Day 43 - Kingston and the Erme Estuary to Bigbury on Sea and the Avon estuary -

It was a very rough and blowy night...Steve probably suffered lack of sleep from the howling gale and hammering rain that sounded like gravel being thrown at the tent...as much as my snoring when I managed to catch intermittent sleep. We had gone to bed ridiculously early though...we had even been woken up by the lady collecting fees at 8pm yesterday! I probably got about normal amounts of sleep from that point of view.

I woke early...although the rain had gone from constant to intermittent downpours in the early hours it was still blowing a gale. I decided to leave steve slumbering and went to investigate the showers armed with an old pound coin as the new ones don’t work in the showers at the site.

Feeling slightly more human I headed back down the field to the tent...it was sunny with heavy clouds that let out torrential downpours….with a view out over to Dartmouth lighthouse which I’d seen flashing in the night on my numerous trips out of the tent for a piddle once the low cloud had blown away!

View from campsite in the early morning.. clouds from all the heavy rain dispersed but still windy!

While I waited for Steve to get up and then showered I ate my left over Thai chicken pasty from yesterday for breakfast. I checked on the route for the day and google mapped the route to drive over to Kingston where I proposed we parked the car to walk down to the eastern side of the Erme Estuary...having finished all those years ago on the western shoreline of the estuary.

We arrived at Kingston..after the usual drives down the narrowest of sunken Devon lanes and a roads that are only just about two lanes in places. We set off from the car at about 8am...not bad at all as I was hoping to get a taxi back to Kingston from the end of the day’s walk at Bigbury on Sea..rather than the other more tiring option of making this day a circular walk. We would have plenty of time hopefully!

Steve in front of Kingston Church before we set off for the day's walking

We were initially confused as to which road we were on in Kingston...it being a rabbit warren of tiny lanes with thatched cottage a plenty. Google maps soon sorted us out. We set off up one of the ubiquitous celery trench devon lanes heading roughly in the direction of the Erme Estuary. The lane was so sunken that there were no views from it...until we turned left taking to a public footpath through fields high on the edge of the Erme valley with lovely distant views of rolling rural devon.

Looking out across the Erme Estuary valley from the footpath after we left the celery trench lane from Kingston.

The footpath soon angled diagonally down the valley side through lovely woodland to emerge on the edge of the estuary with views out to the far side where I’d finished off my last section of walking along south west coast way.

Steve heading along the footpath gradually heading down towards the mouth of the Erme Estuary

The path eventually heads down more steeply through trees

We headed out towards the open sea, waves crashing at the mouth of the estuary...whipped up by the strong winds. The path was initially through the trees and then behind a windswept hedge..descending to the sand for a short stretch too. Cover of hedges disappeared as we neared the open sea...feeling the full force of the wind and then stinging rain as the first shower of many pelted down on us as we rounded the headland at the end of the estuary. The brown waters of the Erme in flood went quite far out to sea..a brown blot in the blueness of the patchwork of sunlit sea and cloud shadows.

We eventually reach the estuary itself

Steve on Wonwell Beach of the Erme Estuary as we head along the coast path out to the estuary mouth

Crashing waves in the wind at the estuary mouth where brown flood waters mix with blue sea

More walking on the sands of Wonwell Beach as we make our way out to the mouth of the Erme Estuary on sections of low cliff path interspersed with beach.

Looking back inland along the Erme Estuary as we get nearer to its mouth

Steve heading out to the headland at the end of the Erme Estuary, my finishing point of last time's walk now visible across the far side of the water

And again

As we rounded the headland we caught a glimpse of the first tall headland of the day that needed to be climbed - Beacon Point we trudged ever upwards on a crumbling cliff edge around the back of a wonderful cove up to the summit. At least the wind was more behind us than against us...though strong enough to make you almost lose your footing in places. The views from this point on were outstanding...stunningly beautiful slabs of striated, angled rocks and crumbling cliffs. The path was fairly flat for a short while as we passed Meddrick Rocks far below with waves crashing around them. It was then a diagonal descent to cross a smallish hanging valley. Many more steep ups and downs were revealed ahead.. all the way to Burgh Island off Bigbury on Sea….the end point for the day. The tide was low enough for the sand bar across to the island to be exposed.

As we turn east from the end of the Erme estuary we can see Beacon Point ahead, beyond Fernycombe Beach

Looking all the way back past the Erme Estuary to Stoke Point which I'd rounded during the last day of walking on my last attempt.

Climbing up to the back of Fernycombe Beach

Looking back across Fernycombe Beach, the Erme Estuary Mouth, all the way to Stoke Point as we go round the far side of Fernycombe Beach.

And looking across Fernycombe Beach and the Erme Estuary Mouth as we near the summit of Beacon Point

The way ahead to Burgh Island and Bigbury on Sea becomes visible as we crest Beacon Point, and the far headland of Bolt Tail that we will round the following day

Looking out over beach and Meddrick Rocks to Burgh Island as we head inland from Beacon Point

Steve heading down from the summit of Beacon Point

Looking back at Beacon Point and far beyond Stoke Point

After a smallish but steep climb out of the hanging valley we reached Hoist Point to reveal probably the biggest and steepest descent of the day down to Westcombe Beach. Steve headed straight down the valley side following a less worn path down the side of a wire fence while I zig zagged my way more gradually down...the path was quite muddy and slippery in places though. I did get some good views back along the cliffs we had just walked along from the crumbling cliff edges of my zig zag descent.

Steve striding ahead along the cliff path above Meddrick Rocks before the diagonal descent across a hanging valley

The ups and downs of the way ahead including Hoist and Toby's Point just before we diagonally descend across a hanging valley

And again.. showing Burgh Island.. the end of today's walk... and Bolt Tail beyond

Looking back along the cliffs to the furthest rocks of Meddrick Rocks, the diagonal path can be seen heading down from the higher cliffs after Beacon Point, to cut across the hanging valley

Sheep just before cresting Hoist Point

Looking back to Meddrick Rocks as we reach Hoist Point, the hanging valley and the path crossing it visible.

Steve on a windy bench on Hoist Point with Burgh Island and Bolt Tail in the distance

The beaches, cliffs and crashing waves ahead before steeply descending from Hoist Point to Westcombe Beach.

Looking back along the dramatic cliffs to Meddrick Rocks as I zig-zag my way down to cross the valley behind Westcombe Beach.

Looking ahead across Westcombe Beach as I make my way lower down from Hoist Point.

We crossed the footbridge over the stream at the valley bottom before another ferocious climb out the other side. No sooner were we up to the top than the next steep climb down to Aymer Cove was revealed at the end of a lovely valley heading up towards the village and church of Ringmore off to our left. Half way down the valleyside we sat and had a drink and snack to recharge some energy. We watched a farmer in the valley bottom...who had come on his quad bike to look over a herd of cattle lazily grazing in the valley bottom and then three walkers zig-zagged their way down the next ferocious climb for us of Toby’s Point. We waited until they started climbing up towards us and set off ourselves down into the valley bottom.

Looking back across Westcombe Beach just after crossing the wooden footbridge crossing the stream outlet onto the beach.

Looking back across Westcombe Beach along the dramatic cliffs to Meddrick Rocks as I begin the climb up out of the far valley side. The fence that Steve descended along and the zig-zag path that I had used clearly visible on the far valleyside.

Looking back along the dramatic cliffs to Meddrick Rocks and Stoke Point just sticking out in the far distance as I climb further up and around the headlands from Westcombe Beach

Crossing the stream outlet behind the next beach of Ayrmer Cove before the steep climb up Toby's Point

Toby’s Point was indeed a steep climb...hopefully the last of the day though from what we had seen looking along the cliffs earlier. From the summit is was a fairly gradual descent to Challaborough with its huge numbers of mobile homes. We passed a lovely looking cafe the merry friar or something...there can’t be many places with more of a sea view...but we carried on by...thinking we might find a pub lunch in Bigbury on Sea. It was a gentle climb up a rough track which turned into a road and then we arrived in Bigbury on sea itself. The Venus Cafe in the car park was only outside seating and we didn’t fancy that...especially with the ever more frequent stinging showers that were whipping across the landscape.

Looking back across Ayrmer Cove as I begin the climb up Toby's Point

Looking along the cliffs from the beginning of my ascent of Toby's Point, Burgh Island now getting closer.

And again.. the end of Burgh Island just visible beyond the cliffs

Looking back across Ayrmer Cove and all the way back to the distant Stoke Point as I climb higher up Toby's Point

And again from near the summit

After the summit the houses of Bigbury on Sea and Burgh Island are much nearer now

Looking back at the cliffs all the way to Stoke Point, before descending to the beach and holiday village of Challaborough

Challaborough and its beach close at hand

Looking back across Challaborough Beach as we begin the final gentle climb out to reach the first houses of Bigbury on Sea

No pub was evident either. We carried on walking along the coast path and down steps by the lifeguard look out onto the beach of the Avon estuary. I wanted to walk along a bit further to see the estuary proper even if we didn't walk all the way along to the ferry point across to the other side. I’d feel like I was cheating and missing a bit if I didn't as we were planning to start the next day of walking on the far side of the Avon estuary.

After a while we turned back...thinking it would be easier to tell a taxi where we were if we were by the cafe etc of Bigbury. We decided to have a drink there….sheltering under an awning as yet another stinging shower passed through. I tried to ring the taxi number I had got off the internet in preparation at home. Alas no signal...nor had Steve so we climbed up through the various car parks again looking for a signal on higher ground.

Burgh Island across the beach below the lifeguard lookout in Bigbury on Sea

Looking across the Avon Estuary to the beginning of tomorrow's walk from Bigbury on Sea beach

After switching phone on and off again I managed to get a slight signal from the bus shelter up by the first row of houses. When I got through...the person said they weren’t local and gave me another number to call….luckily there was a business card for Mikes taxis in the bus shelter notice board though...so I rang that instead. All good...Mike said he would pick us up in about 10 mins! He arrived at about 12.30 just as another stinging shower blustered across to drench proceedings. The journey back to the church in Kingston cost 17 quid...I gave him 20….it was worth it to me not to have to walk back...and we are saving money on accommodation by camping anyway!

We went into the beautiful and quaint Dolphin Inn near the car in search of lunch. We both had a pint and a steak and ale pie...which although it had microwaved reheated soggy pastry wasn't bad at all.

We set off for home through the celery trench lanes. We stopped off at Kingston to find a supermarket for provisions for tea and breakfast and for petrol and then headed back to the campsite. Steve dozed in the tent while I bravely tried to sunbathe for a short while outside but it was more dark cloud than blue sky with regular spots of stinging rain and a cold wind so I gave up.

We spent the evening in the barn...charging phones and power packs and I wrote up the walk diary for the day.

Map of the day's walk:(click to enlarge)