Day 1, Jul 13, 2024
From Plymouth to Looe

Our first day of hiking in England was mostly sunny. We saw threatening clouds at times, but the rain held off. We walked through Plymouth and found the ferry that could take us across the river to Cremyll.

Once across, we saw our first official South West Coast Path sign and headed first through a lovely historic garden before progressing onto a dirt path. Despite being a coastal path, there are plenty of ups and downs as we climb coastal cliffs.

As in France, we have wound through forests and over farmland, but the track has so far been dry and easy to follow. We have enjoyed the grassy hilltops overlooking the ocean where the water is beautifully clear. So far we haven’t had crowds of people, although we heard that the summer holidays will start next week. There have been a number of twitchers along the way, and one kind lady pointed out kestrels and a fulmar (sea bird that flies like a dart). She was waiting to see a pair of Peregrine falcons. We waited for a bit but then moved on without seeing them.

We photographed a small stone structure on a hilltop that we are informed previously had an iron age building that originally had its own little stream, moat, and drawbridge!

By the time we stopped for a drink at a cafe, we found we had walked 25 km. We still had energy to go further, though, and are camped in a private campground – Bay View Farm. After a good night’s sleep, we are ready for day 2, having covered about 35km all up.