New walking festival has everything - from Agatha and poison plants to ghosts, ghouls and goosebumps!

After the Spring festival, the event returns from September 23 to 30 with another packed programme of guided walks led by experienced local guides.
The festival is organised by the English Riviera BID Company and is proving popular with both residents and visitors alike.
With a choice of 20 walks, there’s literally something for everyone, from a gentle stroll around a walled garden to more challenging 10-mile coastal path walks offering stunning views right across the Bay.
The ERBID company says the festival 'offers people a sociable way to enjoy some exercise and fresh air, while learning something about the English Riviera along the way'.
As well as some of the most popular walks from previous festivals, there are also four brand new routes for the Autumn event.
Included is the Cockington Woodland Wander, which takes people on a circular stroll through the award-winning country park, including the 11th century chapel and rose garden, the artisan artists’ studios and ornamental lakes.
Meanwhile Brixham’s Secret Lanes and Passageways leads people on an exploration of some of the port’s hidden streets, with quirky names like quaint Dashpers and Knick Knack Lane, all of which have stories to tell.
One of the most popular walks at the Spring festival was the South West Coast Path – Torquay to Brixham, a ten mile walk around the Bay from Torquay to Brixham seeing the Bay from every possible angle. For those who like to be challenged, another new long walk has been added to the programme, South West Coastal Path – Torquay to Shaldon. Also ten miles in length, the two guides promise interesting facts and entertaining anecdotes to take your mind off the climbs. There will also be a welcome pub stop at the end.
There are also some quirky and unusual walks in the programme, including Ghosts, Ghouls and Goosebumps, which starts at Torre Abbey and discusses why more people believe in ghosts in Torquay than anywhere else in England. Walkers will learn of pixies, the devil, England’s most haunted house, sea serpents, spectral Spanish ladies, musical ghosts and mythical lost lands. The walk also finishes in a pub - where they actually serve spirits.
Another fun walk that has sold out at the previous two walking festivals is the Magical Musical Sunset Tour, which explores the fascinating and unexpected songs that were written in, inspired by, or have associations with Torbay. Guides take you on a walk around Torquay harbour, pausing to hear the songs in their relevant locations and hearing the trivia behind them. 
The Bay’s most famous literary daughter is celebrated in three different walks. The Story of Agatha Christie’s Extraordinary Life tells how she became the world’s best-selling author, while Swimming with Agatha Christie visits the beaches she loved throughout her life and celebrates her love of sea swimming. And new for this year, Walking in Agatha Christie’s Footsteps is a circular walk from Broadsands to Greenway, visiting Churston and Galmpton.
Several walks will explore the fascinating past of the local area including Torquay Through Time which looks at how a cluster of rural hamlets was transformed into the “Queen of the English Riviera”. Meanwhile, Paignton’s Hidden History leads participants on a journey around a forgotten Paignton that includes special access to climb the stairs of The Bishop’s Tower, a 14th century tower built to guard against invaders intent on deposing the king.
There are a number of walks exploring local plants and wildlife. For the Coastal Nature Ramble, a local bird and wildlife expert will take people on a walk around Berry Head. Green-fingered guests will also love the Potent Plants and Exotic Palms walk around the gardens of Torre Abbey with the head gardener, discussing the rare and exotic plants in the collection, including the Agatha Christie-inspired Potent Plants Garden.
Graham Kerr, who coordinates the festival said: “We are delighted to launch our second festival of the year and I know the tour guides are really looking forward to welcoming walkers from all over the country. The English Riviera is a perfect location for exploring on foot, with so many stories and tales to hear along the way. I would really encourage people to look at the full programme and join us on one or more of the walks.”
To find out more and to book your tickets, visit www.rivierawalking.co.uk