Torcross to Dartmouth, 17km, 455m ascending, 2,850m cumulative ascending

The walk into Dartmouth should have been relaxing and one of the prettiest of the whole Coast Path but it turned into a dour feat of endurance. When we awoke it was a fine morning and it was very pleasant looking out over the sea from the window seat in our room. Breakfast didn’t start until 9.00am which is later than we like. We were just getting our muesli when the bag transfer man turned up wanting our bags. There was a mad rush to get all our things together so we didn’t hold him up. Usually he emails or rings the B & B the night before to say when he will arrive and mostly it is long after we have departed.

By the time we left, a bit before 10, it was very grey and it wasn’t long before the raincoats were on, and today they stayed on. Light rain at first but as we neared the mouth of the Dart River it was heavy, steady rain and a strong wind. By the time we got to Dartmouth Castle we were two drowned rats so decided to stop at the tearoom and get something like hot soup to warm and cheer us up. Unfortunately there was only one young lady working today and she was only making drinks and serving cake so we had to make do with a hot drink and some flapjacks. What should have been a lovely walk along the wooded Dart Estuary into the picturesque town of Dartmouth became a grin trudge as we got colder and colder. After a quick stop at a grocery store we went straight to our B & B for a hot shower and some dry clothes.

The first section was dead flat out of Torcross along a low shingle ridge known locally as the Slapton Line which separates the freshwater nature reserve lake of Slapton Ley from the pebbly beach and the sea. This is the area the Americans used for their D-Day rehearsals. Halfway along the Line there is a large stone monument erected by the United States Government honouring the 3000 residents who were evacuated for twelve months from the surrounding villages. At the end of the Line the path climbed gently inland through a couple of small villages crossing paddocks and using very quiet country lanes.

From here there was some easy cliff walking around the headland and into the Dart Estuary along a mostly wooded path, past the castle and St Petrox Church, onto urban roads and into the lovely town of Dartmouth. As has become the norm on this holiday our accommodation is at the far end of town and 20 minutes up a steep hill. At the Dartmouth Boutique B & B however we were very warmly welcomed and our wet coats taken away to be dried and our saturated shoes delivered to our room in plastic bags. It is also very, very comfortable.

Dartmouth has a mediaeval feel to it with narrow streets and fine old buildings. Its prosperity is based on the deep-water harbour developed by the Normans nearly a thousand years ago. In 1147 it was the mustering point for 164 ships leaving for the Second Crusade – a role it repeated in 1190 during the Third Crusade under King John. It is home to the only naval college in Britain – Britannia Royal Naval College and is famous for its royal links. Kings George V and George VI, the current Prince of Wales and Duke of York all trained here, as did their father the Duke of Edinburgh.

The twin castles of Dartmouth and across the River Dart at Kingswear were built at the end of the fourteenth century to protect the harbour from attack. Dartmouth Castle is a bit unusual as besides the gun towers etc it has a church, St Petrox. The castle was in use until WWII. Outside the castle is Dartmouth Castle Tearooms, built with battlements like a castle and known as the Castle Light. Built in the nineteenth century it acted as a form of lighthouse, providing light to ships sailing up the Dart.

We have two nights here and tomorrow we are going on an excursion up the river. Let’s hope the weather improves.

Salcombe to Torcross, 20km, 686m ascending, 2,395 cumulative ascending

It rained during the night but the weather forecast looked okay, just a chance of some showers in the middle of the day. It was a bit dreary at first but brightened up and then we kept getting a few light showers for a couple of hours. It was one of those days when you put the rain coat on, then the sun came out and you were too hot, so you took the coat off. Then it rained a little so the coat went on, etc. About eight times before the showers disappeared.

We had a quick look around Salcombe this morning. Yesterday it had been busy and teeming with police as a royal was in the village to celebrate 150 years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It may have been Prince Michael of Kent, not sure. There is a regular seven day a week, all year round, every half hour, ferry service from Salcombe across to East Portlemouth and we were on the first ferry of the morning.

Today was a superb section of walking. Part of it on exposed cliff faces, the rugged cliffs contrasting with numerous tiny sandy coves below. After visiting the Coastguard Lookout and visitor’s centre at Prawle Point a long length was on an old ‘raised beach’, a low shelf a little above the sea giving an easy walk. The path climbed across the spine of Start Point behind the lighthouse before plunging down to the beach at Hallsands and more easy walking past Beesands to Torcross.

We came across the sites of two tragedies today, the first at Hallsand and the second at Torcross.

Hallsands was a small fishing village founded in the 18^th century separated from the tempestuous tides by a pebble beach. In the 1890s a large construction company was given the right to dredge for shingle between Hallsands and Beesands. The villagers were very unhappy with the granting of this licence, complaining that the dredging would cause damage to their cray pots, disturb the fish and might also cause damage to their houses. They were given some meagre compensation but it wasn’t until 1900 that it dawned on everybody the extent of damage caused by the dredging. The sea wall had washed away, the beach had fallen between 7 and twelve feet and was no longer a barrier against the tide and a report concluded that a heavy gale would flood several houses if not seriously damage them. In 1902 dredging stopped but by then six houses had been lost to the sea. Large storms in 1917 washed the village away leaving only one house standing. Miraculously no-one in the village was killed during theses storms though the village never recovered.

In 1943 the Slapton Sands at Torcross were chosen as a practice ground for 30,000 American troops prior to the D-Day landings in Normandie. It was called Operation Tiger. This beach was chosen as it was similar to Utah in Normandy, namely a gravel beach followed by a thin ribbon of sand and a lake. 3,000 residents of Slapton and Torcross were evacuated. The rehearsal was a tragedy on a huge scale. Despite protection from the Royal Navy, a convoy of eight ships heading to this rehearsal were attacked by German E-boats and 638 servicemen were lost. Worse was to follow: when the remaining boats reached land a further 308 personnel were killed – unbelievably – by friendly fire, following an order by Eisenhower to use live ammunition to harden the troops. The Normandy landings were almost cancelled due to the tragedy. Those who witnessed the tragic events of April 28^th 1943 were sworn to secrecy and the whole incident covered up until the 1970s when a local resident did extensive research into the incident and arranged for a Sherman DD tank to be located near the beach in Torcross to commemorate the 946 US servicemen who died that day.

Our B & B tonight is ideal in many ways. It is right on the Coast Path, is opposite the beach, we have a first floor window looking out over the sea and when we arrived we were greeted with a delicious cream tea from the café downstairs.

Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe, 22km, 448m ascending, 1709 cumulative ascending

When we arrived in Bigbury-on-Sea yesterday the close off shore Burgh Island was joined to the mainland with a sand spit. You could easily walk across. This morning near high tide the sand spit was covered by the sea and a tractor + trailer with very high seats was used to take people across. Dominating the island is the exclusive and extortionate Burgh Island Hotel, from £420 per night. It is a 1920s Art Deco hotel and inspired the setting for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

About 45 minutes out of Bigbury-on Sea we came to the first obstacle of the day – The River Avon. Not the River Avon of Stratford upon Avon etc. England has five River Avons, Scotland three and Wales one. They are all a tautology as Avon comes from the Celtic word for river, hence they are River River. This River Avon is 41km long and rises in Dartmoor National Park.

We knew there was a seasonal ferry operating that ran Mon to Sat from 10.00am to 11.00am and 3.00pm to 4.00pm. No service on Sundays. Our info was the season was from April 19 until September 30. We arrived just before ten and as instructed on the sign board attracted the ferryman, who is based on the other side, by shouting and waving. He came and picked us up and soon had us on the other side of the Avon at Bantham. He informed us that in fact today, September 21 was his last day, not the 30^th. If we had arranged our itinerary for one day later we would have had a taxi ride or a long walk around the estuary. We learnt later the timetable for the ferry runs very much on the whim of the ferryman.

Compared to yesterday this section of the coast is well used and we were never far from residential and holiday accommodation, cafes, car parks and thankfully toilets. After Burgh Island and the Avon Estuary the morning’s highlights were the distinctive holed Thurlestone Rock, the headland of Bolt Tail and the charming little settlement and picturesque harbour of Hope Cove, which is split into Outer Hope and Inner Hope.

From Hope Cove there were quite spectacular high cliffs, soaring above tiny, mostly inaccessible coves. The actually is called Soar and at each end are dramatic headlands, Bolt Tail in the west and Bolt Head in the east. Soar had many jagged rock formations both inland and on the coast terminating with a very narrow squeeze through a cleft in the rock at Sharp Tor. Turning this corner we were suddenly in the softer sandy bays of the estuary of Salcombe Harbour. This is where we stay tonight. Unfortunately The Waverley B & B is high above the water up a very steep and winding street. So we walked up to check and get showered, all the way down  to get a meal at the Ferry Inn and all the way up again to get to our bed.

Tomorrow first thing, we have our fourth ferry crossing. These are getting to be fun.

Noss Mayo to Bigbury-on-Sea, 19km, 430m ascending, 1261m cumulative ascending.

Today was a section of fine high-level coastal cliffs, cut midway by the substantial and extremely picturesque estuary of the River Erme. The first half to the river was particularly easy to walk as there is a wide former carriage route, now nicely grassed over, giving access to the superb coastline. The second half from the river to Bigbury-on-Sea was more demanding with a series of descents and ascents, some quite steep, making the walking strenuous but accentuating the dramatic cliffs.

There were two challenges today, The wind and the river. When we awoke this morning there was a steady breeze and it got stronger throughout the day. I would say 30km/hr and gusting 40+ on the exposed cliff tops. We walked into it all day and this evening are feeling a bit battered. The only time we got out of the wind was in woodland, deep in the Erme river valley and in the café. Fortunately it wasn’t a cold wind so we could still walk in just a lightweight merino top. We now know why our B & B tonight is called Summer Winds.

The other challenge was the River Erme. There is no ferry and we knew it had to be crossed. There were three options: arrange a taxi at £20 -30 to drive you round via an inland road, walk an extra 14kms up the river to the first vehicle bridge and back on roads with no shoulder, wade across the river from one hour each side of low tide. We wanted to do the latter but knew we may have had to chose one of the other two. We knew low tide was about 4.00pm but weren’t sure if this was Greenwich Mean Time or British Summer Time and if so, did we add or subtract an hour.

We arrived at the river at midday and determined low tide was 4.09 BST. The river was still very full so we went up the hill to the Schoolhouse Café for something to eat and to fill in time. About 2 o’clock we came back down to the river, and what a transformation, the river valley that had been all water was now largely a vast expanse of sand. We waited about on the riverbank for a while as we weren’t exactly sure where the safest recommended crossing point was. Shortly a guy crossed the river from the far side so we had a chat to him. He showed us where to cross, said the water was now only mid-calf deep and the river bed was sand and pebbles so just take your shoes off and go bare feet. This we did, it was all very easy and by 2.30 we were ready to head off on the far side. Still one and a half hours before low tide. There is a tidal range of about 6 metres so if your arrival time at the river is off there is no hope of wading across.

Today for the first time we saw the Devon County flag flying. It is quite new, created in 2003 and dedicated to St Petroc. The flag has a green background with a white cross edged in black. The green represents the rolling and lush Devon hills, the black represents the high and windswept moors (Dartmoor and Exmoor) and the white represents both the salt spray of Devon’s two coasts and the china clay industry (and mining in general).

Most of the walk today was very remote and quiet. All morning we saw only one runner and one dog walker, both near the start at Noss Mayo. The only food available until near the end at Bigbury-on-Sea, was the café we went to above the river. We crossed a few small beaches but they were deserted as there was no car access. This is when the Coast Path is at its best, just the magnificence of the cliffs and the panoramic views.

Plymouth to Noss Mayo, 19km, 831m climbing,

It was great to be back walking today. It is amazing how one day of rest on the trains does wonders for the body, especially the aching feet. The official route uses a ferry to cross the Cattewater where the Plym River flows into Plymouth Sound. There is an alternative land route that adds about 8km or two hours to the day, but it is a tedious walk through, docklands, industrial estates, fuel tank farms and housing estates, so everybody gets the ten minute ferry ride over to Mount Batten.

The walk from Mount Batten is along low cliffs, much of it overlooking Plymouth Sound. On a beautiful clear, still morning the Sound was looking so serene. Below the cliffs were areas of rock platform and turquoise water. The focal point offshore was Great Mew Stone, a rocky island about a mile out to sea. The island is now uninhabited but was once occupied by one Sam Wakeman, who was exiled there for seven years as punishment for some misdemeanour and paid his rent by supplying rabbits for the table of the local manor.

This section was a largely rustic gentle ramble interrupted only by a few caravan and chalet sites. Towards the end we came to the picturesque mouth of the River Yealm, forming a dramatic wooded gap in the cliffs, where there was another ferry crossing. The 12 km walk between the two ferries was perhaps the most consistently nice of all the walking so far.

There is a ferry service across the river that operates daily from April until the end of September 10am – 4pm but at times is restricted to 10am – noon and 3pm – 4pm. We arrived at about 12.30pm and were in luck. Just as we arrived at the stone steps the ferry turned up to take a party of four across, so we jumped on as well. This was an expensive ferry, £4 each for a five minute ride. The earlier ferry at Plymouth was £2 each for a ten minute ride. This ferry operates on the same system as some of the ones we used last year. At the ferry landing there is a large coloured disk which you uncover to attract the ferryman if he is on the other side.

Our accommodation tonight is in a farmhouse out in the countryside quite some distance from any facilities. Because of this we decided to walk from the ferry about a kilometre into the village of Noss Mayo and have our main meal at lunchtime. We knew there were two good pubs there and chose The Ship Inn. This must be about the fifteenth Ship Inn we have been to on our travels on the coast path. Almost every village seems to have one.

We retraced our steps after lunch and after about an hour and a half reached our farmhouse. It is part of a large working farm, some distance inland from the coast, and very comfortable. There are quite a few rules in this B & B. We were met at the door and had to remove our walking shoes (which we always do anyway) and were given slippers to wear in the house. We are not allowed to walk around in our socks as they might also be dirty.

Those of you who have been looking at the photos carefully will have noticed that from Minehead to Westward Ho! Barbara had always worn a green top. From Plymouth to Brixham she is always going to wear her red top. I have to say she was fastidious in washing the green top at the end of each day and letting it dry overnight. But now I have to reprogram my brain to always look out for the lady in red. Thanks to Chris De Burgh for that wonderful song – The Lady in Red.

Westward Ho! to Plymouth

Today was just a transition day. We moved almost directly south from the coast of North Devon on the Bristol channel to the coast of South Devon on the English Channel.

From Westward Ho! We caught a Stagecoach Southwest No 21 bus to Barnstaple Railway Station. The bus took about an hour, with dozens of stops, to do what it had taken us a day and a half to walk. It only cost £2.90 each which seemed very cheap.

Barnstaple Railway Station is the terminus of a branch line and has a large cycle hire business operating out of part of the station. From Barnstaple there is excellent cycling on the path we have been walking the last few days. Up one side of the river to Braunton or the other side to Westward Ho! No hills though, absolutely flat.

From Barnstaple the train took an hour to get to Exeter St Davids with about five ‘request’ stops. At Exeter ST D we had to change to a main line train to Plymouth. Only two stops, at Newton Abbott and Totnes, and it took an hour. In five days’ time we are having a ‘day off’ in Dartmouth and will return to Totnes on an excursion.

We were in Plymouth by 2.30 and check-in wasn’t until 4.00 so we spent a bit of time sussing the route out of Plymouth for tomorrow. We are staying at the same B & B as last year, Sea Breezes, and the hostess Anne remembered us from then. Since we last saw her she has been to Japan so we got a lengthy account on her impressions of Japan – all positive, especially the transport system. She has travelled a lot and knows NZ well.

This week is graduation week for the University of Plymouth and a huge marquee has been set up on The Hoe. There are three graduation ceremonies per day for five days. The town and its bars and cafes are packed with people all dressed up and looking their very best. I didn’t take many photos of Plymouth as there are enough in last year’s blog.

For dinner we went back to The Waterfront. The same place we celebrated completing 500km of the South West Coast Path last year. This time we toasted the start of our walk from Plymouth to Brixham.

Instow to Westward Ho! 19km, 159m ascending, 4228m accumulative ascending

Almost like Groundhog Day today. From Instow walk for one and a half hours up the east bank of the River Torridge, cross the Long Bridge at Bideford, walk one and a half hours down the west bank to arrive at Appledore. Alternatively there should have been a ten minute ferry ride across the river. However there were no ferry services today. And besides we are Coast Path purists so we never take short cuts.

From Instow we continued on yesterday’s old railway line alongside the Taw’s sister river the Torridge as far as Bideford. Easy walking on a cool clear morning. A preserved railway signal box at Instow, many wrecks of ships on the river bank, the soaring new Torridge Bridge and a railway museum at Bideford were highlights along the way. The Bideford Long Bridge spans the River Torridge and is one of the longest mediaeval bridges in England with 24 stone arches. Bideford, the name derives from ‘by the ford,’ was the third largest port in England in the sixteenth century and was the location of one of the last hangings of women for witchcraft in England in 1682.

After the long, flat, straight path on the east side of the river the path on the west side was more convoluted. We actually went over a small hill and diverted around housing estates, meandered between pasture and river and ducked behind an industrial area. There is still shipping activity on the Torridge with all the associated dockyards, fish docks etc.

After some walking on the road we reached quaint and quirky Appledore. At heart it is a typical fishing village, but one onto which a vivid coat of creativity and craftmanship has been painted. It is a jumble of tiny cottages connected by narrow cobbled alleyways and full of galleries, studios workshops and showrooms. We stopped at the Market Street Kitchen for some soup and cheese scone.

From Appledore there was a long walk around the Northam Burrows Country Park a large area of coastal plains and sand dunes. The Burrows are due partly to the pebble ridge that separates them from the sea. We also skirted a golf course, The Royal North Devon – the oldest links course in England.

Then we were in Westward Ho! the end of this section of our walk. The place we started from last year to walk 500km to Plymouth. We went back to the same Coast Path sign and had the same photo taken as last year. This year we are staying at different accommodation – Culloden House – the oldest house in Westward Ho! built in 1865 by the developer who created the town as a Victorian seaside resort. We also tried to go back to the same place as last year, The Village Inn, for a meal but they weren’t serving meals tonight, so had to find somewhere else.

Tomorrow it is a local bus back to Barnstaple, branch line train to Exeter and main line train to Plymouth to start the next stage of our slow tourism.

Braunton to Instow, 21 km, 17m ascending, 4,228m accumulative ascending

That’s right only 17metres of climbing over 21 kilometres, 5 metres of climbing this morning and 12 this afternoon. After a while walking on the flat becomes a bit tedious and hard on the feet when it is on concrete or asphalt. Also it is more comfortable over a long distance when you can vary your stride going uphill, downhill, on steps, over stiles etc.

When we set off in the morning we usually rate the accommodation we are just leaving. They are mostly all very good and automatically rate an 8 or 9 out of ten. We are usually just nit-picking over whether they get a nine and three eighths or a nine and seven sixteenths. That is – was the fruit at breakfast just melon or was it blueberries and strawberries, were they feather pillows, did we get a cup of hot tea and scones when we arrived, etc. All very much first world issues.

Also when we set off in the morning to look for a bakery to get a fresh sandwich but failing this we go to a Boots or Tesco for a three pound meal deal. With these you get a main (sandwich, pasta, wrap, salad etc), a drink (juice, smoothie, water, cola etc) and dessert (fruit, crisps, cake, choc bar etc). They are a good deal but you wonder about the degree of processing to make meat, fruit etc last several days in the cabinet.

The route today was very simple. From Braunton walk up the Taw River for 10 kilometres, cross the bridge at Barnstaple and walk back down the other side of the river for 10 kilometres to Instow. A flat, mostly straight walk. The path both sides of the river is the line of the former railway track once used by the Atlantic Coast Express – hence its flatness and straightness. As well as our Coast Path it is part of Devon’s Coast to Coast Cycle Path and the Tarka Trail. The latter is a 52km trail from Braunton to Meeth following the journey of Tarka the otter in the classic tales written by Henry Williamson. We hadn’t ever heard of them!

This morning we walked alongside several kilometres of barbed wire fence surrounding the Royal Marines base at Chivenor Airfield, then past a sewerage treatment plant, but mostly alongside the estuary of the Taw River, with its interplay of water and sand and mud banks. This was very pleasant. The weather was overcast, warm, little wind but very humid. As we neared Barnstaple there was a light drizzle so it was raincoats on for the first time.

We crossed the Taw River on the Barnstaple Long Bridge, a stone bridge of sixteen arches, originally dating from the 13^th century but widened several times, partly destroyed and rebuilt, and probably lengthened over the years. Barnstaple was a bit dreary and grey looking today but from what we saw it has many fine works of architecture.

Starting back on the south side of the estuary the landscape on one side of the path is marshland and pasture, and on the other the tidal expanses and sand banks of the river. Flat, with long, long straights. We came to a lovely tranquil spot at Fremington Quay, once a busy port thriving on the import of coal and export of clay and pottery. The port closed in 1969 and the buildings are now used for a small museum, bike rental, public toilets and café. We made use of the latter two. We wanted to sit out the drizzle so had some delicious roasted red pepper and tomato soup.

More long flat straights then an amble around the Home Farm, East Yelland and Instow Barton Marshes, past two large jetties on the river, a short stretch of sand and we were in Instow. Our accommodation, Instow Barton B & B, is a converted farmhouse. Barton just means farmyard. Over the road is a very nice little church, St John the Baptist, where I spent some time looking around the grave yard and in the church.

Tomorrow is our last day on this part of the Coast Path when we walk around another estuary to Westward Ho!

Woolacombe to Braunton 27km, 375m of ascending, 4,052m accumulative ascending

A late start today. Breakfast didn’t begin until 8.30 and we had to get back down to Woolacombe from the Seacroft farmhouse. Kim and Michael provided a ride to get up to their place but not a ride to go back down in the morning. We could have ordered a taxi but decided to walk. It was a complicated route across fields, through backyards, through a holiday camp, around a mini golf course and down some lanes. Michael and his dog Millie took us some of the way so that we wouldn’t get hopelessly lost. Another walker we have befriended over the last few days, Alec, came with us.

By the time we had purchased a fresh baguette it was 10 am when we left Woolacombe. High overcast cloud today and a bit cooler with the hint of a sea breeze so lovely walking conditions. Woolacombe Sands is vast and busy with families and surfers close to the town but quickly becomes surprisingly empty as you move away from facilities and car parks. Our path took us behind the beach and into the dunes which were very hard to walk in with soft sand. Beyond the beach was the headland of Baggy Point, a contrast to the beach with steep cliffs and broad, grassy top. At the point was a recreation pole which it is obligatory to climb apparently, so Barbara did the honours to show off her pole dancing skills.

Baggy Point was the last of our climbs. This afternoon and all the next two days are dead flat. From the point we could see our final destination Westward Ho! but between us and it is a deep estuary which will take two days to walk around. After Craggy Point was the smaller sandy bay of Croyde Beach, busy with Sunday surfers and families.

Immediately after Croyde there is a low cliff from which there are stunning views of the truly enormous Saunton Sands with the dune complex of Braunton Burrows behind. The path took us behind the beach, through the Saunton Golf Club and around a military training area and into the Burrows. This is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve which according to the United Nations contains a ‘world-class environment’ rich in wildlife and containing a mix of extraordinary landscapes. This the largest dune system in England with a wide variety of flora and fauna including 500 species of flowering plants and 33 species of butterfly. As well as the dunes there is the Braunton Marsh and the tidal estuaries of the Taw and Torridge Rivers.

Leaving the Burrows we walked for about an hour long the top of an earth embankment built in 1857 to keep marsh, estuary and river apart. During WWII the marshes were turned into a dummy airfield in the hope of distracting the enemy’s attention away from a nearby air base. It was low tide when we walked by today and wrecked boats and small fishing craft were dotted about in the sand. We followed the River Caen right into Braunton where we had some casual pub food before walking another kilometre through the town to our accommodation at Homesleigh.

A long day today, our longest at 27km, but not very physically demanding and we had ideal walking conditions.  It was a very diverse landscape today with cliffs, the Biosphere Reserve, dunes, marshes and the tidal estuary but the dominant feature was the beaches. Three vast stretches of golden sand.

Coombe Martin to Woolacombe, 22.4km, 1011m of ascending, 3,677m accumulative ascending

Another blue sky day, about 20 degrees, no wind so very hot climbing many steep cliffs. Ran out of water near the end of the day so we are dehydrated tonight. Our accommodation, Sea Croft, is about a 30 minute walk, off the path, up a hill out of Woolacombe which is a bit of a bummer after a long hot day. The arrangement was that our host would pick us up in a car park in Woolacombe at 7pm and drive us to Sea Croft. We arrived in Woolacombe about 4.45pm and considered walking the extra 30 mins but quickly decided against it and went into the flash Woolacombe Bay Hotel for a cool drink instead. We were easily the dirtiest, smelliest people in the bar. Went to a café for something to eat and about 6.00pm rang the Sea Croft people to come and pick us up, which they did very promptly.

This morning was a section of rocky inlets separated by rugged headlands. One of the inlets, Watermouth Bay is large enough to moor many boats, has a large holiday camp and has a great view back to Great Hangman and Little Hangman which we climbed yesterday. Soon we reached Ilfracoombe which has a nice old part of town and a pretty harbour. It was also teeming with people, everyone out enjoying the sun on a beautiful Saturday morning. The harbour part of town also is overrun with every conceivable form of tourist tatt and garbage. Not a pleasant place for us coming off the quiet remote cliff tops.

Ilfracoombe has a controversial steel and bronze stature on the harbour pier. It is the tallest statue in England and is the work of Damien Hirst. The statue is of a woman, Verity, with half of her body skinless, the skull and womb (including a developing foetus) revealed.  She stands on a pile of books, holds a set of scales behind her back and a sword pointing to the sky. So what is it all about? A ‘verity’ (Veritas) is ‘the quality of being true’ and Hirst describes the statue as a modern allegory of truth and justice. It all seems a bit puzzling and a bit unsettling.

Also in Ilfracoombe this morning were hundreds of motor cycles, all makes models and sizes, and their proud owners encased in their leathers. It was quite a carnival atmosphere with much revving of engines and loud music. All a bit much for us so we went to a bakery and had them make us a nice fresh baguette and we headed for the hills – literally.

After Ilfracoombe the path meandered through the greenery of Torrs Park, past the lovely little Lee Bay, where a group were struggling to bring their dinghy in over the rocks, and up onto the cliffs for a roller coaster ride from the tops down into valleys and up again. Past the Bull Point Lighthouse and the seals at Morte Point. Morte Point is a place so wild it was once referred to locally as ‘the place God made last and the devil will take first’. Morte is the French for death.

Rounding Morte Point suddenly Woolacombe is before you and it is dominated by the vast Wollacoombe Sands. A long beach we will tackle tomorrow.