Teignmouth

We take the 22 bus to Shaldon, where we finished yesterday; Shaldon is a pretty fishing village on the Teign Estuary, opposite Teignmouth.

We walk through the village to the beach and rejoin the coastal path to go up the Ness; behind it is Ness Cove beach, only accessible via a (smuggler's) tunnel from the car park. It's a steep climb, and we enjoy the views from Bundle Head and Labrador Bay and onwards to Maidencombe and Watcombe. More up and down until we reach the outskirts of Torquay Golf Club, where, much to our surprise, we have a lovely view of the "twin towers" of St Marychurch. We descend to Oddicombe beach, crossing under the Cliff Railway (unfortunately closed until the end of June), and follow the coastal path to the beach part of Babbacombe around Withy Point. We walk via Walls Hill at the top of Long Quarry Point, over Anstey's Cove and on to Black Head, where there are great views of the Hope's Nose headland, which separates Babbacombe Bay from Tor Bay.

Then it's on via Thatcher Point and Meadfoot Beach, a steep climb up to the top, around Daddyhole Plain, and on past the curiously named London Bridge rock formation to reach Beacon Quay in Torquay. It has been a long and hot day.Read more