braunton to instow

September 10, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

saturday, 4th june 2022

I have been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for this week for a while and, except for tomorrow, it has been pretty good so I’m a little surprised to wake up this morning to find it raining, grey, overcast and not very warm. I mean, seriously?! Why is the wind blowing from the east in June?

Barnstaple high tide 09:41

Barnstaple low tide 13:47

Today’s walk is a walk which, on paper, looks a bit on the boring side, walking largely on old railway tracks. But hey! The birds are singing and the wild flowers are looking lovely.

I start the day at the car park at Velator Quay and walk up to the roundabout at Velator on the way in to Braunton. It’s overcast but at least it’s not raining.

A sign here points to Barnstaple along a tarmac cycleway and there are plenty of signs around showing that the cycleway used to be a railway.

I pass a sign threatening that I could be arrested and prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act.

The Barnstaple to Ilfracombe Railway was built in 1874 by the London and South Western Railway as an extension of a rail network that stretched right back to Waterloo Station in London but closed in 1970. The line between Braunton and Barnstaple was subsequently bought by North Devon District Council and made into a footpath and in the late 1980s was upgraded to a cycleway and is now part of National Cycleway Network number 27.

The flowers are out in all their glory and I see plenty of ribwort plantains, knapweeds, cow parsley, buttercups, ox-eye daisies and hogweed.

I manage to take a photograph of a skipper butterfly but they look so alike that I’m not sure which type it is.

The walking is easy and I pass RMB Chivenor, home to Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines and 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers and 22 Squadron ‘A’ Flight Search and Rescue Force RAF.

I pass under bridges and pass by the Waterside Cafe.

waterside cafe

I pass a wrecked boat and the wooded path gives way to views across the River Taw over towards Fremington Quay. I have plenty of cyclists and runners for company as I approach Barnstaple.

I pass behind Heanton Court Pub and Restaurant.

I pass Tarka Trail sign number 3 with a link to an audio clip. I somehow missed Tarka Trail sign number 1 at Velator Quay and Tarka Trail sign number 2 at Heanton Court. I’ll try and look out for more later on in the walk. The signs were installed in January 2016.

The route continues by an industrial estate where a flock of geese rises up from the River Taw.

I come across a song thrush perched on a wall who doesn’t seem to mind my presence.

The route continues along the tarmac path underneath the Taw Bridge carrying the A361.

I cross Yeo Bridge to reach Barnstaple where I pass The Watergate. A wedding seems to be taking place there but everyone seems to have paused for a fag break!

I walk across the ancient Long Bridge.

I leave Barnstaple behind me via a tarmac path but it’s been seven years since I’ve been this way and things have changed a bit. There aren’t any signs and I can’t remember which way to go so firstly choose the wrong path (possibly) next to Oliver Buildings. A sign informs me that the development here is coming soon but judging by the state of the building it won’t be any time in the near future.

I retrace my steps when I don’t recognize anything and choose another path which is immediately more recognizeable and come across murals by Mel Saggs in the underpasses. These murals have been gaffitti-ized themselves since the last time I was here.

I join another path along old railway tracks along the south side of the estuary of the River Taw and I’m now back on National Cycle Network 27.

The Taw Vale Railway and Dock Company laid the track between Fremington and Barnstaple in 1846 and was originally a goods line operated by horses. The company repackaged itself as the North Devon Railway who then extended the railway through Instow to the original station at Cross Parks at East-the-Water at Bideford. The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre website contains a full history of the railway.

The path is used by plenty of cyclists, joggers and dog walkers.

I pass Tarka Trail sign number 4, Tarka Trail sign number 5 and Tarka Trail sign number 7 but somehow manage to miss Tarka Trail sign number 6.

The path moves away from the river and goes through Fremington Cuttings.

I reach the old Fremington station which now houses the Fremington Quay Cafe and the Fremington Quay Heritage Centre. Fremington Quay was once a bustling port, importing and exporting goods all around the world.

I cross a bridge over a tidal inlet, where I hear and see a solitary curlew, and continue along the trackbed away from the river.

I pass a Gaia Trust Nature Reserve at Home Farm Marsh and then Yelland Stone Row, a Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age double row of paired stones. I then pass Tarka Trail Camping.

The coast path turns right and heads across the salt marsh but I’m quite happy to keep going along the Traka Trail.

I come across the site of the former Yelland Power Station, once a vast, coal fired power station, built in 1955 and now I can’t see any remains.

I come across foxgloves and flag iris and then pass Tarka Trail sign number 10 at Instow Pond. I seem to have missed Tarka Trail sign number 8 at Fremington and Tarka Trail sign number 9 at Isley Marsh.

I visit the North Devon Cricket Club (@instowcricket) tucked away behind the path. The thatched pavilion is a grade 2 listed building dating back to the late 1700s. There’s a game in play but the action is very slow so I don’t stop for too long.

It has now started raining but I can’t really complain as I’m close to my destination and I’ve managed to avoid rain all day long.

I go through a car park and drop down onto Instow Sands. We were early travelling down yesterday and so popped here for an hour in lovely weather when it was pretty busy. Today though there is only a few hardy dog walkers.

The tide is too low for the Instow to Appledore ferry to be running at all today, so I’ll attempt to come back later in the week when the ferry is running to complete the walk to Westward Ho!

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

blackcaps
robins
wrens
hogweed
ribwort plantain
knapweed
ox-eye daisies
herb robert
dog rose
common dog-violet
red campion
canada geese
song thrush
tufted vetch
curlew
goat’s beard
bird’s-foot trefoil
cow parsley
swallows
speckled wood butterfly
skylarks
foxgloves
yellow flag iris

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 12.7 miles which amounts to 28601 steps. It has taken me four and a half hours. The weather has been a bit on the dull side and the walking has been very easy but it has been a thoroughly enjoyable walk mostly along old railway tracks. Nine out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

lyme regis to seatown

May 31, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

wednesday, 4th may 2022

I should have much better weather today than the previous two walking days with perhaps even a bit of warmth and sun and with very little in the way of wind.

Lyme Regis high tide: 09:24

Lyme Regis low tide: 14:59

Start location: Charmouth Road Car Park at the top of Lyme Regis DT7 3DR SY343925

End point: Anchor Inn, Seatown DT6 6JU SY419917

Map: Explorer 116

I start the day back at the Charmouth Road car park above Lyme Regis. A sign here tells me that there are 114 steps down to the foreshore. I climb a few of the steps down where I have a view of the Black Ven landslip and the coast path walk for the day is laid out in front of me.

I can see over to Golden Cap but the rest of the coast is still in a bit of a haze. This is one of my favourite stretches of coast on the whole coast path.

The birds are making an awful racket and I even manage to spot a bullfinch.

I climb back up to the Charmouth Road car park and head towards Charmouth Road.

Today's walk has typically in the past been dogged by landslips resulting in several inland diversions starting with an inland diversion at Lyme Regis.

I head upwards through fields high above Lyme Regis, photographing the wild flowers and I have a final view over the Cobb.

I enter a wood full of bluebells and wander through the wood following the signs. Part of the path here is very steep and would be difficult to climb in wet weather.

I continue along a minor road before reaching the main road into Lyme Regis. I continue along the road for a little while until a sign points me to a path through Lyme Regis Golf Club.

I continue walking through the golf course following a stone path. I used to enter woods here to come out onto the main road into Charmouth next to the Fernhill Hotel but the coast path seems to have been re-routed and a coast path sign is pointing in a completely new direction.

What a pleasant surprise. There is now a decent coastal route out of Lyme Regis and down into Charmouth without having to walk along nasty, stinky main roads.

I come across a sculpture of what must presumably be Mary Anning in woods.

When I get home I find out all about the making of the sculpture.

It is a thoroughly pleasant walk now next to the golf course before I come across a viewing point looking back over the cliffs to Lyme Regis.

A signpost tells me that I’m two miles from Lyme Regis and just half a mile away from Charmouth.

It’s now time to descend down to Charmouth along a minor road. I throroughly approve of this re-routing of the coast path.

It is now an uneventful walk through the back streets of Charmouth following coast path signs.

I head off of the coast path and descend down towards the beach where I come across some beach huts and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.

I wander along the beach here which is very quiet apart from a few dog walkers.

I head up from Charmouth Beach and walk towards a bridge above East Beach. Hang on a sec! I’m used to being diverted miles inland at Charmouth but there’s a new coast path sign pointing in an easterly direction over the cliffs.

I have never been this way before. Either I’ve been going in the wrong direction or I’ve been following an old re-route due to landslides. With a spring in my step I start to ascend the cliffs out of Charmouth. This walk is going to be much shorter than I thought it would be.

I amble along the cliffs enjoying the views back to Charmouth and ahead towards Golden Cap as well as all of the wildflowers.

I come across a coast path sign at Westhay Farm and descend into a meadow full of green-winged orchids and some yellow rattle. It looks absolutely lovely.

I walk down through a field full of cows and calves with some trepidation after the experiences of the last couple of walks but they are as docile as anything.

I start to climb slowly up on to the top of Golden Cap. It's a long way up at 627 feet and the highest point on the south coast but it’s a surprisingly easy climb.

I enjoy the magnificent views from up here. In one direction I can see out to the Isle of Portland and in the other direction back to Lyme Regis and beyond.

Golden Cap is named after the distinctive outcrop of golden greensand rock at the tip of the cliff and is owned by the National Trust. There is a trigpoint s3752 on the eastern side which must have one of the best views of any of the trigpoints.

I hang around for a while admiring the views before taking the long descent down to the Anchor Inn (@anchoratseatown) at Seatown.

I enjoy the beach at Seatown and then head for the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

bullfinch
goldfinches
chiffchaffs
song thrush
blackcap
ribwort plantain
bluebells
wild garlic
herb robert
garlic mustard
swallows
speckled wood butterfly
stonechat
wheatear
green-winged orchids
yellow rattle

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 7.7 miles which amounts to 18706 steps. It has taken me four hours but I have been ambling quite a bit. The weather has been lovely and not having to divert massive distances around Lyme Regis and Charmouth has made the walk so much better. Ten out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

colyton to sidbury

May 30, 2022 by Mark Seymour in east devon way

east devon way

monday, 2nd may 2022

The weather forecast isn’t much good today and doesn’t look particularly warm but I shouldn’t have much in the way of wind. It’s not likely to be a very good day for photographs again.

Lyme Regis high tide 08:24

Lyme Regis low tide 13:52

Start location: Dolphin Street Car Park, Colyton EX24 6JT, SY246940

End point: The car park behind the village hall, Sidbury, EX10 0SN, SY138917

Map: Explorer 115 & 116

I start the day back in Colyton at the Dolphin Street car park. I cross over the road and walk behind The Colcombe Castle with the market square on my left and then along Vicarage Street behind St Andrew’s Church, with its distinctive lantern tower.

On my left I pass the grand wrought iron gates of Colyton House where, opposite, the East Devon Way rejoins me from the right.

I cross over the stone Chantry Bridge and turn immediately left into a field next to the River Coly.

I pass a large industrial building which is the last remaining oak tannery in Britain.

The next two or so miles is an uneventful walk next to the river, crossing several fields, passing through several gates and crossing small footbridges. Along the way I take photographs of some of the rather bedraggled flowers.

Eventually I exit the riverside fields and join Northleigh Lane. I follow this road towards Northleigh for a mile and a half and come across some early purple orchids.

I pass Road Pitt Farm and then, at Farwood Cross, I go straight over the crossroads past some stone cottages on my left.

I now have Northleigh in my sights and can make out the church with its distinctive white tower.

I go over a small stone bridge and continue up the lane past more cottages on my right.

At a junction I turn left where the signpost points towards ‘Farway, Southleigh and Honiton’ and walk towards Northleigh Church, passing a colourful garden on my left filled with tulips.

I enter the churchyard and then follow a footpath keeping the church on my right. I follow the path round to the left where it becomes a track before reaching a lane.

I turn right onto the lane, which goes uphill slightly. I turn left, go though a gate and continue across the field to pass through another gate.

In this next field I follow the hedge on my right and, before reaching the bottom corner, cross over a stile in the hedge to reach a lane, where you I turn left.

I cross over the lane and turn right into a field almost immediately opposite. I walk diagonally though this field aiming for a bridge in the centre.

I leave the field over the stiles at the bottom and turn right on to the road. I pass Netherton Cottage and in front of me is Netherton Hall with its large flint and brick wall. I follow the road as it curves to the right.

Just past Netherton Hall I turn left down a lane towards a ford, signposted Farway. I cross over the ford on the footbridge, and then walk through Farway village, with its thatched cottages.

I turn right at the cross roads, signposted Farway Church & Honiton. In front of me are two old fashioned petrol pumps.

I follow a lane to the right and pass a farm where a large marquee has been erected although I don’t see any sign of what it’s going to be used for.

Where the road bends to the right, there is dead end road sign to my left at Valley View Road. I take the footpath into the field in front of me.

At the bottom of the field I go over a stile and a wooden bridge, and fork left towards a thatched house, marked Tedbridge on my map. I pass Tedbridge Cottage and cross over a footbridge over a stream and then turn left in through a field and right to follow the side of the stream.

I turn right on to a lane, go through the gate at the end of the field and cross the stream. I follow a lane up to Church Green where I can see St Michael’s Church with its fine yew trees.

I leave the church behind and follow the road out of Church Green uphill, steeply at times, for three quarters of a mile to reach a t-junction. On the climb up I come across some more early purple orchids.

I cross over the t-junction and enter Farway Forestry Commission woodland where I follow a bridleway until I come across a large vehicle turning circle, where I take a track to the right and then a wide track on my left.

I turn left to reach the Ottery St Mary to Beer road, which I cross with care and walk to the right of a cottage and then through a farmyard.

Past the farmyard I turn left down a public bridleway, and enter Knapp Copse Local Nature Reserve. I’m now next to the babbling Roncombe Stream and the lane surface becomes a stony path where I come across a group of people out walking their dogs. The dogs are very friendly and surround me wagging their tails and jumping up on me.

I pass through a newly- planted orchard and pass signs for permissive paths on my right and left and the bridleway eventually swings right to reach a gate into Lower Knapp Farm holiday complex.

I go through a gate and then follow a gravel path between the holiday buildings and then follow an access drive with Roncombe Stream first on my left and then on my right, to reach Roncombe Lane where I turn right.

I turn left through Lower Mincombe Farm where I come across more friendly dogs, cross over the stream and turn right through a gate and up a track, which then swings left steeply uphill.

At the top I go right, still climbing, to reach a field with a threatening sign telling me that there is a bull in the field. Great!

I go diagonally across the field but don’t see any cows. I keep a copse on my right and suddenly, as I head towards the gate masses of cows suddenly appear and there is indeed a bull with them.

I calmly move towards the gate as the cows converge on me and make it to the gate just in time. As I go through the gate I am completely surrounded by cows although they seem to be pretty friendly.

I turn onto a lane and then turn right again over a stile, immediately after Oaklands Farmhouse, where I come across a public footpath sign to Sidbury.

I walk along a woodland track leading downhill, then along the top edge of an open field. This leads to a conservation woodland, which is quite boggy but has a boardwalk through the muddiest parts.

Once out of the woodland I go straight across a field and go though the metal gate into another wooded area. I should now see the Old Dairy House with its Victorian decorative bargeboards but it is completely obscured by trees. I reach a lane with Hatway Cottage opposite and turn left.

I follow a lane steeply uphill for a quarter of a mile and near the top follow a public bridleway on my right and eventually enter a pine plantation. I come to a wider vehicle turning area and follow a signpost on my left directing me to a public footpath on my right.

I follow the signs through the woods. The path now descends steeply through Buckley Plantation. The loose earth down this steep slope proves to be very slippery so I pack everything away in my bag and head gingerly downhill where I can now see glimpses of Sidbury with its church below.

I reach a field on the outskirts of Sidbury and walk straight ahead towards the church, cross a stile, and go through a gate and then turn left keeping to the left of farm buildings.

I go though a kissing gate and turn right on to the lane past Long Barn House. I turn immediately left down a lane to the village, cross the River Sid by the red brick bridge where we stayed in a holiday cottage in 2016. It is now a short hop and a step to enter the village of Sidbury.

At the main road I pass the Red Lion pub, the church and the butcher/convenience store, and turn left behind the village hall to reach the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

garlic mustard
green alkanet
greater stictchwort
wild garlic
bluebells
red campion
cow parsley
chiffchaffs
wrens
pheasants
early purple orchids
cuckooflower
ribwort plantain
tulips
primroses
robins
song thrushes
fig
blackcaps

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 12.7 miles which amounts to 29566 steps. It has taken me five and a quarter hours. The weather has been a bit dull and misty but at least my notes aren’t falling to pieces today. Despite that it has been a thoroughly pleasant walk and I’ll have to come back and complete the entire East Devon Way when the weather is better. Nine out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

lyme regis to colyton

May 29, 2022 by Mark Seymour in east devon way

east devon way

sunday, 1st may 2022

I’ve been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for a few days now and it has been pretty promising but I get up this morning to find it cold and damp out. Hey ho! At least there’s very little in the way of wind. It is not going to be a good day for photographs.

Lyme Regis high tide 07:55

Lyme Regis low tide 13:15

Start location: Charmouth Road Car Park at the top of Lyme Regis DT7 3DR, SY343925

End point: Dolphin Street Car Park, Colyton EX24 6JT, SY246940

Map: Explorer 116

I start the day at Charmouth Road Car Park at the top end of Lyme Regis before heading down the 114 steps which take me to the foreshore walkway. It is pretty murky out there and there’s not much of a view of the Jurassic Coast.

It is now an easy walk into the centre of Lyme Regis. I reach The Square bus stop in the centre of Lyme Regis before leaving the sea behind me and cross the road into Broad Street car park, climb up a ramp and head under the sign to the Town Mill.

I climb down some steps and cross a cobbled courtyard where I come across the Lyme Regis Brewery, pass the Town Mill and turn left at the end of the Mill into Mill Lane by Old Lynch House, which then follows a path between the River Lim and the mill leat.

I walk along the River Lim upstream to Uplyme following signs for the East Devon Way. I go straight over Mill Green with pretty cottages on either side and with the river on my right.

I cross over the road to Windsor Terrace with the river now on my left and reach a stone bridge.

I fork left from the track on to a path to stay beside the river and go through a gate, cross a field (infested with nasty Japanese Knotweed) and cross a footbridge. I have now crossed over from Dorset into Devon.

I turn left past an old water mill and then left up a track. At the end of Mill Lane I go straight over through a leafy glen, still following the river.

The path leads towards Uplyme village shop and then emerges on the busy B3165 road, with the Talbot Arms (@talbotuplyme) pub on my left. I cross the road and keep to the left of the village hall.

I walk along the boundary of the Uplyme & Lyme Regis Cricket Club (@UplymeLRegisCC) ground where I pass Lym Valley Croquet Club. I then bear left up to the top of the hillside until I reach a gate. I go through the gate, then bear left slightly downhill on a tarmac lane.

I turn right at a sign for Wadley Hill and continue up Woodhouse Lane where I have a view of the Cannington disused railway viaduct over to my left.

It’s quite a trek to the top of the hill where I turn left along a public bridleway until I reach a gate with the bolt fitted into a tree trunk.

I go through into a field full of sheep and continue on down a grassy lane, and at the end cross over Trinity Hill Road.

I walk downhill though a field full of dandelions.

I then turn right and then immediately left on a stone bridge over the disused Axminster to Lyme Regis railway. I continue on this tarmac lane for half a mile.

At Bulmer Cross on the top of the hill I turn left downhill, past Woodlands Farm and then immediately left and then right on the stony lane. Where the lane swings left again I go straight ahead though a gate. This path used to be an old drovers trail. It leads downhill through a few fields with a stream to my left.

In the distance I can make out the white Higher Bruckland farmhouse which I head towards while enjoying the wide-open vistas of the rolling fields surrounding me, even if they are rather murky.

As I approach Higher Bruckland farm a couple of alsatians leave their owners and run towards me barking and snarling. Great! The owners eventually manage to call them back and put them on leads and they are suddenly as docile as anything.

Past Higher Bruckland farmhouse I turn right on to a footpath whcih heads steeply uphill to Musbury Castle. I head towards a copse of trees, keeping it on my left and then head diagonally left to the top of the field and through a gate. It’s rather steep.

I go up five steps and head though a field and through another gate with a National Trust Musbury Castle sign and head into woodland where I come across a couple of early purple orchids. At the end there is a five-bar gate and a kissing gate.

early purple orchid

I enjoy some of the other wildflowers around here even if they are looking rather bedraggled.

You can, if you like, detour to the right up to the top of Musbury Castle to see the fine views. I don’t today.

I continue downhill to the north west, looking at the fine views of the surrounding countryside and Musbury Church below.

I go though a gate aiming towards the farm track diagonally right of the bushes ahead across the field. I turn left on to the farm track and have fine views to the sea on my left. I walk down though the small village of Musbury with its school and St Michael’s Church.

The church clock is showing the time as five to ten but I’m sure it must be later than that. When I get home and check the photo it turns out to be half past eleven.

At the main A358 road is a village shop (Spar) in the petrol station on the right, and the Golden Hind pub on the left.

At the crossroad, I cross straight over the main road with a farm on my left and go through a small gate into what seems to be a private garden. I emerge into a large field and follow the hedge on my left, then go left at the end, through two metal gates.

I follow another hedge on my right and then turn right across a little wooden bridge and then follow the hedge on my left in the next field. At the gate I turn right along a track, then sharp left along Waterford Lane past Waterford Farm. At the end of the tarmac lane I turn right into the field and go over Nunford footbridge across the River Axe.

Once over the bridge, I follow the hedge line near the river on my right then cross a stile into woodland.

I follow the track and, soon after passing a footpath sign on my right (which I ignore), I turn left over a stile into a field.

It is now an uneventful walk through several fields over stiles and through kissing gates before reaching a farm track.

I follow the farm track and at Lower Cownhayne Farm turn left along Cownhayne Lane.

After about a quarter of a mile I turn right over a stile into a field. I keep the hedge on my left, and climb the steps of the Seaton Tramway train tracks.

There is plenty of tram activity which I am able to record and photograph.

I cross the track and climb down the steps on the other side, then go right, parallel to the tramway for a short distance. I should then head diagonally left towards the lower left corner of the field but a large number of cows have converged on me. I’m normally OK with cows but the alsatians from earlier on have spooked me and I hesitate to break through the cows.

After exploring whether I can find another way through I head back to the cow blockage and gingerly walk my way through them. Suddenly a few of them start running at me. I don’t panic and calmly walk quickly to the exit gate and the cows stop running but still follow me from a distance.

I enter another field with a much bigger herd of cows blocking the way. I bottle it and retrace my steps to find another field I can cross after jumping over a gate which leads me drama free to the outskirts of Colyton.

I amble into Colyton and turn right into Dolphin Street where my lift awaits in the car park.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

forget-me-not
cow parsley
wild garlic
dunnock
song thrush
ducks
chiffchaff
herb robert
blackcap
red campion
japanese knotweed
bluebells
early purple orchids
wisteria
clematis
rooks
iris
swallows
honesty
green alkanet
garlic mustard
dandelions
greater stitchwort
comfrey
pheasants
alsations
cows

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 10.8 miles which amounts to 25122 steps. It has taken me four and a quarter hours. The weather has been pretty grotty and I’m thoroughly damp as are my notes which are falling to pieces. Despite that it has been a thoroughly pleasant walk and I’ll have to come back and complete the entire East Devon Way when the weather is better. Nine out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

beaminster to west bay

October 03, 2021 by Mark Seymour in hardy way

hardy way

wednesday, 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021

It looks like I'm in for some nice weather today with sun all day long but those temperatures don’t look very high.

I start the day back in Beaminster but today, instead of heading out on the Wessex Ridgeway, I head along the Hardy Way heading southwards towards the coast at West Bay. It’s a chilly start to the day.

I follow the road southwards out of Beaminster and pick up a gloomy footpath by the River Brit. I come across my first Hardy Way sign next to a footbridge over the River Brit. The fields are shrouded in mist and dew clings to the cobwebs but the cows don’t seem to mind.

The Hardy Way follows the River Brit out of Beaminster and passes Parnham Park and Parnham House. A fire ravaged Parnham House in 2017 destroying the roof and internal structure but new owners have restored the house although I can’t see it because of dense woodland.

As I approach Netherbury the Jubilee Trail forks to the right but I continue following the river and then to the left of Netherbury Church where the clock strikes quarter to nine as I approach. The church is largely late medieval but was restored in the nineteenth century with protected stained glass windows. It contains brasses of the famous local seafaring Hood family from the eighteenth century.

I enter the village of Netherbury which is looking lovely and where I come across a telephone box full of books.

I amble through Netherbury and then leave the village via a track.

I then pass Slape Manor which is the original home of River Cottage from way back in 1999 and I do indeed pass right next to the cottage. I try to take some photographs of the cottage but it is densely surrounded by trees so all I can really get is the chimney.

I pass through a rather posh Slape Manor housing development before entering Waytown where I pass the Hare and Hounds.

I leave the village via a minor road and then turn right at Pineapple Lane towards Salway Ash before joining a bridleway opposite a barn at the end of a large cider apple orchard at Marles Farm.

I pass Dorset Nectar Cider Farm before leaving the road.

It is now an uneventful walk over farmland to reach Ash Lane where I pass a wind turbine and then pass Ash Lane Farm, Higher Ash Farm and then Lower Ash Farm. They are certainly radical when it comes to naming their farms around here! I photograph some of the flowers by the houses and they turn out OK unlike a lot of the other photos I take today.

I pass through a field where a cow looks rather shiftily at me but luckily she’s behind an electric fence. I found out why she’s not looking particularly friendly when I pass by her calf who is one the other side of the electric fence next to the footpath.

The bridleway continues past Middle Pymore Farm and through the grounds of Washingpool Farm where I pass a herd of red poll cows.

I now have sudden views over Bridport. Who knew it was so close.

The bridleway joins the road at Court Orchard housing estate at Allington and I amble along the B3162 into Bridport where I pass the Oddfellows Arms.

The route is now familiar as we have visited Bridport many, many times over the years. It is Wednesday market day today.

I amble along West Street and then down South Street before turning right behind St Mary’s.

I wander through the community orchard here and then pick up a path which passes Bridport Football Club.

I cross the road next to a weir and pass behind Palmers Brewery.

I pass beneath the A35 and cross meadows once used for growing flax and where, unusually, I come across a herd of cows.

I walk through West Bay Holiday Park which is still quite busy even this late in the season, to reach my destination for the day, the harbour at West Bay.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

himalayan balsam
cows
pheasants
horse chestnuts
holly
hogweed
ivy
beech
quince
fuchsias
acanthus
sheep
roses
asters
dahlias
hemp agrimony
blackberries
apples

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 9.4 miles which amounts to 21044 steps. It has taken me four hours. I’ve had pretty nice weather all day long, especially for this time of year and the temperature later on in the day has been a lot higher than forecast. Nine out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

Well bugger me! All of my tracking apps have worked for me again today for a third day running. The elevation maps below actually vaguely resemble each other.