Dieppe to Sotteville sur Mer – Brilliant Coastal Walk

I had a lovely stay with my friends in Rouen. I will see them again at the end of this walk, when I get to Le Havre. To aim for anywhere further would be foolish. Dar es Salaam? Fool.

But down to business. Francis gave me a lift to the station and I caught the 9am train back to Dieppe. The same port but cloudier skies than when I came the other way on Thosday neet.

Today was the Saturday street market, I’m a sucker for these and I bought a chicken leg. Big chicken legs beat when she walks flappin’ down the street where I live. Thanks Captain.

I made my way down to the front and ate my chicken leg. The tide was going out and I thought that I could comfortably make it to my next destination along the shoreline, under these cliffs ahead. This is called the Alabaster Coast, from here down to Le Havre. I haven’t been here before but I’m beginning to like it.

Bye bye Dieppe.

The going was rocky and sharp underfoot and I was a bit concerned about my walking trainers, but they seemed to tough it out. There weren’t many people walking along the seashore, and who there was were looking for shellfish exposed by the low tide. There would periodically be a long stretch of sand, and here I could make up time with a good pace.

This was a good walk, a really enjoyable one, and I found that most clear sand was down at the low tide area so I legged it along by the sea. Soon the tide turned and the strip of sand ran out so I was forced up onto the hard reef again.

I was happy to see a village ahead of me where the cliffs actually came down to the sea. There’s no way to climb this chalk and they are pretty high. They seem to be collapsing fairly regularly and as I’m walking along I hear the occasional chunk hit the pebbles at the bottom. Best not to walk close to the cliffs.

The village was Pourville, a Mecca for oyster lovers.

It looks like there was some landing here in 1942 by Canadian forces. Turns out it was the Dieppe raid which the allies sent in over 6,000 men to try to take Dieppe and see how long they could hold it for. It was a feasibility study! More than half were killed, wounded or captured but we learnt important lessons for D Day.

The tide was still a way out so I continued down the seashore, and back on sand again.

And more sand. Look how this gun emplacement fell off the top of the cliff and then the cliffs have receded behind it.

And another great photo of this beautiful beach walk.

Finally, as you can see below the tide was pushing up against the cliffs now and I had to go up on the cliff tops.

This is Francois. I met him on the route and he is covering the same ground as me.

The cliff tops were lovely too, although overhanging and treacherous, and the weather was full throttle heat again.

Then I made it to a camp site at Sotteville sur Mer. Nice site, good sleep. Best not to sleep walk though!

Night night.