Mothecombe to Noss Mayo

15/9/12 Tuesdays are the only day to bus this one, so it was on the bikes for us. We parked in Noss Mayo and then cycled towards the Erme. No pubs were passed and so a detour to do both of them in Holbeton before parking the bikes and having pasties in Mothecome tea room. Then the walk down to the crossing before starting the walk.

Mothecombe beach was a pleasant spot in the sunshine. Then it was on through a few fields

and up and down a few hills for the first half of the walk. After Stoke Beach, the path became a track and we made much quicker time. Soon, we rounded the headland and started up the Yealm estuary.

It was the usual estuary walk of a gradual descent through woods to a village ferry crossing. The next photo was taken from the small ferry jetty.

We then kept walking to the Ship Inn in Noss Mayo before retrieving the bikes from the now closed tea room.

Bigbury to the Erme

8/9/12 We parked in Kingston and cycled to Mount Folly Farm via the pub in Bigbury. We then had to walk down to the ferry point.

That is on the left of the picture. It also shows Bantham and the beaches. We then retraced our steps before descending towards Burgh Island and Bigbury-on- Sea. The tide was nearly out and the beach was busy. We continued to Challaborough and came across this sort of pub.

 

In the Waterfront we had two Betty Stoggs (4%) for £6.40. It was more like a bar. We bought some Dorset pasties nearby. We had few ups and downs after this,

but it was a relatively short walk before we rounded the corner into the Erme estuary. The tide was out and so when we arrived at Wonwell beach, we decided to wade across.

This was on the way back.

By the time our feet were dry, we were halfway up the hill to Kingston. The pub was shut and so we went to the Pilchard Inn on Burgh Island for a pint.

Salcombe to Bantham

1/9/12 Parked in Salcombe park and ride and walked to town. The first pub wasn't difficult to spot. The Ferry Inn had Copper Ale (3.7%) and Best IPA (4.2%) for £6.90. There are various levels to the pub, but we stayed outside overlooking the water. Salcombe is an expensive area. I took the photo in a hurry because Sid was posing.

The path goes past North and South Sands as it heads towards Bolt Head. Before that we passed Sharp Tor

to the sound of a yacht hitting rocks below as it returned from Starehole Bay. It was able to continue to Salcombe. The path was quite busy, but the going wasn't too bad and Soar Mill Cove looked a very nice remote beach. Eventually we reached Bolt Tail and descended to Hope Cove.

The Hope and Anchor Inn is slightly set back from the front. We had a Dartmoor Best (3.5%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £6.75. It was relatively quiet. We went over the road for a couple of pasties before continuing towards Thurlestone. The path was easier going now. After passing the golf course we headed for Bantham. The beach looked nice there as well and it was busy. We walked through the car park and went as far as the ferry jetty in the village.

Then we walked back to Thurlestone for a pleasant pint before catching the bus to Malborough and then another one to Salcombe.

Torcross to East Portlemouth

25/8/12 A bank holiday Saturday drive to East Portlemouth went well. We parked up the hill in the village and set off across the top of hills on our bikes to Torcross. Another pint in the Start Bay Inn and pasty from the post office set us up for the walk.

Up the hill, we can see back to this. Then it was soon down the other side to Beesands. It looked a nice place and relatively unspoilt. The Cricket Inn though was a bit too snooty with many empty reserved tables. Tribute PA and Otter Ale for £7.60.

The showers came and went and we didn't get too wet as we were sheltered from the westerly wind. We had a look at the remains of Hallsands and then continued on to Start Point. This is another of those conspicuous points that had lurked in the distance for a few walks.

As we skirted round Start Point, the terrain became a lot more rugged and as we rounded another hill, we started to lose our protection from the wind and rain. Lannacombe beach and car park were busy with lots of people in wet suits, but not much surfing going on. The rain kept falling without getting too heavy. We were soaked, but I thought that this was one of the most scenic stretches that we've done. We passed Prawle Point  and it was still wet and rugged, but parts of Salcombe were starting to appear.

Eventually we reached the beaches of East Portlemouth and the rain stopped. We went down to the ferry jetty and then up the long flight of steps to the village. We picked the bikes up and stopped for an expensive pint at California Cross on the way home as we tried to dry out.

Dartmouth to Torcross

22/8/12 A drive to the park and ride in Dartmouth seemed the easiest route onto this walk. After a three bus wait we finally arrived on the Dart's quayside. We weren't sure which ferry the official Coast Path route used, so we started from the passenger ferry and walked downstream. The path signs started from the lower car ferry.

We walked in Bayards Cove Inn before realising that it isn't a pub. The Dartmouth Arms is next door.

Not pretty from the outside, but quaint enough inside. Sid pointed out that I was the youngest person there.

A short walk along the riverside and the path appeared to enter this old building.

I couldn't spot an exit and so we retraced our steps and took an uphill path. The next coast path sign directed us back here through the right hand arch. The path then continued up and down a few times, pass the castle, up and down a few more times, out of the estuary and eventually inland.

We wandered along some country lanes and round the back streets of Stoke Fleming before arriving at the Green Dragon.

We went for a Liberation Ale (4%) and Seafarers Ale (3.6%) for £6.40. The Liberation Ale was returned though as Sid was concerned by its cloudiness and it was happily exchanged for another Seafarers. We had come from the road opposite and progressed straight across towards Blackpool Sands.

The hills were quite steep around here and eventually we walked along the main road in Strete. Our timing was wrong here as the Kings Arms was due to reopen a couple of days later. The path eventually left the main road and we descended onto Slapton Sands. The path alternates between the beach and the Ley before arriving in Torcross.

 In the Start Bay Inn we went for a Bass (4.4%) and Tribute PA (4.2%) for £6.30. It's not too posh and so alright. We then had time for a couple of nice pasties from the post office before catching the bus back to Dartmouth.

Brixham to Kingswear

11/8/12 After an enforced lay-off (mountain biking accident) it was time to get some exercise again. An August Saturday might have been chaotic on the roads, so we chose train PlusBus option to Paignton. The journey was busy, but we arrived in Brixham just after 11 on a sunny day. Time for a pint in the Blue Anchor before winding our way through the streets to St Mary's Bay and onto the footpath by about 12:15.

It was quite easy going to start as we rounded Sharkham Point and passed a few holiday parks. Eventually though, the hills became bigger and the coastline more rugged.

 This is looking back to Man Sands, which had a track down to it and had a few surfers,

and this is Scabbacombe Sands, which is more remote but still had some hardy bathers. Neither of these locations appeared sandy though. Eventually we came across Pudcombe Cove, which was a different landscape again. More wooded with a tropical garden feel to it. A few hills later we rounded Froward Point and started walking up the Dart estuary. This section is more wooded, which at least gave us some protection from the sun, but the hills were taking their toll by now and we were glad to finally reach Kingswear.

As we came down some steps in the town towards the river we spied this.

The Royal Dart stands on the bank of the river, between the car ferry and the railway station. An Adnams Lighthouse (3.4%) and Bays Devon Dumpling (5.1%) for £6.40 were our reward for over four hours of walking. We had time for a couple more pints elsewhere in Kingswear and Paignton as we made our way back after a tiring day.

Paignton to Brixham

30/6/12 We were expecting to find some pubs in Brixham on this leg, so we had a lift to TVP and then train to Paignton. We arrived before 11 and walking from the station towards the pier, we passed pubs already open. Along the harbourside was the Pier Inn. By now it was 11, but there was no sign of life.

Whether to wait or visit when we returned to Paignton in the evening? We walked on around the headland and then saw the Inn on the Quay.

Two pints of Tribute (4.3%) for £6.40 were nice enough in this Brewers Fayre family pub. We then decided to return to the Pier Inn, which was still not open, but a couple of pasties later it was. However no real ale and we had to settle for a John Smiths and Thatchers for £6.40.

Then we were able to get walking for a while. We started following the steam railway line, pass some sandy beaches, around Churston Point and then arrived at the quiet Elberry Cove.

Then it was into the woods for the walk to the outskirts of Brixham. We could smell it first, then see the harbour wall, then we had to guess which way to go, before arriving in the town itself.

The Sprat and Mackerel was a bit bare inside. We settled for a Westons Cider and John Smiths for £6.50. The barman kindly turned up the good juke box for me. Next door was the Crown and Anchor. A few more locals in this one. We went for their own Crown and Anchor (4%) and a Bays Topsail (4.3%) for £6.30. They had stopped doing food, but allowed us to bring in some chips from next door.

Next was the Rising Sun (behind the Golden Hind replica). Two pints of Doom for £5.60. They turned the juke box down when I went on it here. In front of the Golden Hind is the Old Market House. We weren't sure whether it was a pub, but I wasn't driving. A pint of Tribute PA (4.2%) and Dartmoor (3.5%) for £7.10. Next door was the Bullers Arms. We had pints of Tribute (4.3%) and Bullers (4.2%) for £6.60. The staff weren't sure which beer was on which pump however and they didn't want the juke box on. We managed to walk a few hundred yards further before coming across the Prince William.

Another place that didn't feel like a pub. We sat outside and had pints of Proper Job (4.5%) and Brixham Trawler (3.5%) for £6.80.

Time for a bit more walking as we rounded Berry Head and on to St. Mary's Bay before heading back to Brixham town centre, the bus to Paignton and on to the train to TVP via Newton Abbot again.