DEVON SENT

A new circular trail spans 100 miles and takes in the River Dart, Dartmoor, the coastline, five estuaries and plenty of countryside. Emma Henderson stomps the first section

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I'm walking through woodlands with pillar-straight coastal redwood trees standing proud on my right, looking like they've been planted on a grid. Old and sturdy oak, lime and beech trees rise above us on the left. Underfoot, the woodland floor is full of fallen acorns and crisp golden brown leaves lying among gnarled ancient tree roots intermittently poking up through the ground. In the distance, there's the unmistakable “choo” of a steam train whistling as it passes along the tracks below, hidden behind the greenery of the trees.

I’m on the newly opened South Hams Way, a 100-mile circular walking trail in south Devon, taking in an idyllic section of the British countryside. I can't help but recall William Blake's famous line about “walking England's green and pleasant land” from his poem “Jerusalem”, and thinking really just how pleasant it is, made even better with the autumnal sunshine warming my face.

I've joined the South Hams Ramblers group on their official opening event of the trail on 11 October, walking the first section from Totnes to Buckfastleigh, a moderate 7.1 miles along footpaths, country lanes, fields and woodlands. The whole concept has been more than a year in the making, though the opening event was delayed by a month following amber weather warnings.