Tuesday 11 April 2017

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Day Thirty Eight - Stoke Fleming to Dartmouth 7.7km (4.8 miles).
Time on route 1:35hrs, walking time 1:35hrs.


Monday 10 April 2017
Screen Shot 2017-04-11 at 09.16.56
The title shows my age (it was a film I watched as a teenager) but today felt a bit like this.  To get to my start at Stoke Fleming I caught the train to Paignton, the bus to Kingswear, the foot ferry to Dartmouth and another bus down to Stoke Fleming.  So door to door it was a 3 hour journey.  I had a short goal today as wanted to 'tidy up' my last walk which was a half day from Torcross to Stoke Fleming.  So hardly a challenge but it was still good to be out by the coast.

The spring flowers are prolific this time of year: these were growing off the side of a wall.
2017-04-10 2_Wall flowers
And it didn't take long before the Dart estuary came into view.
2017-04-10 3_View across Dart
Beautiful spring path.
2017-04-10 5_Spring path
There is oodles of military history at Dartmouth with its extensive maritime defensive past.
2017-04-10 6_Dartmouth Castle  5.41
Dartmouth Castle was built in 1388 to defend the English against French raids and was extended many times since then (more here).  It now has a more peaceful cafe with a wonderful view.
2017-04-10 6_Dartmouth Castle  4.51
The Royal Navy trains all its officers here at the Britannia Naval College, sited up on the hill (in the background of this photo).
2017-04-10 7_Kingswear Ferry 09.37
The estuary is buzzing with yachts, ships, dinghies, kayaks and ferries.  The car ferry between Dartmouth and Kingswear is expertly nudged too and fro by a tug.
2017-04-10 7_Kingswear Ferry 23.00
Just south of Dartmouth pontoon the path dips down into Bayards Cove Fort; the first time the path has actually traversed through a tudor building from my recollection.
2017-04-10 8_Bayards Cove Castle 31
2017-04-10 8_Bayards Cove Castle 48
I stopped and had a late lunch in the sun overlooking the river and Kingswear before heading back on the passenger ferry (and bus and train, you know the score).
2017-04-10 9_Dart and Passenger Ferry 27.28
2017-04-10 9_Dart and Passenger Ferry 47.16
2017-04-10 9_Dart and Passenger Ferry 50.10