Tamara Way (2)

Today I walked the the second stage of the Tamara Way, a coast to coast walk which loosely follows the course of the River Tamar along the border between Devon and Cornwall. 
Starting from the Torpoint Ferry crossing I was not feeling enthusiastic about this stretch as it involves a lot of road walking. Much of the route to the Saltash Passage where I took this photo, follows the high stone wall bordering the Royal Naval Dockyards. I am sure some people walking the trail will skip this section. I think this is a shame as the dockyards are part of Plymouth's history and the navy have helped to define and shape the lower Tamar. Walking past the dockyard I found myself looking at all the street names which reflect the Navy, it's ships and the sea. There are also glimpses of some of the fine historic naval architecture behind the walls. My edited image of the Royal Albert Bridge with the more recent road bridge behind tries to reflect the drama of this wonderful feat of engineering. 
The bridge was opened by Prince Albert in May 1859. Unfortunately Isambard Kingdom Brunel who designed and built the bridge was too ill to attend the ceremony and sadly died a few months later. He did though cross the bridge in an open wagon a few days after the opening ceremony.
My walk continued beyond the bridge and along the quiet creek to Tamerton Foliot. With Plymouth now behind me, some of the most scenic stretches of the Tamara Way now lie ahead!