The Plym

24 June 2019

I was content that I had completed the path from Cawsand right round to Stoke beach until a casual conversation caused me to look again at the handbook. It refers to the ferry from the Mayflower Steps to Mountbatten as an unofficial short cut. And there it was – unofficial – bold as can be in its unofficialness. Did I really want to walk the length of the naviagable part of the Plym, cross the A379 along with all the other traffic pumping out exhaust emissions, and then walk all the way back along the Plym? Not really, but the short cut was unofficial – there it was, that word again. Tom was game, not sure he knew quite how far it was, so we did it. We took the “unofficial short cut” ferry back to the Mayflower Steps and set off. In fact it was an interesting walk, new ground with unfamiliar views of the familiar. Anchored outside the Sound was HMS Queen Elizabeth about to start sea trials. At the time of writing she’s the largest and most technically advanced warship ever built in this country. Some of the path passes through heavy industrial areas, oil storage facilities, factories and this and that. To be honest it’s not the nicest of rivers, just here anyway. After a lengthy toddle along the main road we reached the head of Pomphlett creek and were able to get back to a quieter part. Turn right at the rhinoceros the handbook says curiously but there he was in a quiet little dell minding his own business. For 20 years we’ve driven by with no idea that a rhino was grazing a few feet away. The other side of the river was much more varied and considerably nicer. Still some light industry, lots of boat building but interspersed with lakes, fishing villages and general quaintness. Even a mini folly at Radford lake. It was a long walk, but the weather was glorious and we saw a rhinoceros.