Day 33 Plymouth to Wembury (13.5 miles / 22km )

 Day 33    Plymouth to Wembury (13.5 miles / 22km )

My alarm this morning was the Plymouth high pressure hose.   

 The street cleaners were cleaning up the England win as both the cloud and the hungover revellers lay low.     I went for my  breakfast included at The Three Crowns.    It was just me and the poor chef who must have lost a bet to get that shift.    I was sorry he was up at that hour but after having two of his absolutely perfect poached eggs I was delighted he was.

The first 10 plus km of todays walk was the walk out of Plymouth .   I wasn’t too sad to be walking out of Plymouth.  The crowds, the traffic lights, the traffic felt out of place on this trail somehow.   And I was so excited to walk into this section of South Devon countryside –  people had talked about it and seem to go misty eyed describing it.  

After passing by the Mayflower Steps it was tarmac underfoot on a road loop round the industrial estates and back roads.    It was easy walking and it went by quickly.   With the Plymouth jitties well and truly experienced I was ready for when the trail changed character back to woods and meadows and lifted up to the rural Heybrook Bay and around Wembury Point.  

The island out to sea that seemed to sit on my right shoulder for a while is Great Mewstone, now uninhabited but once occupied by one man .  In 1744 Sam Wakeman was exiled there for seven years for a minor crime.   He stayed there with his family  not once returning to the mainland.   He later wrote a letter to the Sth Devon Monthly in way of an advertisement to say if anyone fancied a walk on the island they just needed to stand on Wembury Beach , wave a white handkerchief and he would come and pick them up in his little boat for 2 pence a person.   It occured to me this system is still used to signal a ferry when you want to cross now – you display the orange board to alert the ferry man to come instead of a white hanky and it is five pounds but basically same same.    I love this!   Sam’s Signalling System – he should get naming rights I feel.   

After continuing along a meadowed trail it was the end of the stage at Wembury Beach which just happened to be about the time for a late afternoon tea and it just happened to end at the lovely Old Mill Cafe.   My first Devonshire cream tea.   This little place just happens to be famed for their scones.   This made up for the missed one yesterday and with a pot of hot tea I was a happy girl.     It was exceptional.   The lady at the next table agreed then her husband proudly said she was a champion scone maker.   I peppered her with questions , scones are hard to master – mine could be used as missiles.   She had tips – I took notes. 

I headed up a steep hill for another half an hour and up into the most lovely country lanes – farms and thatched roof cottages lined the lanes complete with people riding by on horses .   Accomodation was hard to find in the small village of Wembury and I was at an Air B and B in upper Wembury for the night.    There was no one serving food past 6pm so I bought ingredients to make dinner from the little Wembury shop- I was happy to stay in as tomorrow needed a bit of logistical planning for timing on tides and ferries – 3 river crossings, two ferry and one on foot river crossing that needed to be made in a low tide 2 hour window.    I had to take notes – on the back of my scone notes.   

Night night from the peaceful quiet that is Wembury in the Sth Devon countryside xxx

Leaving Plymouth Harbour

Then back to woods…that’s better xxx

Great Mewstone – Sam’s Island

Wooded walking

Wembury Beach

My first cream tea in Devon – joy!

How could you not walk straight into here!!

The walk to my stay for the night

A Wembury cottage… Oh look , its for sale! Today was my Dad’s birthday.  We miss him so much.  Em and I ,  my brave Mum’s best freind and my daughter’s precious Gog.   On this birthday, being in this place fills me with pride to be his daughter. I feel so grateful he planted the seed for love and wonder in nature and wild places That he put Alfred Wainwright on our bookshelves.   Grateful he was the best blend a girl could ask for-  protective while also making me believe I could do anything on my own that I could dream of for myself. “Never any doubt Herbie” So I turn each corner knowing you would love it for all the same reasons that I do Dad,  and I share it all with you. xxx

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