I was walking is shared with a very busy road and a main line rail track.
Cottages in the village of AbbotskerswellThe walking was quite hard, not particularly because of the terrain, but because the day became quite hot and rather humid. Because I was running rather late I had to set myself a reasonable pace, which made for hot walking. I took a brief look around Abbotskerswell, a place I don't recollect ever visiting before. The village is rather attractive with quite a number of old cottages. The church I didn't think all that memorable, except for one rather strange sculpture, of what I think is a woman, in a corner of a window. The statue appears to have been almost complete defaced. I wonder why that is?
I found a bench in the cemetery that was under some most welcome shade, and here I sat to eat my lunch. I received no objections to my doing that from the company all about me.
Cricket being played on the lawns of Cockington CourtThe path from here took me mostly along country lanes and through small hamlets. It's very quiet country, with few people about. Finally I drop down towards Cockington. There were a lot of visitors to Cockington Court, eating their cream teas in front the manor house, watching the game of cricket being played on the lawn. A slice of old England.
Queens Hotel, TorquayI followed the stream from Cockington which led me down to the sea at Livermead Beach. From here I walked along the cost in the direction of Torquay. As I was approaching the Strand I noticed across the harbour that work was taking place on the old Queens Hotel building. I wander across to take a closer look. The building is looking fantastic once more. I am fond of art deco architecture and am pleased to see this building looking so splendid again, after many years of neglect. Not far from here is a building named Pavillions that would have been built around the same time as the Queens Hotel. This rather stuffy style of architecture of Pavillions only serves to highlight what a revolution art deco must have seemed in its day. Pavillions was built in the old colonial style, and I do rather like it, but it is backward looking whereas art deco was all about changing everything to things modern.. The old Queens Hotel building is being converted into luxury waterside apartments.
I was late getting going for this walk, but I'm very glad I caught my bus. I rather like the summer and the chance to walk through corn fields as the shoot away in lovely hues of green, before eventually being baked gold.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 13.5 miles
Moving Time: 4hrs 45min
Stopped Time: 43min
Total Ascent: 511 metres
Maximum Elevation: 140 metres
Buses: X39 & X46
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