South West Coast Path
Today’s distance walked – approx 31 kms (19 miles).
Ascent – approx 685m (2247 ft).
South West Coast Path day 36. I left Janec’s place around 6.20 am and wandered back down to the seafront in town, hoping to catch some early morning light and take a few nice photos. A handful of dog walkers were already out, and a couple of hardy swimmers were braving a dawn dip. Then, out of nowhere, a sudden and desperate need for the loo. A hiker’s worst nightmare. Teignmouth, charming as it is, doesn’t offer much in the way of pre-7 am toilet options or discreet bushes. In a state of some crisis, I executed a fast, silly walk back to the house and got hardly any photos.
Teignmouth to Dawlish
I was back on the move by 7 am, this time heading east towards Dawlish. Teignmouth has a long stone promenade that runs for a few kilometres beside the railway line. A really lovely stretch that would make an excellent morning run. The sea was flat calm, the sky completely clear, and the sun already high. I eased into the day gently, taking it slow and soaking it all in.
At the end of the sea wall, the path climbed up and over a short headland before dropping into Dawlish. By 8 am, I’d reached the loos on the western side of the beach by the harbour wall – not marked on my map, but open, thank goodness!
Dawlish has a long promenade and sea wall too. I followed the path beneath the boardwalk, right down by the sea, where all the pigeons seem to live when they’re not busy pestering people in town. Plenty of fishermen, runners, and walkers were out enjoying the morning, and I enjoyed this stretch. It felt great to simply walk – no hills, no obstacles, just easy kilometres ticking by.
Dawlish Warren to Exmouth
I reached Dawlish Warren at 8.40 am and swung left to cross the railway bridge and begin a short road walk. Not much to report here, just a string of massive family holiday and caravan parks. Before long, I was out of town and heading inland along the River Exe estuary trail. It was flat and tarmac into Exeter, but that’s a walk for another time. Next came a stroll through Cockwood, which I’ve decided wins the award for rudest place name on the South West Coast Path – just beating Cockington near Torquay.
To cross the River Exe, you need to take the ferry from Starcross. The first sailing each day is at 10.10 am. I arrived at 9.30, but didn’t mind the wait. The sun was out, but it wasn’t too hot yet, and I was happy to sit and enjoy the morning.
Exmouth
Once I arrived in Exmouth, I wandered into the town centre, which has a lovely village square (actually a circle) with a beautifully planted cenotaph at its heart. The outdoor café tables were busy, full of people enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning. I grabbed a sandwich from the surprisingly decent-sized Tesco Metro and sat for a while, watching the world go by. I left town around 11.30 am.
Exmouth has a long beach and promenade. Heading east, the deep water channel of the River Exe runs close to the shore – a great spot for watching boats and water traffic. There were plenty of little cafés and ice cream spots along the way, too. And then, I saw something I truly never expected, for several reasons. A fit, tanned (presumably English) bloke striding along in a pair of George Cross Speedos. The kind of garment rarely spotted here in the UK. I quietly applauded his confidence…
The Jurassic Coast
By midday, I’d reached Orcombe Rocks, the official start of the World Heritage Site known as the Jurassic Coast, which will soon lead me into Dorset. There’s a striking Geoneedle here marking the beginning of the trail, along with some great information boards describing the layers of rock exposed along the cliffs. In East Devon, the rock is Triassic, dating from 250 to 200 million years ago. West Dorset and Portland are Jurassic (200 to 145 million years old) – that’s the famous fossil stretch, and then Purbeck has the Cretaceous layers, between 145 and 65 million years old.
I reached Sandy Bay at 12.30 pm. Another sweeping red sand beach, backed by yet another enormous holiday park.
The cliff path offered superb views across to Budleigh Salterton. Looking down into Otter Cove, the water near the shore was stained red with sandstone before giving way to a clear, beautiful blue further out. As I climbed higher along the clifftops, there was plenty of evidence of old landslips, and some worrying new cracks forming along the edges too.
The scenery today was wonderfully varied, and I was really enjoying it. The barley fields up here were golden, just touched with green. I love how I’ve been able to witness the changing stages of growth as I’ve walked, such a lovely natural rhythm to notice.
Budleigh Salterton
I arrived in Budleigh Salterton at 2.25 pm, a very lovely little town with a long beach made up of large, flat, multi-coloured pebbles. A gentle breeze took the edge off the heat as I sat with an ice cream and did a bit of people-watching. I topped up my water here, just in case I found a good wild camp spot between Budleigh and Sidmouth. This meant I was lugging an extra 3.5 kg as I left town.
I left Budleigh at 3 pm and headed inland, skirting around the Otter Estuary to reach the next headland. The path from here was good, but it turned into a pretty strenuous stretch with a few steep ups and downs. The heat was back with full force, and I was quickly drenched in sweat. The trail passed through Ladram Bay holiday park. I’d phoned earlier in the day to ask about a tent pitch and had been quoted an exorbitant price, so I decided against it.
The last couple of big climbs for the day were up to High Peak (a short detour, but worth it for the amazing views) then on to Peak Hill. This stretch is National Trust land, all open grass, bracken, and sheep, with plenty of flat spots to choose from. I put up my tent around 5.30 pm.
As I write this at 8.30 pm, sheep are grazing around my tent and there’s a classical music soundtrack drifting through the air. I can’t tell if it’s coming from a garden, a house, or some kind of outdoor concert, but it’s lovely either way. Oh, and I found the pole tips I lost yesterday.