The following are some of the ways to get in touch with each other A “guided” stroll along the new Tamara Coast to Coast WayMy guide looks sheepish as we walk along the, which roughly follows the border between Cornwall and Devon. We are standing in a field of grass flanked with overgrown hedgerows, and there is no obvious exit. I was promised an expansive view of the Tamar River stretching into the distance.
“Are we lost?” I inquire mischievously. I reply, “Give a minute.” I walked the route in the opposite way last time!
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Will Darwall, manager of the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme, a partnership of 21 organisations – including Cornwall Council, Devon County Council, the National Trust and Historic England – which aims to promote the Tamar valley and its communities
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Darwall points at the guidebook to show our direction. Eventually we see the Tamar river that we have been searching for
Will Darwall is my guide. He is the manager at the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme (TLPS) is the organisation responsible for creating the 87-mile route that runs from Cremyll, near Plymouth, in the south up to Marsland Mouth near Bude in north. Officially opened this month and supported by £2.3m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it joins two popular routes – the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail and the Bude Canal Trail – with existing public footpaths and a new permissive path The first coast-to-coast route with signs is now available near St Mellion.
Darwall says that people usually drive past the Tamar Valley when they head to the coast, Dartmoor, or Bodmin Moor. “We think this is the forgotten gem in the region. Here I have walked on some of the best walks that I’ve ever done.
There’s an alternative to the aforementioned. handy guidebook Directions. Darwall points confidently at the opposite end of the field, and we’re soon back on course.
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Xavier (10) who we met on our walk played in the mudflats of Bere Ferrers, at low tide.
We’re walking a short portion of stage three – if you can call three miles of undulating terrain “short” – from a tiny bay at Hole’s Hole that’s strewn with the ruins of an old yacht, towards the majestic Edwardian viaduct at Calstock.
The Tamar’s mudflats slowly disappear as the tide rises. Around us, the nature is vibrating. Bees and butterfly skitter between flowers, while vibrant blooms and thistles grow wherever the sun shines.
Darwall: “We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from the locals and there’s been a phenomenal demand for the guidebook. Our goal is to get more people here. Hopefully visitors will use the cafes and the B&Bs en route.”
Almost three hours after we set off – and having still not passed another walker – Calstock viaduct finally comes into view. The majestic Grade II*-listed structure, built between 1904 and 1907 by John Lang, stands 37 metres (120ft) high and has 12 symmetrical arches. Calstock station is just across the river on the opposite bank, but crossing the viaduct illegal. TLPS is currently negotiating to reinstate a local ferry.
Walking is the only way to get to our cars. Darwall, however, charms a local farm owner who generously offers us a ride in his ute. The farmer jokes, “I won’t be doing this to everyone.”
The coast-tocoast walk begins officially at Cremyll. A wooden fingerpost warns hikers about the long journey that lies ahead. I stop my departure so that I can admire the view of Plymouth Sound. This scene reminded me of Sydney, Australia. A super yacht, a fishing boat and two Royal Navy RIBs cruised past. Royal William Yard looked resplendent at a distance. A man with a large canine in his arms disembarks from the Cremyll Ferry.
Phil Rendell saunters along the trail with Ted the labradoodle. “I was so excited when I first heard about this new walk,” he says. “My father loves to walk and follow the coast paths. Now that we have a brand new route to take, he is all excited and wants to return from America to walk with me a few sections. Perhaps we can get to Bude in one day, if we take it in stages.
We arrive at a property that has a castle wall, covered with ivy. It was formerly a kitchen garden. Mount Edgcumbe estate. Unbeknownst to us, we have strayed from the path. We are now walking in his front yard. “You’re certainly not the only one”, he tells us.
The next day, I drive north and skip most of the walk in order to reach the source of Tamar. I’ve missed many captivating views and historic sites, among them the stepping stones of Lopwell Dam, St Mellion church, Launceston Castle and Horse Bridge – the oldest surviving bridge across the Tamar, which dates from 1437 – but it feels apt to visit the source of this mighty watercourse. The location is marked by a large boulder along a country lane.
I walk down to Marsland Mouth and emerge onto a rugged coastal pathway where the Atlantic Ocean welcomes me. A strong onshore breeze whips through the longgrass and races up the gorge.
I am surprised at how few people I have seen walking. Nicholas Childs says that he is drawn to the outdoors when it’s bright. It’s a really dramatic landscape around here, but it isn’t always so quiet.
The journey is over as I reach the end of a wooden link bridge. Devon Cornwall is just metres away from the shingle beaches. Now, I only need a farm with an ute to get me home.
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