torquay to maidencombe

September 14, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

monday, 5th september 2022

The weather forecast for today doesn’t look very good so I’d better just get going early in an attempt to avoid any thunderstorms.

Torquay low tide 06:46, 19:46

Torquay high tide 13:43

I start the day back in Torquay and wander past the fountain, riviera wheel, around the harbour and past the harbour.

I then head up Beacon Hill next to the now defunct Living Coasts zoo and aquarium to reach the Imperial Hotel. I always seem to get lost in this suburban section of Torquay but today I'm going to follow the coast path perfectly.

I follow what appears to be Rock End Walk before turning right into Daddyhole Road and follow the coast path at Daddyhole Plain, a limestone plateau 75 metres above the sea, where I pass NCI Torbay.

I climb down steps, follow a tarmac path which takes me down to a road bend and climb down more steps to reach a beach cafe below the Osborne Hotel. I follow the coastal road above Meadfoot Beach before following a road uphill.

I manage to find the correct path for a change and head out to Thatcher Point. I re-join the road and then head up a footpath above the road where I come across an Inukshuk on a bench, created by pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Wrexham.

“You have found an Inukshuk made by year 4 pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Wrexham, UK.
An Inukshuk in the shape of a person signifies

safety, hope and friendship

Please take me to a new place (near or far) for someone else to find!

Please take a photo and tell us where you found/placed the stone using #stmaryswxm4

We can’t wait to see how far they travel!”

— Quote Source

I take one of the stones which I’ll re-deposit in my home town of Clevedon when I get home.

my inukshuk stone in clevedon #stmaryswxm4

I re-join the road and I know I've gone wrong here in the past. This time though I spot a sign on the other side of the road. This coast path sign is clearly pointing to the right towards Anstey's Cove and along Bishops Walk. I can't possibly go wrong!

Bishop’s Walk was created by Henry Phillpotts, the Bishop of Exeter from 1831 until 1869.

I follow the woodland path of Bishop’s Walk at the end of which I come across a car park above Anstey's Cove. I continue briefly along a road before coming across a signpost marked 'To Babbacombe & St Marychurch over the downs' where I climb up steps on to a wooded slope and I'm now back up on the cliff tops.

I walk along the grassy cliffs of Walls Hill and then across Babbacombe Cricket Club.

I follow signs to Babbacombe Downs, the highest clifftop promenade in England. I'm sure I've come along Oddicombe Beach at the bottom of the cliffs in the past. Must have gone wrong again!

I reach Babbacombe Cliff Railway, built in 1926 to shuttle tourists to and from the beach. Something is wrong though as the cliff railway is roped off and there is a policeman guarding the railway.

I pass Babbacombe Model Village and follow the side of the village in an attempt to re-join the coast path but there’s a ‘road closed’ sign in my way. This is all a bit odd.

I retrace my steps and follow another footpath in an attempt to re-join the coast path but this footpath is roped off with police tape.

When I get home I find out that an engineer had died in an industrial accident, unrelated to the railway, earlier that morning and that the path between Babbacombe Beach and Oddicombe Beach had been closed as well as the path from St Marychurch down to Oddicombe Beach.

I finally re-join the coast path as it continues through woods next to Torquay Golf Club. More coast path signs lead me to the beach access road at Watcombe Beach, surrounded by cliffs and wooded hillsides.

A steep path leads down to the beach and then I have the choice to following a tarmac path or some rather shabby looking steps. I choose the tarmac path but immediately regret it as overnight rain has juiced up the path and I end up sliding down the slope. I retrace my steps and head down the neglected steps instead to reach the beach.

watcombe beach

I retrace my steps and continue through the woods to Maidencombe where I drop down to the beach, passing the Cafe Rio.

I climb back up the steps past the cafe and finish my walk at Maidencombe’s small car park where my lift awaits.

Just past the car park you can find the Thatched Tavern. Guess what! The pub has a thatched roof!!

FLORA AND FAUNA

It hasn’t been much of a day for flora and fauna. Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

a buzzard

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 8.6 miles which amounts to 23257 steps. It has taken me four hours and has been a tedious walk mostly through suburban Torquay and not helped by the police roping off a lot of the coast path at Babbacombe. Two out of ten!

walk details

map

brixham to torquay

September 14, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

sunday, 4th september 2022

The weather forecast for the day is a bit on the dodgy side so I’d better get a move on to try and avoid as much of the rain as possible.

Torquay high tide 12:22

Torquay low tide 18:06

I start the day back in Brixham where I pass a statue of William Prince of Orange, who landed here on the 5th of November 1688, standing at the head of the harbour. The clouds are looking rather threatening.

“The Liberties of England and The Protestant Religion I Will Maintain”

I pass the full sized replica of the Golden Hind in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe.

I then pass behind Brixham Fish Market which has some lovely pictures representing Brixham on its walls.

I head out of Brixham passing Oxen Cove next to what was once AstraZeneca's Brixham Environmental Laboratory but which was donated to Plymouth University in 2013.

I climb up concrete steps to reach Battery Gardens and pass the Brixham Battery Heritage Centre. I round Fishcombe Cove and a steep climb out of the cove awaits.

I walk around the beach at Churston Cove and a woodland path takes me past Churston Golf Club.

I walk across the shingly beach at Elberry Cove, which is surprisingly busy with dog walkers and joggers.

I round Churston Point, which is heaving with dog walkers, to reach the delightful Broadsands, you guessed it, a broad sandy beach flanked by colourful beach huts.

broadsands

I enjoy the sandy beach here before walking past the colourful beach huts and exit at the far end of the beach, passing beneath the railway viaduct. I’ve now got a bit of blue sky which is a bit of a surprise but I’m not complaining.

I then follow the railway line towards Goodrington Sands and the Paignton to Kingswear steam train passes me, heading in the opposite direction.

I head along the beach at Goodrington Sands, passing the colourful beach huts and head past the Inn on the Quay.

I follow paths over Roundham Head and walk through Roundham Gardens where I have lovely, if rather murky, views back over Goodrington Sands.

I come across a load of pebbles with dinosaurs on them perched on the red sandstone cliffs.

Paignton is now laid out in front of me.

I pass Paignton's tiny harbour and walk along the esplanade to reach the pier.

I head out onto what’s left of the red sandy beach and amble along the sand, passing the pier and the colourful beach huts.

At the end of the esplanade I head inland a little along a busy road. I walk by the dwindling beach at Preston Sands and then pass more colourful beach huts.

At the end of the beach huts I climb up a concrete slope and head across Hollicombe Head, cross a bridge over the railway line and enter Hollicombe Park.

I head along the main road into Torquay, passing Livermead Sands, and then pass what is left of Corbyn Head Beach where you can find more colourful beach huts and a beach cafe.

I walk along the sea wall next to Torre Abbey, founded in 1196, which started life as a medieval monastery before its dissolution by Henry VIII. Nowadays it is a museum, art gallery and Ancient Scheduled Monument.

A crowd has gathered to watch a seal. I take some photos of the seal but they are rather blurry. It briefly starts lightly raining but almost immediately stops.

I reach Torquay Harbour on the north shore of Tor Bay, which although now given over to marine leisure activities, still remains a commercial and busy little port.

torquay harbour

I stop off in a park with a fountain under the shadow of the English Riviera Wheel.

I explore a bit more of Torquay but my walking for the day is over.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered (not much of it) on the walk today includes :-

common mullein
hydrangea
seal

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 miles which amounts to 22296 steps. It has taken me three and three quarter hours. The weather has been a bit on the dull side but the rain mostly held off and the walking has been very easy. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable short walk through suburban Torbay. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

dartmouth to brixham

September 14, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

saturday, 3rd september 2022

The weather forecast for this week looks awful but I might just about get away with a day without rain today.

Dartmouth high tide 11:10

Dartmouth low tide 16:52

I start the day in Dartmouth and head through the lower part of Dartmouth where I have lovely views across to Kingswear.

I amble down towards the lower ferry and wait for it to cross over from Kingswear.

I cross over the River Dart to Kingswear using the lower ferry which costs me £1.50. It’s exactly the same cost as six years ago. On reaching Kingswear I pass under an arch next to the post office and then climb up Alma Steps.

I take one final look back over to Dartmouth and then set off for Brixham.

I follow a minor road out of the village where I come across the autumn flowers of amaryllis, hydrangea, agapanthus and cyclamen. I then follow a private road towards Kingswear Court.

I enter Warren Woods and zig zag down a slope, cross over a stream and then zig zag up the other side of the valley.

I now have lovely views back over to Dartmouth Castle on the other side of the river mouth.

I reach Brownstone Battery at Inner Froward Point, built in 1940 to protect the Dart estuary and Slapton and Blackpool Sands from enemy invasion.

I pass by Froward Point Coastwatch Station and head down the battery.

The battery consists of two gun positions and each would have been armed with six inch guns. The gun emplacements remain to this day as do the two magazines that served the guns. Below the gun emplacements are two searchlight positions which would have scanned the sea for enemy ships. The trouble is that all of the information boards that were here six years ago seem to have disintegrated so nobody passing now would be able to read about all of this.

The path zig zags up and down the cliffs towards Outer Froward Point where, out to sea, can be seen Shooter Rock, Shag Stone and Mew Stone. I continue meandering along the coast path passing Old Mill Bay, Kelly's Cove and Pudcombe Cove.

I come across the rear entrance of Coleton Fishacre which used to be infested with rhododendrons (presumably ponticum) but these appear to have been grubbed up now leaving hydrangeas all around.

I round Scabbacombe Head and then a steep, slippery descent leads me down to Scabbacombe Sands. Everywhere is so parched that it feels like I’m constantly pouding on concrete.

I come across fresh pony poo but I don’t see any ponies today. I also come across several beetles writhing on their backs so I stop to put them upright.

I head along the cliffs high above Long Sands and round Crabrock Point, passing Crabrock Point Coastguard Cottage, to reach Man Sands where I enjoy the pebbly and sandy beach, although there’s not much in the way of sand. For such an isolated beach it is surprisingly busy.

man sands

It is a steep climb up onto Southdown Cliff and I have to stop several times to catch my breath - otherwise known as admiring the view.

I reach Sharkham Point and then head around St Mary's Bay, passing below the holiday village. I head down some concrete steps where the cliffs are infested with japanese knotweed and head out onto St Mary's Bay Beach. There are a few dog walkers on the beach but there’s not much of a beach today.

st mary's bay

It is now a short walk to Berry Head, a National Nature Reserve, where I amble along the meandering paths.

I join a road which passes the Berry Head Hotel and walk through Shoalstone Car Park. It is now a pleasant waterfront walk leading me into Brixham where I pass above the art deco Shoalstone Sea Water Pool.

A harbourside walk from the breakwater takes me past the marina and into the centre of the town.

I pass by a memorial garden dedicated to the memory of Winston Spencer Churchill and opened on the 24th May 1966. I don’t know whether there is any connection between Churchill and Brixham.

I pass Torbay Lifeboat Station next to the marina.

I pass a statue of William Prince of Orange, who landed here on the 5th of November 1688, standing at the head of the harbour.

“The Liberties of England and The Protestant Religion I Will Maintain”

I amble around the harbour, passing the full sized replica of the Golden Hind in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe but Brixham is way too busy for me today so I don’t hang about.

I head behind Brixham Fish Market to reach the car park where my lift awaits.

brixham

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

amaryllis
hydrangea
agapanthus
cyclamen
stonechats
gunnera
speckled wood butterflies
fuchsia
herb robert
buddleia
red valerian
sloes
japanese knotweed

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 12.1 miles which amounts to 32273 steps. It has taken me six hours. The weather has been pretty good given the forecast and I haven’t encountered any rain. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

clovelly to hartland quay

September 12, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

tuesday, 7TH june 2022

Today’s weather forecast looks to be pretty good. It should be warm with some sun and not a lot in the way of wind.

Clovelly high tide 11:45

Clovelly low tide 17:52

I start today’s walk at the top of Clovelly in the car park next to Clovelly Visitor Centre, leaving via the road. I immediately come across a small paddock full of orchids - they look like they are southern marsh orchids again.

southern marsh orchids

I walk down the service road heading in towards Clovelly and admire the wildflowers. All of a sudden it starts raining lightly which I wasn’t expecting.

I continue down the road to Mount Pleasant, where I admire the views overlooking Clovelly.

I head back up the service road where a tractor passes me headed towards the top of Clovelly and towing dustbins.

I go through a heavy, black gate and walk along a grassy track heading towards the woods.

I enter the woods, passing a shelter, where a song thrush is singing loudly. I leave the woods and then re-enter them.

I reach Angel's Wings, a wooden shelter built in the 19th century by Sir James Hamlyn Williams, a former owner of Clovelly.

I cross a field at Gallantry Bower where a sign tells me that an ancient ring of earthworks is perched near the cliff edge. All I can see is a load of bracken.

The name Gallantry Bower is said to be either derived from the actions of lovers leaping to their doom (it is said that somewhere on Gallantry Bower you can jump off and fall to the base of the cliff without touching the side) or being the site of the village gallows.

The path here is a bit fiddly and I've got lost here before but the signposting seems to be better than I remember and I make it without event to the zig zag path that leads to Mouthmill Beach. There are wildflowers everywhere and I come across a plant which I don’t recognize and turns out to be bastard balm.

I cross a stream over a bridge to reach Mouthmill Beach. The tide is out far enough for me to be able to walk out onto the bouldery beach over to Blackchurch Rock, a spectacular sea stack with two huge natural rock windows.

Some nutters like to climb this rock for fun!

I leave the beach, passing an 18th century lime kiln. The limestone was brought here by ship from south Wales.

I climb up a zig zag woodland path through Brownsham Woods where the bluebells should be looking amazing but have already almost completely gone over.

I cross a field full of sheep and then enjoy the views back to Blackchurch Rock.

A foggy mist has descended and there is dampness in the air and no sign of the promised sun. I descend steeply on a winding path and then reach Windbury Hillfort which is again covered in bracken.

I walk through more wooded valleys and fields and eventually come to a memorial plaque in memory of the crew of a Wellington bomber which crashed here on the 13th of April 1942.

Along Beckland Cliff I pass fields with deliberately planted wildflower margins.

More fields, a wooded valley and a footbridge lead to trig point S5434 at 498 feet at Chapman Rock.

On top of the fog and mist it has now started raining as well. I should be able to see across to Lundy but there’s no chance of that. The skylarks seem to think that the weather is just about to improve as they’ve taken to the air and started singing. I watch one bird in particular sing for several minutes continuously.

I spot a hare running towards me along the coast path but as soon as it sees me it disappears into the undergrowth.

At Eldern Point I pass the site of another crashed aircraft, this time a B-24 Liberator Bomber which crashed on the 22nd of January 1943.

I can now see Hartland Point Radar perched above the misty cliffs.

I walk along East Titchberry Cliff which rounds Shipload Bay and I have lovely, if misty, views to Hartland Point. I enjoy the wildflowers around here even if they are now rather damp. I also get a glimpse of a deer.

A grassy track climbs above Shipload Bay and passes on the seaward side of Hartland Point Radar, originally built during the Second World War, it is now an automated radar station, maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority and linked to Swanwick near Southampton.

I walk down to the car park where there is a refreshment hut. It should be open from 10:30 until 5 but, even though it is close to 12, clearly isn’t open.

A sign tells me that it is 106 miles to Minehead in one direction along the south west coast path and 524 miles to Poole Harbour in the other direction.

A pod of dolphins (or porpoises) have gathered in Barley Bay and have attracted a small group of people’s attention. I take some photographs but you can’t really make out much.

I head towards Hartland Point Lighthouse, a grade two listed building. The lighthouse is still listed on the Trinity House website but was sold in 2011 and is now in private ownership. It looks like there’s some refurbishment work going on at the moment.

The path now changes direction and starts to head southwards and becomes a lot rougher and rockier.

I pass a memorial to the ship Glenart Castle, torpedoed by a U-boat in 1918 and I have a final views back to Hartland Point Lighthouse.

“In proud and grateful memory of those who gave their lives in the hospital ship Glenart Castle.”

I head over Upright Cliff before dropping into a valley and crossing a footbridge. I climb out of the valley and drop into another one behind Damehole Point where the views over Hartland Quay and towards Cornwall are amazing.

I climb steps up a steep slope and then drop down into another valley and climb again.

I descend into a valley again - this is becoming familiar! - and walk inland past a house and cross a stone bridge over the Abbey River. A little further upriver can be found Hartland Abbey (@HartlandAbbey), a former abbey and now the family home of the Stucley family.

I head back out towards the coast and head across Warren Cliff where there is a square ruined tower and sheep grazing the grass. I can see inland towards the Church of Saint Nectan in the hamlet of Stoke.

I suddenly come across loads of painted lady butterflies feeding on thistles and I can now quite clearly see Lundy out to sea.

I pass Rocket House to reach a road and from here it is a short walk along a track to reach the Hartland Quay Hotel.

I would normally head down the road to Hartland Quay passing the Hartland Quay Hotel and the Wreckers' Retreat Bar but my ankle has been playing up towards the latter part of the walk so I end the walk in the car park above the hotel where my lift awaits.

That's my walking over for the week!

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

southern marsh orchids
red campion
foxgloves
song thrush
bastard balm
ribwort plantain
sea thrift
bluebells
rhododendrons
pheasants
skylarks
honeysuckle
hare
deer
speckled wood butterflies
dolphins
painted lady butterflies
stonechat
germander speedwell

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 10.9 miles which amounts to 28569 steps. It has taken me five and three quarter hours today which is way longer than it should have taken but I’ve been hampered by a dodgy ankle. The weather has been a lot damper and mistier than I was expecting but it has still been a lovely walk. Ten out of ten!

walk details

map

westward ho! to clovelly

September 11, 2022 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

monday, 6TH JUNE 2022

Should be in for a rather nice day today with little in the way of wind.

Clovelly high tide 10:48

Clovelly low tide 16:55

I start today's walk back at Westward Ho! and it’s a lovely morning so I amble slowly down to the seafront.

I follow the promenade passing some modern flats on the seafront before walking past a long row of colourful beach huts, decorated for the Platinum Jubilee.

I pass Rock Sea Pool, built in Victorian times, severely damaged in the storms of 2014 and refurbished in 2015.

I leave Westward Ho! on grassy slopes before reaching a tarmac path which was once the track bed of the Bideford to Westward Ho! railway.

I now have lovely views over towards Clovelly which looks a lot closer than it actually is. It must be at least twelve miles away.

At Cornborough Range the old railway track heads off to the left towards Bideford but my path continues along the cliff top and it's time for a roller-coaster ride.

I walk up and down over Cornborough Cliff, Abbotsham Cliff, Green Cliff and then Cockington Cliff, admiring the June wildflowers.

abbotsham cliff beach

I have plenty of birds for company including a load of stonechats and linnets. The views back to Westward Ho! and over to Clovelly are lovely.

I descend down to Babbacombe Mouth with its rocky and pebbly beach.

I climb steeply up onto Babbacombe Cliff and there are more lovely views. I amble up and down the cliffs but the paths are very overgrown and fiddly to negotiate. It doesn’t help that my walking pole is broken and won’t open.

After almost an hour of scrambling up and down the cliffs I finally descend to reach Peppercombe, where there is a pebbly beach. I have the whole beach to myself.

The cliffs at Peppercombe are carved from 280 million year old red Triassic stone (unusual around here) and I have lovely views eastward back towards Westward Ho! and grand sweeping views westward towards Hartland Point. I can just make out the Isle of Lundy out to sea.

Clovelly can now be clearly seen clinging to the cliffs in the distance.

The wildflowers are lovely and I pass scarlet pimpernel, herb robert, gorse and hypericum (or st john’s-wort).

I come across a group of orchids on a slope. They look like southern marsh orchids but I can only get to one. There’s also some lovely ragged robin here as well.

ragged robin

I’m now just two and a half miles away from Bucks Mills, a route almost entirely through woods.

I climb steeply out of Peppercombe, admiring the views back from where I've come, and head along wooded slopes. The woods should be full of bluebells but they seem to have finished early this year. Chiff chaffs are singing their hearts out everywhere as well as a song thrush.

At the end of Worthygate Woods I descend steeply and gingerly down to the tiny village of Buck's Mills.

On the slipway down to the beach I pass Buck's Mills Cabin, used as an artist’s studio by Judith Ackland and Mary Stella Edwards, from the 1920’s up to the 1970’s. The National Trust became custodians of the Cabin in 2008.

I’d normally wander down to the pebbly beach and admire the stream tumbling over the cliff before ascending back up to the village. But today I’ve been having problems with my knees and my left ankle - don’t know why, must be old age - so I head back up the slipway instead.

The coast path climbs uphill between houses to reach Buck's Valley Woods.

The path between Peppercombe and Hobby Drive has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The walking is lovely and chiff chaffs, wrens, robins, blackbirds, great tits and many more birds are singing their hearts out.

The path continues, sometimes through woods, sometimes besides woods and there are pheasants everywhere. The woods contain a number of rhododendrons.

I come across a farmer driving a tractor, cutting the grass for silage.

Eventually the path reaches Hobby Drive and I come across a stone memorial bench …..

“The new portion of road measuring 833 yards was added to The Hobby by Frederick and Christine Hamlyn in the year of Our Lord God 1901.”

This area has inspired artists, including the famous 19th century artist Samuel Palmer, whose work 'A study of Trees' captures the characteristic woodland forms still found in this area. Nope, I've not heard of him either!

The path continues downhill through woods and there are now glimpses of Clovelly through the trees. As I approach Clovelly I come across more and more dog walkers.

I reach the ancient Wrinkleberry Lane and the coast path continues high above Clovelly but it's time for me to visit the village and end today's walk.

The village of Clovelly tumbles 400 feet down a steep hillside from the visitor centre down to the harbour. I suspect the village is going to be too busy for my liking today so I briefly walk down the top part of the village to take a photo.

I climb back up through the top part of Clovelly and leave through the visitor centre where my lift awaits in the car park.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

rabbits
honeysuckle
sea thrift
jackdaws
bladder campion
foxgloves
whitethroat
oystercatchers
stonechats
linnets
painted lady butterflies
meadow brown butterflies
pheasants
sweet chestnuts
southern marsh orchids
ragged robin
st john’s-wort
red valerian
bracken

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 13.1 miles which amounts to 33241 steps. It has taken me six hours but I have been ambling quite a bit and it’s a tough section of the coast path. The weather has been lovely but the same can’t be said for my dodgy body parts!. Ten out of ten!