Undaunted, well fairly undaunted, we drove to Kingswear to try to tackle the coastal footpath in the right order from that end. It would be a mere two miles from where we finished the previous day (and then another two miles back to the car). We would then decide if we wanted to repeat the bit we’d done in the wrong order to ‘do it properly’. Kingwear has a very attractive harbour, even though it is sad to see the fishing fleet of the past has been replaced with pleasure yachts. The first part of the walk from Kingswear in the Brixham direction is on pavements out of the town. The gradient is, shall we say, challenging, even if it is smooth underfoot. I just about managed this and then the route took us through a wooded section. I was very thankful for the shade as it was another very hot day.  After half an hour, there was an encouraging sign that told us it was only 1¼ miles to where we had abandoned the walk the previous day. Yay! 1¼ miles is but nothing. Except that it was.

We descended into the valley via a flight of steps and a rough path to Mill Bay Cove. I am used to reading Ordnance Survey maps. Perhaps I should have taken better note of quite how close together the contour lines were – that would be practically on top of each other. I started to climb the steps cut into the path as we left the cove. I stopped for a rest. I climbed some more. I rested some more. I climbed a little further. My body really wasn’t playing ball. Reluctantly, I decided that a walk was a walk and I ought to be proud of how far we have come since Minehead, rather than how much we didn’t complete. Even though my future walks will need to be on flatter terrain, I guess I should be grateful that I am still able to go for a walk, albeit a flattish one.

We returned to the safety of the car; its thermometer told us that the outside air temperature was thirty degrees. That seemed to escape the weather station statistics. An afternoon of rest, if not full recouperation, followed.

Taking it easyish seemed to be the best plan for the next few days. Day four was showery and cooler but humid. In search of places that wouldn’t be too peopley, we drove out beyond Buckfastleigh, on the edge of Dartmoor. Venturing down some byways that were, at least in theory, roads, we reached Hembury Woods. Lacking a map, we were keen not to get lost on our woodland wander. Our first attempt was unadventurous and based on keeping left but we ended up back at the car after about three hundred yards. We would need to be more daring and try to remember lefts and rights. One woodland path does look very much like another. We tried leaving field signs – once a Girl Guide …….. – although I was concerned that a passer by might move our carefully laid twig arrows. In the end, it seemed we were following a pre-laid trail, as small piles of sawdust were laid at intervals along our way. The woodland was strewn with a wildflower, later identified courtesy of the flowers book as Small Cow-wheat. Not heard of it? No, me neither.

Having reached what I felt was a suitable half way point if we were to have a not too strenuous walk, I was keen to retrace our steps but my companion was confident we could make a circular route. I was less convinced but we soldiered on. Behold and lo! There was the car. In order to keep the step count up, we also returned to the country park next to the site and were rewarded by the site of a roosting buzzard. Small birds and squirrels were feeding heedlessly nearby but perhaps the buzzard had had its lunch.