South West Coast Path. Day 3 (Afternoon): Burgh Island To Bantham

Just beyond Burgh Island and Bigbury-on-Sea stretched the wide mouth of the river Avon, the third river in three days that I would have to ford. Naturally the ferry wasn't working — I'd become used to that. So I decided to walk round the whole estuary, crossing the river by the road bridge at Aveton Gifford. This turned out to be a lovely, eight-mile walk — waymarked and easy to follow. I climbed the hill out of Bigbury. At the top a farmer offered me a cup of coffee, which I drank on his stone patio overlooking the Avon estuary and the village of Bantham, which I would reach five hours later...  

The superb view from the farmer's patio. In the top left of the picture you can just make out the village of Bantham.  It would take me five hours to get there along the delightful Avon Walkway. Such is the nature of the South West Coast Path. You can't be in a hurry.

At first the Avon Estuary Walk deviates away from the river... 

Good to know that children and animals are allowed to range freely in Devon, unlike in many other parts of the country, where they are caged and confined and not allowed to roam at will. Parents are far too worried these days about the dangers children may face out of sight of their parents. If they are constantly supervised they will never learn how to look after themselves, and never experience the joy and glorious liberation to be found in the natural world.     

I soon rejoined the river...

... whose banks were full of wonderful late-autumn colour...

There's Aveton Gifford in the distance...

I negotiated stiles and soggy, squelchy grass...

... until I gained the tidal causeway running alongside the river. Luckily the tide was out. I heard oystercatchers whistle and watched a little egret feeding in the marsh on the left. 

I stopped as long as I dared in the Fisherman's Rest pub at Aveton Gifford and drank a pint and ate a sandwich. It was two hours before nightfall. I set off back down the other side of the river, passing curvaceous, green fields and wooded combes circled by buzzards... 

... until I arrived finally at The Sloop Inn, Bantham, where I spent the night. Once more the food was very good. In fact I preferred it here to the Dolphin — it was smarter, and the rooms more comfortable...