A selection of a few adventures and days out around Devon and beyond.
Climbing Peak Hill (Again!) And making it to Sidmouth.
Yesterday was a beautiful blue skied Sunday, no clouds in the sky, no wind and not too cold. So I thought it would be a nice idea to do the coast path walk to Sidmouth again, this time bringing Jo along with me, (and of course Amber!).
We set off from Ladram Bay again, seeing as it’s free parking over winter, we might as well make the most of it. It was fairly busy there today, a fair few people had decided to go walking like us, but most of the people there seem to be taking advantage of the swimming pool facilities at the holiday park. Today was a much clearer day than the last two times I’ve walked this path in the last couple of weeks. We had a really clear view across to Sidmouth and the rest of the East Devon Coast. As we were leaving Ladram Bay and walking into the woods before High Peak, I had to take my coat off as it was too warm to walk in it. It seems crazy to be wearing a t shirt in November and not being cold!
I couldn’t wait to climb High Peak again, it’s becoming one of my favourite places to be at the moment. Jo had never been up there before, so it was nice to show him how stunning the views were from the top, as well as reading about how archeologists discovered the history behind High Peak when they excavated it, showing it to be occupied during two periods of time; the Neolithic period (around 4000-2000 BC!) and the period between Roman withdrawal from Britain and the West Saxon conquest of Devon. I read all of this on the interpretation board at High Peak, I also found a copy of this online here for those of you that want to read up about it. It taught me quite a bit, and I was quite surprised about how much history High Peak had, especially back to Neolithic times.
Of course the views from the top of High Peak, didn’t let me down again. There’s a quick multi cache up here for those of you that geocache. I didn’t realise this until we were on our way back from Sidmouth, and too tired to climb High Peak again to do it (Next time!). As you can see from the photo above, it was a nice clear day that we were able to see the Coast of Sidmouth, Branscombe and Beer.
After taking in the views at High Peak, we decided to carry on towards Sidmouth. We passed quite a lot of walkers by this point, who must have been making the most of the decent weather like us. There are quite a few geocaches along this route, as well as along Mutters Moor, which joins Peak Hill from Sidmouth. I haven’t done them all, but it’s a fun way of exploring the area. There’s also a car park on Mutters Moor, for those of you that don’t fancy climbing the coast path to get to some of these geocaches.
There’s so many beautiful view points along this walk, and it’s really interesting to see how the view can vary in different weather conditions. Last time I came it was a lot more grey and rougher weather. Today it looked more like a calm Summer’s day when looking out towards Sidmouth beach. It also felt as warm as a Summer’s day too!
The low Autumn sun was a reminder that, although it felt like Summer, it was definitely an Autumnal day in November! As the day went on, it was beautiful watching the sun shine over the fields next to the coast path, making them glow a beautiful golden colour. It’s one thing us photographers obsess over: perfect lighting! It made the strenuous climb up Peak Hill more enjoyable that’s for sure. This walk does require you to climb quite a few hills, so it may not be suitable for everyone, and comfortable footwear is definitely a must. After testing our fitness up Peak Hill, we finally descended into Sidmouth.
Despite the weather being mild, it was quite choppy along the seafront at Sidmouth. The waves were crashing along the paths that connect one part of the beach to the other, below Connaught Gardens. We had to run at one point, before the waves hit us! Though for some people, these conditions were a positive, as there were a few surfers in the distance, taking advantage of the high waves today. After watching these surfers for a short while, we then walked the rest of the beach, before ending up in a pub having some lunch before heading back to Ladram Bay before the sun set.
On our way back along the coast path, we were treated to a beautiful warm glow from the sun as it was preparing to set. Luckily we got back to Ladram Bay before it got dark, and were able to see the sun setting, with a pink sky over the sea. We really were lucky with the weather conditions today.
Every time I walk this coast path, I really do enjoy it, but walking it with Jo (and of course Amber) made it even more enjoyable. We did a couple of geocaches on the way back, but there were still a few more to cross off our list next time we walk this way. I doubt it will be long before I walk this path again, seeing as I’ve already walked it 3 times in the space of 2 weeks! Hopefully next time we’ll walk further, this time we walked just under 6 miles. I would say this walk is best done on a cooler day, I’ve done it in Summer before, and it wasn’t as enjoyable, it was too hot and humid for my liking. Yesterday’s mild weather made it a slightly easier, and more enjoyable walk. It’s also handy to add, that once you’ve conquered the first hill out of Sidmouth, the walk back towards Ladram Bay is a lot easier to walk than the way in, as its mainly flat or downhill.
Climbing Peak Hill
One thing I do love about Devon is the beautiful coastal walks. The South West Coast path offers breathtaking views of Devon and Dorset. One of my favourite walks is along the Jurassic Coast from Exmouth to Sidmouth.
I’ve walked the coast path in places from Exmouth to Sidmouth, Branscombe to Beer and Beer to Seaton. On a cold and windy Wednesday in November, I decided to take the dog out for a walk along the coast path from Otterton to Peak hill, Sidmouth. One of my favourite walks of the coast path, due to the stunning views across the bay, and how high up you can reach on the walk!
I started the walk in the quiet village of Otterton. There’s something about Otterton that I love, its a charming little village that has a mill (Otterton Mill) beside the River Otter. It is also the gateway to Ladram Bay, a popular holiday park, which the coast path passes through.
I walked up from Otterton School where I parked, towards the public footpaths that lead to Ladram Bay. For those of you, like myself, that enjoy a bit of geocaching, there are lots of caches dotted around Otterton and the surrounding footpaths to do. Some of these geocaches are circular walks, which can help you explore the area whilst caching.
I walked up through Otterton’s sports ground, towards public footpaths that then join a field full of cattle. From here you then get treated to the breathtaking views of Ladram Bay, famous for its rocks and stacks by the pebble beach. Heading towards Ladram Bay, on a clear day you can see Sidmouth, Branscombe, Beer and beyond to Dorset, including the highest point of the south west coast path: Golden Cap!
Once I reached Ladram bay, I followed the signs for the coastal path, going through another field, which then leads you into some woodland. Careful if you do this path on a wet day, as it can get very muddy! Looking back behind me, I took one last look at Ladram Bay, before climbing further into the woods.
Doing this walk in Autumn, treated me to a blanket of colourful trees in the woods of Peak hill, reminding me of why I love this season so much!
From here you can carry on to Sidmouth, but first, if you feel fit enough, I would highly recommend you climb up the hill and steep steps to High Peak. At the top there is a beacon with an information board next to it, about the history and archaeology of this area. From here, you can see panoramic views across East Devon and Dorset. Be sure to take time to look in all directions! One way shows the coast, the other shows beautiful countryside views!
Once I had stopped to take in all the stunning views, I continued on for a bit longer towards Sidmouth. With the rain clouds approaching from above, I decided not to continue all the way to Sidmouth, but I made sure to walk far enough to a view point that showed off the Jurassic Coast at its best, as well as getting a good view of Jacob’s ladder standing out on Sidmouth’s pebble beach.
I was glad we turned back towards Otterton when we did, as soon as we got to the car, the heavens opened! And it didn’t stop raining all day after that! One thing I do need to add about this walk, is that there are quite a few steep inclines throughout the coastal path. You can make the walk as long or as short as you want, if you’re feeling fit enough, you can start at Exmouth and walk to Sidmouth. This is a tiring, but very enjoyable walk along the Jurassic coastline. Some days I do park up at Ladram Bay and walk to Sidmouth from there, this is a shorter, quicker, but just as enjoyable walk. It’s also handy to note that parking at Ladram Bay holiday park is free during the winter months.
