Due to the absence of any ferries on the Exe it was going to be a 14 round mile walk to the nearest bridge and back down the other side of the river to Starcross.
The outgoing leg saw me following the railway line alongside the full river, sometimes a little too close alongside for my liking.
I called in for coffee at Topsham. Here my flag got into a close relationship with a light fitting which delayed my exit from the shop and also the entrance of several people looking for lunch time coffees.
After a few minutes crossing and recrossing a busy A road in search of a continuous pavement I was back going down towards Starcross following the river, a canal and a railway line. All these meant the route was flat and the path was well made for easy walking, they even had a separate path for cyclists always welcome by both cyclists and walkers.
Sadly the railway fencing blocked good views of the river but some marshes on the other side gave some good views of herons and egrets.
As dusk fell I approached Powdersham Castle and saw fallow deer enjoying their supper nibbling under the parkland oak trees.
I set up camp close to the deer and as I found out close to the railway line, unfortunately choosing a point near a bend where the engines regularly hooted.
Despite this I slept well. Walking does that.