With the proximity of Mount Batten to Plymouth the area always attracts reasonable numbers and there were 32 ramblers out and ready for the fray at 10.30 AM.

This outline should be used in conjunction with a suitable 1:25000 map of the area such as the OS map of Plymouth and the Tamar Valley.

Leave the main car park and follow the coast path signs away from Mt Batten Take the path to the seaward side of the Crescent Houses and up the hill before coming to the rolling manicured lawns above Jennycliff .

The views of the sound along this section are quite spectacular and in season the Sound is a hive of activity. On the day of the walk the strong winds kept most of the boats in the sheltered marinas and on dry land however.

Keep the sea to the right and soon you will come across a gate and a sign showing you are leaving Plymouth and on the way to Poole, only 175 miles to go to get there along the SW Coastal path.

Through the gate there are steps descending and then a steep set of man made wooden steps up the other side and into the wooded area overlooking the Sound.

The coastal path through the woods offers glimpses of the Sound as it sweeps round under Staddiscombe Heights and after a few hundred yards the woods end the views of the Sound and the breakwater improve dramatically. Ahead of us the Breakwater can be seen in all it's beauty.

After a relatively level section there is a steep descent down steps with the Bovisand Fort and Diving Centre just below us.

The descent continues as the path swings away from the sea and soon we cross a new bridge over part of the old fort complex.

Below us we can see the back of coastguard cottages and the route goes by the top of the back gardens and then swings sharp right and descends down steps to the road leading down to the Diving Centre.

Turn left by the coastguard cottages and head up the road for a hundred yards or so.

Just beyond an old café on the left , you will see a signpost on your right directing you down towards Bovisand Beach.

We followed the descending track down to the first of the popular Bovisand Beaches and then up the other side entering the Bovisand Holiday Chalet complex.

Just below the cafe and toilet on the rolling lawns of the Bovisand chalet site we stopped for morning coffee. The views looking across to the Breakwater and beyond to Cornwall and the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand were wonderful.

Walk along the road through the complex uphill and then downhill again until you come to a finger post pointing up hill and away from the coast towards Down Thomas.

Follow the path steeply uphill and when you reach a road follow the road, named Manor Bourne Road, I believe, as it continues uphill towards Down Thomas.

After less than half a mile of uphill walking you will see a finger post directing you over a stile and into a field.

There is a new seat just before the stile which may prove useful after the uphill section.

Head diagonally across the field and go over a stile at the far corner.

Just over the stile turn to the right and you will see a track and gate in front of you.

Go through the gate and follow the level constrained path across a stile and a kissing gate before emerging out onto a road just by Jubilee hall on the outskirts of Down Thomas.

Turn left and walk up the road and into Down Thomas for a short distance, about 100 metres. Just beyond an old converted church, there is a finger post pointing off to the right.

For the next couple of miles you will be walking across fields and lanes.

Walk along the path by cottages on your left, over a vee stile and bear left at the bottom of the gardens where there is a post indicating directions.

Head down towards a stile and then down into a valley where there is a narrow bridge over a stream. At an easy pace you should reach here at about 12.30 as we did and it is a nice sheltered spot for a lunch break before the next uphill section.

Cross the bridge and head up the field climbing up the hill. A few hundred yards up you will see a stile.

Usually there are cattle in this field and you can see the cattle and the farm in the picture on the right.

However note the farmer uses electric fencing to control where his cattle can graze and you may have to pass under the electric fence.

We didn't see any insulated section to cross over and on the walk we diverted from the true footpath and made our way around the edge of the electric fence to regain the footpath at the other side.

Cross over the stile into the cultivated land, the farmer hasn't made a proper 1 metre wide track so the path will be as wide as the walkers have made it.

At the other side of the field you will come to another stile which leads onto a narrow lane.

Go directly across the lane then over another stile and make your way along the right hand edge of the field.

After a couple of hundred yards you will come to a marker indicating three possible footpath routes to follow.

Since we are at the furtherest point of our walk here the route now swings left and directly up across a field towards a stile in the hedge a hundred yards or so to the north. The farmer has once again failed to leave a one metre wide strip so it is up to the walkers to make the track, rather than following around the edge of the field to the stile in the hedge opposite.

Cross over the stile and across a small bridge over a narrow stream and follow the footpath, a good 2 metres wide to the opposite side of the field to another stile.

Turn left and follow the track up to the road at the end of the entrance to Raneleigh farm.

Turn right onto the main road until you come to a road off to the left signed towards Bovisand and Down Thomas.

Cross over the stile into the field, the footpath has been changed here and no longer goes diagonally across the field as shown on the OS map.

Make your way along the left hand side of the field until you reach the brow of the hill when you will see a track at right angles to the one you are on.

There was no sign at this point to indicate a sudden change of direction of the footpath right of way. Turn right through 90 degrees and follow the broad track across and down the field.

You will see a stile at the end of the track in the hedge at the far end of the field.

Cross over the stile into the next field and turn slightly left initially along the side of the field.

Head along a rough narrow track through the field for about 50 metres until you see a kissing gate in the hedge with a road heading uphill just beyond it.

Pass through the kissing gate, ignore the footpath sign pointing down a track towards Bovisand and follow the narrow lane as it heads north west up a few hundred metres to another road.

Directly across the wider road there is a footpath sign directing you into a field.

Go through the kissing gate and into the field.

Head up diagonally across the field to another kissing gate at the far side of the field. Off to the left you will see free range pig stys and on our walk the pigs certainly were free range, the electric fence was down and the pigs were free to roam. They had their freedom to roam before us!!

Go through through the kissing gate and turn right onto a track heading east. There are splendid views of Plymouth to the North and the Moors in the far distance from this local high point.

Follow the rough track down with some more pig houses on your right.

You will come to a wood and a signpost indicating you have reached the Erme Plym Trail.

Follow the Erme Plym trail as it enters the wood and there is a wide and path all the way down through the woods.

After a few hundred yards the woods start to narrow with to a swathe of woods with urban housing on both sides.

Cross a narrow lane to another stile near the houses.

Go over or around the stile and continue to follow the track down through the woods, the woods narrowing all the time as the urban developments increase.

Eventually the path levels out at the bottom of the hill, goes by the back of some houses and curves to the right as it swings past an electricity substation until it emerges onto the main Plymstock to Hooe Road.

Cross the road and make your way down to a bridge over a stream.

Go over the bridge and follow the track down along the right hand side of the valley and you will see Radford Lake off to your left, where there are many water fowl.

Make your way to the bottom of the lake where there is a track off to your left and a strange, almost folly like building between Radford Lake and Hooe tidal Lake.

Turn left and go under the arch of this building and over the man made dam which separates Radford Lake from the tidal Hooe Lake.

Follow the track along the side of Hooe Lake and then up some steps with a sewage works on your left hand side.

After a short climb up by the side of the sewage works, you will emerge at a path junction.

Turn right at the top and follow the track around as it sweeps around giving views between the trees of Hooe Lake below.

The track exits out onto a road via a gate. Continue along the road as it continues on and then descends steeply down to sea level through houses and into Hooe village just by a pub called the Royal Oak.

Just past the pub you are at the Hooe end of Hooe tidal Lake.

Make your way across the end of the lake and turn right and follow the road along by the far side of Hooe Lake past its narrow entrance and you will reach the tidal Cattewater.

Keep Hooe Lake and then the Cattewater on your right hand side. A few yards further on you will reach the Royal Marines Base with its secure entrance.

Follow the road on and go through the small opening in the large metal gate across the road and continue on into Turnchapel Village.

Walk through the village until you come to a narrow steeply ascending road.

Go up the hill and out of the village until you come to the main road and car park at the top.

Just to the seaward side of the car park there is a signposted path down some steel steps on down to and alongside the Havens Marina.

Go down these steps and make your way along the road with the boat marina on your right hand side and town houses to your left.

Continue on until you come to a road and strange looking folly which is a lighthouse light at ground level.

At this point it is but a few yards back to the car park start point.

If you opt to finish here you are missing one on the most interesting parts of the walk with some more splendid views.

From the lighthouse light and ships chimneys follow the coast path along the side of the Cattewater towards the Mt Batten Water Sports Centre.

Continue along passing the Mount Batten Pub until you arrive at Mount Batten Pier with wonderful views of the Sound, the Barbican and the Hoe.

If you walk along the breakwater to the end you will see plenty of fishermen but you will have no option but to return along the same way.

There is a new restaurant at the start of the breakwater called the Cobblers restaurant and tea room.

It looks a wonderful setting nestling under the Mount and tower that gives Mount Batten it's name.

The path goes to the right of the restaurant and via a series of steps takes you up to the top of the Mount.

Once again the views are worth the climb.

You can walk across to the Tower and part of the way around it but at the moment you cannot ascend to top of it, even though there are steps leading up to it.

There is a good plaque giving a brief description of it's history.

It is worth at stroll around this plateau and Tower before the final downhill back to the car park.

The views across to the Hoe, the Barbican and up the Cattewater are excellent with masses of boats rushing around during the summer.

From the Mount, there is a wide sloped path leading you back to the car park and start point. Turn right and make your way along the road towards the car park where you started from.

You have arrived back but it may be worth visiting the Mt Batten Water Sports Centre with it's bar and great value meals of go back to the pub near the passenger ferry or on around to the Cobblers restaurant and tea rooms with its beautiful views.

Well at the third time of trying Joy had managed to actually lead the walk around. It had been a most varied and interesting walk, perhaps just on 9 miles but well worth the effort.

It is quite possible to get to Mount Batten by public transport from Plymouth or even by water taxi from across the Barbican side just beyond the Mayflower steps at Phoenix Wharf.