So a different part of the country for the next few days. Sometimes plans change and different opportunities arise.
A trip to the South Hams area of South Devon, an area I know well and have been visiting for thirty years. My younger son and his partner were attending a wedding at Thurlestone and he thought I might like to go down as well to walk. Plan A, Pete would drive my car there and back and I could take them to the wedding etc. Plan B, after Pete gets Covid is that Alex and I will travel down by train to Totnes and catch a bus to Kingsbridge, where we are staying for four nights. Never been to this area without a car!
Bonus, I can use my bus pass on that part of my journey- although fares were cheaper than in Oxfordshire. Accommodation good and a great meal to set us up for a walk together on the Friday.
After much scouring of bus timetables we caught a bus to Hope Cove and planned to walk the coastal path round to Salcombe, to catch a different bus back to Kingsbridge. Our accommodation was about three hundred metres from the bus station!!
So the bus dropped us at Inner Cove, not my favourite bit of beach but that wasn’t the point of today. Having crossed the water front, steps climb quickly up and then a steep path so that it’s not long before we can look downward.
Not the sunniest of starts! We almost began to contemplate the completely unacceptable thought of putting on a cagoule but we stuck it out! We were still gaining height up to Bolt Tail and had a much clearer view back to Hope Cove. Was it rain or just sea mist – quite damp but still warm.
We stopped at the top as the path took a change of direction but decided not to go out to the headland but continue on the cliff path. Somebody out with their dog and then a runner coming towards us. Wouldn’t even acknowledge us – not quite the walkers code. We did stop by a rocky outcrop to have a quick drink and my eye was drawn to these succulents – having just bought some for my garden.
We climb up a grassy path and at a gateway there is a path leading steeply back down to Inner Hope. Alex used this on his run on the Sunday when he ran the reverse of our walk and on to Bantham for beach games as a follow up to the wedding on Saturday. A good place to insert the map to make more sense of the route.
A grassy area to our left and cliffs down on the right. Really surprised to see evidence of fires on the cliff side- notices suggest these are due to the extreme hot weather and that they might still be smoking.
We are now on to Bolberry Down which is quite a popular area with parking at the far end. There wasn’t any coffee in Hope so we divert to a cafe next to some accommodation. Any interesting selection of holiday lets linked to a restaurant. I have mine put in my flask to drink along the way. I’m using my water reservoir again today.
The path winds itself up and down and there are some quite steep sections with undulations all around. The sea mist is still with us but the warmth indicates that the sun might break through.
Below is Soar Mill Cove, one of our favourite spots in the past. Visited last year when we discovered that we could no longer park by the hotel. We had had a slightly damp walk and a steep climb down to the beach from the parking near Soar. We met a few people approaching the beach as we took the path up and around – we had been this way on the way back last year and it had been a bit damp then as well. A stop by a rocky outcrop for a snack and coffee.
We are walking along the Warren towards Bolt Head and this is a slightly more desolate area. Still a bit murky – well the cows are sitting down!
Our path takes us towards Bolt Head and as we are looking out towards the sea before we change direction again we spy ponies on the horizon.
A steep climb down to Starhole bottom and then the most splendid view to a beach far below – not one we’ve ever been down to. One more easily reached by boat. We decide this is a good place for lunch and sit on the grass at the top of this cliff. There is a wire fence that protects anyone from falling over the cliff, with a small path and a battered piece of fence signalled by an abandoned straw hat! Probably not really meant to be there.
A mother and daughter approach with a golden retrieve but although the mother was game to try getting down to the beach, the teenager daughter obviously thought it was far too much trouble! Then a young couple venture over the top. Wish I had felt a little more adventurous!
The path can be seen curving round the side of this rocky outcrop and having climbed back up to the track we were back on our way. We had walked this last section before but often from the other direction so we knew that this was a rocky section which would soon turn towards Salcombe.
The path having been very narrow then turns to a track which runs along the cliff side, diverting both up to Sharpitor and gardens and also down to South Sands. So from tranquility and wildness we were suddenly down into people, parking, ice creams and beach games. The path follows the road and moves on to North Sands where there are the remains of a castle and fort. Then we come to the town proper, when we get to the steps down to the foot ferry across the estuary our walk proper for the day is completed.
We do visit the town, do a bit of shopping, including ice cream! We check out where the bus will leave from and then go back to the ferry for a quick trip across and a short visit to the wonderful sunny cove. One of us goes in the sea and the other just foot dips! And then a very quick walk back to the bus and just manage the one we’d hoped to catch!
Not a long walk today just a little over 15 km but very enjoyable and getting a bus from Salcombe was far preferable than having the car. The liberation provided by catching the bus felt good.
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 