Day 11 - Exmouth to Sidmouth

Time Departed - 9.30am

Time Arrived - 3.30pm

Accommodation - The Duke Inn

Weather - Rain, wind, cleared to overcast at 4.00pm

Distance - 21kms 

Cumulative Distance - 179kms

Percentage Complete - 50%

Walking Grade - N/A

We woke to strong winds and frequent showers and it confirmed for us that we had made the right decision to not walk to Sidmouth and to catch the train to Exeter, tour the town then take a bus to Sidmouth. On the way to the station I dumped my old boots in a street bin. 

The train took thirty minutes to arrive at Exmouth and we had good views over the wide River Ex. It was a high four metre tide and the strong winds made the waves choppy. They lapped the banks of the railway line in some parts. The Exmouth train station was close to the Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery so that was our first port of call for the day. Unfortunately, the art gallery section was closed for the installation of a new exhibition, however there was plenty to see at the museum including many fossils from the Jurassic period. We spent some time in the fossil area to familiarise ourselves with the walk along the Jurassic Coast which we are now on.

We had morning tea at the museum before heading off to the outstanding Exeter Cathedral where we spent a considerable amount of time. 

The cathedral is a combination of Norman architecture with two huge towers and Gothic architecture with no central tower which allowed the architects to create the world’s longest, uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world at 96 metres. Four hundred bosses keeps everything in place. It’s truly impressive. 

I was amazed at the cathedral’s two embroidered cushions which each measure 70m in length and run down the side of the nave’s walls. After many years and thousands of hours seventy volunteers completed the project in 1989. The cushions tell a chronological history of the cathedral and the town of Exeter in tapestry. Over 14 million stitches completed the work in rich, vibrant colours. 

We had a lunch of hot soup in a cosy tearoom overlooking the cathedral and then set off in the rain to find the bus station. We were lucky as the bus we caught was running late so we caught it instead of the one half an hour later. It was a double decker so Henk and I sat upstairs to get better views. The trip took 40 minutes through pretty countryside and small villages with many picturesque thatched roofed houses. 

When we arrived at Sidmouth the rain was starting to ease. We walked along the promenade known as the Millennium Walkway to our hotel. The rough sea was a reddish colour having picked up the red soil from the cliffs and the beach was made up of small pebbles. The promenade is “bookended” with high red cliffs. 

Sidmouth is a quintessential seaside town with its wide promenade and Regency buildings. We hadn’t booked in for dinner at our hotel and it was booked out as it was a popular choice in town. When we went to look for a place for dinner our host gave us his “back up” table which we appreciated. We each had a delicious Brixham fish pie. After dinner we strolled the little town and along the promenade. There were about thirty surfers making the most of the waves. The sun was finally coming out just as it was about to disappear below the hills. 

So far, we have missed 28kms of walking due to the weather, however, tomorrow is looking to be much improved so we hope to be on the path again walking on the Jurassic Coast.