Thanks to Gillian Gibbons for the following account of the holiday:
41 members, including friends from Stoke/Newcastle group, travelled to Paignton on Monday 11th May 2026 for our 7 nights stay at The Palace Hotel. Hollinshead Coaches of Biddulph provided the transport for us, and Mike was our driver again. There was slow local traffic at the start of our journey but things improved on the motorway and we later had a break at the pleasant but busy Gloucester services. The early rain changed to drier conditions as we headed further south. A lovely evening meal after our arrival at the hotel was just the beginning of some enjoyable meals to follow.
On Tuesday there were 2 walks on offer for the 39 walkers, ending in Widecombe in the Moor. After an hour's travel, with a bright blue sky and some sun, we reached the drop off point for the longer walk of 8.5 miles, and then a couple of miles further for start of the 7 mile walk. As we reached Dartmoor it became cloudy and very windy. There were groups of ponies visible here and we could hear Sky Larks, and of course the lush undulating scenery, with the rolling hills as the medium walk followed roads and tracksnorth over Bonehill Down. Later a climb followed to a pre-historic settlement of 24 stone roundhouses known as Grimspound, and the longer walkers reached this point before we headed upto the trig point for our lunch, with a strong cold wind blowing. After our break we headed down to Widecombe, where we had an hour visiting St Pancras Church, with its 120 ft tower, and the other amenities in this small village, before returning to the hotel.
Tuesday 12th May: Dartmoor. Longer walk to Widecombe in the Moor, led by Derek Lowe & Charlie Bigley
Tuesday 12th May: Lunchtime in what was a medieval settlement.
Tuesday 12th May: Descending to Widecombe in the Moor
Tuesday 12th May. Shorter walk to Widecombe in the Moor, led by Dave Martin.
Our first coastal walk took place on the Wednesday when 38 of us boarded to coach to go to Budleigh Salterton, with the later destination of Sidmouth. It was very windy with a forecast of blustery showers later, but we avoided those and the sun was out for most of the time. We headed down through the village and along the sea front to reach the coastal path. Plenty of wild flowers to see including the tall stemmed Red Clover, and again the sound of the Sky Larks. A detour was taken inland to follow the Otter Estuary before we crossed over to the opposite bank further down the coast. Later as we reached Chislebury Bay the medium walkers walked across fields to Otterton, where we had lunch, before being driven down to Sidmouth for a short stay. The longer walk continued on the coastal path with steep uphill sections and then a steep descent down to Sidmouth. At the split of the groups we could see the red soiled crumbling cliffs, and due to the strong wind we were all covered by a red dust, due to a farmer ploughing his field here.
Wednesday 13th May, medium walk to Otterton, led by Dave Martin
The medium walkers about to set off to Otterton. Derek on the right ready to lead the long walkers to Sidmouth.
Wednesday 13th May. Approaching Sidmouth. Longer walk.
Thursday was Mike's day off, so most of the group took advantage of trips out, the most popular being over to Dartmouth. The day was a mixture of showers and again very windy.
Friday's destination would be the lovely Salcombe. We all left the coach in Marlborough and the 25 medium walkers headed south on the permissive path around South Down Farm, with its fold of Highland Cattle, and the 14 longer walkers went westward to Bolt Tail and then Bolt Head, before continuing to South Sands (8.4 miles)
The medium walkers reached the start of where we would take the coastal path on our left, but stopped for a drinks break overlooking the calm sea, with its varying shades of blue. The undulating path could clearly be seen, but at one stage we took a detour across fields, due to a very rocky steep section, before we headed to South Sands, and this extended the mileage to around 8 miles. The longer walkers reached this point first and took the sea tractor and ferry over to Salcombe. The rest of us followed shortly after as a member needed some medical help after slipping in the lane, as we descended to the waters edge. The initial part of the trip on the sea tractor is only very short, and then a 15 minute sail on the ferry took us through the estuary with the boats and yachts moored there over to Salcombe, with the very pretty scenery all around. Mike had quite a challenge here to leave the area due to narrow roads and closed sections, but as ever delivered us safely back to the hotel.
Friday 15th May, Salcombe, shorter walk
Friday 15th May: Inner and Outer Hope from Bolt Tail Peninsula, longer walk
On Saturday only 17 walkers took the coach to Dartmoor due to the poor weather forecast, and it started to rain as soon as we reached our start point. We all set off together going through fields and woodland, to access the path onto the moorland. The path was well defined but it was strewn with with rocks and not easy to walk on. Along with more ponies and Sky Larks we also heard a Cuckoo. Later 5 of the group took a detour over to Nun's Cross, which lies on the Abbots Way, a 23 mile monastic route across Dartmoor, but due to the now heavy rain the remaining 12 continued to Princetown (total of 6.17 miles) and awaited the return of the others to return to the hotel.
Day 5, Saturday 16th May, Dartmoor, shorter walk led by Dave Martin
In Burrator Forest before the ascent to Princetown
Day 5, Saturday 16th May, Dartmoor, longer walk led by Derek Lowe
Saturday 16th May: Nuns Cross near Princetown Dartmoor. Cold, wet and heading for lunchtime shelter
Saturday 16th May: Princetown & Dartmoor Prison ahead
Our final walk on Sunday 17th May was to Bigbury on Sea. We all started out together taking the path on the west side of the Avon Estuary, with stunning views looking back across the water and the village of Aveton Gifford where we were dropped off. A steep uphill climb took the 26 medium walkers to the edge of the golf course, and then we descended to the coast. The longer walkers would continue on the coast path before later returning to Bigbury. The medium group had lunch over looking the harbour and bay, and we saw an Egret on the water's edge, but there was a very chilly wind again. We then set off to walk along the sands, covered in seaweed in parts, into Bigbury and Burgh Island. On the cliff side is the famous hotel and the Pilchard Inn, where we bought some refreshments. As the tide was out we didn't require the sea tractor to take us towards where the coach was parked, just walked over the sand again, to end the 6.8 mile walk. We were later joined by the longer walkers (8.9 miles), and then travelled back to the hotel for our final evening meal, all feeling quite tired !
Day 6, Sunday 17th May, the Avon Estuary, Bigbury-on-Sea and Burgh Island
Shorter walk led by Dave Martin
Day 5, Sunday 17th May, longer walk led by Derek Lowe & Charlie Bigley
Burgh Island beckons.
We left the hotel at 09.30 on Monday 18th May, slightly delayed again by a closure on a section of the M5, but we were soon on our way to Gloucester Services where we had a break before continuing home. A big thank you to Mike and the hotel staff for taking care of us all week, and to the walk leaders Dave, ( who organised this trip for us) Derek and Charlie and also to Jan for the brochure of walks information . A big thank you as well to everyone who took part and made this another great holiday, just not in our usual sunny weather ! However based on the heatwave temperatures at the end of the week we returned home to, perhaps that was no bad thing, and we only had one day of rain !
Gillian Gibbons