13 miles walked today
991.5 miles walked in total (10.547 average)
Today I've decided to put all thought of my missed six miles out of my head and just carry on with what I can do.
I was walking at Torcross at 8.15 am - my guide book said today would be strenuous so I wanted an early start. This and the cooler, cloudier weather has helped enormously today, although the views have suffered a bit for the lack of sunshine.
I had a mini uphill past the hotel and up to fields before coming down into Beesands, a working fishing village with lobster pots piled up all along the front and a van proclaiming "Britannia wet fish sales".
From here, I had another mini uphill to North Hallsands. The old village of Hallsands can be seen from a viewing platform at the foot of the hotel, where they didn't start serving tea until eleven o'clock. Bugger!
At the end of the 19th century, 650,000 tonnes of shingle was excavated from the beach to make concrete for the Devonport docks, thereby removing Hallsands' natural sea defences. On 26 January 1917, an abnormally high tide coincided with an easterly gale and twenty-nine cottages were destroyed, leaving one untouched. Two of the survivors, the Trout sisters, were awarded a sum of money from the family of a German seaman they'd rescued and they used this money to build the house which became the hotel on the cliff. Most of the villagers were evacuated to this dwelling while further accommodation was made available. It was a very moving display and it certainly made me think that we mustn't underestimate the power of the sea.
From Hallsands, I had a couple of miles round to the lighthouse at Start Point. The signs today have been excellent and have included mileage as well as direction. However, one sign really made me laugh - 168 miles to Poole one way and 462 miles to Minehead in the other!
The path was superb - very close to the cliff edge and involved a lot of scrambling over rocks which I love. I'm not sure how the grading is worked out as I didn't think it was very strenuous at all - it was tricky but not hard up and downs.
The scenery was amazing - lots of rocks and sheer cliff faces - I could see why you'd need a lighthouse here. As I got round to Prawle Point, I climbed up to the coastguard lookout and had a look at the visitors' centre which is in a shed! In 1994 when two Cornish fishermen died below the recently closed Bass Point coastguard lookout, a group of local people set up an organisation to restore visual watch along the UK coast. Thereby, the National Coastwatch Institution was created and the first station opened at Bass Point. There are now twenty-three stations open and each one is responsible for its own funding, equipment and building maintenance. Apparently these volunteers don't just watch out to sea, but coast walkers are kept an eye on too, which was very reassuring.
There followed more up and down from here to Gara Rock Hotel which I'd been relying on to get lunch and I wasn't disappointed. It was full of walkers! There were signs up everywhere requesting us all to remove our boots before entering.
From here, it was downhill all the way through woods down to East Portlesham where the ferry runs over to Salcombe. I was still having 'phone problems, so asked the chap who ran the cafe at the ferry point whether I could give him some money to ring me a cab. He told me that if I got back to the cafe at five o'clock I could have a lift as he had to go through Torcross to get home. Fantastic!
So I went over to Salcombe and mooched around for a couple of hours, buying postcards, shopping, having a beer, etc, and just people watching.
I've really enjoyed today and I reckon I could even do that walk again. But not today!
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