Day 9 Exmouth to Sidmouth 12.5

Now Margaret had the foresight to ask our bus driver yesterday if the bus from Sidmouth to Exmouth was running today. He consulted the oracle and declared yes it was, so we had a leisurely breakfast and sat on the seafront for a while until 10.30 when the bus was due. There were about a dozen people waiting for this bus which only runs three times a day in each direction. The timetable on the bus stop confirmed that there would be a bus at 10.30. By 11 0'clock the only buses turning up were going to Exeter or Seaton. Once again Margaret asked the driver of the Seaton bus if the Exmouth bus was running today. He consulted a different oracle that confirmed this service doesn't start until 27 May. Stagecoach your lack of information is awful. A simple notice on the timetable would have prevented many people's plans being ruined. A group of four people also walking the SWCP tried to get a taxi but taxi drivers in Sidmouth are practically non-existent.
Our day was saved by a lovely Danish lady now resident in Sidmouth who advised us to go to Exeter on the next bus due in five minutes and then told us where to get off so that we could catch the next bus to Exmouth. Phew, what a morning.
We did eventually set off walking in Exmouth at 1.00 p.m.

It was a hot Bank Holiday Monday and the 2 mile seafront was heavily populated with holidaymakers enjoying themselves. It was quite a relief to climb up on to the cliff top and eat our lunch by the Geoneedle monument.

This marks the beginning of the Jurassic coast, a World Heritage Site, that runs for 95 miles between Exmouth and Studland Bay, the rest of our walk in fact.
A large caravan park rather spoilt the feeling of being away from it all before we arrived at the charming village of Budleigh Salterton where we stopped for a welcome cup of tea and piece of cake.

Hottentot-fig

You often see these flowers, native of S. Africa, growing on the cliffs in Devon and Cornwall.
The path leaves the cliffs at this point as you have to get over the River Otter which involves a 1 mile diversion inland.

River Otter

The cliffs are very red round this part of Devon and very spectacular at Ladram Bay.

Ladram Bay

There were two big climbs at High Peak and Peak Hill before arriving in Sidmouth at Jacob's Ladder,

Sidmouth

Jacob's Ladder

It was 7.30 in the evening when we eventually arrived in Sidmouth due to our late start so we went straight to the pub for a welcome meal to end the day.