Coasting the Path

We set off from the tidy, proud town of Brixham at 9.40am to walk the Brixham to Babbacombe stretch of the 630 mile South West Coast Path. The weather conditions were ideal and got better as the day progressed.

Our path soon changed to steps. We were to encounter many steps during the day, some up, some down, some regular concrete others irregular stone or the roots of trees.

Our first hiccup came as we made our way through the wooded path, we still don't know if we missed a sign or there wasn't one but we diverted from the coast for longer than necessary and took longer than it should have, however the wild flowers were very pretty and birds were plentiful.

When we rejoined the path it took us through a golf course briefly.

We explored many bays snd coves, some sandy and others pebbly.

At Broadsands we encountered a film crew on the beach and all the vehicles and people that are part and parcel of such a happening. 

Broadsands was also the first place we located the hundreds of Beach Huts that went on to be popular at all the main beaches. 

They are the size of a small garden shed with one door or two half doors. The doors are almost always a bright colour. It would seem that they are generally leased on a yearly basis and it is possible to hire one for a day or a week. We saw into a couple as we walked fast and they were decorated in a homely fashion with a cabinet set up for making coffee and tea, mugs hanging on the wall. Deck chairs folded, ready to be set up out the front of the hut when needed.a few were undergoing a bit of spring sprucing.

A viaduct is always good for a picture and can often mean.......

.........steam trains!

Paignton Pier was the real deal with amusements and rides, a Casino of sorts and eating venues. 

The coastal scenery was spectacular. 

There were surprises around every corner it seemed. But our biggest surprise was when we saw the large wheel at Babbacombe that looked identical to the one we had seen at Torquay. 

If you haven't guessed it already the wheel we saw at the end of the day was the Torquay Wheel and we had made a wrong turn when we decided to leave the path and take a more direct route to our Babbacombe B&B. As it was approaching 6.30pm we opted for a taxi to right our wrong. Not to worry we were still pleased with our achievements for the day. 38,000 steps as per my pedometer, 9 hours out and about - walking with photo stops, ice cream, pastie and coffee stops and approximately 16km covered.

Tomorrow - Babbacombe to Teignmouth.