Monday 21st September 2015
Drove down on the Sunday night to stay at Rohaven Guest House in Exmouth. Monday morning got the bus to Beer having first driven to Sidmouth.
At Beer Crow went down the High Street and past the Dolphin where I finished last time to the sea. Turned up Common Lane. At the top of Common Lane reached Southdown Road and turned left on a signposted footpath to Branscombe Bay (GR229889).
The weather is not looking too good. It has been raining this morning so it is damp, quite cloudy and a bit windy. The path leads up towards a caravan site but turns left just before it. Followed the path up onto Beer Head and then onwards on the Hooken Cliff path rather than the lower path. Eventually reach the steps at East Cliff which go down very steeply past the Sea Shanty Caravan Park entrance. At the Sea Shanty café (Branscombe Mouth) had cup of tea and a KitKat (GR207882).
Very unpleasant weather now. Left the café and just behind the café signpost points across a field towards some houses. Go up this and then continue up West Cliff which includes several flights of steps. After the summit of West Cliff the path becomes a pleasant stony path through the woods and starts to go down gently. At a junction by a wooden gate turn left down a cinder track. The path climbs up steeply up to the right and comes out on the top of the cliffs and cab see the sea again.
Quite good views forwards towards Exmouth. Not brilliant views as it is still quite cloudy and a little bit misty but at least the rain has nearly stopped and the wind has dropped quite a bit. The walk along the clifftops is quite easy really on grassy paths and then towards the end of it there is quite annoying dip down and up the field to get towards Weston Mouth.
Follow a level path with a hedge on the left and a fence on the right to eventually enter Weston Cliff National Trust (GR168881). At a Y-junction of the path take the left fork and start the steep descent down into Weston Mouth. Should be a good view here but with the poor weather can just about make out the bay. About three hundred steps down to the beach at Weston Mouth (GR164879).
Go onto the beach and walk along the beach crossing the small river. Just the other side of the stream the path starts to go up again. Climbed the first 130 or steps to reach a footpath junction with a footpath off to Duncombe. Decided that I could not climb any more so took the footpath away from the coast path.
The path was level for quite a way but then began to climb. Eventually reached a wooden gate across the track and stopped for a long rest. Climbed up the track eventually reaching the caravan site and road at Duncombe (GR159887).
Walked along the road to Salcombe Regis (GR184889). Climbed up the hill out of Salcombe Regis to reach the main road (GR145887) and a rather fine war memorial (GR145887).
Past the Norman Lockyer Observatory with its dome-shaped buildings (GR140882). Long way down a steep hill and then turned left on Alma Lane and turned right on Hillside Road, left on Laskeys Lane.
At the bottom of the road turn left on the footpath. This winds its way down to a footbridge over the River Sid and into Sidmouth.
Days from Chepstow 133
Miles today 9.5
Miles from Chepstow 1743.4
Albion Ambulations 