The alarm goes off at 4am. Not that I needed it. It was, as expected, a restless night of waking up every couple of hours to find myself squished at the bottom of the slope. Thankfully, it is a relatively short day, as my back is stiff and my glutes are like set concrete. The beautiful morning more than compensates.
The River Erme at dawn looks magical. I could be anywhere in the world right now. Time to take off the boots and wade across.
The water is only just above my knees. I pause in the middle. There is nothing to disturb the view in all directions. Silence. Breathtaking.
On reaching the far side, I have breakfast, as the sun comes up, and the birds start to sing. It is the most wonderful feeling.
The walk to Noss Mayo is lovely. The path starts heavily overgrown but emerges into an open cliff-top walk with fine views.
It is early afternoon when I reach the River Yealm ferry crossing to Wembury. Bill, the ferryman, raises an eyebrow, like a character from the old Hammer horror movies, on hearing that I plan to stay at the Pilgrims Rest Campsite. “Not sure if he is open. Strange chap.” That sounds ominous.
It is scorching, so my first stop is the Old Wheel, recommended in my CAMRA guide. It is a lovely, welcoming pub. Ham, eggs, and chips, washed down with a couple of pints of Tribute and Salcombe Pale Ale. A perfect day.
The owner appears with a couple of lurchers, who pad across to check me out. A second lady arrives and is surprised to see the dogs so docile with me. She is a dog trainer, brought in to teach them not to bark at the punters, being newly acquired rescue dogs. In the words of my daughter, Hayley, I am clearly a dog whisperer. Or perhaps it is just the chips!
Suitably mellow, I stroll up the hill to the campsite. The owner, as predicted, tells me he is closed and there are no facilities. I clearly look weary, as he relents. There is a lone water tap, and he kindly brings me some washing utensils. He is certainly a garrulous, engaging, old character, giving me the historical backdrop to his business and the area. It is a luxury to be able to pitch early and lounge around reading, before falling asleep on a wonderfully flat surface.
Walk distance: 11 miles.
Total distance: 559 miles.