Dartmouth 01/06/2025

What a fabulous day we had on our coach trip to Dartmouth on Sunday
1st June 2025! With such a great turnout too. It was wonderful to see
so many members come along to enjoy the sunshine, scenery and good
company.

To make sure everyone could walk at a pace that suited them, two
routes were thoughtfully arranged. Our long walk began at Strete Gate
Car Park near Slapton Beach and followed a coastal route all the way
back to the Dartmouth harbourside. Meanwhile, the shorter circular
walk set off from the harbour, heading out along the coast path to
Little Dartmouth before returning inland via Gallant's Bower, a
fascinating and well-preserved Civil War earthwork.

Both groups were treated to some of the area’s most scenic highlights,
including Bayard's Cove Fort, Dartmouth Castle, Warfleet Cove and
Sugary Cove – all looking particularly stunning under clear blue
skies.

The weather truly couldn’t have been better, with sunshine
accompanying us throughout the day. Adding to the excitement, a
Spitfire even flew overhead, which was a real highlight. In a lovely
moment of coincidence, both walking groups crossed paths during the
day, much to everyone’s amusement.

Some adventurous seafarers also took the opportunity to hop on the
ferry from Dartmouth Castle back to the harbour – a relaxing and
scenic way to round off a brilliant day.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable trip filled with great walks,
glorious views and excellent company all topped off with a nice cold beverage on the harbour front.

Alan Easterbrook

Sun, Sea and good walking

Over  twenty members settled onto a mini-coach at 8 am for the 90 minute ride to Torbay.

We divided into two groups. The first, smaller group got off the coach first for a  longer walk, whilst the second, much larger group stayed on the coach for a bit longer and  took a shorter, but equally challenging route.

The weather was just perfect. Sunny and warm but not excessive. The first group  walked along the coast from Holcombe to Labrador Bay Nature Reserve and then on to Babbacombe. The Second group started at Labrador Bay and walked to Babbacombe.

We followed paths along the cliffs above the Coastal Path. The views were of sea, boats of all sizes and we heard the roar of jet skis as we neared the beaches at Babbacombe.

There were lots of short climbs and plenty of steps to exercise  the body, but no-one complained. Its just fun to be out in summer. We all enjoyed the stop for refreshments at cafes and pubs at the end.

A tired group climbed back onto the coach for the ride back to WSM.  Our esteemed chair, Christine, slept comfortably on the way back.