Day 7 - Heybrook Bay To Mothecombe – 11 miles

Well I'd decided today that I had to move on. I'd settled up for my 4 nights at Carbeil Holiday Park in Downderry. It cost me 18 quid per night which I think is the most expensive campsite I've ever stayed in? hmm... You could say they could charge more for things like swimming pool and jacuzzi and sauna, but they charge extra for those generally anyway? It was a very friendly campsite, but....?

I got up at about 7.30am and packed up the tent gradually while eating an egg mayo sarnie for breakfast that I'd got while looking for map in Morrison's the evening before. I said my goodbyes to the postie couple and my next door neighbours in their caravan and Michael got up before i left so said goodbye to him to. Laurence or Sam or Jordan weren't about. I left Michael with my website and email details as he'd asked for them the evening before when we were having a drink together.

I set off at about 9am and knew that after crossing the Torpoint Ferry for the last time I would need to buy a map if I was going to plan a walk today. I also knew that if I was going to walk then I needed to get in touch with the next campsite. I'd been given the number of Manor Farm campsite at Strete near Slapton Sands by my neighbour at Carbeil. I rang them while I waited for the ferry to get me to the other side of the estuary. I got through and booked for two nights. So, job one to allow me to walk, done. Now just getting the next map still to do! I pulled in at the Aldi car park that I'd seen on my way through yesterday and walked down to the camp and caravan shop that I'd seen. Alas they didn't sell ordnance survey maps, but the chap helpfully directed me on foot to the nearest WHSmiths. He said it was only five mins walk away so I set off, worrying about leaving my bike on the back of the car in what seemed a bit of a dodgy run down part of town. Smiths was easily found and I bought the next two maps as it was buy one, get one half price. The bike was ok still when I got back. I sat in the car and planned a route for the day. It was a bit difficult judging distance accurately over two maps, but the next stretch seemed quite remote with little choice about convenient breaks. I chose to walk all the way to the Erme Estuary and a tiny place called Mothecombe. It seemed a sensible place as I wouldn't be reliant on ferries to get across it the next day. It seemed a little further than I really wanted to walk on a day when I was moving campsites as well, and I was already late setting off, as I'd had to stop to buy maps etc as well!

I set off to find Mothecombe to drop the bike off. It was a long way along the A379 out of Plymouth towards Kingsbridge, because I had to get around the River Yealm Estuary, which was an obstacle I would need to ferry across during the walk too. I turned off the main road after Yealmpton and the small bridge over the river.

I found the place eventually but had to drop the bike off next to a tea room up a lane so I had no idea where the village or the Erme Estuary was from there. I’d find out later I hoped! I chained up to a fence behind a wall surrounding the tea room and set off the long trip around the Yealm Estuary again to make my way all the way to Heybrook Bay again. It would be a longer bike ride today too and fairly hilly by the looks of it with quite a stretch down the busyish A379. Oh joy,, something to look forward to after a long day.

It had gone 11am when I'd parked the car above the bay and set off, and then turned back after a few yards down the hill as I'd forgotten my sunhat and the weather forecast for the day had specified sunny periods and showers. It looked quite blue to me as I set off. With all the sun yesterday I didn't want a burnt head and face by having sun for two days in a row.

The path set off at low level, which was a surprise as I'd seen other people on a path climbing up the headland. This one obviously just went up to the radar station on top of the headland at Wembury Point. It was quite nice to be walking down close to the rocks and the waves for a change and the path was fairly flat all the way too meaning I could make good pace... well.. good pace for me anyway!:)

As soon as I rounded Wembury Point I could see Wembury ahead with its church tower. Behind me out to sea and heading my way was a rather large bank of cumulo nimbus cloud dragging rain along behind it. It seemed a long line of cloud and I hoped it would just skirt past me. It began giving out a few drops of rain as I got to Wembury itself. There was a sign there saying that the Yealm Ferry was running from 10 – 4pm today. Not sure what I would have done if it hadn't been running to be honest.

I set off fairly steeply uphill for a while for a change and followed the cliff path up the edge of the Yealm Estuary, which gradually descended to Warren Point and the ferry point. There were quite pretty views down this stretch, of a more intimate landscape for a change, with houses clinging to the estuary sides higher up and lots of sheltering boats. It began to rain a little more earnestly as I approached Warren Point.

I got to the steps for the ferry landing here to find a board for signalling the ferry. It was a semi circle that you undid the clip on, to drop down the bottom half of the folded circle and it was painted white inside. I did my bit and no ferry arrived, but plenty of rain instead. I tried to put up my umbrella, but it would only go up half way as I discovered I'd broken it somehow? OH well.. it sheltered me from the worst of the downpour, while I waited... and waited. I stood there for 30 or 40 mins and I was not amused. I began to worry I was in the wrong place in fact. Eventually I saw the bloke wander down from a lookout hut over on the Newton Ferrers side, to the small motorboat that I'd eventually spied said ferry on it, so I knew it would be coming from that direction. When he arrived I told him I was beginning to think I was stranded and he basically replied saying that he couldn't be bothered today as there weren't many about. Great.. so much for me making good time today. With helpful folk about like you to delay me its just as well I had!. You are either doing the ferry job or you're not as far as I can see.. what's the good of a service that works well only when you feel like it???

He even dropped me off at the nearest point he could, telling me to walk along the beach to the slipway further along. I didn't actually mind this as I'd not done much beach walking so far this trip. I walked up the slipway and the coast path went straight across the top of it behind a little garden gate. I turned right and gradually climbed through now sun dappled trees again. I eventually emerged on a lane at a national trust sign that told me where I was. This high level lane took me right around the end of the estuary sheltering headland past Mouthstone Point and to Gara Point. It was a walking superhighway with being so flat and direct and meant I should have been able to make up some of the time I'd lost waiting for annoying ferryman.

There were great views back the way I'd come from the end... Rame Head and yesterday's starting point of Kingsand and Cawsand. I turned away and made my way south east for a while along the cliffs with rocks and crashing waves below and sandy bits between it seemed, just below the waters surface, some of which had emerged by the time I'd made my way along to Warren Cottage. I started to notice quite sore feet as I walked along this path and at a bench I sat to rearrange my socks and to change the batteries in the camera that had just run out. Just after Warren Cottage I heard irate shouting around a corner. I rounded the bend to find a single older bloke who was a bit of a headcase obviously, grumbling to himself about the rain, which had just started to spit again, and had got on the end of his camera lens?? uhm.. chill.. the weather could be a lot worse than the occasional rain shower.. wierdo!!! I carried on round Blackstone Point below, though most of these headlands were more like lumps of rocks at the base of the cliffs... beautiful ones though.. plates of rock all lying on end and pointing out to sea.

I passed a ruined look out post and carried on.. still on the high level flat track. I stopped for a short sunbathe just before I reached Stoke Point, mainly to give the sore feet a rest. I was developing what felt like serious blisters on the toe side of the balls of my feet. Sigh.

I rounded Stoke Point to get a new vista along the beautiful coastline ahead. The path entered a wooded area with glimpses out across to Stoke Beach, which seemed pretty with its ridges of upright rocks making groins or walls between sandy sections. I arrived at a lane which had a sign for a holiday park. I crossed over and continued on my way around the back of the beach on my high level highway, though it was a little more overgrown at this point. I passed some very sculptural dead trees as I made my way out to Beacon Hill with its ruined beacon on top.

As I rounded this.. the high level track suddenly ended and there was a very steep grassy descent and a corresponding, though less steep, climb out the other side. This did not help my painful feet at all with putting all my weight on the blisters during the descent. From this point onwards the scenery was beautiful, but the work was harder too, with loads of climbing and descending to be done all the way along. This slowed my progress considerably, if my hobbling progress wasn't slow enough already! As I walked along this stretch, I decided that today would have to be the last day of walking for this trip and I would spend the rest of the time lazing about on the campsite and beach I was moving to.

Saint Anchorites Rock stood out on top of one of the headlands along this stretch.. an odd lump of stone and I couldn't work out if it was natural or man made/quarried.

I forced myself to walk around to the bike and set off. I was very proud of myself for getting all the way up the mile long hill without stopping or getting off and walking though admittedly in my lowest gear all the way, and to be honest it probably finished me off and emptied any last energy I had left for the rest of the journey.

I rested briefly at the top before turning off on the road home. As I was passing The Lost Gardens of Heligan the heavens opened in a very wetting drizzle kind of way. The wind was blowing now I was near the tops and it was all rather exciting and exhilarating rather than depressing. I cycled my way through it, struggling up every minor gradient but hey ho,,, every pedal rotation meant getting a bit nearer home.

The final tally for the cycle ride was 7 miles. As it was still overcast and looked like drizzling on and off for the rest of the afternoon I decided to go into St Austell in search of supplies to eat for the next couple of days. I found an Aldi and so went in there and then drove off to find Carlyon Bay which looks to be a dump and a building site at the moment. On the way back I stopped off in Asda for the loo and then drove back to the camp site. I had a snooze in the car when I got back and when I cam around a couple of tents had gone up so I had new neighbours.

I read for the rest of the evening and typed this up in the car on battery power before heading off to bed at about 9.30pm. If the weather is bright tomorrow its highly likely that I won't do any more walking but go down to the beach instead. I am officially worn out and what's the point of killing myself off! Its supposed to be a holiday after all!!