Today starts with a high but gradual climb out of Sidmouth to Peak Hill, followed by a short descent to High Peak cliff (156 metres; 512 feet), after which the walk settles down to more gentle rises until West Down Beacon later in the day.
Sidmouth is fronted by a major seawall that offers protection to the town from the sea and the constant problem of coastal erosion. The first seawall was built in the early 19thC and since then various phases of building and repairs have been required. The seawall was damaged in 1989 /90 with subsequent major repair work completed in 2000. However, the town, particularly the seafront and the area around the High Street, are still high risk areas for flooding and, with the threat of rising sea levels, further works are required over the next few years to continue to protect them. Despite receiving an offer of a grant of £5.7 million from central government, the local authority still needed to raise over £3 million to pay for the works required. The scale of the problem here, both in terms of erosion and the problem of financing the works, is one faced by coastal communities all around the United Kingdom.
From Peak Hill there is a short descent before the path passes along the back of High Peak. To access the top of the peak you need to leave the SWCP climb up the muddy trail that goes up the hill. The local trig point is placed here. ,We decided to take a chance, believing nobody else would be daft enough to be out in weather like this and left the rucksacks at the bottom of the hill path and climbed up unencumbered.
Like the nearby Peak Hill, Neolithic peoples lived on High Peak. A considerable amount of archaeological material relating to the Roman period has also been found on the peak, including amphorae (wine or olive oil storage jars) from the Mediterranean, indicating a trading relationship. We were again disappointed by the absence of a view, but pleased that we had made the effort on such a dismal day.
Starting off back on the promenade, leaving Budliegh Salterton there is a long, gradual climb up to West Down Beacon. With the recent rain it was pretty muddy and slightly difficult to walk on at the steeper sections. From the top it had cleared enough to give us a view over Littleham Cove to the Straight Firing Range and beyond. The bright red colour of the water here surprised us until we came across an area where a large section of the red sandstone cliff had fallen in to the sea and it was this which had coloured the water. Sunlight struggled to break the cloud cover, creating a wonderful silver sheen over the deeper sea areas. The view across the bay was spoiled by the presence of the too large holiday park that is located here. Inland there were nice but if slightly misty views over the grasslands and valleys of East Devon. For a short section the path follows a route along the edge of the Est Devon Golf Club.