The walk was from the car park near Aveton Gifford, down the River Avon, around Bigbury-on-Sea and Challaborough, along to coastal path to Ayrmer Cove and returning via the villages of Ringmore and Bigbury. He estimated the walk to be of the order of 10 to 11 miles.

Despite 10 of the normal walkers being away in the Lake District, the combination of a 10 mile coastal walk and relatively warm conditions attracted 17 of us to the start point car park just to the right of the main road to from Plymouth to Kingsbridge just by the highest navigable point of the River Avon.

The map of the walk above shows the route taken but should be studied in conjunction with a suitable 1:25000 ordnance survey map of the area, such as the Outdoor Leisure 20 map of South Devon.

At just gone 10 AM we set off following the tidal road which runs along the side of the Avon from Aveton Gifford for the first mile downstream, before turning inland and up to Bigbury.

There are two tidal fords to be crossed en route and the tide was going out as we started.

The first ford was only a couple of hundred yards down the river. Unfortunately the tide hadn't gone out far enough and we had to turn inland and up the side of a fairly muddy inlet. John knew this was always going to be a possibility and sure enough a short distance along the inlet we came upon a set of stepping stones which got us past the first hurdle.

We made quick progress along the road hoping the tide had gone out far to enable us to cross the second ford. If not we would have to make a two mile detour inland to the nearest bridge. We were in luck, the tide had just receded far enough and we could just about make it over the ford in about 3 inches of water. What planning!

On the other side of the ford we turned left away from the road and walked along the foreshore for a few yards before walking up some steps to follow the footpath which swung uphill, quite steeply across a field, our first climb of the day.

Up and across the field we went crossing two stiles in the process and we were on high ground above the Avon. As we walked around the upper section of the field we looked down a very steep valley with a copse part way down. The small copse is called Doctors Wood and we passed it looking down on the trees below.

Following the footpath, we skirted the top of the wood and emerged over another stile or two to find ourselves faced with a ploughed field. The path across it, although no marked was easy to follow since the earth was flattened by the man walkers who had made their way across the field. The crop planted appeared to be broad beans, so later in the year the path will be through the crop of three feet high broad been plants.

At the other side of the field we met the road from Bigbury to the local golf course. We turned left and followed the path along the land with the road over the hedge. Two fields later and we were on a small road/track which led us once again down near the River Avon. The land was privately owned just above the foreshore and we turned right and followed the footpath inland.

Just passed the privately owned and securely fenced area we stopped for morning coffee. Then to are second steep ascent up to an old farm now being redeveloped as self contained flats and then on up a steeper track which brought us out to the Bigbury Golf course.

We followed the footpath along side of part of the golf course and then swung left and then down via the footpath which soon turned right and took us right down to the foreshore once again, the foreshore in this area is known as Cockleridge Ham. The map indicates that there is a ferry which crosses the Avon at this point to Bantham in the summer months.

We followed the path which emerged across rocks , got too close to the water and had to make our way across seaweed strewn rocks.

We managed this without loss of dignity and walked across the wide sandy expanse and thence on to Bigbury Beach itself.

We were relatively sheltered here, the sun was shining and it was very mild for early March.

We stayed on the beach and made our way across the beach passing windsurfers and getting ever closer to Burgh Island with the spit of sand clearly linking it to the land, with the tide still going out. We could see the well known passenger tractor which is used to take people to and from the island around high water.

We tucked in under the low cliffs and enjoyed our lunch in the balmy conditions. Clouds were now beginning to gather behind us and they appeared to threaten rain.

After the lunch break we left the beach and passed through the car park and made our way along the road which led us towards the next beach, that of Challaborough.

I was amazed at just how much Bigbury on Sea, as the area is known, had changed, gone were the small chalets and in their place, substantial holiday homes. There were good views looking west down to the high cliffs beyond the next beach.

We made our way up through the houses we could see the chalet village of Challaborough below us, strikingly different to the substantial properties at nearby Bigbury on Sea.

Many of the chalets are owned by Plymothians who come out to the beaches at every opportunity during the summer. In March though there was little sign of the mass of people who would be here in a few weeks time.

Some of us compared the obtrusiveness of the chalets at Challaborough with the well landscaped and secluded chalet village at Stoke Beach, 5 miles or so further west.

    Quickly passing through Challaborough, we made our way to the coastal path for the climb up to the headland high above us at Toby's Point. As we made our way up this strenuous section so typical of the coastal path in this area we had excellent views of the coastline stretching before us.

At the top we had even closer views of the high cliffs of the area. We then made our way carefully down the other side to Ayrmer cove below, quite a steep descent and slippery when it is wet.

We had the choice of two paths to take inland, on either side of the little stream running down to the valley to the beach.

We crossed the head of the beach, over the stream and turned inland and up the valley towards the village of Ringmore, high above us at the top of the valley. The footpath is clearly marked and easy to follow and we passed by an old farm, called Lower Manor Farm, with the unusual feature of an old clock inset into a barn like structure.

You'll have to take my word for it as I was too far away to get the clock showing clearly in the photograph.

As we approached Ringmore there was plenty of evidence of the thatchers craft with many of the houses wearing thatched roofs with the distinctive signature of the thatcher in the shape of a bird or an animal.

We made our way into the village and past the pub and then picked up another footpath which took us diagonally across fields just above Challaborough and then across a stream and up via a muddy lane leading us into the village of Bigbury. We stopped for afternoon tea in the fields just before the lane and then made our way into the village and the main road leading to Bigbury on Sea.

We turned right, along the road towards the seaside village for a few yards and then moved off onto the path through the fields bordering the road. After a few hundred yards we found ourselves by the field with the broad bean crop. From this point it was simply a case of retracing the route we had taken for the final two one to two miles back to the car park at Aveton Gifford. The statement all downhill from here was very true in this case, downhill or level as there was no uphills to speak of for the rest of the walk.

By this time the tide was just about on the turn and the fords were very passable with no sign of the surface water of the morning. The car drivers also knew this and there was a steady stream of cars taking the short cut between Aveton Gifford and Bigbury.

We were back in the car park by about 3.15 PM, John had given us a good walking day out with even some beach walking, and paddling!! Those with electronic pedometers confirmed that we had covered between 10 and 11 miles, and the lack of wet clothes confirmed that the rain had held off during the day.