Monday 09 to Monday 16 June 2014
A few personal notes of our South West Coast Path expedition - a sort of scrap-book. You are welcome to view and make comments if you wish!
You will see that we are taking our time to complete the Path - we started out from Minehead in September 2011.
A series of bus walks using the very limited bus services in this part of Devon to reach our walks. Careful planning was ncessary and we did the walks slightly out of sequence so that we could use the Friday-only service from Challaborough to Kingston for the walk from the Erme Estuary to Challaborough.
We stayed in a mobile home at the Parkdean Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, close to Bigbury-on-Sea for the week. The Coast Path passes right by the entrance to the Park.
River Yealm (Noss Mayo) to Beacon Hill
Our first walk of the week (Tuesday 10 June) was from opposite Warren Point on the Yealm estuary to Beacon Hill. There were two options for this walk: one was to catch the one bus per day (Tally Ho! 94) at about 9:36am from the Membland, Leaning Chimney stop or to do a circular walk.
Our first walk of the week (Tuesday 10 June) was from opposite Warren Point on the Yealm estuary to Beacon Hill. There were two options for this walk: one was to catch the one bus per day (Tally Ho! 94) at about 9:36am from the Membland, Leaning Chimney stop or to do a circular walk.
The bus-walk option worked! We had identified where we might park the car - in the small lay-by in the narrow lane at the road junction (SX577472) and just a couple of hundred yards from the bus stop. We alighted from the bus at Noss Mayo Church and walked the mile or so the the Coast Path at the Warren Point ferry landing. We had hoped that we might be able to buy a coffee somewhere in Noss Mayo, but the pub was closed!
We continued on the Coast Path as far as Beacon Hill and returned to the car. For much of the way the Coast Path follows the old carriage road with easy, level walking.
Weather was much better than we had expected: just a couple of very short showers; otherwise good with sunny spells.
Flora and fauna spotted on this section included foxgloves, elderflower, hogweed, red campion and valerian: white, pink and red. Skylarks, yellowhammer, an unidentified warbler and butterflies and bees.
SWCP distance from Warren Point to Beacon Hill: approximately 9.1km (5.6 miles).
Total walked: 11.1km (7 miles).
Total walked: 11.1km (7 miles).
Cumulative distance (from Minehead): 695km (432 miles);
Distance to South Haven Point: 320km (199 miles)
10 June 2014
Beacon Hill River Erme Crossing
The next day (Wednesday 11 June) we continued on from Beacon Hill. This time parking the car at the side of the road in the hamlet of Battisborough Cross and catching, once again, the Tally Ho! 94 bus: this time to Membland, the Leaning Chimney.
This is a delightful stretch of the Coast Path to the Erme Estuary. There is no ferry here and the estuary can be crossed safely only about an hour either side of low tide. We had long previously decided that we did not want to get our feet wet and had decided, instead to continue on the other side of the estuary on another day! You can tell from this that we are not 'purists' so far as this expedition is concerned!
Vaughan had left his sun hat in the car, so Elizabeth generously let him have hers for the walk; she wore her warm 'winter' hat instead - on a day when temperatures were heading into the low 20's!
At a stile just below St Anchorite's Rock was a herd of cattle blocking the way. As we were deciding how best to deal with the situation (cattle can be a bit frisky at times), we were rescued by a friendly farm worker, who saw us safely past the cows and on our way.
From the slipway, near to the Old Coastguard Cottages, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch sitting on the rocks, we headed back to the car at Battisborough Cross up the lane. There we took advantage of the bench at the cross roads for a (flask of) tea stop. What we had not realised, was that the seat had recently been painted and Vaughan got some paint on his trousers.
Flora and fauna spotted on the way included: sheepspit scabious, scarlet pimpernel, mushrooms on ash tree root; kestral, stonechat and goldfinches.
Erme Crossing to Challaborough Bay
There is just one bus a week from the Challaborough Slipway Cottage bus stop - and that is the Tally Ho! (service 875) to Plymouth. This bus goes via Kingston: just a mile or so across the fields from Erme Mouth, enabling us to do this section as a bus walk. This is the reason why we did this section 'out of sequence' - on Friday 13 June 2014.
There were about half a dozen or so of us waiting for the bus: quite a few were going all the way to Plymouth. It was a very hot morning and the bus was about half an hour late. Eventually it arrived and by the time we had all got one I don't think that there was a spare seat.
With two other walkers we alighted at Kingston and headed across the fields and through Wrinkle Woods to the Coast Path at Erme Mouth, a popular unspoilt spot for holiday-makers and local families alike.
After first heading south to The Beacon, just inland from Beacon Point, the path takes an easterly direction with Burgh Island coming into view in the distance.
This stretch is described in the South West Coast Path Association's handbook as 'strenuous'. Our experience bore this out with significant ascents in places!
Flora and fauna seen on this section included scarlet pimpernel, poppies, sea spurrey, thistles and speedwell; black-backed gull, jackdaws and (we think) whitethroats ... and lots of butterfies.
South West Coast Path distance for the day's walk was approximately 6.7km (4 miles). Total walked: 10.3km (6.4 miles).
SWCP distance from Avon Estuary to Hope Cove: approximately 8.65km (5.25 miles).
Total walked: 10.9km (6.75 miles).
Distance to South Haven Point: 320km (199 miles)
10 June 2014
Beacon Hill River Erme Crossing
The next day (Wednesday 11 June) we continued on from Beacon Hill. This time parking the car at the side of the road in the hamlet of Battisborough Cross and catching, once again, the Tally Ho! 94 bus: this time to Membland, the Leaning Chimney.
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| Erme Mouth |
Vaughan had left his sun hat in the car, so Elizabeth generously let him have hers for the walk; she wore her warm 'winter' hat instead - on a day when temperatures were heading into the low 20's!
At a stile just below St Anchorite's Rock was a herd of cattle blocking the way. As we were deciding how best to deal with the situation (cattle can be a bit frisky at times), we were rescued by a friendly farm worker, who saw us safely past the cows and on our way.
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| Looking across the Erme Estuary from the slipway |
Flora and fauna spotted on the way included: sheepspit scabious, scarlet pimpernel, mushrooms on ash tree root; kestral, stonechat and goldfinches.
SWCP distance from Beacon Hill to the Erme Crossing: approximately 5.3km (3.25 miles).
Total walked: 9.0km (5.5 miles).
Total walked: 9.0km (5.5 miles).
Cumulative distance (from Minehead): 700km (435 miles);
Distance to South Haven Point: 315km (196 miles)
11 June 2014
Distance to South Haven Point: 315km (196 miles)
11 June 2014
Erme Crossing to Challaborough Bay
There is just one bus a week from the Challaborough Slipway Cottage bus stop - and that is the Tally Ho! (service 875) to Plymouth. This bus goes via Kingston: just a mile or so across the fields from Erme Mouth, enabling us to do this section as a bus walk. This is the reason why we did this section 'out of sequence' - on Friday 13 June 2014.
There were about half a dozen or so of us waiting for the bus: quite a few were going all the way to Plymouth. It was a very hot morning and the bus was about half an hour late. Eventually it arrived and by the time we had all got one I don't think that there was a spare seat.
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| The Dolphin, Kingston |
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| Erme Mouth |
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| Burgh Island (in the middle distance) |
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| Approaching Burgh Island |
Flora and fauna seen on this section included scarlet pimpernel, poppies, sea spurrey, thistles and speedwell; black-backed gull, jackdaws and (we think) whitethroats ... and lots of butterfies.
South West Coast Path distance for the day's walk was approximately 6.7km (4 miles). Total walked: 10.3km (6.4 miles).
Cumulative distance (from Minehead): 710km (441 miles) and distance to South Haven Point: 320km (192 miles).
Challaborough Bay to Cockleridge Point
We walked the short section between Challaborough Bay to Cockleridge Point and the Avon Estuary ferry crossing on Sunday 15 June.
Setting out from Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, we headed around Bigbury-on-Sea, passing Burgh Island. We found that the way-marking near to Sharpland Point was not very clear, and we missed our way and headed out to Sharpland Point and missed the permissive path (the 'official' route) on the northern side of Folly Hill, following the lane, instead before descending down to Cockleridge Point and the ferry to Bantham.
From the ferry landing, we returned to Bigbury-on-Sea across the fields and golf course before crossing the sand spit to Burgh Island, where we completed a circuit of the island before returning to the mainland for a picnic lunch on the beach.
South West Coast Path distance for the day's walk was approximately 3.2km (2 miles). Total walked: 11.3km (7 miles).
Avon Estuary to Hope Cove
As mentioned earlier, the section from the Avon Estuary to Hope Cove was completed out of order - on Thursday 12 June: a beautiful hot and sunny day with fluffy white clouds. On this occasion Vaughan remembered his sun hat!
This was a linear bus walk, taking the Tally Ho! 162 bus from Outer Hope to Thurlestone Church for the half mile walk down to Bantham, where we rejoined the Coast Path.
This is a moderate section. At the time that we did it, we followed the sign-posted diversion from above Thurlstone Sands inland up the lane to Pitchingstone Cross and joining the 'official' path at Woolman Point before descending to Hope Cove for a welcome ice cream, seated on a bench watching swallow aerobatics.
Fauna spotted on the walk included: a warbler: we think that it was a cetti's warbler, stonechats (lots of them about!), skylarks (mostly heard and seen only as specks in the heavens!), herring gulls, jackdaws and rooks, juvenile pied wagtails on the rocky beach overlooking Thurlstone Rock and swallows buzzing a few inches above our heads at Hope Cove.
Challaborough Bay to Cockleridge Point
We walked the short section between Challaborough Bay to Cockleridge Point and the Avon Estuary ferry crossing on Sunday 15 June.
Setting out from Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, we headed around Bigbury-on-Sea, passing Burgh Island. We found that the way-marking near to Sharpland Point was not very clear, and we missed our way and headed out to Sharpland Point and missed the permissive path (the 'official' route) on the northern side of Folly Hill, following the lane, instead before descending down to Cockleridge Point and the ferry to Bantham.
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| Avon Estuary with Bantham on the far side |
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| Challaborough Bay from Burgh Island |
Cumulative distance (from Minehead): 713km (443 miles) and distance to South Haven Point: 317km (190 miles).
Avon Estuary to Hope Cove
As mentioned earlier, the section from the Avon Estuary to Hope Cove was completed out of order - on Thursday 12 June: a beautiful hot and sunny day with fluffy white clouds. On this occasion Vaughan remembered his sun hat!
This was a linear bus walk, taking the Tally Ho! 162 bus from Outer Hope to Thurlestone Church for the half mile walk down to Bantham, where we rejoined the Coast Path.
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| Avon Estuary at the ferry crossing |
Fauna spotted on the walk included: a warbler: we think that it was a cetti's warbler, stonechats (lots of them about!), skylarks (mostly heard and seen only as specks in the heavens!), herring gulls, jackdaws and rooks, juvenile pied wagtails on the rocky beach overlooking Thurlstone Rock and swallows buzzing a few inches above our heads at Hope Cove.
SWCP distance from Avon Estuary to Hope Cove: approximately 8.65km (5.25 miles).
Total walked: 10.9km (6.75 miles).
Cumulative distance (from Minehead): 717km (445 miles)
Distance to South Haven Point: 298km (185 miles).
Total this session: 52.6km (32.5 miles)
Thursday 12 June 2014 Distance to South Haven Point: 298km (185 miles).
Total this session: 52.6km (32.5 miles)
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