#thegreatoutdoors - Woman on a Mission

Little Mission ~ From South Milton Sands To Hope Cove.

by Claire | May 8, 2023 | The Great Outdoors

This little hike from South Milton Sands to Hope Cove along the South West Coast Path in South West Devon is one of my favourite walks. It lies in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and with the stunning views, you can see why.

This walk is a 1.6km moderately easy route, with an incline of 52m. (We love to walk into Hope Cove and back again, which equates to approx 3km)

The South Milton to Hope Cove is route popular with bird watchers, hikers and walkers. The path is mostly exposed so be mindful of the Devon sunshine and winds in the cooler months.

Getting There

By Train: The closest stations are Ivybridge 14 miles away and Totnes 17 miles away.

By Bus: Buses to South Milton and Thurlestone run from Kingsbridge. The 606 TALLY HO! service runs from Kingsbridge on the hour, taking around 6 minutes and dropping passengers 1 mile outside of South Milton.

By Car: 4 miles outside Kingsbridge. From Kingsbridge take the A381 towards Salcombe. Turn right to South Milton village, then turn left (signposted) to the beach. Please note, the approach road to the beach from the village of South Milton is a narrow lane with limited passing places.

Parking

Park at the National Trust car park at South Milton Sands. Remember your National Trust Card if you’re members and you’ll be able to park for free. It’s a small car park and can get really busy especially during the holidays, so plan your arrival time.

Maps

The route (below) can be found on the Ordnance Survey maps. Ordnance Survey have created an app so you can have unlimited OS Explorer and Landranger maps on any device making it easy for you to explore the great outdoors. (It even works when you are out of signal – perfect for our South West Coast path hikes!)

I’m an old fashioned girl and love the option to print out your own custom routes and maps to take with you so you are never stuck without a map. You can choose the scale, orientation and size that suits you. Always with a waterproof carrier, the Devon weather can be interchangeable! Find out what else I take with me on my hikes here.

The Route

The walk from South Milton Sands to Hope Cove, starts along the beautiful South Milton Beach or along the little main road if you prefer and is clearly signposted. Grid Reference: SX6769 4142

If you decide to start along the beach, be sure to take a look at the well known Thurlestone Rock. It’s a spectacular rock off the coast in the shape of an arch.

south milton sands to hope cove thurlestone rock

Follow the path, keeping the sea to your right. As the road comes to a bend veering left, follow the path to the right which takes you towards the sea and back to the coast path. You’ll be guided through a kissing gate and along a single file path past a house. (see below)

As the sea comes back into view, the path takes a gradually incline where the views become even more outstanding. this area is known as the Great Ledge. Looking back along the path, you’ll be able to see Burgh Island and the famous Burgh Island Hotel and on an extremely clear day, out to see you’ll be able to spot the lighthouse right out to sea.

The South West Coast path is narrow at times so single file is required. As you head out of South Milton you’ll notice a slow gradual incline, maxing 52m. There are a couple of stunning benches along the way should you wish to stop, take a breather and admire the view.

As you continue towards Hope Cove, there is a little decline before your final little climb which brings to to your first sighting of beautiful Hope Cove. Here you’ll start the gradual decline down the coastal path towards Outer Hope. The last few metres of the path take you down some steps and onto the pavement leading to Hope Cove itself.

Hope Cove

Hope Cove is a beautiful seaside village, full of thatched cottages, two sheltered beaches and stunning views. It’s what springs to mind when we think of the old fashioned “chocolate box” . Here you’ll find rock pools, kayakers and stand up paddle boarders, together with a couple of places to quench your thirst and take care of your appetite, before either resting and taking in the view or heading back to South Milton Sands.

This walk from South Milton Sands to Hope Cove is forever a favourite of ours and I hope you can see why. Have you ever walked this part of the South West Coast Path? I hope I’ve inspired you visit this beautiful stretch of the Devon Coastline. I’d love to know in the comments.

With love

A Little Mission – Refresh Your Garden For Spring

by Claire | Mar 7, 2023 | Lifestyle, Power Of An Hour, The Great Outdoors

Imagine relaxing here! Image credit: The Garden Company

A Little Mission – Refresh your Garden for spring so that you can enjoy your outdoor space as much as you would any room in your home.

Funny isn’t it how you can kid yourself that there can’t be too much to do in order to get the garden into a place ready for entertaining. I spent a lot of time in the garden last year but taking a look this last week, I have a “to do” list longer than I had anticipated.. Mainly because, just like the previous Blogs in this mini series, I was looking with fresh eyes, new ideas and my creating brain started whirring!

Discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes
Marcel Proust

I’m not an expert gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but I hope that by sharing what has worked for me from an organisational point of view, might help you too. I’m learning every day and enjoying that process. Can’t beat a good Mission hey!

spring refresh white jug of garden flowers on a white ceramic tray — There’s something quite special about bringing flowers into the home straight from the garden.

We have a little family joke that looking after the garden is like outdoor housework and I guess in some ways it is!

Much like a Spring Refresh in your home, a plan is good. Remember you don’t need to do all the jobs in one day! Take that pressure away! Sometimes we can overwhelm ourselves with the prospect that a job will be BIG, time consuming, expensive and then we procrastinate..

With any project, home, garden, work or life; break it down into bite size chunks. Knowing the tasks ahead of you means you can plan a Power of an Hour or two to get started on your Spring Refresh – Garden Style!

planter on a table in the sunshine — Adding a seating area where you can enjoy a morning coffee or a glass of some chilled in the evening, need not break the bank.

table and chairs in the sunshine plant and drinks on the table spring refresh — Adding a seating area where you can enjoy a morning coffee or a glass of some chilled in the evening, need not break the bank.

First things first!

Grab a notebook and take a wonder around your garden, making a note of :

Paintwork that needs updating – fences, garden furniture, sheds and gates etc.

Any repairs that need doing; maybe a latch on the gate needs replacing or some paving has come loose.

Pots and tubs – do they need some attention? Are there any cracks or need an upcycle with a lick of paint before you plant out your seedlings?

Paving and walls – do they need some attention? Again, like your tubs, are there any cracks? Would they benefit from a powerwash or deep clean or your walls a paint?

Grass – that first cut is always a highlight and makes a world of difference instantly! As does redefining the edges that may have become scraggly over the winter months.

Service! This might be a time to give the lawnmover, strimmer and any garden tools a service or bit of TLC, depending on how organised you were at the end of last Summer!

This list isn’t exhaustive obviously, remember we are talking about a Spring Refresh in your garden, not designing a new outdoor space. However, creating this list, helped me plan what needs doing and when I could block out some time (and weather depending) when it could fit into my diary.

Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’

Robin Williams

Mission Spring Clean!

I was introduced to a product a couple of years ago now which I love. Wet and Forget – literally does what it says on the bottle! If you have a delicate area that wouldn’t withstand a powerwasher or like us, you don’t have one, this is for you! Simply spray on the patio, driveway, walls etc and forget about it.

Within days, you’ll start to notice the area becoming cleaner and brighter. Give the patio, driveway area a good brush with a hard brush and you’ll notice any moss and weeds will come loose too. It’s quick, simple and more importantly works! It’s saved us a fortune – we’ve not needed to repaint the house!

Before: wall to the left vs the wall &
the step 3 days later

Mission – Refresh Your Garden For Spring!

Paint work, especially on fences, decking and your garden furniture will certainly benefit from a little freshen up. There are hundreds of paints and treatments available, depending on your preference. Many have a preservative treatment within the paint, helping to give a longer life to your furniture.

Top tips from Cuprinol

Preparation: All surfaces should be clean and dry. If your area to be up cycled has been previously coated, loose, flaking paint should be stripped back to bare wood. Test a small area first for colour and adhesion.

Colour: The final colour will vary depending on the surface and number of coats. Should adhesion be inadequate on previous coatings, lightly sand before application. Make sure wood has been pre treated with appropriate wood preserver to prevent wood and decay.

Apply: in dry conditions, above 5 degrees Celsius and when bad weather is not forecast, minimum of 2 coats required.

Brush: Stir thoroughly, before and during use. Brush on product, evenly, along the grain.

Spray: Stir thoroughly before pouring contents into the Cuprinol sprayer. Refer to the Sprayer user guide for full instructions before every use. Cover any nearby surfaces in case of overspray. Any overspray should be cleaned up immediately (whilst still wet) with water and household detergent.

Dry: Cuprinol Garden Shades will be touch dry in 1 hour under normal weather conditions. On areas subject to wear, such as garden furniture, allow a few days before heavy use or contact with soft furnishings. Believed to be safe, once dry, for use on wood which pets, wild animals and birds come into contact or gnaw.

Mission: Spring Refresh your Entertaining Space.

Regardless of how big or small your garden is, a little space where you can enjoy the a coffee morning sun or a chilled glass of wine in the evening, is magical. Enjoying our outdoor space, is invaluable.

Inspiration

Google, Pinterest and Instagram are a great place to start when looking for inspiration but be warned – it’s so easy to get sidetracked! There’s a variety depending on budget or you may be inspired to make your own! I hope they inspire you.

Our garden furniture was a gift when we moved into our first home together. We’ve not yet decided on our seating design or brand but I’ve shared some of my favourites finds for you, should you be looking too.

It really is hanging on by a thread or maybe the many layers of paint we’ve used to get “just another year” from it, for both sentimental reasons and also financial. Anyone slowly but surely renovating their home will know, there is a list of priorities!

The Little Touches!

The fun bit!

Plants, lighting and soft furnishings can really add the finishing touches to your garden or “outdoor room”. Balcony or grand estate, a Spring Refresh, there are hundreds and thousands of ideas that will turn your space into a sanctuary you’ll truly love.

I really hope that you are well and able to enjoy some time outside and that really hope this has helped you get motivated and inspired to get on with your Big Spring Refresh – The Garden.

image of the paxos garden set fromCharlesTed refresh your garden For Spring?

How we long for long, warm summer days, the sound of laughter and the clinking of glasses as we welcome friends and family back into our gardens.

I really can’t wait for the warmer days now can you?

Are you spending this weekend tackling the garden jobs?

What’s on your Mission list to refresh your garden For Spring?

I’d love to know what garden projects you have planned this year. Let me know in the comments below and join in the conversation on Instagram The Dartmoor Village Garden board on was created for my White Garden inspiration if you fancy taking a look..

Looking hearward from you.

Much love