8.2 km along the coast and 7.6 km inland.
The second half of section 53 in the SWCPA handbook
After a dry day yesterday, the morning started with drizzle though mild for the middle of December. So, a little unsure whether we would want to walk all the way to Torcross, we parked at a little free car-park at Strete Gate, which is where the cliffs end and road along the shingle ridge at Slapton Sands starts.
From here there is an easy ascent to Strete village, so this time we followed the Coastal Path from West to East which then follows the main road through the village. After that there is a dramatic descent on a steep, and slippery after the drizzle, grassy path, followed naturally by a steep ascent before crossing the main road and then descending to Blackpool Sands.
Here we stopped for coffee and home made mince pies – it is nearly Christmas! Then followed a suggested alternative track back to Strete village and the same way back to where we had left the car. The weather had generally improved during the morning so we decided to carry on.
The official Coastal path is on the North (landward) side of the road from Strete Gate to Torcross, so we followed it to Slapton where we found a shelter with a dry seat for lunch overlooking Slapton Ley, the freshwater lake behind the shingle ridge. This is well known birdwatching territory due to the marshes and habitat.
We continued to Torcross after lunch. We had been there last summer (2019) and in a gap between lockdowns, it had been busy, but the pub was only serving drinks outside in the car-park. Now although the pub was open, the rest of the village was almost deserted.
As you enter Torcross, there is now a Sherman tank on display – this is one that has recently been recovered from the sea following one of the worst, and until recently secret, tragedies in the second war when troops on a training exercise for D-Day were attacked.
We followed the shingle ridge on the seaward side of the road back to the car at Strete Gate.
