Kingswear

It was still quite dark when I started the walk towards Kingswear. I kept on forgetting the name and calling it Kings Landing in my head. I can’t really remember the details of the walk but I know that it was another good one. Continuing around headlands of cliffs but eventually dropping into the town.

I found Kingswear absolutely fascinating. It was like I’d gone back in time. I didn’t have to concentrate too much on the route as this was laid out very clearly and was also pretty intuitive. You walk past a railway platform which I quickly realised was for steam trains and then before I knew it I was in a queue for another ferry. I really like a ferry. Without the ferry you’d have to walk a long way inland, off the coastal path, to cross a bridge at some point, but that’s irrelevant as the ferry is the best way to continue along the path and I was glad to be on it. Slightly further down the river was a car ferry which seemed busy enough. It seemed to consist of a floating platform for the cars and then a barge was tethered beside to manoeuvre everything across the river. Our ferry was just a standard boat but I can’t help get excited about travelling on them. It’s £2 to cross but that seems like a bargain to me. I’m so glad they still have them. You always imagine anything like that would get outdated by a bridge or teleporter or something so it’s good to see so many in action.

After the crossing I sat on one of the benches just looking around at the town. I would definitely like to live here. Although I could say that about many of the places I’ve been through so far on this walk.

As I’m writing this post and trying to remember two days worth of travels it’s struck me how time is a strange thing. Or our perception of time anyway. I was in Kingswear yesterday but it feels like an older memory than that. I was on the Isle of Portland last Tuesday and that feels like a month ago, a distant memory, almost like it was on a different walk. Those events at the time took no longer than any other, in fact time flew as I was happy, but now, when I think of them, it feels so long ago.

From Kingswear

Almost immediately after you leave Kingswear the path goes through a church of some kind and then you climb again into some woods that wrap around a secluded beach. I think you’d get that one to yourself if you wanted to venture down.

After following the coast line for a while the path then heads inland quite a lot and I think much of the area the path would run through is privately owned (although I am speculating here). Even though you’re inland it’s still quite a hard slog going up and down hills. Often you can see the steep climb in store for you before you’ve descended the slope that makes the climb necessary. I suggested a bridge to one person I passed, but I think they thought I was being serious, as they explained why this wasn’t sensible.

To the beach

It took a while, and there was a bit of road walking and passing through villages, but eventually you come to Slapton Sands. This beach is massive. The path is actually on the other side of a road and down a bit so you can’t see the sea. It reminded me a bit of Chesil beach except on this one there was a decent path and you could walk fairly easily. I did try walking on the beach but it was really hard going, so I opted for the path. I felt like I was walking for ages, this beach goes on for ever. At least it has plenty of space for everyone. At the end of the path you arrive in Torcross which is a little place with a few buildings, a big carpark, and a tank!

Beesands

From Torcross there was another nice path, again with a decent climb, that took me to Beesands where I was due to meet Jenny. Although she was currently navigating very narrow country lanes and would be a little while. On my way over I met a really nice couple travelling in the other direction.

Like so many people I’ve met, they’ve been walking the path in stages over multiple years. And everyone I’ve met and talked to have been lovely people. But these guys stuck out a bit because she was telling me to keep going, she was telling me to take my time and enjoy the journey, she was telling me to stay hydrated. It’s like she knew I was struggling a bit, like she knew I needed some encouragement. It was perfectly timed.

I arrived in Beesands and it’s a beach, a few houses, a cafe, and a pub. And very few people. It was like no one knew about it. It was amazing. I looked on Rightmove and no properties were for sale, which was a shame. Because I wanted one.

Eventually Jenny turned up and fixed everything.

Beesands to Start Point

I was in really good spirits as I started the walk. My pack was a bit lighter, my shoes weren’t broken, and I wasn’t wearing stupid heavy shorts anymore. I nearly lurched into a jog at one point.

You first hit Hallsands which is a bit like Beesands but with even less in it. These places are just so amazing. They almost feel separate to the rest of the UK, but they’re not even that remote. Then you climb towards Start Point, which is really badly named as I’m about a quarter of the way through.

The coast path doesn’t go all the way down to the lighthouse here but I felt the need to walk down to have a closer look. I could live in that lighthouse as well. Maybe Ratby isn’t for me anymore.

Nearly at Salcombe

Back on the coast path and you then have to work your way around multiple headlands (is that the right word) on you way to Salcombe. This part of the walk had some very challenging parts made harder by the wind.

The scenery was amazing, I kept on stopping to take photos and I really didn’t have time, but every corner you turned had another view that you felt topped the last.

When my kids were at school doing performances I never liked to take too many videos or pictures because you end up seeing the moment through a lens rather than properly into you memory. Maybe I need to be more like that here.

The path is very rewarding. I found it a little tough and in places you have to be very careful. I was wary as it was a very rocky and rugged landscape with steep slopes everywhere and it was getting to that part of the day where I needed to find somewhere to stop for the night. I was very wary of the wind. I was also aware after a few hours I was getting near Salcombe. Luckily, as I got nearer, the land flattened out a little and I managed to find a partially sheltered spot just off the path about a mile from the ferry crossing that I need to take tomorrow. I’m hoping the pitch all goes well as I’m quite worried by it now. The sea is really noisy.

The elephant in the room

So, I needed a new tent and new boots. The two aren’t related but were combining to make me a little negative.

The wild camp I did two nights ago, where I thought I had the perfect spot, and it was a good spot, went a little wrong. The wind picked up in the night and at about 1am I went from being cozy inside my tent to lying outside as the tent pulled from over me. It was quite a shock. The outer fly managed to pull a peg out of the ground and open up the tent, also ripping a hole in the side wall.

I’m not sure how but as it went I managed to grab it so it wouldn’t fly away. I’m not sure this was necessary but it felt like it was at the time. To cut a long story short, I eventually managed to get the tent back up and pegged down, and me back inside, but I was shook up. I also managed to do a make shift repair of the tent using the puncture repair kit from my mattress.

I did manage to get some broken sleep but I could hear the tend slowly breaking up and at 5am I decided to get all my stuff packed up and wait in the tent until I had enough light to see the path. It was quite a rugged path and not one for the dark. At about 6:15 I had enough light to pack up the tent and get on my way. Unfortunately this had left me a bit emotionally bruised. I spoke to Jenny and she set in place the recovery plan. I was close to coming home and spent the day wondering what I’d tell people. I’ll say one thing, I’m learning a lot about myself this trip and I think I came up a little bit short yesterday.

In terms of my boots. They were falling apart and I don’t know why. They’re pretty new. I’m going to try and get a refund!

I’m glad I left it until today to write this post as now the negatives from yesterday, and for some extent this morning, seem less significant and the positives so much more dominant in my mind.