Log No 289. Sat 19th Apr 2014 - Paignton to Teignmouth, 17 miles (4409 miles walked)

I was a trifle ambitious with todays route, aiming for 23 miles, especially as I couldn't get going until 08.40. I had put my phone battery on charge in the campsite reception which didn't open until 08.30, I had to get some value from the site fee.

The day was cloudy with a cold wind and I thought it might rain when a black cloud came over but it all eventually cleared again.

The day started easy enough walking along the Paignton sea front past all the beach huts, although there was no beach as it was high tide and spray was coming over the sea wall.

These beach huts were small and seeing a couple squeezed into one waiting for the sand & sunshine reminded me of one of the comic seaside postcards.

After stopping for a break at the marina in Torquay the Coast Path became more serious when it took to the clifftop.

The way wasn't particularly well marked and I had a couple of false trails.

It was up & down and with a lot of zig-zags I seemed to be doing of lot of walking for a little distance.

I dropped down to the road at Meadfoot Beach then climbed back up to the headland of Thatcher Point.

My map showed only a single path out to the Point so I didn't bother going on it and stayed on the road but it turns out there was a path right round that I could have taken.

Just past where the Thatcher Point path rejoined the road I met Stephen & Pat who were down here for a bit of walking and they gave me a £20 donation.

The path soon left the road and took to the woods, it was a good path but slow going with the climbs.

I stayed in the trees round Anstey's Cove and up onto Walls Hill where I took my much needed second break. It was 12.20 and I didn't seem to be making much progress, at this rate it would be after 6 o'clock before I got to the campsite.
I had phoned the site yesterday and optimistically said I would arrive late afternoon.

I was soon back in the woods going down to Oddicombe Beach, this had a Cliff Railway down to it.

The path crossed under the line and then it was detoured up onto the road for a bit because of a landslip. I wasted more time thinking I could get by it but I was forced to turn back and take the detour.

The path continued up & down through the woods to Watcombe, at which point I left the path to take to the road to Maidencombe in an effort to make up some time, arring there at 14.00.

I was out of the woods now and the path was along the edge of fields but that wasn't the end of the climbs.

Passing a family of four the two young girls had been moaning about yet another hill to go up and I heard their dad say they had no reason to complain when you look at that man carrying that heavy rucsac.

After a mile & a half of this the path briefly joined the road but I stayed on it for the next mile to Shaldon and the bridge over the River Teign into Teignmouth.

Crossing the bridge I followed a footpath alongside the railway line and I got to Teignmouth Station at 15.30. There was still 6 miles to go and I had just about had enough, there was a train due in 10 minutes so I gave in and took the train 3 stops to Starcross and got to the campsite for 16.20.

The owner of the site at Hunters Lodge waived the site fee.

It had been a tough 17 miles.