Finally out for a walk, after 2 weeks of watching rain pour and wind blow, plus a couple of days of decorating in the house. I spotted a chance of a walk in somewhere that had grey clouds but not necessarily rain until mid afternoon, the wind was just a yellow warning so it felt like a breeze compared to previous days of storms Eunice and Dudley. I heading east to Torquay, to give some protection from any gusts plus the best of the forecasts in Devon. This walk will complete the coastal path section from Charmouth to Whitsand Bay for me, a distance of around 140 miles and I’ve started working on the section to Looe from Whitsand to extend it further. The ground on the walk was pretty tough, thick slippy mud in lots of places and a few fallen trees, after the strong winds recently, crossing the paths. However overall this part of the coastal path is lovely, even the section through Torquay marina has a certain charm about it. It was just nice to be out again, although my fitness has suffered from the lack of walking recently, work needed on that!
Start – Petit Tor Point
Route –South West Coastal Path – Oddicombe Beach and funicular – Babbacombe – Walls Hill – Black Head – Hope’s Nose – Daddyhole Cove – Living Coasts – Torquay – Corbyn’s Head – Torre Abbey – Torquay Library – Plainmoor – Petit Tor Point
Distance – 10 miles Start time – 10am Time taken – 4hrs 50mins Highest Point – Plainmoor 90m
Stood at Petit Tor Point, thought I’d head down the path there to see the view, the coastal path actually head right head along the road to the golf club so I have the come back up afterwards (past my car, although it won’t necessarily be there when you visit!!)Here’s the view over to Babbacombe
I’m now on the coastal path down towards Oddicombe
The Oddicombe railway/funicular down to the beach, the coastal path passes under the tracks
BabbacombeAll calm down here in Babbacombe bay but the wind it busy up aboveOn the headland looking to Teignmouth, the weather wasn’t good for distance views but it was good to be putting one foot in front of the other again after a couple of weeks indoors due to inclement weatherOn Walls Hill looking to a distant Ore StoneThrough the trees heading to Black Head and down to Anstey’s CoveA few trees down through hereAnd then after the trees you pop out on a ledge with views to Ore Stone beyond Hope’s NoseThis section of the coastal path is called the Bishops WalkOre StoneThatcher Rock, a fantastic shape on this rock, shame about the nameThatcher Rock looking across Torbay towards a misty Barry Head behind. Notice the sea change here, left of the island its fairly calm but right its a different storyLooking across to Daddyhole Cove and East Shag (the rock off the point), the sea has changed here to rough and the wind is blowing a lot more as I head south westerly nowDaddyhole Point and the islands of East Shag, Thatcher Rock and Ore Stone in a lineThe lookout station at Daddyhole CoveIts was very windy along here which coincided with the unprotected steep dropsLiving Coasts, no longer open unfortunately due to the pandemic. I have many photos of my boys in here walking amongst penguinsTorquayThe pavilion at TorquayAnd around the marina to the beach at TorquayAll rough and ready down in Torquay!I’d done my good deed for the day in helping a young guy with a 3 wheeler electric tricycle pull himself out of the soft sand, he was taking his dog out across the mainly hard sand but had got stuck in a soft sectionNow I’ve been on a few walks this year but hardly seen any daffs, so it was lovely to see this batch in front of Torre Abbey (or its barn anyway)Torre Abbey an 1196 monastery, now a museum and one of the best preserved ones in the south west. I headed along roads to get back to Babbacombe and the car, passing lots of churches and climbing a long slow plod uphill to reach Plainmoor, home of Torquay UnitedAnd back at Petit Tor road and Torquay Golf Club, more people in the clubhouse today than playing though. A good walk this one and just glad to get out again if I’m honest. It doesn’t half hurt the mental and physical health not being able to get out.
Hopefully the weather will start to turn soon and we see less inclement weather at the weekends. You’re right it was good to get out and hopefully more of it to come
Sharing that frustration at the really poor weather. Managed to get out a couple of times but really desperate for a spell of weather when I can do a proper full days walk. As ever some cracking names on this walk!
Beautiful coastline and photos!
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Looks beautiful even in the damp. Glad you got out and about.
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Hopefully the weather will start to turn soon and we see less inclement weather at the weekends. You’re right it was good to get out and hopefully more of it to come
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Sharing that frustration at the really poor weather. Managed to get out a couple of times but really desperate for a spell of weather when I can do a proper full days walk. As ever some cracking names on this walk!
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Particularly liked Thatchers Rock being faced by Corbyn Head across the bay!!
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