Coastwalk , South West Coast Path

Torcross → Kingswear

Distance: 10.4 miles
Ascent: 605 metres
Duration: 4 hours 15 minutes

Another year
« Salcombe | Brixham »

Another January, another year. Once again I'll attempt to complete one coastwalk each calendar month this year. It's a feat I've never achieved, but committing to it at the start of the year at least means that I get out in the cold winter months.

I don't think there are any conditions under which today's walk could be considered a "classic" so walking in the drizzle didn't seem to matter too much. From Torcross the first three miles were along the shingle bank that separates the freshwater lake of Slapton Ley from the sea. The middle third of the route mainly involved road walking through the villages of Strete, Blackpool and Stoke Fleming (with a brief detour on a newly opened section crossing a steep valley through a field). For the last section we were back on a footpath navigating the headlands of Blackstone and Combe Points before hitting the road once more into Dartmouth and across the Dart on the ferry to Kingswear.

The Ridgeway

Mongewell → Watlington

Distance: 10.0 miles
Ascent: 433 metres
Duration: 3 hours 13 minutes

Uphill again
« Not walked | Not walked »

It's time for The Ridgeway National Trail to head away from the river and pick up the route of an ancient track again.

From Mongewell the walk to Nuffield follows an embankment marked on maps as Grim's Ditch. This is a very pleasant section, particularly with the strong winter light on the trees that line the way.

After crossing the main road in Nuffield the path dives back into woodland, weaving its way through fields and estates before finally meeting the old track just south-east of Britwell Salome.

All along the route last year we saw large empty notice boards. Attached to them were A4 laminated posters declaring that new boards were being produced for summer 2007. Today we saw that these laminates - if not the information boards themselves - have been updated. I wonder whether next year the content will still be missing but supplemented with a promise of something new in summer 2009.