On The Southwest Coast Path, Devon, England

The crux of the Southwest Coast Path, through the section I am currently hiking, are water crossings at various harbors, bays, and estuaries. Some are served by a regular ferry while others are served by limited seasonal ferries at specific times of day. One place in particular has no ferry service and must be crossed at low tide. If you don’t hit the tides and times right it can be pretty inconvenient.

Yesterday I just missed the ferry to get across the Avon Estuary. Since the tide was very low I was told I could walk up a ways and wade across. I didn’t have a good feeling about it and the guide book strongly recommended against trying to wade across. I really didn’t want to take a chance of getting my pack wet. There were other boats in the area so I started seeking options. One very nice gentleman offered to help me across with his wide sit atop kayak. It’s seemed like a doable option at the time but I didn’t give it too much thought. I’m comfortable on a Kayak and the distance across was short.

Well, it was a bad idea with a backpack. I got on right at the shore and thought I was fine. The gentleman was even holding it as he was going to help keep it steady across as he waded and swam in the water. He was wearing a wet suit. I guess the pack threw off my balance because all I did was raise my arm and I was over the side and in the water with my pack. Luckily I fell on the shore side and was up and out of the water about as quick as I went in. My pack was wet. My camera case was wet. And of course I was wet.

I walked up shore and sat not knowing what the full damage would be. Salt water can be really bad on gear. A short while later a guy with a small sturdy dingy showed up. I asked if he might be able to take me across and told him what happened. It was really a short distance and the water was low. At first I could tell he didn’t really want to help but he took pity on me and said to give him about 15 minutes. A short while later he very nicely ferried me across to some exposed tidal flats where I could continue across and up the trail.

Above the Estuary there is a farm with a large field and toilet block for summer camping. The wind was blowing hard so I found a protected spot behind a hedge near a caravan. Since I was very close to the caravan I asked the family occupying if it was ok to camp there. They said it was fine. I then dumped my pack to assess damage.

I think my rapid departure from the water really saved me. The bottom of the pack was pretty wet but it was clothes and some items I already had stored in dry bags to protect from rain. Luckily my camera and small laptop were slightly damp but ok. I separated anything wet but most items were dry. The main damage was to clothes and outside of pack. I emptied my pack completely and found a hose at the campground to wash it out with fresh water. The family of the caravan gave me some washing detergent to clean my clothes in the toilet sink. I threw some paper stuff away. My passport and all was just fine as I keep it tied up in a plastic bag while hiking anyway.

With everything sorted the family asked me if I’d like to join them for dinner. They had cooked too much. I spent the evening enjoying conversation in the comfort of their tent awning as they insisted I have another beer. I certainly picked the right place to camp for the night.

I’m not sure how many miles I’ve hiked the last four days but I’ve been moving along pretty well up until now. Just a few miles ahead I have a water crossing that won’t be passable until low tide late in the afternoon so I won’t cover much ground today.

The first two days I didn’t much enjoy as I was feeling tired and not into it. The coast is peppered with villages overrun by tourist madness which detracts from the appeal. The scenery, although nice, wasn’t really grabbing me. On the third day as I strolled along Slapton Sands into the village of Torcross I still wasn’t enjoying myself and debated getting off the path and packing it in. However, I still kept walking. In the next village, Beesands, I passed a B&B and stopped out of curiosity to ask the price.

The portly older woman running the B&B  was very nice. We had a good chat that turned into a pep talk. “Oh, it’s early. Keep going. The coast ahead is lovely. You can camp in East Prawle. There’s a nice Pub there”. I asked if she could fill my water bottle and continued on.

 I made good time up to the lighthouse at Start Point and things seemed to click as the coast took on a little wilder appearance. A few miles further a steep side trail took me up to East Prawle. The village hosts two farmer’s fields for camping. One is overrun with camper and very exposed with a grand ocean view. The other is tucked back a little behind a hedge and gets little use. I camped there.

The village has a grand wacky pub with fabulous atmosphere. I was able to get a shower there and drank ale poured directly from a wood barrel cask. Just like the old days

So, today is day five, Sunday. The weather has been fickle and varied as English weather can be which adds a little more to the obstacles ahead. Currently the weather is blustery and kind of cold. I am now in the village of Challborough which is a more or less a caravan hamlet catering to families. There's a restaurant bar with slow wifi and a very reasonably priced Sunday Roast that starts at noon. If it weren't for screaming kids it would be a nice place. August is the absolute worst time for traveling along the Devon and Cornwall Coastal enclaves because of the tourist crowds. Between villages the wild sections of coast are fine.