Day 36 Salcombe to Torcross (13 miles / 21km)
Like yesterday, this stretch of coast holds it’s own amongst South West Coast Path writers as a forerunner in of one of the most stunning sections. Henry Stedman says “this stage will truly make your heart soar and stay in the memory long after you’ve finished”. Henry is never prone to exaggerate so I started this day quick to get boots on and hurry down to the Fortescue Inn breakfast .
On a beautiful morning in Salcombe whilst having my 2 poached on toast, the Salcombe lifeboat crew piled in to grab coffees. One of them had directed me to the Co-Op last night when I had a taken a wrong turn and almost ended up on the lifeboat, I had walked for 5 weeks and then got lost going to the Co-Op. He had his coffee while I ate my eggs chatting about Salcombe and the lifeboats that cover the coastline as part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Incredibly over Cornwall and Devon they answer over a 1000 call outs every year, this section of coast being one of the busiest with its treachourous outline of rocks and headlands . Run by volunteers and manned constantly – 146,000 lives have been saved over the years by this incredible service for the coast of the UK. He said some of those being coastal walkers in need of rescuing apparently. I think they must go for a recovery swim post walk and nodd off mid float . With the natural helpfulness that strangers have shown me along the whole way, (plus excellent lifeboat coast knowledge) the lifeboat man also gave me best places to look forward to , where to detour off to, where to eat and where to buy good rum. Always handy to know .
I finished my second pot of tea and left for the start trying hard to avert my eyes as I passed the Salcombe real estate window . The walk began at the Salcombe slipway, catching the short ferry across the yacht filled Kingsbridge estuary to East Portlemouth. Yacht owners here would no doubt be immacutely dressed ones judging by the yacht style in the boutique windows of Salcombe. It was a walk up a wooded hillside before things quickly opened up on the cliffs to become wild and exposed walking – this was the day for the jagged headland -seen all the way reaching into the distance with the trail to be walked wrapping over and around them. It is like this all the way to Prawle Point – this headland being the absolute southernmost point of Devon.
It was on the ferry that I met back up with a walker I had seen on the mad dash day to cross the river at the low tide. Her name was Hazel and she was carrying her gear and camping this section. She was this beautiful soul and our chat on the ferry became a lovely morning shared walking with her. Full of warmth, intellect and adventure with wind in her hair she radiated a love for wild places and we quickly established we shared many thoughts on the joys of walking and walking solo. I don’t often walk with other people but on moments on trails where I have the person has always been memorable to me. This is true of Hazel. It was a stunning part of the path this day and made even more so to share it with her. We had to keep stopping to register delight when we realised how aligned we were on so many of our thoughts. When she said she had a a massive book she was carrying from a series of books she had fallen in love with but wouldn’t relinquish even though it added so much weight to her pack , it was a stop in our tracks moment when out of the blue , and I don’t know what made me say out of all the books in the world , I just said “its not Clan of the Cave Bear is it? ” and we both stopped in utter shock when she said “Yes! It is!!!” A series of book I had loved in my twenties. And that was the book! We could not believe it. And in the bonding that happens when you meet someone who feels the same way about a book as you do , the deal was done. I loved this girl!
Leaving Prawle Point it becomes an adventure – exhilerating purely exciting scrambling on a rock laden trail that squeezes between rocks and plunges into isolated coves. It is just spectacular. And around each corner is a surprise – I love when walking a path for the first time each turn is a new discovery. The best kind of walking where everything is unseen and unknown. This magnificent morning of scenery and Hazel’s beautiful company will stay with me long after today. As she stopped for lunch and to find a camping spot I kept on, saying Goodbye and not sure I would see her again but grateful for having shared stories and thoughts on life, walking and well being. Her introspective thoughtfulness and courage to explore was an inspiration to be around. She was every kind of wonderful.
The beaches down below just stop you in your tracks. The are pristine golden sanded coves with true turquiose water gently lapping up to meet it. Untouched and accessible only be a steep descent on a narrow trail so only the most committed would make it down for a swim. As if by sensing a need the path does drop very very steeply to one of them, Lannacombe Beach. It is at this point that my hot feet needed out. I was boots and socks off and in – the water like a cold plunge with the same benefits. My god I felt so much better – I had spoken to a couple a few days ago who were pulling out on Day 8 of their planned 2 week walking of this section due to an infected blister making it too painful to keep going. They were so disappointed . I was taking foot care even more seriously knowing how heartbreaking this too would be for me. As they dried in the sun I had my Salcombe sandwich – what an excellent combination of things in one stop.
Cool feet pushed back into hot boots and I was off – I’d read that today I would pass a sign post on this stretch that was a marker of distance – showing how far had been covered so far and the distance to go. I passed by the signpost….462 mile (743km) from the start at Minehead – 168 mile (270km) to the end at Poole. My reaction to this was telling – I stood there briefly and made this noise…….. “OHHhhhhhmmmmmpppphhh.” – I didn’t want a reminder that I was closer to the end than I was the start. So that was the noise that came. I moved on. I was happier in the moment than in the numbers.
The trail climbs back up and there coming into view after you think there can’t possibly be anything to add to this walk is the fabulous ridge of rock that looks like the long spiky spine of a stegosaurus lying acoss the water and jutting itelf right into the English channel. At it’s tip sits the timelessly beautiful white Start Point Lighthouse – doing its job of keeping ships away from this treacherous section of coast since 1836. The trail doesn’t go out to the lighthouse but I detoured off to walk the path that does. It is very very beautiful in all its whiteness against the blue sky backdrop. I’ve voted it favourite one on the trail so far.
The path then evens out – passing the eery remains of the fishing village that was Hallsands, until a storm in 1917 caused the entire village to collapse into the sea. The haunting remains of the last few houses cling to the cliff edge. Onwards to the sweeping flat bays of Beesands, Torcross and Slapton Sands. I reached my lovely Air B and B in Torcross that was filled with thoughtful supplies for breakfast – no shop in Torcross so it was perfect. The beautiful beach front pub was a short walk for dinner .
Henry Stedman you were right – my heart did soar today.
Night night from Torcross xxx
 The lovely start |
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| All that’s to come today |
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| The ups and downs |
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| Would you look at that.. |
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| The magic trail |
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| Boots off at Lannacombe Beach |
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| The headland lying across the water |
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| Start Point Lighthouse |
