Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

There's a pub in Ringmore called Journey's End.

And so it was fitting really that this was the last in the series of 25 walks to celebrate 25 years of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Devon.

For it was indeed at Ringmore that my journey around the county was about to finish, but first there was one last stroll along the coast path to the rocky tidal out crop of Burgh Island, in the pleasing company of local resident Alice Thornton.

Originally from Cambridge, Alice has lived in the village of Ringmore for seven years.

She said she loves being by the sea because it feels like she's always on holiday, and the walk to Burgh Island is her favourite.

Alice Thornton loves this stretch of coastline

"It's just the most stunning view and seeing the hotel there is fantastic. It's my therapy."

From the National Trust car park at Ringmore above Ayrmer Cove it's only a short step to the coast path. You can go via the cove itself, or straight out to Toby's Point, along a track to the left of the car park entrance, which is the route we took.

This ridge route soon affords fine views over the bay and the 26-acre island.

From Toby's Point you can see clearly down to the silvery-grey rocks of Ayrmer Cove.

"It's beautiful there," said Alice. "And because you can't drive to it – I shouldn't be giving this secret away – but during the summer it's a good place to go because you don't have people who've got pantechnicons of stuff.

"It's only people who are intrepid enough to walk down there."

The route turns left at Toby's Point to the obvious destination of Burgh Island.

Living locally, Alice had a wealth of stories about the famous luxury 1920s hotel, which dominates the landward side view.

"We once went out on the sea tractor and all the band were there in their tails and bow ties with their instruments and the wind whistling around them," she said.

Alice beside the Burgh Island tractor

"We've been to a wedding there which was the most amazing experience. We were last to arrive and we were seen picking our way through all the bathers and their towels in our wedding clothes without our shoes on.

"And when we got to the hotel they very discreetly offered us towels to wash the sand off our feet."

The route passes through the holiday park at Challaborough. It doesn't take too long and there's the enticement of fish and chips overlooking the pretty cove.

Being mid afternoon it was a little early to indulge, so we headed on up the short hill and into Bigbury-on-Sea.

The route descends by tarmac road to the beachside car park and providing the tide is low enough you can simply walk out to the island along the sand, or at certain times of the tide take the huge and impressive sea tractor, the only one of its kind in the world.

At low tide the expanse of sand is wide and people spread all over the beach, bunching closer together as the water comes in east and west. Alice said the three-year-old son of a friend was fascinated by there being "two seas".

A sign cautions against driving across, but some hotel staff and delivery vehicles need access and others simply choose to ignore the advice.

Jo Bishop with her dog Bella at journey's end!

"Once we did see a very posh couple in a very posh convertible car and they decided to try and drive across," said Alice. "They got stuck and the woman refused to get out of the car because she didn't want to spoil her shoes.

"They had to get tractors to pull them out in the end and there was a danger they could have been overtaken by the tide."

Various paths on the island lead to a vantage point at the top, from where you can enjoy a 360 degree panorama, looking right out to sea across Bigbury Bay and back to the rocky undulating coastline and a patchwork quilt of fields rising in the distance.

As Alice neatly summed it up: "It's one of the only places in Devon that you can stand away from Devon and look back at it and really celebrate everything we've got in the county."

Yes, just the spot for our 25 short walks to reach journey's end.

Thank you to Alice and indeed everyone who suggested their favourite walk. They've all been a real pleasure.