South West Coast Path 26/03/25

Day 6. Wed 26th Mar

Another glorious day but it did start to cloud over in the late afternoon. A late start after thanking Sheila very much for putting me up and feeding me.

Tor Bay

A walk down to Torquay harbour and I was back on the Path and climbing over the head and down to Meadfoot Beach past some huge hotels before climbing to Hopes Nose.

After Hopes Nose the path escapes from the Torquay housing and heads for the trees around Black Head and the beautiful path above Ansteys Cove and on to Babbacombe. 

Who else remembers the album by Fairport Convention about John ' Babbacombe' Lee, the man they couldn't hang?

Looking back to Babbacombe

It's a beautiful path from Babbacombe but there are lots of ups and downs and I was happy to get to the pub at Maidencombe just in time to get a sandwich for lunch.

Lunch

I glanced at the map for the next stretch and thought it looked reasonably level above the cliffs but I was wrong, which I saw on closer inspection. It was however a great walk but I just missed the last ferry to Teignmouth and had to take the longer way over the bridge. It doesn't look like it but there is a lifting section in the bridge that, although it has never been used for shipping, is supposed to be opened once a year just to check that it works.

Rolling hills to Teignmouth

Teignmouth from the bridge

The walk on to Dawlish is along the railway breakwater and not very thrilling and I found a cheap room above the Railway Inn which was also not very thrilling, but at least it was warm and dry.

Dawlish

16.5miles walked 1300 meters ascent.