Day 1 Wembury to Ivybridge





 I had an awful night’s sleep in Plymouth Premier Inn because my room was like a sauna, despite me having the window open all night. I’ve got a bit of a summer cold, so all that heat caused the catarrh to thicken up and made breathing through my nose difficult. 

I made up for it by having a fat-boys cooked breakfast to fill me with energy!

I got a taxi to take me to the start point of the C2C Path at Wembury Beach, where I had it to myself at 9am! 

It’s a custom to carry a pebble from one coast to the other, so I chose a nice small one, to keep the weight down! 

After taking the obligatory selfies, I set off and immediately had a climb up above Wembury village. The path then too me through typical Devon rolling countryside.
If you aren’t confident walking in fields of cattle, then this path probably isn’t for you! Devon is famous for its cream, so guess where that comes from? I reckon I walked through 5 herds, just today! 

In no time at all, I was a sweaty mess gasping for a drink. I think the path god’s heard my prayers, because some kind soul had made this wonderful water stop, just for walkers!


Click on the image to zoom in and you’ll see a Golden Swan as a tap!

It didn’t take long for me to reach Brixton. Rather than see ‘Yardie’ gangs, all I saw was the church square😜

I continued on to Yealmpton where I stopped at the Rose & Crown for lunch and rehydration!
I rested for an hour, but even by then, it was only 1pm. 
My original plan was to take it easy as it was my first day, but camping options are very limited on this stage and I was only a mile away from the campsite. I decided to push on and booked a room in a pub in Ivybridge. 

By now the sun had come out and it felt quite warm, especially with the frequent ups and downs. 
By the time I reached Ermington, I was parched. I made it just before closing time to the community shop/cafe, where I had a mug of tea. Ermington is famous for its crooked Church Spire. 

After that reviver, I continued on the last leg to Ivybridge. The path was quite interesting, with river views and also more steep fields to go up and down! 

The last couple of miles were hard work, because by that stage I was getting tired. However, I made it to Ivybridge by 5pm and checked into my accommodation. 

It’s a bit cheap and cheerful but perfectly acceptable at last minute’s notice. 

I have walked over 16 miles today. Mercifully, I have no blisters or injuries to report. My feet ache a bit but that’s to be expected. I’ve also not had any effects of the cold, so hopefully I’ve sweated that one out! 

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