Day 6: back on the path, Exeter to Exmouth

Paula and I had missed out on the walk to the walk to Exeter Quay during our time in Exeter (for some reason we had walked to Bonhay instead), so we were quite amazed at how lovely it was on a perfect summer’s day. There were five of us (Ben, Claire, Al, Paula and me) walking the first stage to Topsham and, unlike the plod along the other bank, the plentiful shade and the activity along the Exe made for a lovely and very easy walk. The others took the train after a morning of wandering through Exeter, and we met for a drink at the Lighter Inn (sandwiches from Tescos were stashed for later on, as we have had enough pub food!).

England seems to manage the difficult task of sandwiching a significant city among farmland and nature reserves better than most, although the South-West is far less populated than the East. Having a significant chunk of the population in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham does leave some space for that in the rest of the country.

We met at Topsham, as mentioned, and walked on beside the river. Crossing over the Clyst, we found ourselves on a timber footway above the wetlands, which were undergoing some serious renovation. There was the odd hide, but not much birdlife in the head of the day (it was only about 22°, but the bright sun made it seem warmer. It was interesting to see the Royal Marine Training Camp at Lympstone from outside the fence, as I’d enjoyed the series that followed recruits through what is supposed to be the hardest initial training in the world.

As the estuary opened up as we got to Lympstone, the views were gorgeous, and it was a pleasure to walk through the afternoon sun, until we reached Exmouth. Here was chaos and business, as the bank holiday was in full swing. In fact, I marvel that we were able to make bookings of any sort this weekend — planning ahead certainly worked!. The noise from the trains, traffic and festival were deafening after the quiet of the path, and we were glad to finally get to the Imperial Hotel, which was a real relic of Victorian days. It really needed some imaginative renovation and relaunching, but the dining hall was quite magnificent and the rooms spacious, so we didn’t complain. England was busy with its holiday occupation of lying in the sun and looking at the water suspiciously, but there was more sand than pebbles and more bikinis than hankies on heads, so the town must be considered upmarket. Exmouth is a lovely spot, but I’d like a summer’s day without the crowds. As it’s half-term as well, that’s not happening this week.