Miles and miles... Weds 6th October

Tim and I had planned to get as far as Exmouth, perhaps a little further if things went well, so we were "well pleased" to get as far as Weymouth. We did have a couple of sections on a bus because of road walking (which we decided against) but I'll explain that as we go!

First Great Western turned up trumps - my journey down to Plymouth cost £20.50 and the return leg from Exeter was only £15.50 - booking in advance is brilliant! (The standard charge to Plymouth ranges from £80 to £110)

Tim dropped me off at Bedford station early in the morning with my weighty pack (about 25 lbs which I think is nothing compared to your Wild West packsA&J).

Smeaton's Towers on Plymouth Hoe

Tim and I met outside the station - he had come up by bus arriving about the same tme :-) and we walked through Plymouth up to The Hoe and Smeaton's Tower - we thought it made a good re-start landmark. From there we walked down to catch the ferry across to Mountbatten and found the beginning of the path proper.

It was a glorious sunny day with a very strong wind, we had views out across Plymouth Sound over the breakwater to Kingsand, Cawsand and beyond!

We had the afternoon to walk about 10 miles, past holiday camps, through war defences, on roads and on some lovely paths too. It was busier than we were used to, but enjoyable all the same. The sun played games with us, even making rocks take on the mantle of a warship or submarine!

One rock - Great Mew Stone was apparently used as a prison in the 1700s for a petty criminal who was sentenced to live there for seven years!

In some lights, that prospect does not seem unattractive!

There were some good seats to rest on...

... with views across Wembury Bay, and some indicators of our progress along the whole path!

I am never one to pass by a rainbow...

Tim stopped here to admire the view and consider life on Great Mew Stone, while I shed my pack and went further on to Warren Point with views across the River Yealm, very like Malpas/St Mawes/Fowey etc. We then headed inland to catch a bus in Wembury to get back to Plymstock where we caught a bus out to Noss Mayo. Had the ferry been running it would have been far more straightforward! We had a massive shower in Wembury, 10 minutes of heavy rain but it proved to be the only rain we experienced over the next two weeks :-)

We stayed with Jane and Roger at Noss Mayo and were made to feel so welcome and part of the family. They dropped us off at the pub for a soup supper then we headed back foran early night. We'd walked about 10 miles which was an excellent start.