Category: South West Coast Path
Heading southwest
16th August 2025 Last weekend, I ventured to parts of England that I had not visited before: Devon and Cornwall. My base was Exeter, and any strolling was mainly urban in nature. Nevertheless, I did head out of the city by the banks of the River Exe and the Exeter Canal as far as Riverside Valley Park before turning back again. While others were so minded, there was ample space to avoid any sense of being overcrowded.
One back within city limits, I headed to its cathedral district on a photographic errand before ambling back to my hotel around by the city's Victorian era catacombs and a former abbey. After attending to a matter, the evening sunshine sent me wandering again, this time as far as Exmouth, where I pottered around by a coastline with many enjoying the glorious weather. As the day proceed to a close, I continued as far as Orcombe Point.
Since a landscape photographer was stationed there with her tripod-mounted camera, I did not intrude and set off to make my way back within urban surroundings again. Using a permissive path on National Trust land became the cause of my going astray, not a brilliant with the sun having retreated beneath the horizon. This caused me to follow more of the South West Coast Path than was ideal at the time.
The sense of urgency with which I made my made through Devon Cliffs Holiday Park may have attracted the attention of security if overheard radio chatter at the park gate was any indication. One past that point, all was unhindered and without any untoward exchange of words. Fortuitously, a bus was seen to pass on its way into the park, so I waited for it to turn around so I could speed up my return to Exmouth train station, feeling more than a bit foolish on the way after my blundering.
That sheepishness had plenty of time to fade over the following day. It was mainly occupied by proceeding as far as Penzance on the first rail departure of the day. The three-hour journey time was new information to me, yet I was not deterred. Getting to Cornwall for the first time was enough of a motivation. While St. Michael's Mount was ever present in eastern coastal views, it was just too far to walk there and back due to the travel time back to Macclesfield.
After strolling around the place for more than an hour, I was ready to set off again. Fancying a brief stopover in Plymouth, an idea with which I toyed the previous afternoon, I left on an earlier train. If I had expected forty-five minutes to suffice for an out and back hike to Plymouth's shoreline, I was to be proven wrong. Though that delayed my departure from the city by an hour, it was more than worthwhile with what was there to be savoured. That I got a quieter carriage for the journey as far as Birmingham was an added bonus.
The tight connection in Birmingham was a concern to me, especially given a hold up on the approach to New Street Station. Nevertheless, all was well, and I made an earlier coach connection from Wilmslow to Macclesfield too. If I had left Penzance or Plymouth later than I did, I might have been far more concerned.
That dalliance with the tail end of the Jurassic Coast near Exmouth popped another idea into my head for a weekend getaway. However, reaching the Dorset coast appears too long for an after work getaway of a Friday evening. Travel connections in the area are not as convenient either, causing me to question the motivation for such a proposal. Thus, I am leaving this prospect aside, at least for now. Catching Ely of a sunny weekend is more practicable and realisable, so that could be next.
Travel Arrangements
Here is the itinerary for this journey: 1. Travel from Macclesfield to Wilmslow: Taking a rail replacement coach service. 2. Wilmslow to Exeter: Catch a train, changing at Birmingham New Street. 3. Exeter to Penzance: Continuing the journey on a direct train. 4. Penzance to Plymouth: Board the train to Plymouth. 5. Plymouth to Wilmslow: Head back with a train change at Birmingham New Street. 6. Final stretch from Wilmslow to Macclesfield: By rail replacement coach service.
