Those with children will know that to get them outside sometimes involves a bit of a white lie. Something like, it’s not that far, we’ll be back before that tv programme or I’ll buy you a cake on the way back. That sort of thing. Well we had festered in the house all morning, watched a film, ate lunch and needed to get out, only the boys weren’t overly keen. One of the above, or maybe more than one of the above was deployed to get them out the door, which is always the hard part!! My boys normally are very good, and want to head out on a short walk, I always end up describing the length of a walk by the distance around Burrator reservoir (4 miles), to give them an idea. This walk is easy, but looking at the distance, 5.5 miles, was a bit longer than I thought. It was nice to take the boys along the coastal path above Plymouth Sound, which I think is their 2nd time along this path, but they were little when they last were here. So all the naval boats, the breakwater and bits in between fascinated them. A good little walk this one, again from the front door. Just waiting a couple more weeks before I drive a short distance, whatever that is.
Start – Home
Route – Staddiscombe village – Staddon Heights – South West Coastal Path – Staddon Point – Bovisand – Bovisand Lodge – Staddiscombe village – Home
Distance – 5 miles Start time – 1pm Time taken – 2hrs 45mins Highest Point – Staddon Heights 120 metres
First walk with the boys this year, from home and out towards Bovisand, the longer way!As you can see from the last photo, these two are only about 50 metres apart but I like the dip in the foreground of this viewNow this is mid January and the lambs are out here alreadyDartmoor at the back (Lee Moor to be exact) and Plymouth on the left showing that it is not far from one to t’other. Maybe a short drive!!The sea is in view as we join the lane to Staddon HeightsThe golf course by Fort Staddon We are about to head left in to the trees and the South West Coastal path. Plymouth obviously in the distanceDrake’s Island with the entrance to the River Tamar behindPlymouth Sound and PlymouthThe Breakwater, the boys were interested in the size of the naval boats alongside the fact that the Breakwater fort isn’t actually attached to it. The best part of the breakwater is that from June 1844 a horse-drawn omnibus was regularly driven along the breakwater from end to end, with a full complement of passengers accompanied by a military band!!Plenty to keep two teenage boys happy on this walkAnd here they are, the radar station dead aheadFort Bovisand is below as my youngest looks out across the SoundWe’ve rounded the corner now and are looking out into a watery sunshineBovisand beachAnd again. For most of Plymouth this beach and Wembury is their first time of sand and sea. Its a shame that the car park at Bovi wants to charge so much to park up there. Profit over people.This is the path that leads up and away from Bovisand towards Staddiscombe, it appears that lots of people have discovered this path. In lockdown one (even with the warm sunny weather) it was sparsely populated. Now there are lots of people heading this wayUsWe are back on the lanes now and stop for a drink and biscuit. To be fair the boys raided my bag as we hadn’t stopped at all to this point and we were at mile 4. Great views back down the valley from here, we have walked up the valley from the cove (Bovisand) belowThe masts at Staddon Heights across the fieldsOne of the pil boxes from WW2 in this area. Built to distract the German planes away from the Plymouth dockyards and to look out for invasionA regular photo on my walks from home, this time with the boys in it. Another good walk with these two in which we discussed many things including Star Wars, Mario Kart and cheap Chinese walking shoes from Amazon!!
Ah yes, the promises and lies to get the kids out. To be fair, my son has always enjoyed hiking and still does. My daughter is now a lost cause sadly. Th promise of a tomato cup a soup on a walk used to work
treksandtors 
A favourite walking area of Lawrence of Arabia.
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TE Lawrence, yes I’d heard he was at RAF Mountbatten for a time. I guess as part of the development of the seaplane squadrons there
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Yes, he also helped develop the high speed rescue boats that saved so many downed airman in the war.
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Ah yes, the promises and lies to get the kids out. To be fair, my son has always enjoyed hiking and still does. My daughter is now a lost cause sadly. Th promise of a tomato cup a soup on a walk used to work
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I’m getting desperate now, even Haribo don’t cut the mustard. Wifi in the pub at the end still works though!!
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