16. South Devon Coastal: Scabbacombe - Man Sands (part circular) - 5 miles - OS Explorer OL20

A couple of tough hills but worth the effort.

Take your binoculars, there’s a bird hide.

Walk starts at Scabbacombe Beach car park. Get there via the Torbay to Kingswear Road (A379 – B3206). After turning onto the B3206, called Slappers Hill (I know, I find it hard to believe, too), take the first left after about half a mile onto - Sid James will be turning in his bawdy grave - Broad Road, toward Coleton Fishacre. Keep left where the lane forks away from a sign to Coleton Fishacre. Scabbacombe car park is half a mile further on your right, signposted. National Trust, so pop some money in the box.

Start of walk is a track in the far-left corner of the car park. Stunning valley views to your left. At the end of the track, enter a field and go left, following the fence down to the coast path. Head east, taking a deep breath for the steep climb ahead, and follow to Man Sands.

Approaching Man Sands, you’ll see a pond and marshland behind the beach and paths/tracks each side of it. Go left up the track on the western side. About a third-of-a-mile up there’s a bird hide. We spent fifteen minutes watching blue tits and goldfinches at a bird feeder and, down on and by the pond, all sorts of waterfowl. Delightful.

Marching on, ignore a path/steps to your right and continue for about half-a-mile to a footpath sign to Mill Lane. Another marvellous valley walk to enjoy. A gnarled old tree with a low horizontal branch provided the perfect seat for the day’s picnic (don’t laugh, I like picnics, or pikunikkus as the Japanese call them).

At the bottom of the hill there’s a footbridge. Cross and go right. The ground could be marshy here but it’s not far to a farm gate and, to the left, a stile to Mill Lane. A sheep’s skull on a branch was either pointing the way or warning of dire consequences for anyone who trespassed.

Continuing down the path/track

called Mill Lane you arrive back at Man Sands beach.

You'll find a lime kiln there, possibly 18th century. There are lots around here by sea and river mouths so ships could bring coal for the burning and take away the lime (it's heavy). The stuff improves the soil and makes mortar do its job.

Now it's time to head back west, past those old coast guard cottages. Once they would have been painted in - you guessed it - white lime wash.

On your return, don't leave the coast path where you first joined it but carry on to Scabbacombe beach. Well worth exploring for it’s colourful and varied geology, of which I know bugger all. Hidden at the far left is a waterfall. Perfect for a shower if you decide to swim or cool off. A haunt of nudists, you needn’t worry about trunks. Well, not the cotton kind at least.

Heading back to the coast path, turn back eastward (right) for a few yards until you come to a path on your left heading up a steep grassy hill. This will take you back to the track for the car park.

A fine walk with quiet beaches but it lacks amenities. If you fancy recovering with a cuppa or pinta, drive onto Kingswear. The railway station here stood in for Exeter Railway Station in the movie, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, and the Meryl Streep's

character scuttles into the Steam Packet Inn.

Personally, when I'm in the area, I jump on the lower ferry to Dartmouth. Great fun in itself, and Dartmouth's worth exploring, but off the slipway and left is where I go, to the Dartmouth Arms. A real, old fashioned, pub with simple food and good ales. Take your tipple outside, cross to the benches by the river and enjoy one of THE river views. Twiggy once did, maybe she bumped into Meryl, or maybe Kris Krist... oh, enough name dropping.

Dartmouth was once one of the UK's premier ports in its Tudor days and beyond, but the navy preferred Plymouth further west for its fleet (it was bigger). Further east, the other side of Scabbacombe, is Torbay, and if you think its lovelier than Plymouth, so did naval officers. Whilst the ratings bedded down in Plymouth barracks, they built homes there long before tourists found it.