Author Topic: SWCP - Overgrown Section  (Read 4254 times)

ninthace

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SWCP - Overgrown Section
« on: 17:41:37, 12/06/17 »
I was out on the SWCP today, 12 June, between Clovelly and Westward Ho! The section between Peppercombe and Westacott Cliff has become very overgrown. It is passable with some difficulty but the vegetation is head high in places and it hard to see your footing. Unless you are a real lover of scratches, stings, prickles and ticks, I would avoid tackling this section in anything other than long sleeves and long trousers. A machete would be handy but I am not sure they are legal.
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harland

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #1 on: 18:18:42, 12/06/17 »
When I walked the SWCP I came across a couple of hundred yards that were overgrown near the halfway point.  As I pushed my way through I was getting uptight until I put it into perspective that 200 yards over 630 miles can't be that bad.  It must be quite a challenge for the council to keep it all in some semblance of order.

ninthace

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #2 on: 18:37:52, 12/06/17 »
When I walked the SWCP I came across a couple of hundred yards that were overgrown near the halfway point.  As I pushed my way through I was getting uptight until I put it into perspective that 200 yards over 630 miles can't be that bad.  It must be quite a challenge for the council to keep it all in some semblance of order.


This overgrown section is nearly a mile and a half long and it is growing so vigorously that the passage of people is failing to keep it open. I have tried to report it to the authorities.
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harland

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #3 on: 18:44:38, 12/06/17 »
Not trying to minimise the problem you found that seems horrendous and it was helpful to people about to walk that route; it must be growing like the weeds on my allotment although mine don't scratch or sting!
« Last Edit: 21:22:46, 12/06/17 by harland »

johhnyp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #4 on: 00:43:01, 13/06/17 »
When I passed through that section in May last year, a guy was strimming the overgrowth and asked me what it was like further back towards Westward Ho! I remember telling him he may be there for a while. As I recall it is a tight narrow track with hawthorn type scrub that forms a canopy in parts. No room to manoeuvre if overgrown. You have my sympathy. That's were it starts to get hillier en-route to Bucks Mill; but at least there it is proper woodland with a bit less undergrowth. I quite enjoyed that day from Appledore to Clovelly.
Just a day trip or are you doing some distance on the SWCP?

ninthace

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #5 on: 08:31:32, 13/06/17 »
Day trip. I am walking the SWCP in Devon & Somerset as a series of day walks using circular routes where possible or public transport when a circular route doesn't present itself. In this case, I parked at Bideford, bussed to Bucks Cross, walked to Westward Ho! and bussed back to Bideford. My routes are on the internet for them that wants them on gpies.com and haroldstreet.org.uk under the username Ninthace. I have almost completed the north coast and have recently started the south coast from Exmouth as well.
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Rather be walking

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #6 on: 12:11:15, 13/06/17 »
Might be worth reporting it to the South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_Coast_Path_Association

John.
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

ninthace

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #7 on: 13:39:20, 13/06/17 »
Might be worth reporting it to the South West Coast Path Association (SWCPA) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_West_Coast_Path_Association

John.


I tried yesterday but their website rejected my report - it is some sort of cookie issue, doesn't work on Apple or Windows platforms - will send an email


Edited to add:  Managed to get an email away at 13:52.  Got a nice reply from South West Coast Path National Trail Officer at 14:49 thanking me for my report and telling me such reports help them to adjust their maintenance schedule to sections that need it.

« Last Edit: 16:50:36, 13/06/17 by ninthace »
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johhnyp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #8 on: 17:48:33, 13/06/17 »
Met a couple of ladies from the Association near Hope Cove last month on my last leg of the walk. They are still heavily engaged in trying to repair damage caused by the winter storms three years ago. Having done the whole walk now I can only imagine how much it costs to keep such a vast length in good order. To be fair the section from Plymouth to Poole was in pretty good shape. Not sure how the Local Authorities and the Association interact in this regard.

Rather be walking

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #9 on: 12:07:05, 14/06/17 »
Quote
Edited to add:  Managed to get an email away at 13:52.  Got a nice reply from South West Coast Path National Trail Officer at 14:49 thanking me for my report and telling me such reports help them to adjust their maintenance schedule to sections that need it.

That's good news. O0
““The hardest part was coming to terms with the constant dispiriting discovery that there is always more hill.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

johhnyp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #10 on: 23:00:38, 14/06/17 »
If you are walking around the Exmouth area and can engineer a way to walk up the River Otter valley, it is worth it. Absolutely beautiful

ninthace

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #11 on: 23:26:43, 14/06/17 »
If you are walking around the Exmouth area and can engineer a way to walk up the River Otter valley, it is worth it. Absolutely beautiful


I refer the learned member to the answer I gave earlier
http://www.haroldstreet.org.uk/routes/download/?walk=2937
Did it 3/6/17, you are right - it is a pleasant walk, Mrs N loved it, but we should have avoided the alternative path back to the car park - it's badly overgrown too!
Parking at Seaton tomorrow, bus to Sidmouth and walk back on SWCP.  If I have got the tide tables right, I should be able to cut along the beach to avoid the detour following the collapse of Old Beer Road. I note there are some sections on this that could be potentially weedy too. If you don't hear from me again - I am lost n the undergrowth!
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johhnyp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #12 on: 23:55:19, 14/06/17 »
Mea Culpa on that one. Didn't get round to reading the link. I was just typing up a TR and the thought popped into my head ;)
I too cut along the beach (into Seaton in my case). It did involve a bit of rock hopping ( as the tide was quite high) but was fun. Having done this bit on the 9th May, I reckon it may be less weedy and more weary! There are some steep bits towards the Sidmouth end in particular. I think the bottoms of Salcombe Mouth and Westcombe Mouth may just weedy feel by now. Enjoy!

johhnyp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #13 on: 23:56:21, 14/06/17 »
have a

pdstsp

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Re: SWCP - Overgrown Section
« Reply #14 on: 09:22:41, 15/06/17 »
Reading ninthace's experience brought back a memory of when me and my then girlfriend, now wife, walked the SWCP between St Ives and the Lizard in 1990.  Walking into Penzance the path had become overgrown and, it being June, not enough people were passing to make a lear passage.  As a result we got a few stings and scratches.  These tend to have little effect on me, but Mrs pdstsp is a different mater - she has always suffered with hay fever and other allergies including fairly dramatic reactions to small bites and stings.


As it was my birthday we had booked a hotel for the night in Penzance and we arrived, showered and headed for the bar.  We were the only guests and, by this time, my wife's face was blotchy and her eyes were red with the affect of the pollen and scratches and stings.  The barman was a "large" bloke - 2nd row forward build - when I was standing at the bar trying to order he looked at me with total disgust in his eyes and asked " Have you been hitting her?".  Fortunately my wife laughed and explained her predicament so we were allowed our beers. About 10 minutes later the barman appeared at our table with a packet of piriton. 

 

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