Sidmouth to Exmouth

2/6/12 £6! We parked in the station at Digby and Sowton. No, I didn't know about it either. It is near M5 J30 and we had the free car park practically to ourselves. The bus stop for the service to Sidmouth is just a couple of hundred yard down the road. But it was £6 for a single, 30 minute, 10 mile trip to Sidmouth!

Rain was forecast for the afternoon, so we were walking by 10:20. Initially I thought that we were going to bypass the first hill as we walked along the front under some cliffs, but then the long climb started. Then it was mostly downhill to Ladram Bay holiday park. As we approached, we saw a bar and restaurant, but as we rounded it there was a sign on the side saying the Three Rocks.

Sounds enough like a pub, so in we went. Pints of Otter Ale (4.5%) and Amber (4%) for £6.50 sitting on a balcony overlooking the bay. Then it was on towards Budleigh Salterton. This heads inland for a stretch along the River Otter. We grabbed a couple of pasties, but no pubs on the front. So it was on to Exmouth via Sandy Bay. It is quite a long seafront at Exmouth and at the very start was the last Coastpath sign that we saw for the day.

The Bath House used to be called something else, the Deer Leap I think. A pint of Greene King IPA (3.8%) and Old Speckled Hen (4.5%) for £5.90 in a fairly typical family seafront pub.

The Grove is slightly more upmarket. Pleasant Oxford Ales Churchill (4.5%) and a Youngs Waggle Dance (4%) for £6.50. We even indulged in some sausages for 50p a time.

The Beach is next to the harbour rather than the beach. Bass (4.4%) and Red White and Brew (4%) for £6.60. Seemed to be a locals place, but the beer wasn't that good. Just beyond the pub is the ferry to Starcross. No mention anywhere about the Coastpath in either direction though.

The train back towards Exeter was half the price of the bus.