Day: 7 - Dartmouth to Brixham 


Time Departed: 8.30am

Time Arrived: 3.15pm 

Distance: 17kms 

Cumulative Distance: 112.5kms 

Percentage Complete: 31%

Number of Steps: 28,000 (174,000)

Walking Grade: Challenging and strenuous 

Weather: Overcast, rain, overcast, Max 19

Accommodation: Sea Tang Guest House 

Feelings: Henk - Good, Di - Relaxed 


The description of the day’s walk “challenging and strenuous” lived up to its name. This day would have been the most challenging of our walking experience. When we arrived at our guest house our lovely hosts, Claire and Chris said the walk between Dartmouth and Brixham was the most challenging on the entire South West Coast Path and we had climbed 1000 metres, equivalent to climbing Mt Snowden. We felt better knowing that.


We woke to light rain and hoped it would go by the time we departed and this it did. Today’s route had no villages or cafes so we made our way in very overcast conditions to the nearby Marks and Spencer to pick up lunch supplies before heading to the ferry. The ferry from Dartmouth to Kingswear took only ten minutes.



As soon as we started walking we were climbing. First steep, stone stairs and then a steep, long minor road before reaching beautiful covered pine woods. 



The rain was forecast for ten o’clock and bang on ten it arrived. It was light and we chose to drape our jackets over us. 



Thankfully, the rain wasn’t too heavy but we did need to put our coats on fully at ten thirty. We took the opportunity to eat our pastries before setting out again. 




We walked on until eleven thirty when the rain cleared and we found a seat overlooking the cliffs and had morning tea. We only stayed fifteen minutes because we could feel the cold stiffening our bodies. 


The string of cliffs we climbed today were so steep we frequently counted to fifty steps and rested. When we climbed the very steep cliff from the beach at Mansand Beach we had to do twenty steps and rest. We thought we would never get to the top. The wet path which was often clay and slippery made it quite slow going. 






Lunch was only enough time to eat a sandwich after climbing one of the cliffs. The temperature had dropped and we didn’t want to get cold. 


Close to Brixham the forecast was rain at two o’clock but this didn’t eventuate, however, we could see it coming across from the sea. We decided we didn’t want to arrive at the guest house wet after having dried out following the morning rain. Also, if it rained we wouldn’t see anything. Henk found an alternate path on his GPS and this shaved off the last cliff and we walked into Brixham down a minor road.



As we arrived at our guest house the rain started again so we were pleased to have skipped the last point of the walk. 


Our hosts are wonderful. Claire greeted us with coffee, tea, chocolates and biscuits and her husband Chris joined us and we had a good old chat. Claire suggested the restaurant Simply Fish at the picturesque Brixham Harbour for dinner and it was terrific. 



We both had a delicious lobster and mussel linguini. It was a busy Saturday night and filled with locals. The restaurant is owned by one of 

the fish merchants operating at the local market. We walked the ten minutes home in a light sprinkle. 


It was a hard day but we did it. Tomorrow is going to be an easier walk. 







Comments

  1. RayeSeptember 16, 2023 at 8:16 PM

    So, no villages or cafes - do you pee in the bushes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2023 at 11:26 PM

      We perspire so much we don’t have the need!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2023 at 1:22 PM

    Those steps Di, I can really feel your pain. It must slow you down a bit, and wear you out! The scenery is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete

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