Day 115: English Coastal Path

D115: PLYMOUTH to TIDEFORD

Tuesday 16th April 2024

Today miles: 13.4 Total miles: 1943.2

I managed to have a good sleep which for me is unusual in a shared hostel room. The hostel in Plymouth offers a free breakfast each morning so I had myself a bowl of cereal and toast before setting off today. It’s less than a three minutes walk to the South West Coast Path and I quickly reached the Naval College at Stonehouse and Devils Point. At Stonehouse marina I passed the ferry service which runs across The Narrows towards Blockhouse. I’d see this ferry again from the opposite bank in about two days time.
I walked along minor roads for about two miles until I reached the Eastern end of the Tamar Bridge. The walking wasn’t particularly pleasant, but a necessary evil. The sky had begun to steadily darken over the last hour and I was expecting some heavy rain as I crossed over the Tamar and into Saltash and Cornwall. At Saltash I grabbed myself some lunch and more snacks from a local shop and then sat in the local park and watched as the rain moved over from the North. I moved off again just as the rain began to lightly fall.

The first mile out of Saltash, along the B7231 wasn’t that bad with a footpath most of the way. On reaching the A38 (Liskeard Road) the amount of traffic increased dramatically and walking along the road was unpleasant and at times scary, particularly the HGV’s, in the rain and poor light conditions. I eventually left the A38 and took to the minor road into Trematon and a little later into Landrake. At Landrake the sun finally came out and I had an extended break sitting under an alcove at the front of the Landrake community centre. The last two miles was back along the A38 but as the sun was now shining the walking didn’t feel as sketchy as it had been earlier.

I arrived at the bus stop in Tideford and less than an hour later I was back in Plymouth. I hadn’t eaten much and it was still early so I decided to pop into the nearby Wetherspoons and have myself a late lunch/early tea. Back at the hostel I spent my evening playing trivial pursuits and swapping stories with two of their long term residents.