Why be like the other sheep?
A weekend in Snowdonia will give me the chance to test my new tent.
I’m heading to Wales straight after school tomorrow. I’m meeting friends and we’re going to camp at a climbers’ hut. The address I have is that it’s near some boulders. I think there are a lot of boulders in Snowdonia. I have a grid reference, which I would be fine walking to, but I’ve never used one to drive to before. Wish me luck!
The weather’s not meant to be too great so I’m going to use the weekend as a good opportunity to test out my new Vango.
A village so perfect they have cats strategically placed for stroking. They even seem to control the weather.
Friday 8th June, 2012
The weather was horrendous today. I heard on the radio that because of the gales and torrential rain, campers all over Devon had packed up and gone home. I had my campsite to myself. My tent has survived far worse storms than this in Shetland and Iceland and I was nice and snug inside it. So snug, I didn’t emerge until the afternoon. I had a lazy, relaxing morning reading, writing and playing with my new Kindle.
By mid-afternoon the weather was clearing up a bit and I thought I really should do something. As it was too late to start a walk (and still not the weather for a coastal, cliff-edge walk) I thought I’d drive out and recce some of the places I want to walk next year on my next bit of the coastal path. The man I’d met in the bus shelter in Westward Ho! had said he was staying in Clovelly and that it was nice, so I thought I’d head there, see what it was like, and then decide what to do next.
Turning off the main road towards Clovelly I drove past some chocolate box style thatched cottages and down a narrow lane to a large car park. There were signs up informing me that I couldn’t drive into the village and had to go into this car park. A large visitor centre was situated at the back of the car park. I parked up, looked around to see if I had to pay, but it seemed to be a free car park. I made use of the toilets and then wandered into the visitor centre. I had no idea what to expect and was quite surprised when I got inside. There seemed to be a cafe and shop, but to get to them I had to pass by a cashier and stump up £6.50. From what I could make out this £6.50 then entitled me to walk round the village.
I wasn’t very impressed with this and wondered if it was like Land’s End where if you turn up with a car you pay, but if you’re walking it’s free. It is on the coastal path after all. As is Clovelly. I was thinking of walking back to the lane and seeing where it took me, when an irate Irish family came towards me through the cashier point. The man said his family had just got their money back as they felt ripped off paying to walk round what turned out to be a village that you could walk round like any other if you didn’t enter via the visitor centre. He advised me to just walk along the road. So I did.
The lane emerged at the top of the village and it was only then that I realised how high up I was. The village clings to the cliff side and narrow lanes wind their way down to the bottom. The buildings are very quaint and at some points are joined over the path to make short tunnels. There are numerous holiday cottages, cafes and little shops. One cottage was open to show what it would have been like many years ago when Clovelly was a fishing village rather than a tourist attraction. There are also a couple of tiny one-room chapels that it’s possible to go inside.
Clovelly was a childhood home of Charles Kinglsey and he is credited with bringing it to the attention of the outside world. He got the inspiration to write ‘The Water Babies’ here and later wrote his novel ‘Westward Ho!’ in which the village is featured. A mock-up of his study can be seen in the small museum.
At the bottom of the village is a small harbour, a pub and a pebbly beach with a waterfall. I slowly wound my way down to the bottom, stopping to take lots of photos. Then I slowly wound my way back to the top again, taking even more photos. From what I could see the coast path passes through the top of village and so when I walk here I won’t get to see the village unless I made a detour. Because I’ve seen it now, I won’t feel that I’m missing out if I don’t get time. Also, I know that there’s a car park and a bus service that I could use. I didn’t have time to do anything else on my recce, but still felt it had been very worthwhile and I’d enjoyed my few hours in the sun.
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| The lane to the village |
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| First glimpse of the sea |
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| Nice gardens and cottages |
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| I want a mobile like this |
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| Narrow streets |
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| A cottage as it would have been |
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| Charles Kinglsey in his study |
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| A glimpse of the sea |
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| One of many cats |
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| A long way down, still a long way to go |
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| Boats |
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| Sheltered harbour |
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| There’s even a waterfall |
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| A pretty front door |
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| Sleepy cat |
River walking, a disused train station and a lot of rain.
Thursday 7th June, 2012
On Thursday morning I was up and ready very early so I could drive to Bideford and catch the ferry to Lundy for the day. Because of the gales the ferry was cancelled. Even though I’d phoned the night before and on the morning itself, the voicemail message just said to turn up and then they’d let us know if the ferry would be sailing or not. As it wasn’t, I was up early with no plans for the day. I decided to walk from Barnstaple to Instow. I should have done this on the same day as my Braunton to Barnstaple walk but had cut it short due to sore knees.
I drove to Barnstaple and parked up at the Leisure Centre. I’d decided to walk to Instow and catch the bus back. Usually I like to leave my car at the end of a walk so I’m not clock-watching, but the bus timetable showed that buses run every 15 mins throughout the day so catching one back shouldn’t be a problem.
Leaving the car park I walked through a retail park past a big Tesco Extra and turned towards the train station. Following the road past the station I went through a subway to emerge on the path proper. This path is a former railway track and runs alongside the River Taw in pretty much a straight line all the way to Instow.
It was raining quite heavily but there were still a few people out and about. I was passed by several cyclists as well as a few walkers. There was not much to see along the path (maybe due to the misty rain) and it could have got monotonous, but I was quite enjoying the freshness of it.
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| River Taw |
After about 2½ miles I came to Fremington Quay. This quay was used to load boats with clay that had been transported across Devon by train. It was then exported around the world. The former train station is now a cafe. I wasn’t in particular need of rest stop but it looked inviting and I had plenty of time. I went in and plonked myself on a comfy sofa after balancing my dripping jacket on my walking poles.
The cafe was quite busy which surprised me until I realised there was a car park at the back of it. The walls were adorned with old black and white photos picturing the former industry. One photo showed a group of white workmen with what seemed to be a black workman at the end of the row. This would probably have been unheard of then. The caption explained that the man was actually covered in coal dust disguising his appearance. In the old black and white photograph it wasn’t really possible to tell the difference.
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| Fremington Station |
The station building has a low lookout tower adjoined to it. I went up to the top but couldn’t see much because of the weather. There were information boards on the birdlife that could be seen, but I didn’t see much of that either.
After an un-needed, but much enjoyed, cream tea I set off into the rain again. I walked about a mile and a half further before turning off the old railway and into a wilder area known as East Yelland Marsh. This is the area where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet to finish their journey to the sea together. A firm, but narrow path winds through the marsh sticking as close to the river as possible. It passed a jetty that was no longer in use and was being reclaimed by vegetation.
Finally the path led through sand dunes and on to the beach which I then walked along to reach Instow. I found the bus shelter which had been warmed by the bit of sun and had a very comfy bench and waited about 10 minutes for a bus to take me back to Barnstaple.
When I arrived in Barnstaple I walked down to the river but instead of crossing over the main bridge to get back to the car park I walked along the river bank to the bridge further down and crossed here. I still wasn’t sure if this was the bridge I should have crossed when I walked here from Braunton and I didn’t want to miss out on a bit of the walk.
The walk took me past a park and playing fields and was quite scenic. When I walked back along the other side I walked through trees and then alongside a building site. The views to the other side of the river were lovely though.
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| Barnstaple |
Miles walked = 7.5 plus the extra bit in Barnstaple at the end.
A golden torch on a rainy day.
The Olympic Torch Relay was in Manchester yesterday and just down the road from me in Ashton today. It seemed like the sort of ‘on your doorstep’ opportunity I shouldn’t miss out on and so I took myself down to the route at about 9 o’clock this morning. I wasn’t sure how crowded it would be or how long it would take me to park. As it happened there were only a few people about and I got parked in a side street just off the route.
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| The view through my windscreen |
I sat in my van for about an hour reading, dodging the rain, and watching more people arrive. Just after 10am the torch was due to begin its journey from Ashton so I got out and joined the mixed bunch of people at the roadside (a man with a pint and a small child, a woman with a chihuahua tucked down the top of her coat, a lady who had just arrived back from holiday to find her street lined with a welcoming committee).
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| The crowd increases |
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| These guys had a good view from their truck |
We had a few false alarms when convoys of police cars and bikes trailed down the road, but no torch. Then a few buses and trucks came decorated with marketing slogans for Coca-Cola and Lloyd’s TSB, dancing troops on board, and loud music.
Finally the torch bearer appeared at the end of the road surrounded by official cars and trucks. It was quite difficult to see and even more difficult to get a photo. I’d expected to have a clear view of the torch bearer as he walked down the road towards me and as he carried on past me, but in reality it was only a couple of seconds as he was level with me that I could get a clear view.
For some reason the police hadn’t closed the road and only stopped the traffic when the torch bearer actually reached the road. The cars in one lane were all stopped where they were and in the lane in which the torch bearing convoy was travelling the cars were only briefly stopped, to give a clear passage to the offical convoy.
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| And finally … |
Once the torch had gone past it was all over and people quickly moved on. I think it could have been done a lot better but I’m glad I’ve seen it and for the time the torch was passing the rain held off. Although this is the first time I’ve seen the torch relay, I have seen the Olympic Flame once before, twenty years ago at the Barcelona Olympics. Maybe I’ll get to see it again in another twenty years?
After attending this talk I realised the Dalai Lama is someone I’d really like to invite down the pub for a few beers and a bit of a natter.
The Dalai Lama was in Manchester last week for a series of workshops with young people. On Sunday afternoon he held a talk and Q&A session for the general public. The events were held at the MEN Arena which, with a capacity of 21,000, is the largest indoor arena in the EU, beating London’s O2 Arena capacity by a 1000. A google search revealed an interesting chart showing that in terms of ticket sales it is far behind the O2, but still comes in second not just in the UK or EU but in the world! Even beating (by a lot) famous venues such as New York’s Madison Park Garden. So the Dalai Lama was obviously anticipating quite a turnout!
I’d bought tickets for myself and a friend’s daughter. My friend dropped her daughter off and came to wait with her inside the venue. Whilst waiting someone gave her a free ticket that by chance was not too far from where we were sitting.
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| Peering between heads |
The venue was quite full and we sat on specially laid out rows of chairs on the floor area in front of the stage. Although this meant we were relatively close, it was actually quite difficult to get a good view because of eveyone’s heads. In the fixed seating areas of the arena each row is higher than the one in front aiding the ‘heads blocking the view’ problem. We didn’t have this advantage, but by manoeuvring by neck I did get to see him. Also to each side of the stage was a large screen showing the stage area.
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| On the screen at the side of the stage |
The Dalai Lama stood and talked for about an hour without notes, and then for a further hour he sat down to take questions which the audience had written down and handed to the ushers. He had an interpreter with him, but rarely needed him and then only to clarify a word or phrase. In both his talk and his answers to the questions he came over as someone with a sense of humour who doesn’t take himself too seriously and tries to cut through the hype that has been built around him. For example, when asked what is the best thing we can do to look after the environment, he laughed and said ‘use common sense’. He did then develop his answer, but his first response rang truest.
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| With the seldom used interpreter |
He spoke about the importance of mothers and the love they have for their children; told stories from his childhood; and joked about miracle cures and how sometimes things can happen in unexpected ways. After suffering from an itchiness problem on his neck someone prayed for him. Next thing, someone gave him a cream which cured the problem. Was it the prayer that had brought the cream or was it just coincidence? Either way he was happy because he no longer itched. He went on to say that since this happened and he’s told this story, he’s been given so much cream and ointment he could open a small shop.
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| Sitting to take questions |
The whole talk and Q&A session was in this vein – giggling, joking, and reminding everyone to keep their feet on the ground and not be deceived by new age quackery. From listening to people talking before and after the session, many of them seemed to see the Dalai Lama as someone to be venerated; someone who if they worshipped and put on a giant pedestal, could improve their lives for them. The talk was probably not quite what they wanted to hear. And the Dalai Lama made it very clear that people do have some say in choosing their future and their fortune. Don’t sit around dwelling on the negatives, instead concentrate on the positives and making the most out of them.
We all enjoyed his talk and came away thinking he was a very nice, regular guy with a good sense of humour. The sort of person you would love to invite down to the pub for a more informal social chat. Even my friend was very impressed, whereas beforehand she didn’t think this would be her cup of tea at all. I’d invited her daughter along as she is currently reading Theology at university and we have some good chats about theology and the different religions and their beliefs, but my friend had said she didn’t want a ticket herself. How fortunate she got a freebie!
Trialling my new boots
My trusty walking boots have developed a tiny hole near the sole. I’ve also had a couple of blisters recently which is unusual and I think it may be because my boots are wearing out on the inside. They’ve been such faithful friends, travelling with me around the world and supporting me on volcanoes, glaciers and grubby city streets as well as countless times on my local Peak District hills.
I really don’t want them to go, but realise the day will soon arrive when I have to retire them. I may use them as plantpots in my yard. With this in mind I have been looking for some new boots. I need boots that are waterproof, sturdy and supportive, but don’t cost the earth.
Just before going to Devon I bought myself a pair and took them with me to trial them. I took my old boots as well and alternated between them. The new boots feel like they’ve been filled with air; I almost bounce along the paths. This is wonderful and I would be completely sold on them, but they feel very stiff. I’m hoping it’s just a case of allowing time to soften them. Not too long though.
I took a picture of them on the Braunton to Barnstaple leg of the coast path. I think I’ll keep my original picture on the blog though.
River walking, swan yoga and Marines doing sit-ups.
Wednesday 6th June, 2012
I had been planning to walk from Braunton to Instow but felt that I had to cut it short as my knees were really sore after the last couple of days’ walking. This is often a problem for me and so I’m used to having to re-jig my plans. I decided to walk only as far as Barnstaple and as this is mainly flat it would give my knees a chance to recover.
I parked at the Leisure Centre in Barnstaple (£1.60 for the day) and crossed the river to the town and the bus station. I got the bus to Braunton getting off at the stop where I’d got on on Monday when I caught the bus to Woolacombe. I went back into the lovely deli and bought a spinach pasty for my lunch. I also sat inside with a coffee and a piece of delicious apple cake before starting my walk.
I backtracked along the river and the Tarka Trail to where I’d finished on the Coast Path on Monday. Today the whole walk was inland and I wouldn’t get to see the coast at all. It was still a lovely walk though, along the former Brauton to Barnstaple Railway. The path is shared with the Tarka Trail Cycleway and so is very easy to walk along.
I’d only just started walking on the official path when I spotted a a hidden pond to the left. I followed a boardwalk down to it and found this lovely oasis with ducks, swans and coots. They had their young with them and I spent some time trying to get a good photo of the cygnets. A family was stood on the boardwalk throwing bread to them and they were all over the place trying to snap it up. Fun to watch, but not easy to photograph. One of the cygnets seemed to have a leg growing out of its back. I worried that it was deformed but maybe it was just resting it. A search on google reveals several pics of cygnets with a leg like this so hopefully it was just relaxing and practising a bit of swan yoga. 
Next the path passed the Chivenor Barracks. These stretch for quite a way and are a base for the Royal Marines. I could see houses, buildings and an assault course through the wire fencing. A seat had been conveniently placed so passersby could stop and watch the Marines training. A few were exercising and running but I didn’t get to see them use the assault course.
Moving on from the barracks I came alongside the River Taw which was wide and full of sandbanks, similar to the Torridge yesterday. The weather was much better though and I stopped several times just to sit and enjoy the view.
After 5 miles on this path I reached Barnstaple. I followed the river into town and crossed what I thought was the Long Bridge and the official path bridge. Looking at my map later I realised it might actually have been a bridge a little further up that I should have crossed. I could see the thick dotted green line on the map going as far as this further bridge but was unsure as to whether this was the coast path or the Tarka Trail or both.
I wasn’t too worried at missing part of the path as by this time by knees were sore and I was ready to take my boots off and get in my van.
Rain, rain and more rain (and a pint of lager)
Tuesday 5th June, 2012
This should have been the last of my walks as Westward Ho! is my final destination for this trip. But due to Bank Holiday bus times it made sense to do this walk today as this was the walk with the most convenient buses.
I awoke to a rainy, misty day so made sure I had my waterproofs packed before heading to Westward Ho! It’s only a small place and I soon found the car park opposite the bus stop. The car park was quite expensive though, so I drove a few hundred metres down the road and parked for free on the roadside. It only took five minutes to walk back to the bus stop.
There was a man, a bit older than myself, in the bus shelter pulling on his waterproof trousers. A pint of lager sat on the bench beside him. He said he was based in Clovelly for a few days and walking different parts of the coast path. The stretch from Westward Ho! to Barnstaple was a niggling gap in what he’d already walked and so he wanted to get it done today. As I was getting the bus to Instow and walking back we expected to cross paths part way through the day.
Trousers on, he set off leaving the pint behind. Mustn’t have been his. As I was now the only person in the bus shelter I did wonder if any newcomers would think it was mine. A couple of minutes later a well-dressed woman arrived, tutted at the pint and gingerly picking it up, tipped the contents into the gutter and put the plastic glass in the bin. She didn’t ask if it was mine.
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| Instow |
The bus arrived and then wound it’s way round to Instow. Instow is almost directly east of Westward Ho!, but Westward Ho! is on the coast and Instow is across from Appledore on the far side of the River Torridge. Looking at the bigger section on the map, the estuary of the Rivers Taw and Torridge cuts in from the coast in an easterly direction. Saunton Sands lies to the north of the estuary and the long expanse of sands leading down to Westward Ho! stretch to the south. Following the estuary in a roughly easterly direction leads to the River Taw and Barnstaple. Well before Barnstaple though the River Torridge heads south from the estuary. Huddled in the corner of the estuary and the western banks of the Torridge is Appledore. On the opposite bank is Instow. If this all makes no sense whatsoever you’ll just have to look at the map.
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| Instow – looking across to Appledore |
I arrived in Instow to a light drizzle; I had my waterproof jacket on, but was resisting putting my waterproof trousers on because I’d knew I’d be too hot and rustly in them. A quick wander round and I’d seen most of the village. I called into a deli/takeaway/grocery shop to buy something for breakfast and lunch. I was a bit spoilt for choice but eventually decided on a cheese, salad and onion chutney baguette for lunch which was made up freshly for me. I bought a ‘Jubilee’ flapjack with white chocolate topping and a coffee for breakfast. I also found peanut butter Kitkats and so bought a couple. I love anything peanut butter flavoured and had been looking for these ever since I first heard of them a couple of months ago, but this is the first place I’ve actually seen them for sale. There was nowhere to sit down inside and by this time it was raining really heavily so I didn’t fancy sitting on a bench along the seafront. Instead I stood under the awning of the shop and ate my flapjack whilst balancing my coffee on a box of oranges.
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| Following the River Torridge to Bideford |
The rain showed no sign of letting up so, pulling my hood up, I set off into it. Turning right off the main road I picked up the path which followed the banks of the Torridge to Bideford along the former railway line. This part of the path is also the part of the Tarka Trail; a 180 mile trail following the journey of the fictional Tarka the Otter.
This stretch of the path is flat, straight and easy-going. I got a good rhythm going and made good time. I could see the big road bridge crossing the river at Bideford from quite a way back. The river was sandy and didn’t look particularly deep. I assumed this was low tide and at other times of day the river looks quite different. If not, I don’t see how the ferries to Lundy are able to get from Bideford.
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| Almost in Bideford |
The rain was easing off, or maybe I was just getting used to it. As I came into Bideford the path passed behind buildings and arrived at the former train station. An old train was parked up and had been turned into a cafe. It looked cosy inside and was doing quite a good trade, but I wasn’t ready for a break at this point and so turned right to cross the bridge into Bideford. The Tarka Trail at this point, carries straight on.
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| Crossing Bideford Long Bridge |
I walked along the quay in Bideford and reached a big car park with a park to the side of it. There are two interesting sculptures here: one a statue of Charles Kingsley, local and author of The Water Babies and Westward Ho!; and the other of a carved wooden ‘helping hand’ supporting a branch of a tree.
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| Charles Kingsley |
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| ‘A Helping Hand’ |
The path hugged the river to the side of the car park before winding round houses and eventually reaching the river again. I then had a long straight stretch before coming to the outskirts of Appledore. Along here I crossed paths with the man from this morning. He was now reassessing his plans and considering stopping at Instow instead of continuing to Barnstaple.
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| Leaving Bideford and walking towards Appledore |
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| Walking to Appledore |
As the path closed in on Appledore it left the river to go round the large shipbuilding yard and followed the main road into Appledore. I sat on the quay and ate my sandwich and then went for a wander round. Appledore has quaint, narrow streets with pretty, coloured buildings. There’s a ferry running from here across to Instow but I didn’t see it running today. I stopped for a pot of tea in a little teashop that had some good local photographs on the wall. It was crowded and busy as everyone was trying to avoid the rain and so I was quite lucky to get a table.
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| Quaint colourful streets in Appledore |
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| View from Northam Burrows |
The rain stopped though there were still very heavy clouds. It was quite pleasant walking here in the stormy light and as I rounded the top of the peninsula the road petered out and became grassland. I walked as close to the water as I could and tried to take dramatic and atmospheric photos of the estuary and the opposite bank. I sat for a while on a bench just enjoying the dark skies and water.
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| Brooding skies |
I left my seat reluctantly knowing I still had a way to go and wanting to avoid the heavy storm that seemed sure to strike at any moment. The path headed south along the third side of the peninsula and led past the golf course back into Westward Ho! and my car.
NB: Westward Ho! is the only place in the UK spelt with an exclamation mark. The name comes from title of Charles Kinglsey’s 1855 novel which was set in Bideford. Entrepreneurs jumped on the bandwagon of the novel’s popularity and saw the chance to develop a new seaside resort to meet the desires of the Victorians who enthused about the benefits of seaside holidays. Charles Kingsley is not the only famous writer associated with Westward Ho! Rudyard Kipling also spent several of his early years living here and wrote ‘Stalky and Co’ about his time at the local college. Of course, Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, is also connected with this area.
Distance = about 9 miles
Difficulty = easy
Getting involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the chance of a flying lesson.
I’ve just booked a flying lesson! Well, I’ve almost booked one. I was flicking through my emails and noticed an offer for reduced price flying lessons on Living Social so I’ve bought the voucher. When it comes through I can book the 90 minute lesson. The small print says I have to give availability for four weekends over a 12 month period and they will contact me when I can have my lesson. So I won’t know exactly when I’ll be having my lesson until just before it happens, but the anticipation will be lovely.
I love the idea of being able to pilot my own small aircraft, but it’s expensive and so is something I can’t really contemplate doing at the moment. If I enjoy this one-off lesson I’ll know that it is something I really want to do and is worth saving for, and if not, I can take it off my list.
As for the Duke of Edinburgh, I’m talking about the award not the person. I keep trying to get involved in this but it never works out. This year I seem to have a really good chance of being involved. I went to a meeting last night where we planned for the coming year. As long as we get enough students interested I’ll be able to be part of the facilitating team. I’ve already said that my strengths lie in walking, camping and orienteering, and so I could work with the students on the expedition. Of course what’s in it for me is that it will count towards my walking group leader’s qualfication.
So, after a bit of a lull, things seem to be picking up again.
A beautiful day for walking along the coast, through sand dunes and on river banks.
Monday 4th June, 2012
Today was my first day of walking. I’d intended to start yesterday by walking the first leg of my planned stretch of the coastal path – Ilfracombe to Woolacombe. Ilfracombe was where I got to last year and so it made sense to start from there this time. However, it was so rainy and misty that I spent the day in Lynton and Lynmouth instead just being a tourist. I didn’t want to walk along the coast and miss out on seeing the wonderful views. It would have been so frustrating knowing they were there but not being able to see them.
Today the weather was much better and it would have been quite nice to walk along this part of the coast. But yesterday I’d picked up a North Devon bus routes timetable booklet in the Exmoor tourist info portakabin in the Lynmouth car park and realised if I jigged my days around a bit I could make much better use of the bus services. Monday and Tuesday were not good days for buses as they were both bank holidays. If I’d left my car in Woolacombe and got the bus to Ilfracombe to start my walk I would have had to change buses and wait for an hour at a junction in the middle of nowhere. Saving this walk for later in the week would mean I could get a direct bus and the journey would only take about 20 minutes.
So instead I started by walking part 2 first. I drove to Braunton and parked on the road just down from the main crossroads. Right by the bus stop was a shop by the name of ‘Devon Made’. I would have assumed it was some kind of craft shop but the smell of baking and coffee enticed me inside and I realised it was much more than this. What a wonderful place. The front part was a bakery, cafe, deli, ice-cream parlour selling local Devon produce. Long tables and benches ran the length of this part of the shop. At the back there were lots of locally made crafts, jars of chutney, chocolates and so on for sale. I bought lunch and breakfast to take away and had a quick cup of coffee inside which I drank whilst looking around. I only had 15 minutes before the bus was due which would take me to Woolacombe, but I was back outside in plenty of time for it.
As the bus rounded the hill above Woolacombe a stunning vista of glittering sea, long sandy beach, houses clutching to the hillside and a massive traffic jam greeted me. By now the day was really hotting up and as it was a bank holiday EVERYONE seemed to have decided that Woolacombe was the place to be. It took a while for the bus to make its way down the hill to the stop at the bottom just by the car park and beach. What had seemed like a nice quaint place from the top of the hill, looked a bit tacky from the bottom and I didn’t want to linger. A quick look around was enough and I set off west along the road running at the top of the beach towards Putsborough Sands. The beach is about 2 miles long and popular with surfers as well as families.
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| Woolacombe Beach |
The path led along a quiet lane with several laybys in which many small campervans were parked. As the laybys overlooked a much quieter part of the beach I could understand why so many people chose to park here.
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| Looking back towards Woolacombe |
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| Looking fowards towards Baggy Point |
From Putsborough Sands the path turned right and up. I was now walking on grass along the top of Napps Cliff and climbing steadily towards Baggy Point. Baggy Point is National Trust land and this part of the SWCP follows the same route as the Tarka Trail (the long-distance trail named after book ‘Tarka the Otter’). Looking back I got great views of the beach all the way back to Woolacombe.
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| Baggy Point |
From Baggy Point I got quite clear views towards Lundy as well as views westwards along the North Devon coast. Walking back along the southern side of this small peninsula led me fairly quickly towards Croyde Bay. The path becomes the main street leading through Croyde and passes the remains of a whale skull that had been washed up on shore in 1915. It looked like rock, but tapping it I could tell it was bone. Shortly after this was a National Trust cafe with a lovely tea garden. I didn’t stop as I wasn’t particularly hungry or thirsty, though if I hadn’t been conscious of the fifteen miles I had to cover today, I probably would have stopped anyway as it looked so inviting.
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| Remains of a whale that was washed ashore in 1915 |
Continuing down the main street of Croyde most of the properties I passed seemed to be holiday cottages. As the road became a bit busier the path rose above it, through a gate, to become completely separate. Through a gate at the other end I turned right to head down to the beach and the sand dunes.
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| Croyde from a distance |
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| Sand dunes at Croyde |
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| Saunton Sands |
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| The Caen |
