heron's rest to dittisham

June 08, 2024 by Mark Seymour in dart valley trail

DART VALLEY TRAIL

SATURDAY, 4TH MAY 2024

Start location: Heron’s Rest (SX 87912 54748)

End point: Heron’s Rest (SX 87912 54748)

Map: Explorer OL20

It has been a shocking year so far and has felt like it is constantly chucking it down but the weather forecast looks pretty good today although it’s not going to be particularly warm.

Dartmouth low tide 09:26

Dartmouth high tide 16:02

I start the day at our holiday cottage, Heron’s Rest, set high above the River Dart and Dartmouth. It is a misty start to the morning.

I leave the cottage and head along the road before heading along a track beside some cottages. A signpost tells me that it is three and a half miles to Kingswear.

I walk alongside a field before climbing a stile which takes me into Long Wood which is largely owned by the National Trust.

The wildflowers in the hedgerows are looking at their finest.

Near to the start of Long Wood I come across a patch of dreaded Japanese knotweed. It’s never nice to see this but it doesn’t seem to have spread further than the last time I was here, five years ago.

I amble down through the wood enjoying the masses of bluebells and other wildflowers and I have fleeting views of the River Dart and its creeks.

I leave the wood and briefly join the road down to Noss. Phillip and Son Shipyard used to be located here until 1999 and is now the home to Noss Marina. It is very expensive to acquire a yacht. Swallows are flying all around the marina.

The shipyard was attacked by German bombers on the 18th of September 1942, killing 20 men and women who were building military vessels to assist in the war effort. A memorial stone here in honour of the people who lost their lives during the bombing had been in storage for five years but has now been fully restored and put back next to the marina. It’s not particularly easy to find but I eventually found it.

“THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON 18 SEPTEMBER 1942

Frederick Clarence Adams, aged 22
John Richard Ash, aged 21
David Bott, aged 29
Jack George Charles Bustin, aged 52
Rosie Annie Crang, aged 20
Thomas Farr, aged 58
Richard Franklin, aged 26
Lionel Edgar Holden, aged 44
Walter Lewis, aged 40
George Herbert Frank Little, aged 17
Henry James Luckhurst, aged 70
John Martin, aged 48
Ernest Poole, aged 51
Sydney James Alfred Pope, aged 17
Hubert Ernest William Putt, aged 37
Ewart Edgar Trant, aged 27
Nella Eileen Trebilcock, aged 28
Samuel James Veale, aged 21
Frederick Thomas Skinner Vickery, aged 28
Hazel Joan Weaver, aged 20”

I retrace my steps and cross a road and pass Coombe Cottage before continuing along the path towards Kingswear. I come across a lone early purple orchid. There used to be a lot more around here.

A sign warns me about killer pine cones! I joke but the cones are monsters and could do some serious damage if one lands on your head.

I now have magnificent views over Dartmouth. Unfortunately my camera seems to be playing up today and the photoes are all overexposed for some reason.

I drop down to the road that takes me to Dartmouth Higher Ferry.

I join the railway track of the Paington to Kingswear Railway and follow the railway track in to Kingswear. As I reach Kingswear I have a lovely view of the steam train passing by me.

I follow the footpath over a footbridge above the railway line and into Kingswear where I pass the Steam Packet Inn, the Ship Inn and the railway station.

Here I take the Dartmouth Lower Ferry over to Dartmouth. It costs me the princely sum of £2.00.

The crossing offers lovely views of Dartmouth, Kingswear, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Castle and the open sea.

I alight the ferry below Bayards Cove Fort, a Tudor fort built between 1522 and 1536.

I can’t find any Dart Valley Trail signs so I’m going to have to make up the route through Dartmouth. Fortunately I’ve done the walk before so I vaguely remember where to go.

I walk through the centre of Dartmouth and pass Dartmouth Visitor Centre and head behind the health centre where I find a set of stone steps, Cox’s Steps, heading upwards. This takes me to Clarence Hill which climbs steeply up to Tounstal Hill and then to Church Road where I pass behind St Clement’s Church.

I reach the A379 where there’s a Dart Valley Trail sign on a lamp post on this side of the road.

I cross the busy A379 near to the entrance to Britannia Royal Naval College and walk down Old Mill Lane behind the college.

I reach the end of the road and come across more signs pointing across Tounsal Crescent. I cross the road and find some steps next to Archway Cottage which takes me down to the next part of Old Mill Lane. I amble along this lane for quite some time until it takes me to Old Mill Creek.

At Old Mill Creek I cross over a bridge and turn right and follow a road which becomes unmetaled Lapthorne Lane where I pass Distin’s Boatyard and Creekside Boatyard.

I come across a signpost, next to a Raleigh Estate information board, which shows me that the Dart Valley Trail takes two different routes. I take the longer route to my right.

I amble through a woodland area which turns into a pine forest, passing, what my notes tell me is a lake on my right, but I’m sure it must be just part of the creek.

The woodland alternates between broadleaf and pine and the edges of the path are covered in mint for some reason. There are wildflowers everywhere, including some foxgloves not quite in flower yet and some wild strawberries.

I leave the forest and cross a steeply sloping field where I have lovely views back over the River Dart.

I climb up a path next to fields. I hear the steam train chugging back to Paignton and I have lovely views over to Noss Marina on the other side of the river.

It’s a long climb upwards before I reach Green Lane, although it’s not marked on my Ordnance Survey map, which is covered in stinky wild garlic.

I turn right into fields and cross a field with no discernible path through it but the Dart Valley Trail sign is pointing right across the field. I follow a deeply rutted track until I join the road at Fire Beacon Hill. It must be a stinky old path after some proper rain.

I briefly follow the road before climbing over a stile and along a track and I’m now on the outskirts of Dittisham, where I climb down Rectory Lane.

I amble steeply down through Dittisham.

At the bottom of the road I reach the gaudy, pink Ferry Boat Inn and Anchorstone Cafe on the banks of the River Dart.

Here I catch the Greenway and Dittisham ferry which takes me over the river to Greenway. The ferry fare is £3.

I head steeply up the road and then head through the main entrance to the Greenway Estate, once the holiday home of Agatha Christie.

“One day we saw that a house was up for sale that I had known when I was young... So we went over to Greenway, and very beautiful the house and grounds were. A white Georgian house of about 1780 or 90, with woods sweeping down to the Dart below, and a lot of fine shrubs and trees - the ideal house, a dream house.”

— Agatha Christie

I pass through a field on the outskirts of the estate before I enter a field where I have magnificent views high over the River Dart towards Dartmouth.

I follow the road past what was once the Maypool Youth Hostel and from here it is a short walk back to Heron’s Rest.

Not many photos today as they were mostly rubbish.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red campion
herb robert
garlic mustard
bluebells
cow parsley
greater stitchwort
gorse
primrose
wild garlic
celandine
navelwort
japanese knotweed
bugle
ribwort plantain
wood spurge
dog rose
foxglove
common dog-violet
wild strawberry
forget-me-not
green alkanet
honesty
wisteria
pheasants
speckled wood butterflies
song thrush
wrens
blackcaps
great tits
heron
seal
whitethroats

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 10.4 miles which amounts to 25285 steps. It has taken me five and a quarter hours. The weather started off misty but turned into a rather nice day. Shame about the photos. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

seaton to portwrinkle

September 12, 2023 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

thursday, 7TH september 2023

Start location: Seaton (SX 30424 54394)

End point: Portwrinkle (SX 35730 53867)

Map: Explorer 108

It looks like I'll be in for another day of beautiful weather with sun forecast for all day long and practically nothing in the way of a breeze. This is getting monotonous. Those temperatures look way too hot though.

Whitsand Bay high tide 11:15

Whitsand Bay low tide 17:40

I start the day next to The Smugglers Inn in Seaton. We tried to park here on Sunday and Monday but the place was heaving even though the kids should have been back at school and the car parks were rammed full. It is much quieter this morning but it is early yet.

The beach at Seaton is a spacious grey sand beach popular with families and you can find the Seaton Beach Cafe here. Despite the good weather forecast the day has started grey and overcast.

I drop down to the beach and amble along the sand. The tide is far enough out for me to continue a long way along the beach before I have to climb up onto the sea wall.

I walk along the sea wall photographing some of the wild flowers before dropping down to Downderry Beach.

Downderry Beach is a sheltered beach made of grey sand and shingle with rock pools at low tide.

The wreck of ‘Gypsy’, the sister ship to the ‘Cutty Sark,’ is hidden under a kelp bed not far from the shore line. I pass underneath the Inn on the Shore at the far end of Downderry Beach.

I come inshore next to St Nicolas Primary School which is just about to start its school day so there are parents and kids everywhere.

I turn right and head along the imaginatively named Main Road heading towards Battern Cliffs.

I climb out of Downderry and then leave the road at a signpost telling me that Portwrinkle is two and a half miles away.

I continue to climb upwards along Battern Cliffs, photographing some of the wild flowers around here.

I pass some apple trees no doubt grown from pips from a coast path walker’s cast aside core.

I come across several species of butterflies including red admirals, speckled woods, wall brown, meadow browns and small coppers but they all prove to be elusive to photograph except a lone wall butterfly.

The photographs for the entire day turn out to not be very good with a mixture of under and over exposed photographs so when I get home I’m going to have to experiment with the newish camera again to see what settings I haven’t got set up quite right.

I come across a green woodpecker which I don’t see very often and a lone pheasant which I see all the time.

I continue along the cliff tops and have lovely views over the harbour at Portwrinkle. It’s a shame that my camera isn’t able to capture the views.

The path reaches the village of Portwrinkle passing the tiny harbour. I explore the sand and shingle beaches here inside and outside the harbour.

It's time for a few not very good flower photographs and then my walking is done for the day and it's time to get my lift back to our home from home for the week.

The weather has remained largely overcast but the sun is now out and I’m hot and sweaty and my foot has been playing up again so I’ve hobbled my way most of the way around.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red valerian
white valerian
red admiral butterflies
speckled wood butterflies
wall brown butterflies
meadow brown butterflies
small copper butterflies
wild carrot
ribwort plantain
oxeye daisies
red campion
periwinkle
knapweed
buddleia
hydrangea
blackberries
apples
scarlet pimpernel
yarrow
toadflax
red hot poker
fleabane
roses
tansy
aster
green woodpecker
pheasant

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked a pathetic 4.7 miles which amounts to 12191 steps. It has taken me two hours 35 minutes. The weather started off overcast but turned magnificent and has been way too hot and it has been painful trying to walk on my injured foot. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

fowey to par sands

September 12, 2023 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

wednesday, 6th september 2023

Start location: Fowey (SX 12612 51668)

End point: Par Sands (SX 08682 53048)

Map: Explorer 107

The weather forecast for the whole week looks to be fantastic although it’ll be way too hot for walking. It looks like today I'll have a lovely day of beautiful weather with sun forecast for all day long and barely a breath of wind.

Par Sands high tide 10:31

Par Sands low tide 16:50

I start the day at the car park above Fowey where I wander down in to the main part of the town. All the buildings are rammed in tightly and the town is busy with lorry deliveries of beer barrels.

I head back up towards the car park and walk along the Esplanade where I pass the Fowey to Polruan ferry at Whitehouse.

At Whitehouse I have lovely views over to Polruan.

I head along Readymoney Road where I take up with local dog walkers and arrive at Readymoney Cove Beach, a small, sheltered sandy beach.

I leave Readymoney Cove and now have lovely views over to Polruan and up the River Fowey.

I pass the remains of St Catherine's Castle, one of a pair of small artillery forts built by Henry VIII in the 1530s to defend Fowey Harbour.

I pass over Penventinue Cove and then pass Coombe Haven which is completely deserted except for some stranded jellyfish. I head up onto Southground Cliffs and Lankelly Cliff.

The path descends to the south facing beach at Polridmouth Cove, which actually consists of two beaches. From the first beach I can see the beacon on Gribbin Head and I then follow the sea wall to reach the second beach which has a few people on it.

I climb grassy slopes at The Gribbin and pass below the 84 foot red and white Gribbin daymark, erected in 1832, enabling sailors to pinpoint the approach to Fowey's harbour.

I now have fine views over St Austell Bay where I can make out Par Sands, Carlyon Bay, Charlestown, Du Porth and Porthpean.

I continue along the cliffs and drop down to the beach at Polkerris. Here you can find the Rashleigh Inn where thirsty walkers can stop for a nice pint.

I enjoy the beach for a while which is getting quite busy. A sandy, crescent shaped, south west facing beach can be found here.

I head up the slipway passing Sams on the Beach which is based in the old Polkerris lifeboat station.

I climb out of Polkerris and I have lovely views back over the harbour.

It is now a short hobble to reach the views over Par Sands.

I drop down to the car park at Par Sands, passing the Ship Inn at Polmear on the way.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red admiral butterflies
speckled wood butterflies
ribwort plantain
yarrow
perforate st john’s-wort
knapweed
bladder campion
bird’s-foot trefoil
ragwort
herb robert
red campion
blackberries
stranded jellyfish
scarlet pimpernel
wild carrot
scabious
cat’s-ear

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked a pathetic 7 miles which amounts to 17285 steps. It has taken me three hours 25 minutes. The weather has been magnificent but way too hot and it has been painful trying to walk on my injured foot. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

charlestown to par sands

September 12, 2023 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

tuesday, 5th september 2023

Start location: Charlestown (SX 03779 51676)

End point: Par Sands (SX 08682 53048)

Map: Explorer 107

It looks like I'll be in for another day of beautiful weather with sun forecast for all day long. The temperatures look they are going to be on the high side with not much in the way of wind so walking could be a bit on the sweaty side.

Par Sands high tide 10:00

Par Sands low tide 16:13

I haven’t been able to put any weight on my right foot for a couple of days after injuring it on the walk on Saturday so walking today is going to be a bit tentative so I’ve changed my plans and I’m going to be walking much shorter walks for the rest of the week.

I start the day back in Charlestown where the sand and pebble beach here sits just outside the harbour and where I enjoy the the early morning sun before setting off.

I pass by the Pier House Hotel and Restaurant before rounding the harbour. The Charlestown Shipwreck and Heritage Centre is found at the head of the harbour.

I drop down and enjoy the grey beach next to the harbour before regaining the coast path.

I regain the cliffs and pass in front of Porth Avallen Hotel, photographing the flowers as I amble along.

I pass above Charlestown National Coastwatch Station.

The path continues in front of Carlyon Bay Hotel and I come across loads of red admiral butterflies. I continue to photograph the flowers around here.

I descend down 80 or so concrete steps to reach Carlyon Bay Beach.

Carlyon Bay consists of three beaches, Crinnis, Polgaver and Shorthorn, and once upon a time it was lovely around here but on my previous visits had turned into an eyesore with the Cornwall Coliseum at the top of Crinnis Beach gradually falling into disrepair. The Coliseum was finally demolished in the Spring of 2015.

There are still mixed opinions about this beach but despite there still being some remnants of the coliseum and a pretty odd security presence, I rather like it around here especially this early in the morning when there’s hardly anyone about.

The sandy beach is around two miles long. Actually, it’s not sand, it’s made up of something called ‘Stent’ which is a waste material from the china clay and tin mining activities.

There's a number of pop up shops - although they look more permanent nowadays - on the beach which are quiet this early but I expect will be heaving later.

I don’t think there is an exit point at the far end of the beach so I head back up the concrete steps to rejoin the coast path where it continues alongside the Carlyon Bay Golf Course and towards a disused china clay works at Spit Point.

I find a beach which is normally deserted just before reaching the china clay works but it's actually quite busy today and there are quite a few people swimming in the sea. There is a dead dolphin on the beach. The beach is unmarked on my Ordnance Survey map but must be Spit Point Beach.

I enjoy the beach here before walking through the deserted and dusty china clay works to reach the hideously busy A3082.

My foot is starting to feel quite painful now and I’m hobbling along propped up by my walking pole. The path continues past the Port of Par and then through the stinky village of Par passing the Church of the Good Shepherd.

I continue past the Welcome Home Inn and find a sign pointing out to the coast path.

I follow a convoluted path which eventually leads me to a wildflower meadow at Par Beach Local Nature Reserve.

I pass a bee hive, part of a ‘rewilding our honey bees’ project. The hive was installed by Just Bee Eco Hives.

The path finally leads me to the beach at Par Sands where I wander along the sandy beach and at the far end walk through the sand dunes to reach the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red admiral butterflies
speckled wood butterflies
small tortoiseshell butterfly
japanese anemones
red valerian
ribwort plantain
hydrangea
buddleia
blackberries
herb robert
crocosmia
fuchsias
hawthorn
scabious
wild carrot
bird’s-foot trefoil
toadflax
roses
red campion
tansy
ragwort

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked a pathetic 5.5 miles which amounts to 13376 steps. It has taken me two hours 40 minutes. The weather has been magnificent but way too hot and it has been painful trying to walk on my injured foot. Eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

mevagissey to charlestown

September 12, 2023 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

saturDAY, 2nd september 2023

Start location: Mevagissey (SX 01485 44790)

End point: Charlestown (SX 03779 51676)

Map: Explorer 105

Mevagissey high tide 08:02

Mevagissey low tide 14:22

Today's walk starts at the car park above Mevagissey. I descend down to the harbour. It's early and the harbour hasn't really got going yet.

I do a bit of exploration and pass the Wheelhouse Inn, the Harbour Tavern, The Sharks Fin, The Fountain Inn, The Ship Inn and the Cellar Bar before heading around the harbour towards Mevagissey Museum.

I climb up out of Mevagissey where I have lovely views back over the harbour.

The path heads behind houses on the outskirts of Mevagissey and the walk continues around Penare Point where the fields are full of docile cows.

I amble along taking photographs of the wild and cultivated flowers.

I now have lovely views over Pentewan Beach. It’s looking pretty busy down there despite the fact that the kids should be back at school.

I descend to Pentewan Beach and the Pentewan Sands Holiday Park. The official coast path route skirts around Pentewan Beach, presumably because the beach is privately owned. I head for the beach anyway and, technically, do a bit of trespassing.

At the end of the beach a path takes me back to the official coast path at Pentewan village.

Pentewan apparently means 'foot of the radiant stream'. I cross a stream but I can’t say that it’s particularly radiant. The village and harbour here date back to medieval times and although the harbour was once important for shipping china clay it is now entirely cut off from the sea.

I take a footbridge over the harbour entrance and then round the harbour to reach the The Ship Inn.

The path leaves the square in Pentewan village and then climbs steeply up Pentewan Hill and passes All Saints Church.

pentewan village

I amble along the path out of Pentewan, photographing the various flowers.

I have a final view down towards Pentewan beach.

The path passes Polrudden Cove and I have lovely views across to the beacon on Gribbin Head.

I continue ambling along the coast path where a sign warns me that the cliffs are dangerous and that the owners are not responsible for trespassers injuries. I also pass a lone cormorant out on a rock.

At a stream at East Vans I come across a puzzled couple who are examining a fallen down signpost and have no idea which direction to go. I will continue to meet them throughout the day, mostly the three of us going in the wrong direction.

We head off towards Hallane Mill which used to be surrounded by sculptures but these are long gone and the mill now seems to be a holiday let for Classic Cottages.

The path continues towards Black Head and passes a big granite block in memory of the Cornish poet A L Rowse.

“A L ROWSE CH
1903-1997
POET AND HISTORIAN

LEF A GERNOW
VOICE OF CORNWALL

THIS WAS THE LAND
OF MY CONTENT”

I should double back round on myself at the memorial but there aren’t any signs indicating this so I head off in the wrong direction where I meet the couple for a second time at a dead end on Black Head.

I’m starting to feel pain in my right foot, which has never happened before, and this injury will continue to cause me problems for the rest of the week.

We retrace our steps and round the memorial stone where the path heads for some woodland and then climbs up along Ropehaven Cliffs.

I enter woods and, at a bench, follow the wrong path (no signs again) and get temporarily lost. The couple follow me down the wrong path before we realize that we’ve gone wrong again and retrace our steps up to the bench to follow the correct path.

I pass Gwendra Point, Silvermine Point and Phoebe's Point where I have magnificent views over St Austell Bay.

I drop down to the village of Porthpean where there is a lovely, sandy beach. It is much busier than I was expecting. The beach is home to Porthpean Sailing Club and the Porthpean Beach Cafe can be found here.

There aren’t any signs so I go wrong again but eventually see my fellow walkers one last time walking along the sea wall where, at the far end, I find a set of steps which takes me back onto the cliffs.

A short walk over Carrickowel Point takes me to Du Porth Beach which means 'two coves' in Cornish. The beach is privately owned but accessible to the public and it's much quieter than Porthpean Beach.

My foot is causing me some serious grief now so I take a quick photograph before retracing my steps back on to the cliffs.

I regain the coast path and it takes me behind back gardens where I have a final view back over Du Porth.

I pass the Crinnis Cliff Battery, constructed around 1793 to defend the entrance to the new harbour at Charlestown.

I hobble down the path to reach Charlestown, an unspoilt example of a late Georgian working port, originally used to export copper and import coal but subsequently used to export china clay.

Nowadays it is much more recognized as a television and film location and has been used for The Onedin Line (Blimey! that was a long time ago!!), The Eagle has Landed, Longitude, Apocalypto and Doctor Who amongst others.

The sand and pebble beach here sits just outside the harbour.

I hobble painfully up through Charlestown to the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

californian poppy
yarrow
echium
blackberry
roses
hydrangea
red admiral butterflies
speckled wood butterflies
fuchsia
herb robert
red campion
buddleia
ribwort plantain
purple loosestrife
crocosmia
cyclamen
cat’s-ear
wild carrot
cormorant

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 9.8 miles which amounts to 24724 steps. It has taken me four and three quarter hours. The weather has been magnificent but the latter half of the walk has been painful trying to walk on my injured foot. Eight out of ten!