Log No 285. Tue 15th Apr 2014 - Beeson to Dartmouth, 13 miles (4354 miles walked)

With a shorter walk planned for today we didn't get going until 09.00, it was another sunny day but there was a cold wind.

Thankfully our packs were back to the usual weight and we would be able to stock up at the end of the walk today.

We walked along the road to Torness and then had a flat walk on the footpath between the road and the lake.

The path then followed the road as it climbed up to Strete and from there headed back towards the coast through fields.

When we rounded a corner we came across four backpackers who had just stopped to make a pan of coffee.

Pat & Pam and James & Chris were have a leisurely week walking some of the SWCP, last night they had been camping down on the beach.

We were invited to join them for a coffee and we had an enjoyable break in their company. Thanks for the coffee and the donation.

Back on the path we came to the other Blackpool Beach, this one was much more to my liking but it probably gets just as crowded.

Looking back down the coastline from up the hill it looked like you could walk on the sand all the way between Torcross and Blackpool at low tide. You couldn't tell that from the map.

It was back inland for a bit, on the road through Stoke Fleming, before getting back to the coast.

After coming round Blackstone Point we could see down the mouth of the River Dart with a small castle on either side of the narrow entrance to the river.

We didn't really get a view of Dartmouth until we got past the castle and with the blue sky and sunshine and the harbour seemingly full of yachts everything looked white.

We went to the Information Centre to check on the campsite and so Mick could see about his bus times for tomorrow.

The campsite was just outside Dartmouth and it had both a bus stop and a Sainsbury's store next to it, very handy.

On the advice of the assistant, took a road with a view out of the town. She did say it was steep and she wasn't wrong, it was a 1 in 3 but today it wasn't a struggle.

The tents were up by 15.30 after a very relaxed 13 miles.

Once again it has been pleasurable 10 days in Mick's company and the time seems to have flown by. I just hope he doesn't take the good weather home with him.

I'll be having a rest day tomorrow.