Walking in South Devon

Guest Blog Post - Milly Cooksley

There are many choices about where to go walking in South Devon, as each route has its own charm, obstacles and degree of difficulty. Logistics is a good starting point when planning where to walk, for example, it may not be worthwhile to drive to a location an hour away when there is a lovely route to be reached within twenty minutes. However, there are certain factors that can sway a decision, such as entry cost, because who doesn't love things free of charge, and the landmarks you may encounter along the way, i.e. a pub.

I had a lovely walk around Becky Falls Park, which does require paying an entry fee, but this is for the opportunity to walk around a stunning natural waterfall which is not something you see every day. Becky Falls also has a variety entertainment running, and some animals to pet which help make the entry fee more worthwhile.

I chose to walk the red route around the park, because I am of course 'fit and well shod' (I was wearing appropriate shoes at least) and although I scoffed slightly at this, the walk proved to more challenging than expected. At times the path was obstructed by huge, hefty boulders which required a full effort to climb over, and many of the manmade steps were level or higher than my knee, thus providing me a good leg and bum workout! Due to the weather being mild but slightly damp, and my visit taking place fairly soon after opening time, I didn't come into contact with anybody else during the walk. This enabled me to stop and take countless photographs without holding up anybody else, but even better than this, I didn't get stuck behind anyone walking or climbing over the rocks slowly; patience is unfortunately a trait with which I was not gifted. Most valuable of all however was it meant I had some lovely, undisturbed thinking time.

I had a fabulous time walking around Becky Falls, it really is very beautiful. Never the less, the walk would be even more enjoyable in the company of friends. With others, you can laugh together about the money tree (you will have to see for yourself why I found it so amusing), you would have the chance to get decent photographs with the waterfall, not just an odd angled selfie, and even better, if you find yourself struggling with the rocks, you will have a helping hand! Similarly to my bike ride, I preferred that the weather was not scorching, thus Becky Falls is not exclusively a sunny day activity, however, this meant I did have to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of water drops sliding down my back!

Here are my tips for tackling Becky Falls walking routes:

Wear good shoes; this was the only time over my course of the week that my shoes were appropriate and I was so thankful for it!

Remember to take water, the track is slightly more challenging than you would expect.

Lighten your bag by only carrying what is really required. This does not involve two books.

If you find yourself stuck carrying a large umbrella, it can double as a walking stick.

Watch out for cows.