The leaders for the walk were Hazel Smith and Brenda, two excellent walkers.

We gathered together at 10.00 AM in the Torre Abbey car park for a quick briefing and then we were off heading across the road and into the grounds of the very old Torre Abbey.

The buildings comprising the Abbey date back to a Tithe Barn of the 12 Century, the barn housed Spanish prisoners captured during the Armada to give some idea of the history of the place.

We skirted the Abbey and then made our way towards the Riviera Centre and then through the gardens towards the sea front.

As anticipated the pace was good and the more enjoyable for that.

Once by the sea we headed east towards the Marina and skirted this section passing the theatre and the shopping centre of Torquay to our east.

We swung around the marina and then made our way up a hill before swinging off onto the coastal path just beyond the large and imposing Imperial Hotel.

As we followed the coastal path up and away from the marina we turned back to admire the views back across Torbay.

Ahead of us down by the rocks we could see a natural arch formed by the constant battering of the sea, the arch bears the splendid name of London Bridge.

Continuing on, we faced a steady climb up to the high ground up above us, passing Thatcher's Point en route.

After the steady climb up including plenty of steps we emerged on a flat plain at the top. This grassy expanse bore the strange title of DaddyHole Plain.

If anyone knows how the name DaddyHole came about or even London Bridge I'd be delighted to hear from them.

Leaving Grassy Hole Plain we descended again down steep steps and downhill to the first accessible beach at Meadfoot. We made our way down to an area just above the beach for our morning coffee stop.

After coffee we had a brief excursion onto Meadfoot beach before returning again to the road immediately behind the beach.

Beyond the beach area as the coast swung east we could see another small point, called Thatcher Point.

We followed our way along close to Ilsham Marine Drive before following the coastal path again which looped out and around above Thatcher Point.

We returned to the marine drive and skirted inland of a large headland called Hopes' Nose.

The drive now swung north west and after a few hundred yards we turned right onto the SWCP and followed it north, then north west again as we passed above Ansteys Cove and Redgate Beach.

Ahead of us we could see a distinctive low point sticking out into the sea. Its name explained the strange shape of the point, it was called Long Quarry Point.

As we continued north west we could see the holiday houses of Babbacombe inland of us.

We were soon entering Babbacombe and onto the esplanade at the top of the high cliffs overlooking the twin beaches of Babbacombe and Oddicombe.

Looking down towards the beach hundreds of feet below us, several took the option of taking lunch on the esplanade lawns, Babbacombe Downs by name, rather than descend right down to the beach, eat and then return to the top again

Several of us however took the opportunity of descending the zig zag road which descended all the way down to the beach.

Apparently this very steep road with the several hairpin bends on it is used for hill climb rallies from time to time.

To help the visitors go down to and up from the beach there is a cliff railway with two coaches which naturally eases the transition up and down. I guess it really is a case of let the train take the strain in this instance!!

We made our way down the road and after getting on for 10 minutes were on the beach where we stopped for lunch.

There were quite a few people on the beach enjoying the walks along the beach and exercising their dogs.

After lunch we had to make the climb up again. This time we used the steps up which took us under the railway and then up beside it for the climb to Babbacombe Downs above us.

It was a good way of working off the lunch and we were soon gathering together again for the return journey back along the coastal path to Torquay esplanade.

It is a fact that the coastline always looks different when walked in the reverse direction and so it proved. All the headlands looked quite different but the ascents were equally steep.

The picture to the right is of Ansteys' Cove, on the walk east we hadn't even noticed it, approaching it from the east it is clearly visible.

This time we continued to DaddyHole Plain for our afternoon tea break.

After a welcome stop, leaving the grassy area of DaddyHole, we descended down again to the marina, passin the Imperial Hotel en route before finally arriving at the esplanade again.

We passed the fountains in front of the marina and then to the walkway immediately above Livermead Beach.

From there we retraced our steps through the well manicured gardens and once again through Torre Abbey.

The picture to the right is of the very old 12th Century Tithe Barn, imposing still after all those centuries.

We arrived back into the car park by just before 3.30 PM. We had been walking quickly for getting for 5 hours taking off the 30 minute break for for food. It was easily a 12 mile jaunt for the trip and the our legs once again let us know we had been walking on concrete for some of the time.

Thanks were given to the leaders and we were off for the 35 mile drive back to Plymouth.

We are pleased that there are some urban areas which we can walk during this fraught period of banned footpaths and bridleways during the foot and mouth period. With the forecast of the disease not being eradicated until the Autumn we may have many more such walks ahead of us.