Day: 128 - 30/3/95 - Budleigh Salterton to Sidmouth

Weather: Sunny intervals, warm.

Distance: 10.5 km, (6.5 miles)         Total Distance:  miles

This was the start of the three day backpacking trip to the South coast.  Public transport was prominent on this trip. I walked to Coventry station to catch the 7.40am train to Birmingham and then the 8.30am train to Exeter St David's, armed with newspapers and a Bill Bryson travel book.

The sun was shining in Exeter as I strolled up through the town to the bus station, calling at the bank and a shop to buy a sandwich and chocolate, the main motive being to get change for the bus. There was a bus to Budleigh waiting in the station. It was a lengthy journey of about an hour via Exmouth.  I strolled through Budleigh and up the banks of the River Otter which I had to go about half a mile inland on a path to cross. Once on the other side I changed my daps for my boots as the ground became rougher. A wildlife trust warden stopped for a chat and wished me all the best in my walk. Once back to the coast it was sharp left onto the coastal path and up onto the cliff.  What a marvellous day for walking, so good I stopped to take some photographs.

The coast at Ladram Bay is scattered with spectacular rock pinnacles full of sea birds. The views were only spoilt by a caravan site stretching down to the coast. A steep climb then followed up onto high peak which went into woods half way up. The coast path appeared to lead slightly inland and circumvent the highest point, so I took a minor path through woods up to the trig point and then down again on the cliff edge for a while.

It was a pleasant enough walk down into Sidmouth, initially through scrub then on the road. A path went down to the sea by an English Heritage relic but when I tried to get into SidmouthSidmouth. I was very early and had some three hours to explore before going to the B&B.  I walked along the front, looking at the flood defence work by huge rock grabbing machined.  The town was pleasant, busy, not too twee. The highlight was finding a great coffee shop with homemade puddings.  I dug into a good helping of a delicious bread pudding and custard.

The B&B, on Fortfield Place was OK but had a bit of a strange feel to it.  The owner had an American accent and the reply to everything was "You're welcome".  By the morning I had the feeling I could have walked off with all the towels and bedding and he would have still said "You're welcome".

I had a bath, phoned home and eat tea in a chip shop which consisted of sausage, egg and chips and processed peas (even though I did not ask for them). I was planning on going to  see a police male voice choir I'd seen advertised but when wandering in that direction I stumbled on a cinema and chose to go to see Nell, a Jodi Foster film, where she portrayed a girl who grew up in isolation in a wood. I must apologise to the singing policemen if I ever bump into them.