Day 32: Rivers of South Devon

Start: Plymouth

End: Bigbury-on-sea

Miles: 5 (on a bus out of the city), 17 (on foot)

Total miles: 433

I enjoyed my stay in Plymouth, although it felt strange to be in a big city. I made the most of it and went out for a curry. Marie and James at the guest house were so welcoming and friendly, making sure I had everything I needed. At breakfast they gave me snacks for my day ahead and advised me on how to regain the path. The coastal path disappears in the city. The route to leave Plymouth on foot is convoluted and in parts a little unsafe, involving industrial estates and an A-road. I didn't want to spend the morning starring down at Google maps and avoiding cars. I opted for the bus as my guide book suggested which returned me to the coastal path at Jennycliff. As I originally planned to walk through Plymouth, taking the bus allowed me to make more progress on the path. I also felt good in my body to go further today after a short day yesterday. I'm now a day ahead of schedule, meaning I can either allow for rest later in this phase or break up the longer days that I have planned.

South Devon is all about river crossings. Today there was two obstructing my route. Firstly the River Yealm was crossed via a short ferry service and secondly the River Erme which has to be forded. It's only safe to wade across 1 hour either side of low tide, which provided only a short window. I wasn't able to match my schedule with this, when I arrived at the river the window of opportunity had gone making the river impassable. A sign advised me that the only way around is to use local taxi service, that would drop me off on the other side of the river. I opted for this option as the next low tide would not be until very late in the day. Yet again, the route was not short of steep ascents but this stretch of coast was beautiful and I enjoyed the walking.

The towns and villages are beginning to grow busier as the summer holidays have begun, but the path itself remains quiet with the exception of a few walkers. I enjoyed my first day in South Devon and am looking forward to my next days in this county. Tonight I'll be back in my one man tent with a ball of clothes as pillow. I meticulously picked my pitch and the way my tent faced in relation to the wind direction, so I wouldn't be disturbed from sleep. But I'm sure I'll be back to relying purely on physical exhaustion from a long day to get me to sleep, rather than any form of comfort.