13.5 miles walked today
1043.5 miles walked in total (10.647 average)
Mum and Dad travelled down from Norfolk yesterday in the torrential rain that had been forecast. When I woke up, it wasn't too pleasant here and, despite Karen trying to bully me into walking anyway, I had a day off! Which is probably why I'm aching so much today.
Mum and Dad dropped me at Cremyll this morning at 9.45 am in bright, but cool, sunshine and I set off to walk through Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, telling them I'd meet them at Portwrinkle at about four o'clock.
It was quite bizarre walking through the formal gardens and temples of Mount Edgcumbe House while being so close to the shore and looking over Plymouth Sound. The noise of gunshots accompanied me all morning, although the only place on the map I could identify it as coming from was the ranges at HMS Raleigh at Torpoint.
I had to walk through the deer park and kept an eye out for these lovely creatures, but the only wildlife I could see and hear were frisky squirrels chasing each other. It wasn't long after I came out of the woods that the heavens opened and I was soaked. However, it didn't rain for long and, by the time I walked into the villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, I'd dried off completely and was gently steaming. My coat soon dried off and was back in the rucksack.
The tea room was shut on Tuesdays but the local enterprising church community had opened its own tea room in the church hall between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon each Tuesday, so I had a very welcome sit down and chatted to the Church Warden for half an hour. It was very encouraging that the locals had taken up the cause for their community so enthusiastically. Half of the local houses are second homes so the villages effectively die in the winter. There are only 600 population full time but it was reassuring that it's not just old people that live there, as there's also a junior school in the village with about thirty pupils. These younger residents are also catered for in the school holidays when workshops are put on. And I was party to a conversation about a dancing class that's happening this evening and there are two yoga classes a week too. Very uplifting indeed.
My guide book mentioned that the villages were a major smuggling centre in the 18th century when bladders of brandy were taken to Plymouth, concealed beneath women's skirts. I'm sure the lady Church Warden would not have encouraged this type of behaviour! I have to say I chuckled at this little gem, imagining the swishing noises emanating from the ladies' petticoats and what reasons they must have given for all the sloshing about!
From Cawsand Bay, I had a very pleasant level walk out to Rame Head and its ruined chapel. There were a number of naval ships in the bay cruising along beside the smaller pleasure boats and yachts. The views back over towards Devon were superb and made up for the lack of scenery due to fog on Sunday.
As I turned the corner at Rame Head, it all got a bit breezy and blustery. I sat and looked at the chapel for a while and thought it was a fabulous spot for such a spiritual place. (Thoughts of weddings entered my head again, but I thought it might be a bit unfair to make guests walk four miles in their finery up and down all those hills to reach their destination!)
The path got a bit more up and down energetic as I passed through a very posh shanty town full of shacks dotted about on the hillside. However, I was soon walking along the road through Freathy and around Tregantle Fort before climbing up through fields and then across another golf course into Portwrinkle. I got a major shimmy on coming down the hill, practically jogging.
I've really enjoyed today, although my feet and legs ache. That'll teach me for having a day off!
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