For our ‘staycation’ we took advantage of friends’ wedding celebrations to explore the coastal paths around Hope Cove in Devon. Never ones to shirk a good walk, we left our car at the wedding venue in Galmpton to enjoy a drink or two and take a taxi home. The next day we would walk along the coastal path to Hope and retrieve the car, a mere 12 "or so" miles away.
East Prawle is a pretty little village on Devon’s south coast, with a handful of dainty cottages, a decent pub and a village shop, selling good food and very friendly. It also has the advantage of offering both civilization and seclusion simultaneously. (Try saying that after too much cider.) The cottages are painted in pale pink, blue, white and yellow, an inviting prospect next to the natural landscape.
The bleak greys of the haggard rocks along the way are garlanded on all sides with beautiful fuchsia and marigold-coloured flowers, interspersed with the path's rocky edges. The strong wafts of sea air blowing up with spray from the crashing waves added to the atmosphere of total exposure to the elements up here. “It’s about three hours to Hope from Salcombe along the coast path,” advised a friendly local we met walking his dog on the way.Unfortunately Mat had left his walking boots (and the map, mind) behind in the car, so had to complete all (of what turned out to be) 15 miles in deck shoes. My ankles and feet were complaining by the time we hobbled back to the car, so I can only imagine Mat’s pain. Luckily the local ales and wines at the Pig’s Nose pub were very soothing – and after a soothing bath we turned in for a very…early…ZZZzzz.
