Walking on Exmoor

Bidding farewell to the Old Vicarage we spent some time on the outskirts of Barnstaple locating a bridleway that would lead us to Smoky House Lane and the beginning of our track to Challacombe. The track proved to quite muddy as it was popular with trail bike riders and hence very slow and at times difficult to follow. Nevertheless it proved to be quite different from that we had become. accustomed to as it was mostly through soft woodland of oaks and chestnuts.

Later that morning we climbed steeply out of the Yeo valley to enjoy lunch at Bratton Flemming at the White Hart. After crossing the Bray valley we climbed uphill through Challacome to our overnight destination at Twitchen Farm - a property over 400 years old.

The following morning we had our first taste of Exmoor and it proved a very rewarding experience. The cultivation gradually gave way to moorland with remnants of beech tree windbreaks and characteristic mounded field boundaries. Other walkers were rare apart from occasional groups of schoolchildren on navigation exercises as part of a D of E award but who all asked us to loacte them on a map and point them in the right direction - the blind leading the blind. The weather was perfect, the larks were in full cry and we came across wild moorland cattle, Exmoor ponies and even spotted a herd of red deer - thanks to a friendly truck driver.
The Tarka Trail (our path) climbed to crest of the Exmoor Ridge at Woodbarrow Gate to the source of the River Exe and crossed the Two Moors Way into Devon. After a lunch at Simonsbath we headed up past Warren Farm to rejoin the Trail via the very steep Postman's Path. This was followed by a stroll across Elsworthy Moor to be collected by Richard at Larkbarrow Corner. Overnight at Exford.

As the weather was still clear we resumed our route the following day by crossing the high moors over Almsworthy Common and Exford Common to visit Dunkery Beacon the highest point on Exmoor which gave great views but a bit misty. The track then led us off the moor through rough pasture anda pleasant path through Blagdon wood to Wheddon Cross for lunch.
Our path out of the town was marked by a confrontation with a rather aggressive tractor driver with a full load of hay who completely blocked our path due to the very high and nettle-ridden hedges both sides of the road. Frances and David butied themselves in the hedge while I took off down the road back into the town with the tractor in hot pursuit. The narrow roads are often quite hazardous!

The remainder of the day's walk took us through Luxborough and on to Lype Hill where we stopped and returned to Exford for the night. The country here was clearly the venue for hunting and shooting (refined!!) as we heard the sound of gunshots and we sighted a number of hunting dogs. We spoke with the owner of Chargon House and were informed that the property was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and included at one time 18 villages in the area. We were also informed that the holding is now a 22 acre farm and a 600 acre shoot!!

Resuming the following day the path took us on a very tranquil path through Langridge Wood, a descent back to the Washford River and then to the quiet village of Roadwater. From Roadwater it was a mixture of field paths (quite overgrown and difficult to follow thanks to uncooperative farmers) and a descent via parkland to Nettlecombe Court in a beautiful location with its own church - formerly the seat of the Raleighs and now a field centre. The day was hot at about 30 degrees and very humid, our brows were dripping and the horse flies in abundance!!

A slow journey on to Monsilver for a late lunch at the Notley Arms followed by a circuitous but more easily travelled route to Bicknoller at the foot of the Quantocks. Again Bicknoller a pretty little village with a 15th century church. Before reaching Bicknoller we crossed the rail track for the newly preserved steam railway running between Minehead and Taunton.
Today is a much-needed rest day. Spent the day catching up on emails and visiting nearby Dunster Castle with its magnificent buildings and gardens, the quaint village of Dunster and the coastal town of Minehead.

Barnstaple

Very relieved to be leaving Westward Ho we headed for Bideford and were able to see a very different side to the town from the previous day. We visited the museuma and viewed a wonderful exhibition of watercolours by a local artist Albert Goodwin before passing a market on the river promenade featuring delicious looking local produce and crossing the old bridge to pick up the path to Instow.
Apart from a climb out of Westward Ho the remainder of the walk was flat the major part of it along a converted railway track which became a bit monotonous by the end of the day. The route. was also a very popular cycling path and was a bit hazardous at times. We passed Fremington Quay just beyond Instow, the largest port between Bristol and Land's End towards the end of the last century. There was typically a number of boats marooned by the low tide lying in the sand.
The highlight of the afternoon was watching a number of students doing an exercise as part of an officer training program with the British army. After a long run they were required to crawl and run through the knee deep mud and slime on the river bank before returning to their camp - an amazing spectacle which kept us entertained for some time.
Staying at The Old Vicarage in Barnstaple - an attractive B&B dating back to the 1830s.

Reporting from Westward Ho

Finally have been able to access the website with a full battery so can bring you all up to date with our meanderings since I last reported from St Ives. In summary I can report that the South West Coast Path has been absolutely stunning and has justified our decision to take the more challenging route to Bath.
The path has been quite narrow at time, the cliffs precipitous and there have been a number of very steep ascents and descents but the coastline, wildflowers, birdlife and fishing villages have provided an unforgettable experience.
From St Ives we crossed the Hayle Estuary in fairly bleak rainy conditions to walk along the beach and rejoin the path at Red River where we lunched. We sympathised with the surprising number of brave groups on the beach who were taking surfing and kite-surfing lessons in fairly rough seas and water temperatures of about 12 degrees.
The weather cleared after lunch and the walk to Portreath although in blustery southwesterly winds(thankfully behind us and the prevailing winds on this coast) was fairly easy going.
Portreath was the first of a number of small coastal fishing villages with stone houses dependent on the sea for its livelihood, all with pocket-sized harbours that empty at low tide (tide variations about 7m) and with very narrow entrances which aim to protect and provide safety to their boats from the heavy seas experienced along this rugged coast.
Leaving Portreath the following morning we passed a large airforce training base. We were warned not to stray from the path in case we stepped on unexploded objects.We soon arrived in Porthtowan and continued the coastal path to St Agnes and then Perranporth our overnight destination.
Along the route there was much evidence of cliff-side tin mining activity and mine shafts capped with conical mesh to indicate their whereabouts. The rock pinnacles around the cove were quite dramatic with green copper stains a by-product of the tin mining.
Perranporth, another fishing village and holiday destination of little interest with very poor accommodation.
After walking along the firm sands of Perran Beach the following morning and ascending the cliffs at Ligger Point we met a number of chefs from a nearby army camp who were practising their abseiling skills on the cliifs. We stopped briefly for an 'almost coffee' at Holeywell but were driven out by the owner who announced he didn't like 'people with poles' -our walking sticks!
The highlight of the rest of the journey to Newquay was the crossing of the Ganel by ferry a distance of about 50 metres. The ferry was a small wooden boat summoned from across the river and driven by a man accompanied by his dog.
Approaching Newquay we passed Fistral Beach the most popular and best known surfing beach in the British Isles. Newquay is a large commercial and tourism centre which heaves with people during the season. Although we were stopping there overnight we realised the challenge of the planned walk the following day and decided to reduce the next day's journey by pushing on, in heavy rain, to Mawgan Porth that afternoon. The path wound its way through Newquay and then on to the high and dangerous cliffs above Whipsiderry Beach to Watergate, an ugly property development, before taking to cliff-side again.
The following day we again walked cliff-top via the spectacular Carnewas Beach to Porthcothan, another pretty fishing village, for a freshly caught crab sandwich and Cornish tea lunch scones , clotted cream and jam. We then tracked inland taking a field path to Padstow descending into the town past the beautiful Prideau Place castle and gardens. Padstow, popularised by Rick Stein and known locally as Padstein, had a beautiful harbour and a quaint and up-market town centre. Rick Stein's famous seafood restaurant was located only 3 doors away from our B & B hosted by a delightful lady, Linda Hawkins. We enjoyed an exceptionally good Italian meal overlooking the harbour. The town however was over-populated by wily seagulls, one of whom snatched an after-dinner ice-cream from out of David's hand much to his horror and the amusement of passers-by he had been warned thjis was a regular occurrence around the harbour!
Next morning we were relieved to discover the tide was sufficiently high for another ferry crossing across the Camel River to Rock (approximately 500 metres). The coastal path then took us to Polzeath, round the coast to Port Quin and on to Port Isaac where we were transported to Lane End Farm at Pendoggett, our B&B for the night which provided very comfortable accommodation.
We really enjoyed Port Isaac a very picturesque fishing village made famous by the Doc Martin's TV series, new episodes of which were currently being filmed. We were able to see Doc Martin's house and recognise various scenes from the series later that evening when coincidentally there was an episode on television. The locals told us that many of the cast came from members of the local community. In the evening we listened top a group of local fishermen who had formed a choir to sing seafaring folk songs.
The next section of the journey was described as 'severe' in our guide with several miles of very tough walking and the path not so well defined and it lived up to its reputation with many very steep descents and ascents. At Trebarthwick Strand we decided on an inland route via field paths to Boscastle. The afternoon ramble was marked by an interesting confrontation with a herd of about 45 bullocks who despite David's gallant attempts refused to move aside and let us through and decided to chase us back over a 'triple' stile. Frances stumbled back over the stile while David was lucky to escape without a horn in his backside!!
Boscastle was again a very attractive village now fully recovered from disastrous floods in 2004 which reached the second storey of many buildings close to the harbour inmcluding our B and B. The village featured among other things an extremely popular witchcraft museum, beautiful stone buildings and a very narrow entrance to the harbour. We had allowed for a rest day in Boscastle but decided to spend the afternoon walking to Crackington Haven to reduce the walk for the following day.
It was a good decision as the coastal path to Crackington Haven featured a huge climb to High Cliff, the highest on the whole South West Coast Path.
Crackington Haven to Bude the following day was again a strenuous walk but with a wide variety of rock formations and an ancient oak woodland at Dizzard Point providing interest. The beach at widemouth was popular with surfers but the sand had changed dramatically from those further west and had become a dirty grey and covered in many parts by rocks worn smooth by the pounding surf. We finally descended via the road into Bude and a walk to our accommodation via the historic and very picturesque Bude Canal.
As the next section of the Coast Path to Bude was also described as 'severe' we left the path at Maer Down to travel via field paths to cease our walking for the day at Philham. The field paths proved to be quite difficult to follow and a challenge to negotiate as they were often overgrown with nettles,gorse, and brambles and quite muddy underfoot. Horse flies were in abundance and they were particularly attracted to Frances who sustained some painful bites. The night was spent at the superb home of Gill and John George at Gawlish Farm where we enjoyed a wonderful home-cooked meal. David and Richard were treated to a post-dinner tour of the district in John's 4WD where he regaled them with local stories and culminated in a beer at Hartland Quay. The Quay and surronding coast has notoriety for the number of ships that have been wrecked by the menacing coastline over the years.
We began our walking the following day at Hartland Quay with its spectacular rock formations and learning more about the history of ship wrecks. It featured a huge sea wall built to contain the wild seas which threaten to undermine the foundations of the Hartland Quay Inn. It was then on to Stoke and Hartland Abbey before a very pleasant walk through Brownsham Wood and on to Clovelly.
Clovelly remains a gorgeous little village - it was interesting to learn that it remains privately owned and has been in the one family since the early 1900s - currently owned by John Rous, a descendant of the original owner Christine Hamlyn, whose residence Clovelly Court with beautiful gardens overlooks the village.
Visted the house and museum of Charles Kingsley before joining Dunalley residents Tim and Tammy Holmes and their granddaughter Matilda for a meal harbourside at the Red Lion Inn.
The following day began with a pleasant walk through the woods along the Hobby Drive - a avenue shaded by a range of deciduous tress. The remainder of the walk to Westward Ho was most enjoyable but with some steep sections and at times the path was quite overgrown. We passed people employed by the National Trust who were responsible for keeping cleared a 6-mile section of the track - quite a task given the warm weather and seasonal rainfall which had seen a healthy growth of brambles, nettles and gorse. From Peppercombe there was a fine stretch of coast walking to Westward Ho a depressing and very shabby seaside town located on the Torridge River estuary.
Again a very level beach and big tidal variations mean almost a bus trip to reach the water at low tide yet at high tide the water laps the rocks of the sea wall. A very unattractive smooth rocky shoreline complements the equally unattractive buildings which front it including scores of beach cabins. Richard has however enjoyed a round of golf on the Royal North Devon links course nearby, the oldest golf course in England while David and I explored nearby Bideford, also a very forgettable town.

We're on the way

It's Day 3 and we are having a rest day in St Ives.
We left Lands End about 11am on the 12th. Postponed our departure an hour waiting for heavy fog and fine rain to clear. Since then the weather has been kind to us, sunny and about 17degrees.
The south west coast path is quite spectacular sheer rocky cliifs, deep blue seas, white sandy beaches and an abundance of wild flowers. The path however is often very narrow, quite overgrown, boggy in places and often quite rocky underfoot - very slow going.
Afer leaving Land's End we followed the cliff top to picturesque Sennen Cove a small fishing village with a interesting craft and art shop in the old wheelhouse. On to sands of Whitesand Bay followed by a rockhop(a mistake!) to the cliff path again to Cape Cornwall. Wild flowers everywhere - campions, thrift, buttercups, bluebells and foxgloves.
Cape Cornwall is a small peninsula with a chimney on the top and the beginning of remnants of old tin mines - ruined buildings,tracks and chimney stacks some bearing the marks of arsenic production. Many stone farm buildings often painted white in stark contrast with the lush green fields. Due to navigational errors, poor advice from a local who offered David and Frances a glass of scrumpy while I was retracing my steps as a result of an incorrect path choice we arrived at Botallack well off course. Collected by Richard and taken to Pendeen for overnight stay at the North Inn.
The following morning we picked up the path again at Geevor Tin Mine about 9.15am. The Geevor mine was the last operational mine in Cornwall, closing in 1990 with an interesting history dating back to Roman occupation in early 400s. We then resumed the coastal path for Zennor.The highlight of the moring was beautiful Portmeor Cove and the spotting of a pod of basking sharks quite close to shore by eagle-eye Frances. It appears that thes attract quite a number of visitors to Cornwall each year. A few walkers on the track most of whom were complaining about its condition which at this stage was beginning to make us realise that we were not going to reach St Ives before dark. We were however saved by a path diversion due to its unsafe condition as a result of the recent heavy rain and after a delightful lunch at the equally delightful village of Zennor we followed the field path for the rest of the day to St Ives and a night at the Grey Mullet - not far from the harbour. Today we will visit the Tate Gallery and Barabara Hepworth's garden as well as browsing the shops.

The excitement grows

We are now in the final throes of preparing for our departure.
Yvonne and David leave on 7 June, Richard and Frances the following day.

After a couple of days in London where we will be stocking up with all our maps David and I will take the train to Penzance to meet up with Richard and Frances at Mousehole before starting the walk on 12 June.

Sponsorship for the Walk has been coming in.each day. We are still hoping for lots more as we have a mission to raise as much as we can for the Fistula Hospital and it will give us the incentive to KEEP WALKING.

We are all most excited to be able to stop talking and start walking..