Post by Dave on Jun 3, 2019 15:01:21 GMT
Oddicombe & Babbacombe Beach Walk 31st May 2019
Having to get up most days early for work, I find it impossible to have a lay in on any days I do get off. That sure was the case on Friday and I was out walking in the rain from 6.45am. I had driven from my home In Paignton and parked the car in one of the side streets off Babbacombe Downs.
I walked towards and through the Model Village car park as I wanted to take a pathway there to see where it ended up. It was rather over grown and went down into a valley before coming to some steep steps that finally brought me out halfway down the cliff railway line.
There was a small tunnel under the track bed and this pathway in the end came out onto the road down the Oddicombe Beach close to the bottom of it. The rain was now much lighter and soon to stop and it felt good having the whole beach to myself.
I walked up to the warning signs and took a few shots from there; I decided to respect the sign unlike an elderly couple a short while later. I always marvel about the beauty of nature and it does not matter how many times you might visit this area, you can never grow tired of it.
The walk from Oddicombe Beach to Babbacombe Beach is a fun one as you walk over a footbridge and then a man made ramp way. Just past here once stood a cottage called the Glen, where the man they could not hang Babbacombe John Lee was said to have murdered Miss Emma Keyse, who was said to have been a lady-in-waiting to the future Queen Victoria in her youth.
You can read the whole story of Babbacombe John Lee on this thread on Davesworld
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/158/babbacombe-jon-lee
On the above thread there is a photo of the Glen and how it all looked back then, How different it looks now looking from the harbour wall with all the houses now built there. While I was standing on the harbour wall a family walked close by and looked over the wall and said “there he is”
I looked over and could see air bubbles coming up to the surface that were getting ever closer. I really thought it was seal and had my camera ready to get some shots of it. A big smile soon was on my face as a diver came out of the water and not the seal I was hoping for.
The road by the Cary Arms is so very steep, but I did not walk back to the top on the road, but instead took a pathway just up from the pub on the left that takes you up to Walls Hill. I did a big circle of Walls Hill before heading back to Babbacombe Downs.
By now the sun was out in full as was Walls Hill full of dog walkers all stopping and taking to other dog walkers and giving their pets some attention. You do not need to spend any money to have a good time if you do not want to, Torbay has so many wonderful places to enjoy all for free.
