Day 46 - Beesands to Blackpool Sands - 7 miles

I was woken by a really heavy shower hammering on the tent...which was exceedingly depressing as the weather forecast had said today was supposed to be one of our brighter days! I couldn't be bothered to get up if it was going to be raining yet again...so closed my eyes again and snoozed for a while. I was less tired than I had been yesterday morning but still pretty weary and really stiff too:( Steve got up and went for a shower before me. I played on my phone for a while before deciding to head up there myself. Steve returned as I was packing my rucksack with change of clothes etc. He headed back up there with me to charge his phone and web surf in the barn while I showered.

I had got no pop to drink and so we decided to go into Dartmouth to get provisions before heading over to Beesands to pick up from where we left off walking last night. It was actually sunnyish...the best morning since being here probably...the tent had even begun to dry on the outside by the time we set off.

We parked the car on the side of the road in Dartmouth almost where we had parked on the day of our arrival. We headed to the co op for pop and then bought two pasties each again...one for breakfast and one for lunch later on our walk. I headed to the Natwest cashpoint to replenish funds after last night's enforced taxi costs. We then sat and ate a pasty on a bench looking out at the boats and the various ferries crossing the Dart.

Breakfast eaten, we set off for Beesands...parking up just along from The Cricket Inn. It was about 10.30 as we set off along the back of the shingle beach. As we walked along I noticed it looked like the tide was low enough to walk along the beach around the headland and limpet rocks...rather than have to climb over. I asked an old lady walking her dog if it was possible to walk round and she said it was but you might not be able to get back depending on the tide. That wouldn't be a problem for us! It turned out to be a nice part of the walk over sea worn vertically bedded rocks. The last tiny headland looked like it might be passable but we didn't risk it and climbed up steps into the village of Torcross and then back down to the tiny row of houses on the seafront. The very long shingle ridge of Slapton Sands lay ahead...the freshwater lake of Slapton Ley Nature Reserve behind it on the left and the sea on the right.

Looking along the row of small houses in BeeSands from where we parked the car, past the pub, all the way to Start Point that we had rounded yesterday.

Looking back along the beach to Start Point from the break in the sea defenses at the end of the village to allow boat launching.

Steve as we leave the village behind to walk along the shingle ridge of Bee Sands, the sea on our right and Widdicombe Ley on the left.

Looking back along the shingle ridge of Bee Sands all the way to Start Point.

Steve approaching Dun Point and Limpet Rocks at the far end of Bee Sands. As the tide is out we decide to walk around rather than over to get to Torcross.

Looking back along Bee Sands for the last time as we walk around Dun Point on the beach.

Steve heading around the rocks of Dun Point on the beach to get to Torcross.

Interesting vertical planes of rocks at Dun Point / Limpet Rocks

Steve rounding the last rocky outcroppings of Dun Point before we reach Tor Cross and the far end of Slapton Sands shingle ridge.

Looking back at Beesands and Start Point from the rocky wavecut platform at Dun Point, before we reach Torcross.

Interesting patterns in the smoothly worn vertical rocks of the wavecut platform at Dun point.

The houses of Torcross appear at last, perched on the rocky outcroppings of Torcross Point.

From the top of Torcross Point, the long stretch of Slapton Sands shingle ridge becomes apparent, separating the sea from Slapton Ley lagoon behind.

Heading down the steps to the beachside buildings of Torcross.

We chose to walk along the seaward side of the road along the ridge and not the official path on the leeward freshwater lake side. This meant some parts were quite difficult walking in shingle. We passed students from Slapton Field Study Centre about half way along...making me reminisce about when I’d come down here myself when doing a levels at school for the same thing.

There's no two ways about it...this stretch of the path is a trudge...especially when the footpath is shingle and sand...an annoying wind was blowing from behind from across the Ley too which meant I had to constantly hold my hat on,which I was wearing because my head had got a bit burnt a couple of days ago.

Looking back at the village of Torcross, and beyond, Start Point, as we begin our trudge along Slapton Sands shingle ridge.

Still a very long way to go to reach the sunlit cliffs behind Pilchard Cove visible in the far distance.

Strete Gate at the far end of Slapton shingle ridge gets very gradually nearer.

While Torcross and Start Point beyond get ever more distant with every step taken towards Strete Gate.

We eventually made it to Strete Gate...but I fancied walking all the way along to Pilchard Cove to sit on the beach for a while and take advantage of the rare bit of sun on this holiday. It turned out to be a daft idea...as its a full mile further so two by the time we had walked back to Strete Gate...and walking on the shingle and sand was really hard work. To top things off it was blowing a gale at the far end with not much shelter behind rocks even...and the sun pretty much disappeared behind clouds from the moment we got down there! Oh well...a pointless, hard walking, two mile detour to match the pointless trudge along Slapton Sands when we had seen that view twenty times from the car anyway!

Steve relaxing at Pilchard Cove

View from my resting spot on Pilchard Cove beach, the tiny triangular island of Mew Stone visible in the distance, beyond the Dartmouth estuary off Froward Point.

By the time we made it back to Strete Gate….ready for climbs over the headlands...we were totally wasted! We sat on the grassy kerb side by the car park for a while before beginning our climb out. This part of the path is fairly new...one of the last bits of the entire walk to be opened. Before it was opened much more dangerous road walking was involved. It began much more gradually than we had imagined...and we stopped for a look out to sea on a bench half way up. After passing through a forest of massively tall plants...that I've seen in national trust gardens etc before, but never this big the paths sting in the tail was revealed though...a massively steep zig zagging of steps up to the village of Strete itself...I think possibly the steepest bit of walking so far this entire week! A small amount of road walking through the village..which allowed me to buy a bottle if diet coke from the village shop and then down a concrete drive and across a stream and steep sided fields of cattle.

After trudging back along the beach from pilcahrd Cove to Strete Gate, we begin the gradual climb up over the headlands to the village of Strete.

The path gradually climbs behind the beach we have just struggled along to get to Pilchard Cove at its far end, and then back again.

Various benches with views all the way back across Start Bay to Start Point as we gently climb behind the beach.

Steve as we walk between large tropical plants on the cliff path below the village of Strete, just before the steep zig zag section up to the village itself.

After our sweaty zig zag climb and crossing a few small fields we end up joining the main road running through Strete turning right along it and through the village.

After walking through the village the path leaves the busy main road and heads acrossing lovely rolling hills and valleys fringed by the sea.

Looking back across Start Bay all the way to Start Point from the top of one of the hills before Blackpool Sands.

It was then down into the massively steep sided grassy valley just before Matthews Point and Blackpool Sands...that we had seen from the car on various trips to and from Dartmouth. It was indeed hard work..and the climb out up to the road again on the other side, but probably not quite as bad as it looks….certainly no worse than the earlier zig zagging up through trees to get to Strete. We passed a couple heading to Torcross near the top.

Once on the main road it was a short but dangerous walk along the busy main road with its twists and turns. We got to the cafe and ordered a pint for Steve and a coke and flapjack for me. Steve rang a number for a taxi from Dartmouth that I’d asked the lady at the counter for. He said he would be there in 10 mins….maybe we shouldn't have rung so soon!! We just about finished our drinks etc when he rang to say he was in the car park. And so we set off for Beesands...all the way along Slapton shingle ridge yet again..lol.

Blackpool Sands beach becomes visible ahead, but a lot of crossing very steep sided valleys to do before we get there!

View of Landcombe Cove and Matthews Point before descending into Landcombe Cove valley.

Glimpse of sand in Landcombe Cove from the bottom of the little valley before girding our loins to climb out!

Looking back across the massively steep little valley from near the top of the climb out.

Looking down at Landcombe Cove after finally making it up the climb to the main road.

Looking down at Blackpool Sands beach from the main road after rounding Matthew Point.

Blackpool Sands beach from further along the main road.

Steve posting postcards by thatched cottages at the back of Blackpool Sands.

We drove back to the campsite from Beesands and I sat outside chilling myself writing up the diary for the day...before heading into Dartmouth for some food in the evening.

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