Dartmouth to Brixham

We left our room, picked up some supplies from the coop and headed for the ferry to cross the River Dart. This vehicle & passenger ferry was unlike any I’d seen before. It was a floating platform attached to a boat with a couple of ropes.  

The skipper skilfully reversed; rotated the boat 180 degrees; took up the slack in the ropes; and then pulled us across. Shortly after we were disembarking in Kingswear.

Once out of Kingswear we followed the path through woodland; relatively unusual for the coast path. The pine tree needles underfoot made for a nice cushioned path. We came to a National Coast Watch lookout point; which had formally been a World War II fortification, and climbed down some steps to a small bunker. From this vantage point  we spotted a solitary seal basking in the water.

From the lookout point, the path took some steep ascents and descents through more open scrub land. We stopped for some lunch at Scabbacombe Sands; apparently a noted naturist beach. We didn’t see anyone however, perhaps the chilling wind was putting people off? 

After lunch we continued around a couple more headlands, and a few more steep hills. Eventually arriving at Brixham Harbour.

We checked into our B&B, did some washing, and then headed out for some food. After much searching for a spot that served fish pie (impossible to find in Brixham it seems) we headed to the Queens Arms. A two time CAMRA winning pub which serves a hearty meal on a Monday night. Recommended.

Brixham to Teignmouth

After a near miss at breakfast this morning, where our host’s cat nearly vomited on me; we headed out into the chilly morning.

This is the first morning there has been a frost! We expect there was one yesterday morning but we hadn't got up early enough to see it. 

We passed a few small coves before hitting holiday park land at Goodrington and Paignton. Just as you think you are leaving the suburbs of Paignton you hit the suburbs of Torquay.

Then you end up walking for miles and miles through Torquay. There is an option to get the ferry from Brixham to Torquay, however we thought that would be cheating and it has stopped for winter anyway. The promenade in Torquay has been spruced up since I was last here. Also it was another beautiful sunny day which makes the area really feel like the English Riviera!

Most of today we were sheltered from the northerly winds and it really makes a difference to the "feels like" temperature.

After final escaping the suburbs of Torquay we passed through some rather hilly woods before descending onto Babbacombe beach.

Babbacombe is famous as in the spring/summer many cuttlefish come into the bay to mate and lay eggs. I’ve scuba dived in the bay quite often and there are also lots of crabs, lobster, nudibranch (sea slugs), and a congor eel living the the pier.

We popped around the bay and had lunch on Oddicombe beach before heading back up the hill following alongside the cliff railway.

The rest of the day consisted on many steep ups and downs through woodland and along field boundaries until we reached Shaldon.

There is a ferry that runs from Shaldon to Teignmouth, I thought is was running, Olly checked the website and said it wasn't, I re-checked and found it was (he thought we were already in November) and then when we arrived it had stopped early! So we had a detour to go over the bridge, found the Airbnb and ate a load of pizza and ice-cream for dinner. 

Fun nature fact, there are Sloe berries growing all over the coast path, I have made mental notes for collecting and making sloe gin next year.

Budleigh Salterton to Beer

After a pleasant stay and catch up with friends in Exeter, Pat kindly drove us back to Budleigh Salterton.

Our friends Rich and Ruth have joined us for a couple of days and Pat was going to walk as far as Sidmouth.

The route started out quite flat with a detour around an estuary. But soon there were steep climbs and descents over the hills. 

We said goodbye to Pat at Sidmouth and stocked up on some supplies for lunch. We continued a few miles further before stopping at a nice beach.

It was lovely and warm in the sunshine and you could hardly believe we are now in November. 

After lunch we continued to Branscombe which is the famous site where goods from the container ship MSC Napoli were washed up in 2007. Police had to patrol the beach to prevent the hoards of people arriving scavenging the washed up goods.

We arrived in Beer a little early to get into the YHA so headed for a Beer in Beer at the Barrel of Beer (pub).

Nature fact: We have been seeing lots of Parasol mushrooms growing in the fields. This was a particularly tall one.

Apparently these are very tasty but other deadly mushrooms can looks very similar and are easily mistaken!

Teignmouth to Budleigh Salterton

The supermarket had got the better of us, as we shopped for food yesterday evening, we now had a fruit strudel to cook for breakfast! A warm fruit straddle, and leftover ice cream makes for an unconventional breakfast, but it seemed as good a start as a bowl of porridge. 

We set of into the crisp, chilly morning and walked along the sea wall between the railway and the sea. We’d read that you should take the alternative route if the tide was in, but we were two hours before high tide so we thought we’d risk it. It turned out to be fine, I think the tide would have to particularly high, and stormy for it to be impassable.

We then followed roads, and tarmac paths round to Dawlish. Here, the train line also runs along the sea, and it’s occasionally in the news when a big storm washes part of the railway into the sea.

Now at high tide, a number of waves were crashing over the path on the sea wall, so we took the alternative route slight inland. Later we crossed over a foot bridge and back onto the sea wall to continue round to Dawlish Warren. 

Also we’d realised the day before that the ferry from Starcross to Exmouth had stopped running despite the signs saying “end of October”. Luckily our friend Lucy lives nearby in Exeter and offered to give us a lift. So we met Lucy in Starcross and she drove us round to Exmouth, where we had a bite to eat.

Lucy joined us for a short section before having to head off.  There’s an interesting monument at Orcombe Point; The Geoneedle. Each section, running down the middle, is sculpted out of a different type of rock underlying the path from here until the end at Studland.

From here is was a couple more miles to our finish for the day. Luckily we have a number of good friends in Exeter. Pat came to pick us up, and we stayed the night at Alex & Lydia’s.  We spent a good evening with lovely food and good company.

Beer to Seatown

After breakfast at the youth hostel we set off. Over the hill at Beer, we walked down into Seaton. With a small section on the beach and then onto the promenade we continued through Seaton. 

We then followed the path uphill through a golf course and through some fields. Here there was a sign warning us of the arduous nature of the path to Lyme Regis! We continued regardless.

This next section was the undercliffs. In the 1800s a large landslide has occurred, and these undercliffs are now the remnants of that landslide. Apparently it was quite the tourist attraction when it happened, with people coming from far and wide to see the fallen cliffs with their crops still growing on the tops. 

We arrived in Lyme Regis where Rich and Rufus had to leave us to catch a bus back to Exeter. We had some lunch and then carried on.

The route out of Lyme Regis to Charmouth, was relatively confusing. This section had been re-routed due to landslips.  After Charmouth a steep uphill section, along a road, took us to the top of the next cliff.

A couple of steep undulations, and then a steep climb took us to the top of Golden Cap; the hill just before Seatown. 

We descended Golden Cap as the sun set, and by the time we reached Seatown it was dusk. We continued through the car park and up the next hill though as we needed to find somewhere to camp. After a steep climb and traverse round the cliff top we found a flat patch of ground and stopped for the night.