June 22, 2017

Exmouth

A very easy day, only 7.9 miles (12.7km) most of which was along seafront, beside the railway or on flat bridle paths by the side of a road.  From just outside of Teignmouth at Holcombe the seafront promenade goes right next to the railway all the way to Dawlish and then on to Dawlish Warren.  A pleasant walk especially with cooler, overcast weather.

Several trains went by as I walked; small local trains and faster mainline trains.  Part of this line was washed out in February 2014 and it was easy to see where the repairs had been done.  Once I had passed Dawlish Warren the walk followed a road and the railway on a paved bridle path until I reached Starcross.  At Starcross I caught the ferry across the River Exe estuary to Exmouth.  Exmouth is where I dated Jenny while we were both attending teacher training colleges.  I was studying at St. Luke's College in Exeter but in my last year I lived in a flat with two other students and we travelled up to Exeter every day, a distance of 10 1/2 miles.  Jenny was studying at Rolle College in Exmouth.

Exmouth seafront

Our local pub was the First and Last which was a small pub in a row of houses where the locals came for the evening and you would find some playing Euchre and we could play darts.  Boy, what a change in 51 years.  No longer the tiny bar, it has been opened up to be at least four times its original size.

The First and Last pub in Exmouth