Simon's Coastal Adventure: Into Devon

Today I had not many miles but a lot of climbing to get to Torpoint, and the ferry across the Tamar to Plymouth. It was a bit cold overnight with a heavy dew, but by 6.30 it was too hot to stay in the tent. The campsite lady had left tea-making stuff so I enjoyed a cuppa while the tent dried.

As I carefully descended the first hill, I was surprised to meet a young fit cyclist walking up. It emerged he was cycling to Looe to meet his girlfriend. It was 9.25 and he had left Plymouth just before 8am! I was planning to take all day. I had to go round Rame Head, so I set off south west, passing a series of Saturday cyclists.

View towards Rame Head

Tiny beach, reached by a footpath
down the cliff

The hills were long but not too steep, and it seemed the landscape was more gentle. The beaches were quiet, remote places and the few settlements were up the hill from the beaches. I saw a few walkers at Downderry the place with the naturist campsite, but they were all fully clothed.

It was ten long, hilly miles before I found a cafe, just around the headland at Kingsand, overlooking Cawsand Bay. A delightful old town with narrow twisty streets, and a micro esplanade with panoramic views across to Devon. Seeing my Wales cycling Jersey, the cafe manager came out specially to greet me, and asked which part of God's own country I came from. When I said Sidmouth in Devon, he didn't seem that impressed.

Kingsand

I entered the café in brilliant sunshine, but when I left, thunder clouds were crashing around the Sound, and it was spotting with rain. The worst of it was happening in Devon. I decided to skip the ride round the Tamar estuary to the main Torpoint ferry, so I just had to go to the ferry at Cremyll via Mount Edgecumbe, a country park, which wasn't as bad as it sounded.

A short ferry hop across the Tamar and I was in Devon. Devil's point, Plymouth to be exact. The area was a jumble of older housing, military barracks, the King William Dock, now a visitor experience sort of place. Then Plymouth Hoe, complete with a funfair, and the Barbican docks, with loads of people and cafes. And pirates. Many people dressed in pirate outfits. Apparently, it's pirate weekend at the Barbican.

Approaching Plymouth, King William's Dock

King William's Dock

Plymouth Barbican, with pirates

Plymouth's docks are extensive. There's the military docks, the commercial docks, and the pleasure boats, all arranged around the banks of the rivers Tamar and and Plym, and several other tributaries. After leaving the pirates behind at the Barbican, I found a nice cafe for lunch. When I emerged, it started raining again and continued all the way round the docks, so there are no pictures - sorry. It was probably ten miles before I left Plymouth and its suburbs, at Staddon Point, which was marked by another big fort, still MOD property, defending the harbour approaches.

South west coast path & NCN 27

Once in the countryside, I visited several unremarkable small beaches (compared to Cornwall's best), really not worth a special visit for the view, and certainly not worth the climb out of the valley. Eventually I reached my campsite in Brixton, not to be confused with the one in London. I was sort of hoping for a night in a real bed in Plymouth, but I was there a bit too early, so it will have to wait. A few more miles today but still a hilly ride, even if there were some flatter bits in between.