I had sent the Ferryman a text on the previous evening asking if the ferry was running the following day and I gave him details where I would be to be picked up. Back in 2014 I did not use a ferry on this stretch as when I turned up there was no ferry to be seen.
I drove from my hotel some 10 miles away in the village of Wotton, on the southern flanks of Dartmoor to Brixton, a small village astride the busy A379 and parked up. I set off along a pavement out of Brixton along the A379. The pavement soon stopped but I knew a path alongside the road had been constructed. This was in fact the Coast-to-Coast Erme Plym Trail, which I would join again later in the day. I was very glad of the footpath as I could look down on the busy walled road and see that it would have been very dangerous to even attempt to walk along that road. After about a mile I crossed the busy road and set off up a minor towards Newton Ferrers. Although fairly quiet, there was still a flow of vehicles making their way to work. I crossed over one of the tributary feeders to the Yealm and turned down an even quieter lane, where only one vehicle passed me – the ubiquitous red postie-van.
I had told the ferryman I would be at Wide Slip in Noss Mayo at 10:00, which I would easily make. I slowed down my waking pace as I entered the village of Newton Ferrers. It was quiet a nice sunny morning now as I dropped down the hill and continued the walk around Newton Creek, a small arm of the River Yealm. The tide was well out and I worried that the may be an issue with the amount of water in the river channel. I crossed over a small indent of Newton Creek via an exposed path – only a trickle of water made its way through the small indent to the main channel.
I arrived at Wide Slip with about 30 minutes to wait. I flipped the ferry board to a white face, hoping that the ferryman would come early. It was lovely and peaceful in this sheltered river estuary. It was 10:00 when the ferryman showed up and I clambered down some rocks and onto the boat. The short journey took just 2 minutes which cost £3.50. Quite expensive as ferry journeys go!
I got off at Warren Point and headed up the hill towards the outskirts of Wembury. I skirted around Wembury via a footpath past Wembury House and then alongside some allotments. I then joined a very narrow lane for a mile which had traffic and had me leaning against the steep-sided walls. I joined up again with the Erme – Plym Trail which I would be on all the way into Brixton. At Hollacombe Hill the path crossed the road and dropped down into a lovely valley, which went over pastures and down a green lane. The hedgerows were abundant with ripe blackberries, of which some tasted lovely. I crossed over another small offshoot of the Yealm at Cofflete Creek and under an old railway bridge. The road into Brixton had ceased to have motor vehicles travelling along it many years before. I rejoined the busy A379 and walked the short distance into Brixton and back to the car.
Distance today = 11 miles
Total distance = 4,225 miles
Walking the Coast of Great Britain 