21 Lyme Regis to Seaton

Lyme Regis

Our journey along the South West Coast Path enters a new phase today: we are making a three-day visit to Devon, based in Seaton, to do three successive stretches of the coast path. We pick up the route at the famous Cobb in Lyme Regis and almost immediately are in Devon.

We walked west for a short distance and then began a long climb to reach Ware Cliff, with a lovely view across Lyme Bay.

This would be the last view for some while, as soon you descend into Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve. The undercliff is the result of landslips, the most famous one being at Bindon, towards the western end, where in 1839 a section of cliff 1000m long, 100m wide an 50m deep "tore free from the mainland" (to quote a helpful information panel). The area has since been colonised by trees and is now described as "one of the most important wilderness areas in Britain".

It is hard to capture the somewhat claustrophobic atmosphere, but we were very struck with how like walking in the brush in New Zealand it was, especially our walks around Lake Kaniere and parts of the Coromandel Walkway. It is hard work too with constant changes of level and large numbers of tree roots and stones in the path.

After Ware Cliffs the next landmark is Pinhay, where there is a clear sight of the chalk cliffs through the trees. Unfortunately, the earlier blue sky had given way to a grey one, so there is little contrast.

Further on the path opened out for a bit and was briefly more like a normal walk in the woods.

But it soon reverted to a denser version, with helpful steps to ease some of the burden.

Just above Charton Bay the path goes through what was part of the estate of nearby Rousdon House and the remains of a pump house can be seen. The flora is a bit different too with plants which escaped from the house's formal gardens. You can't see the house unfortunately - nor can you from the Lyme to Seaton road, the A3052. It dates from about 1880 and Pevsner describes it as being "in a rather grim Franco-Flemish C16 style". The Francis Frith website has a photo from 1900, which bears this out. It was later a school and seems to have recently been redeveloped as luxury flats.

At about this point we chatted to a somewhat hippyish fellow walker who said he had just been down to the sea at Charton Bay. Although there were signs forbidding this, we could see that there was a well-marked path and so we took the unusually lawless step of descending the steep path to have a look.

The bay was pleasant, with nice views to the east ...

... but a more enclosed outlook to the west. It was great to be out in the open though.

The path continued through a virtual jungle for another couple of miles to eventually emerge on Haven Cliff, with a fine view of Seaton Bay: Beer Head is the point on the left and the beach of Seaton is just visible to the right.

We climbed and headed inland to walk beside fields and then cross a golf-course to descend into Axmouth, crossing the Axe at low tide over the modern bridge.

Beside the new bridge is the Axmouth Old Bridge. According to a blue plaque it was opened in 1870 and closed to traffic in 1990 and is the oldest concrete bridge in the country.

Conditions: mild, sunny then clouding over.

Distance: just over 7 miles. Distance now covered 93 miles.

Map: Explorer 116 (Lyme Regis and Bridport).

Rating: three stars. Interesting, but to be honest, not really enjoyable for the most part.