Week 5: Torquay to Woodbury — A Crooked Trail or Two

Photo of the Exe estuary from a hot air balloon, by Smalljim

This is the week when my virtual run turned into a virtual run and row from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Week 5 began normally enough; just outside Torquay is the Kents Cavern Prehistoric Cave. As I finished my run here in hot, dry Colorado, I imagined this would’ve been a nice place to stop and cool off, to view the cave and learn more about the ancient people who once sheltered there.

On Tuesday, I ran a segment from Torquay to Teignmouth, crossing the River Teign where it empties into the English Channel. For centuries, a ferry connected Shaldon and Teignmouth, the towns perched opposite each other on either side of the Teign estuary.

In 1827, a new bridge opened, connecting the two towns via a span that at the time claimed to be the longest timber bridge in England, and the second longest in Europe. While this may not be strictly true, at 1632 feet involving 32 arches, it was certainly a large structure. To allow masted ships to pass upriver, there was a small swing bridge section at the Teignmouth end.

Kent’s Cavern Prehistoric Cave, outside Torquay

The original Teignmouth and Shaldon Bridge has since been replaced by one that has a lot less character, but which I’m guessing is safer: in 1838 part of this bridge’s structure collapsed, with the remainder found to already be rotten and infested w… — The original Teignmouth and Shaldon Bridge has since been replaced by one that has a lot less character, but which I’m guessing is safer: in 1838 part of this bridge’s structure collapsed, with the remainder found to already be rotten and infested with worm.

Then on Thursday, the Cameron Peak fire broke out near Chambers Lake, about 50 miles away.

The Cameron Peak Fire shortly after it started, on August 13. Photo by Twitter user John Joseph (@Milwaukee_WY)

The hot, near-rainless conditions we’ve had over the past several weeks have led the forests to be tinder-dry, meaning the fire has continued to grow… even doubling in size between Saturday night and Sunday morning. As I write this on Sunday morning, the fire spans 11,000 acres and although crews have been working to contain the fire for days, it still stands at 0% containment.

Footage of the Cameron Peak Fire, by AirTracker7/Scripps Media.

And so while I hope for rain in the forecast, and am filled with gratitude for the firefighters and other first responders involved in containing the blaze, I am exercising indoors, putting in the miles on my rowing machine. With the campfire smell permeating our house, and the orange tint to the light giving everything we can see an odd apocalyptic patina, I’m welcoming the opportunity to imagine myself on Great Britain. I loathe exercising indoors, but as someone who is safe and healthy and has not had to evacuate, it’s a small inconvenience and I feel very lucky for all I have.

The first point of interest I passed after shifting over to rowing was Powderham Castle. Powderham is a fortified manor house, the core of which dates back to the 1390s. During the Wars of the Roses, the castle was held under siege for two months of 1455. It also came under attack in early 1646 during the English Civil War.

Powderham Castle, looking about as different from fiery Colorado as possible.

Today, people might recognize it as the source of many of the interiors of the 1993 Merchant/Ivory film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Remains of the Day.

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Emma Thompson, as Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton in Powderham Castle’s Staircase Hall, in “The Remains of the Day.”

The rest of the week’s segment was spent making my way around the River Exe estuary… so perhaps all my indoor rowing workouts — however much I’d prefer to be outside running on a trail — are appropriate for this leg of the journey.

Fancy a pint?

Unlike the Naylor brothers, who pledged to “abstain from all intoxicating drink” during their 1871 walk on this route, I’m not at all opposed to popping into interesting-looking pubs along the way. Here are a few along this stretch of the journey:

Sea view from The Smuggler’s Inn, Dawlish

Just up the coast from Teignmouth in the village of Dawlish, the Smuggler’s Inn restores weary hikers and travelers with local ales and a diverse menu… including many vegan options. The sea view from the patio looks heavenly.

To the running list of haunted pubs, we can add The Anchor Inn in Cockwood, along the River Exe just north of Dawlish. Founded 450 years ago, its resident ghosts are apparently a friendly man and his loyal dog.

The pub started as a seaman’s mission, to attend to the souls of sailors (and also connect itinerant seafarers with ship jobs) and gradually shifted to becoming a bar/restaurant and inn.

Situated on the Exe estuary in Topsham, the Passage House Inn has a beautiful patio that looks out over the water. Reviews indicate it’s a great spot for birdwatchers to enjoy a pint, as it’s apparently a good place from which to watch avocets, brent geese, curlews, plovers, swans, widgeon, and “a few little egrets.”

Also, someone at the Passage House Inn enjoys talking about history, and built a site that shares interesting stories from Topsham’s past, including mesolithic people who occupied Topsham long before the Inn’s 1721 founding.

Sustenance for the Hungry Vegan

Nourish Plant-based Cafe in Teignmouth opened last year, offering a menu of vegan “street food” including falafel wraps, pizzas and cakes. Liz Perry, the restaurant’s founder, has been vegetarian all her life and vegan the past six years.

"Opening up my own cafe serving plant-based food is something I have always wanted to do," she said in an interview with Devon Live, when the cafe was nearing its grand opening.

"So many people choose to be vegetarian or vegan now so I think there's definitely a gap in the market for something like this in Teignmouth.

"I have always loved good food and growing my own food so that's something we will be doing when we open." Photos of the cafe’s food online made my mouth water, so hopefully the cafe continues to be successful.

No surprise, given its name: the Boathouse Creperie and Cafe is on the water, right near the quay in Topsham, and serves a very vegan-friendly menu, including vegan crepes and galettes made with vegan cheeses, and beautiful vegan desserts.

Owned by Paul Puddiphatt, his team works with the best of local produce, and also serves locally made gins and ales.

It’s a couple miles off the official route I followed this week, but Herbie’s Vegetarian Restaurant in Exeter has been feeding Devon’s vegetarians & vegans for more than thirty years, so I couldn’t pass it by without virtually “stopping in.”

Owned by the same family since 1990, Herbie’s offers hearty meals (and vegan desserts!) as well as an extensive wine list and locally-brewed beers.