Sugarloaf

So, there are sugar loaves in Brazil, the USA and Wales but also in St Helena. With visiting Granny happy to be on Small duty, J took a day off work last week so we could do the Sugar Loaf walk - one that is really not Small friendly. Too far, too steep and too precipitous!

It is a one way walk, starting up on Flagstaff. The views from up there are fab, although the sky was doing it's best to look menacing and dramatic...

Here we are, all ready for the off!

The path begins in some scrubby woodland,

but soon opens out into the 'crown wastes'. (Semi or actual deserts around the crown, or edge of the island, nothing to do with Her Maj.)

That is where we are headed first: Sugarloaf. Now the one in Brazil looks like a torpedo (and like an actual sugar loaf - google it) and the ones in the USA and Wales look like pointy hills, but ours looks like a pyramid I think.



The path does go fairly close to the edge at times...

This is the view back along the back of the Barn.

As we get closer the path is made of very slippery grit and I am very glad J brought his walking poles. I have stolen one.



Ta Da! The post box. 

Book stamped, view admired and we're off again. Rather than heading back the way we came, we are going to follow the coast round to Ruperts Bay and then Jamestown. At this point I was doubly glad J brought his walking poles because one of my knees packed in and decided that going down hill was overrated.

Along the way we passed some of the old fortifications. This is Banks' Battery.



If only the pavements of Jamestown were laid to this standard!

Banks' bay looks very inviting, but sadly when we get down there the water is a bit rough and there is no safe place to get in and out of the water.

There were some very good rock pools though, and this chap spat at us repeatedly. It is a little octopus.

Time and tide have taken their toll and the defences are quietly crumbling into the sea.

Further on and we get our fist view of Ruperts. This is the industrial centre of the island where materials for building the airport arrive, and were there is a power station and a fish processing plant.

Who said industry has to be grey?

Looking back to where we have been. The pointy one is Sugarloaf.

Round the last headland and we get to James Bay. At this point my knee gave way entirely and J had to help me down the path into town so the photos dried up. But you already know what Jamestown looks like!

Despite the knee is was a lovely walk. Thanks for coming too.

xx