Stacey Stevens

10/05/25

Day 12 (10/05/25): Morwenstow to Bude - 7.91 miles (139.31 miles total)

The Start:

Absolutely rubbish night of sleep last night!  That is the problem with staying in a pub I guess (especially when your room is right over the bar!). The noise stopped at about 1.30am … guessing it was a lock-in!  Did manage to get some sleep once the revellers had departed but not enough to class the sleep as good!  

Breakfast was a full English. They tried to claim that it was a full Cornish but no hogs pudding so I dispute this! Although it was pleasant enough, we were both glad to be having our last cooked breakfast for a while!

The Middle:

The sun had his hat on again today.  Much warmer than yesterday & it felt quite humid.  Thankfully we still had a lovely cooling easterly breeze which took the edge off the temperatures.

Our guide book classifies the walk today as “severe’!!!! This meant a continuous progression of steep climbs and descents (as yesterday).   The book claims that this part of the path (together with yesterdays section) is the toughest part of the whole of the SWCP …. Many other people on facebook etc agree with this. We disagree. It was nowhere near as difficult as the book made out. Don’t get me wrong, it was tough going at times, however there are far harder sections on the Cornish coast!  We ended the day wishing we had walked all the way from Hartland Quay to Bude in one day instead of over two days - we’re quite sure we would’ve easily managed it!

There was no flat walking at the start of the walk today - we were straight into the relentless gradients of the valleys of Tidna Shute & Stanbury Mouth.  The latter was definitely the steepest of all climbs in the past two days.  We then had a short period of flat walking where we passed by GCHQ Bude, and got our first glimpses of Bude itself.  The next valley was upon us before too long. Duckpool valley was the last proper challenge of this section.  What followed was a long & undulating walk along the headland to Bude.

With it being the last day of this SWCP walk, we decided to treat ourselves to a break from cliff walking by walking along the beach for a mile or so.  I even went so far as to take my boots/socks off so I could feel the sand beneath my feet (and dip my toes in the sea - which was bloody freezing!). Now, the problem with walking barefoot on the beach is when you decide you then wish to put your footwear back on.  I had a plan … head for a rock pool where I could wash the sand from my feet before putting my boots on (I had a small microfibre towel in my bag just for this purpose).  One foot successfully washed & re-socked I went to grab my boot.  Unfortunately when leaning I managed to dip my socked foot into the water!  What a fool!  I was more careful with the other foot … I guess a 50% success record isn’t so bad!!

Boots on, we headed back up onto the headland for the final stretch into Bude.  We had allowed far too much time for doing this leg so we arrived in Bude too early (2 1/2 hours before check-in).  To pass the time we had a couple of drinks to celebrate the completion of this part of the SWCP.  We then headed to Sainsbury’s to pick up our tea for the night & then it was time to check in at the Premier Inn, our final stop of the trip.

Wildlife Encounters:

We ended the trip with a day of zero wildlife encounters! Very dull but, on the bright side, no ticks or flies! 

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 6

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 6 billion!!!

Rabbit = 1

Meal Count:

Breakfast this morning was a full English - as stated earlier.

Meal deal from Sainsbury’s for tea tonight …. Was nice to not have to spend a small fortune on a meal after the past couple of days!

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 9

Trail mixes - 12 (dinners)

Pasties - 6 (2 breakfast/4 tea)

Meal deals - 5 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

Pub meal - 2 (tea)

The End:

Our room at the Premier Inn is standard (although we do have a bonus bath again!). We have a day in Bude tomorrow before we catch a couple of buses back to my mum’s house on Monday.  Will sleep well tonight I am sure.  Will take some time now to digest what we have achieved over the last 12 days & will be back tomorrow with our final journal post!

09/05/25

Day 11 (09/05/25): Hartland Quay to Morwenstow - 8.93 miles (131.40miles total)

The Start:

Not the best night of sleep. Firstly, it was weird sleeping in single beds. Secondly, the beds were bloody uncomfortable!  A lovely morning bath helped matters though. We then headed down for breakfast. Was hoping for a choice of different things this morning but were out of luck!  Full English it was (getting mighty bored of them now!). All that was left to do was to check out & start the walk to Morwenstow!  Everything crossed that it wouldn’t be too tough for our weary old legs!

The Middle:

Standard sunny weather today. Perhaps a little too hot although there was a lovely easterly wind from time to time to take the edge off!

Our guide book classifies the walk today as “severe’!!!! This meant a continuous progression of steep climbs and descents.  Oh boy … this was going to test our stamina & fitness!

Apart from the rather steep climb up from the hotel at the start, the beginning of this walk was quite easy.  The path went through a lovely valley that gently led us up onto the cliff top.  We then had a couple of miles of cliff top walking with no notable ascents/descents. 

After 5 miles of relatively easy walking the fun began!  First the descent to Welcombe Mouth Beach then the almost vertical climb out again.  Before we knew it we were descending again into Marsland Valley.   It was worth the struggle to get the the bottom as this was where we crossed the border into glorious Cornwall!!  Being back home certainly lifted my spirits but not sure it helped physically speaking - very tired legs still felt heavy as lead! 

Despite being in a different county, the path remained as challenging as ever as we had to traverse 3 more stamina-sapping valleys - Litter Mouth, Yeol Mouth & St Morwenna’s Well. 

The descents into all of these valleys were tougher in most cases than the ascents out - the surface was covered in loose gravel & stones (very easy to lose one’s footing if you didn’t take things very slowly).   Don’t get me wrong - the climbs out weren’t easy by any stretch of the imagination - this was an exhausting stretch of coastline!

Thankfully it was now time for us to get off the SWCP rollercoaster for the day - we now had to head inland to Morwenstow & the Bush Inn where we are staying tonight.

Wildlife Encounters:

Today was another day of unpleasant wildlife. One tick found (strolling on me before attaching) - I took great pleasure in destroying the little bloodsucker!  FLIES!!!! Not quite on the plague level of last Thursday but still far more than is acceptable (1 billion today at least).  I HATE FLIES!  

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 6

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 6 billion!!!

Rabbit = 1

Meal Count:

Breakfast this morning was a full English - as stated earlier no other cooked options available.

Meal at the Bush Inn tonight (again the lack of nearby amenities removed any options for us). I opted for beer battered haddock & chips with garden peas.  Mark had Hunters chicken with chips & coleslaw. Both delicious & most welcome after the walk today (as well as the couple of pints of Cornish ale!)

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 8

Trail mixes - 11 (dinners)

Pasties - 6 (2 breakfast/4 tea)

Meal deals - 4 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

Pub meal - 2 (tea)

The End:

Our room is glorious. We have a sleigh bed and west & south facing windows (from both of which you can see the sea!). We also have a bonus bath - super exciting!

Tomorrow is the final leg of this walk when we head to Bude. It should be another 8 mile walk but with steeper valleys & less flat walking! Bring it on!!

08/05/25

Day 10 (08/05/25): Clovelly to Hartland Quay - 10.81 miles (122.47 miles total)

The Start:

Yet another fabulous night of sleep last night. That is until 5.30am when I woke up wondering what time it was …. I stretched across to reach my watch & somehow twinged a muscle in my upper back!  Lay there for the next hour almost afraid to move hoping the pain would go away - thankfully by the time we had to get out of bed the ache had all but gone!  How have I managed to walk all this way with a heavy rucksack & suffer no injury yet I reach for my watch & almost tear a muscle! 🤣🤣

Anyway, normal service was resumed & we headed downstairs for a lovely home-cooked breakfast - best one so far I think.  We then forced our feet into our very stinky walking boots & headed off toward Hartland Quay.

The Middle:

Amazing weather again today. It did start off relatively cool but it wasn’t long before the sun was high in the sky once more.  There was a nice breeze today which was much appreciated.

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘moderate/strenuous’ - This meant starting on a section  with one or two notable gradients, then moving into a section with frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!  

The walk started off simply enough - a lovely walk through fields & woods.  A very unusual sight on this part of the path was a wooden pagoda-style structure known as Angel’s Wings (apparently carved by a former butler of Clovelly Estate).  It was really quite beautiful & very ornate.

We then left the woodland to descend down to Mouthmill Beach (once a haunt of smugglers).  As nice as it was to be at sea level we knew that it could only mean a climb back up to the cliff top again on the other side of the valley.  It was worth the climb as the views from the top were spectacular, particularly those of Blackchurch Rock (with its two sea sculpted windows).

Once out of the valley the path took us through an endless series of fields until we reached Hartland Point.  Thankfully these were all mainly flat & most did give us brilliant views of the coastline in all of its glory (when hedges weren’t blocking the view).  The lighthouse at Hartland Point wasn’t open for visitors so we had to make do with a photo from afar.

The path had now turned the corner & we were heading in a more southerly direction after heading west for the previous 9 days.  Although only 3 miles remained of this leg they weren’t an easy 3 (I’m pretty sure that this is the point the path rating changed to ‘strenuous’!)

We now had several steep descents & ascents to negotiate - the toughest of them all being the final descent into & the ascent out of Blackpool Mill valley.  With very weary legs we eventually reached the final stretch of the walk.  From here it should have been a relatively straightforward stroll to Hartland Quay Hotel (our home for the night).  We had seen the hotel from the cliff top before descending into the previous valleys so knew it wasn’t far.  BUT where the hell was it.  We just couldn’t see it anywhere - no signposts to help - no phone signal to help me locate it on Maps!  Thankfully a lady who we’d spoken with on the walk earlier today was walking past us at that moment (she knew where the hotel was - phew!). Turns out we were headed in the correct direction, it was just hidden by the steepness of the landscape surrounding it!😮‍💨

Wildlife Encounters:

Unfortunately we did encounter wildlife today…..Ticks!!!  Awful, horrible, disgusting beasts!  2 attached to Mark, 2 attached to me plus one that i managed to destroy before it attached itself to my leg!  You seriously do feel violated when you find a tick on you!  No pleasant wildlife!

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 5

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

Rabbit = 1

Meal Count:

Breakfast this morning was a full English cooked by our lovely B&B owner Becky.  As stated earlier, best breakfast to date on this trip. 

Due to remoteness of our accommodation tonight, we had no choice but to eat in the hotel. We both went for beer battered cod & chips with mushy peas.  I must admit it tasted lovely but wasn’t worth the price tag!

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 7

Trail mixes - 10 (dinners)

Pasties - 6 (2 breakfast/4 tea)

Meal deals - 4 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

Pub fish, chips & peas - 1 (tea)

The End:

Despite the overpriced food our room is nice enough (even though it has twin beds).  We have both TV & a bonus bath!!

Tomorrow we head over the border into my homeland Cornwall - destination Morwenstow. Only approximately 8 miles but it will be a very tough 8 miles according to the guide book!!  Let’s hope we make it in one piece!

07/05/25

Day 9 (07/05/25): Westward Ho! to Clovelly - 12.36 miles (111.66 miles total)

The Start:

After another brilliant night of sleep (helped by the sound of the sea), a relaxing morning bath (got to make the most of such facilities), and a lovely breakfast, & we were ready to start on the path to Clovelly.

The Middle:

Weather was glorious again - barely a cloud in the sky!  It’s fair to say we have been very lucky with the weather so far! 

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘strenuous’ - this means frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!  It was certainly a massive change from what we’ve become used to over the past few days!

Before starting our trek today we popped into a local bakery to pick up our tea as options in Clovelly are limited (no village stores).

Leaving Westward Ho! the path took us along open cliff tops and up/down numerous valleys.  It was great to be able to see the sea again - although we knew that more than half of our walk today was going to be in woodlands once more.  

Although it was brilliant to be back on ‘proper’ coast path, we couldn’t help but wish that some path maintenance had been carried out recently!  Having the choice of stinging nettles or gorse on one side of the path or barbed wire fence on the other wasn’t really that enjoyable!  Thankfully we managed to get through these obstacles with only Mark getting stung once.  Seemingly the use of a dock leaf did assist in taking the sting away - helped I believe by the me chanting the magic rhyme “dock leaf in, stinging nettle out” (doesn’t work without the rhyme I’m sure).

Leaving the cliffs behind we were now into woodland.  The trees did provide welcome shelter from the sun & the heat of the day but the walking wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. Turns out ‘strenuous’ was a very appropriate rating for this walk!

Now, as well as the path continually undulating up & down (including far too many bloody steps) we also came across some other very unexpected obstacles!  FALLEN TREES!  Not small branches across the path … oh no, no, no …. Huge trees that had fallen onto the path.  These would’ve been awkward for most people to get past but with my little legs it was almost impossible.  Luckily I’m stubborn - trees weren’t going to stop me -  I just had to clamber over.  Pretty sure it wasn’t elegant but I made it!  By the way, it wasn’t just the one tree … we had three of these to conquer!  Felt like we were on an army assault course (although I’m sure I made it look more like a game of It’s A Knock-Out!

Eventually we left the woodland & we reached a 19th century bridleway called “Hobby Drive”. The surface of this bridleway wasn’t the most pleasant underfoot but at least it was mainly downhill - although seemed like it was never coming to an end.  Took us a good hour of walking before we reached the end of it!

We were now at the top of the village of Clovelly.   We made the decision not to walk down into the village itself - unfortunately we have to limit the use of our legs when we can (still quite a way to Bude & the going is going to be tough!). We did however pop into the Visitor Centre where we treated ourself to an end of day ice-cream - yum!  

To finish the day, we had another 1/2 mile walk up to Higher Clovelly to Slerra Hill B&B.  

Wildlife Encounters:

No new wildlife today. BORING!  Count remains at:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

Rabbit = 1

Meal Count:

Breakfast this morning at the Inn was a full English.  Instead of our usual cup of tea we had cappuccino (the tea was served by mug rather than in a pot - this always makes me nervous that the tea will be awful!)

The pasties we picked up from the bakery this morning were our tea this evening. Much to my annoyance, the only ones available were Devon pasties!!  Top crimped!! WHY?  Ridiculous way to crimp a pasty - makes eating the pasty very difficult!  I may be biased but certainly not a patch on a Cornish pasty!

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 6

Trail mixes - 9 (dinners)

Pasties - 6 (2 breakfast/4 tea)

Meal deals - 4 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

The End:

The B&B is wonderful. Our room is huge & the bed is super comfy.  The owners run a farm so we even have proper milk with which to make a cup of tea - ansum!

Tomorrow we head to Hartland Quay.  While the walking should be easier than today, it is still going to be tough (although nothing compared to what awaits us on Friday & Saturday!)

06/05/25

Day 8 (06/05/25): Instow to Westward Ho! - 11.72 miles (99.30 miles total)

The Start:

What a fantastic night’s sleep - the bed was ridiculously comfortable. After breakfast at the B&B we set off on our final ‘easy’ walk of this section of the coast path - Westward Ho! here we come!

The Middle:

Another beautifully sunny day on the SWCP, although very breezy at times (& it was quite a chilly wind!) 

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘easy’ - the same as yesterday & the day before. 

The walk down the estuary toward Bideford was on a disused railway line - therefore tarmac & flat!  Not really any nice views to speak of - there are a lot of very old rusty/decaying boats dotted here and there all over the estuary!  Not a great attraction for tourists one would assume - guess moving/scrapping them wouldn’t be an easy task.

Once we reached Bideford the path followed the river on the other side past a number of very expensive looking properties then into some woodland & alongside fields.  Although still not the seascapes we yearned for, it was nice to have a change in the scenery & path from the past couple of days!  That was until we neared Appledore. We then had to walk on a road through a very ugly industrial area with numerous factories & run-down looking buildings - not a great section!

Appledore itself was pleasant enough. It was weird to look across the river to see Instow just on the other side  - almost seemed as if we could’ve waded over & saved ourselves a lot of miles this morning!

Leaving Appledore we entered the Northam Burrows Country Park.  This park is an SSSI consisting of 253 hectares of coastal plain & sand dunes. The best thing for us about reaching the Burrows was that we could now see the sea again - hallelujah!  

To celebrate our reunion with the sea, we decided to venture down to the shore for another stone skimming competition. Much to my dismay, I have now lost the status of skimming champion - I must say that Mark was far too jubilant!

Once Mark had finished lauding his victory over me, we continued the walk, now alongside the Royal North Devon golf course - the oldest links course in England.  Thankfully we managed to traverse the course without being hit by any errant golf balls!

Nothing left now but a rather long walk down a gentle grassy slope until we reached Westward Ho!  As exciting as it is to be staying in a place with an exclamation mark in it’s name, I’m not really sure it deserves such punctuation. It is just another standard seaside town.

We couldn’t check into the Waterfront Inn (our home for the night) until 3pm so we decided it would be rude not to rest our weary feet in the lovely beer garden with a couple of pints of Cornish beer (to dilute the Devon effect!)

Wildlife Encounters:

No new wildlife today. Count remains at:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

Rabbit = 1

Meal Count:

Breakfast this morning at the B&B was a delicious full English - the toast was made with tiger bread!  A very nice change from the standard sliced white loaf toast!

We did visit Tesco in Westward Ho! to pick up our tea for this evening - sorry to disappoint all but we did revert to our standard meal deal!

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 5

Trail mixes - 8 (dinners)

Pasties - 5 (2 breakfast/3 tea)

Meal deals - 4 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

The End:

The Waterfront Inn is lovely. We have a bath in the room (always most welcome) & can see the sea from our bed - wow! 

Tomorrow the easy walking is over. We head to Clovelly & there certainly aren’t any flat/tarmac paths on the route!  Got to admit we are looking forward to it - back on the proper path again!

05/05/25

Day 7 (05/05/25): Barnstaple to Instow - 9.29 miles (87.58 miles total)

The Start:

Slept very well last night. Not an early start this morning as we couldn’t check in to our accommodation in Instow until 3pm.

Walked to the nearby Tesco to pick up supplies for breakfast this morning & tea tonight.  We  then returned to the Premier Inn to collect our bags before heading off - destination Instow!

The Middle:

A combination of sun & cloud today - occasional cool breeze especially when walking along exposed parts of the estuary. 

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘easy’ - the same as yesterday.  Although a level walk mostly on tarmac, it wasn’t as dull as yesterday - maybe it was because we were headed back in the direction of the sea?  The walk was mainly along a disused railway line so not tricky in the slightest. 

A nice mid walk distraction was Fremington Quay. We were very tempted to stop for a coffee & cake (as a friend had told us the cakes were delicious) but unfortunately it was ridiculously busy (the Bank Holiday effect I guess!). In light of the crowds, we decided to keep moving onwards toward Instow.  

Eventually the path ambled around Instow Barton Marsh, before following the sandy estuary into Instow.

Although a pretty enough village, there isn’t real much of note in Instow. The vistas are lovely - probably due to the views over the confluence of the Taw & Torridge rivers. We had a brief look in John’s of Instow (a lovely cafe/deli with many local but expensive goods) however this shop was also packed with tourists.

We couldn’t check into the Wayfarer Inn (our home for the night) until 3pm so we passed a little time with a drink in the Instow Arms.  Despite the cloudy skies it was nice to sit & relax while watching the world go by.  We then walked to the Wayfarer where we had another drink & game of Euchre.  Long story short, while I may be the skimming champion, Mark is now the Euchre champion!

Wildlife Encounters:

Exciting news - we did happen upon a tiny rabbit on the path today. Sooooo cute.  Had to gently persuade him to leave the path as we were concerned he may get squished by cyclists!  No other animal encounters of note!

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

Rabbit = 1

Meals:

Several people have mentioned our eating habits on this hike.  Please rest assured that in our everyday life we eat a very healthy diet - with most meals cooked from scratch, at least 10 portions of fruit/veg on most days & the majority of the food we eat is unprocessed. 

However we don’t have the option of home-cooked meals on the SWCP plus we don’t want to waste money eating out where the food will be overpriced & not necessarily healthy anyway!

As requested we will be adding a meal count to our daily diary!  Note that our daily trail mix consists of dried blueberries/cranberries, golden raisins & a mix of nuts. 

Breakfast this morning was a golden syrup instant porridge pot together with a high protein strawberry milk shake.  We had the same for tea (although Mark swapped for a peanut butter flavoured porridge instead - he wouldn’t have one again apparently!).  Not a pasty or meal deal in sight! 😉

Meal counts to date:

Full English breakfasts - 4

Trail mixes - 7 (dinners)

Pasties - 5 (2 breakfast/3 tea)

Meal deals - 3 (tea)

Baguette - 1 (tea)

Instant porridge pots - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea)

High protein shakes - 2 (1 breakfast/1 tea) 

The End:

The Wayfarer is clean if not a little dated.  We have a family room - have decided to sleep in the double bed rather than the optional bunk beds that we have 🤣

Tomorrow is meant to be an 11 mile walk along the flat to Westward Ho!  We may even get to see the sea!

04/05/25

Day 6 (04/05/25): Croyde to Barnstaple - 16.14 miles (78.29 miles total)

The Start:

Brilliant night of sleep last night.  Mark’s leg is fully recovered - phew!  Cornish pasty for breakfast this morning as we were limited for options in Croyde.

It was time to set off to Barnstaple!

The Middle:

Lovely weather today. The sun was out for the majority of the day but we did have an occasional period of cloudy skies (not unwelcome when you’re walking!)

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘easy’.  This meant mostly level & in good condition!  Turns out it also meant very boring!

The initial walk from Croyde to Saunton had one or two little ascents/descents but nothing of note.  We should’ve enjoyed the views of the sea more on this section because once we left Saunton the sea was not seen again!  On the bright side, we did manage to get a photo of Lundy Island on the horizon before the coastal scenery vanished!

We left Saunton by following the path through the golf course.  We thought this part of the walk was dull - little did we know what lay ahead!  We then walked alongside a military training area & Braunton Burrows. The Burrows are home to the largest sand dune system in England and, allegedly, encompasses a ‘world-class environment’ rich in wildlife!  Guess the wildlife was in hiding today!  To us the Burrows were a long & monotonous walk on straight gravel paths - not forgiving on the feet!  No views of note!

It was then another boring walk along a gravel embankment all the way to Braunton.  Next came approximately 5 miles of walking tarmac paths - first alongside Chivenor Marine Base then alongside the River Taw all the way to Barnstaple. The river provided a welcome change from the vistas we had for the rest of the day but still not comparable to the sea views of yesterday!

Mark says he has had a horrible day!  I knew this was this case as he did spend most of the day moaning about the surface of the path & the lack of views.  When he wasn’t complaining about these things he was asking me if I had to walk so fast - he said that he could just meet me at the hotel if he was going to slow for my liking 🤣🤣. I honestly wasn’t even walking that fast - guess i just got into a rhythm (clearly not good at pace setting!).

To give Mark his dues, it really wasn’t a brilliant day!  Suffice to say today was not our favourite day on the SWCP - it certainly wasn’t a section we would ever want to revisit in the future.

To break up the ennui of the day, we did pause at one point to have a stone skimming competition on the river.  To cut a long story short, I am currently the reigning skimming champion 🏆

Once we got to Barnstaple we made a pit-stop at Tesco to pick up our tea (yes a meal deal!) & then it was another mile to walk to get to our home for the night, a Premier Inn.

Wildlife Encounters:

None despite the promises in the guide book therefore the count remains the same:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

The End:

The Premier Inn is lovely - apparently we are in the new section (it certainly looks very smart & even has that newly decorated smell to it!). No bath but we do have a glorious waterfall shower.

After the past two 16+ mile walks, we are feeling it in our feet & legs this evening!

Tomorrow is another flat but shorter walk to Instow (only approx 7 miles) - fingers crossed that it will be more enjoyable than today!

03/05/25

Day 5 (03/05/25): Ilfracombe to Croyde - 16.24 miles (62.15 miles total)

The Start:

Not such a good night of sleep last night for Mark as one of his legs was continually aching. Not sure if it is just down to tiredness or some deeper issue - I suggested that maybe he should get the bus today rather than walk to rest his leg but he refused to be beaten!  All we could do was hope that it was okay for the long walk today!

Another cooked breakfast was consumed at the B&B & then we set off once more - destination Croyde!

The Middle:

Sunny skies today with barely a cloud in sight. Thankfully the temperatures are still low despite the lack of cloud cover & we actually had a lovely breeze for the majority of our walking today.

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘moderate/strenuous’.  This meant a combination of one or two notable gradients but also sections with frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!  

The walk started with a climb out of Ilfracombe along the hills & cliffs of Torrs Park.  We did unfortunately take a wrong turn early on in the walk but instead of retracing our steps we carried on regardless even though this meant climbing over a small wall at one point (not an easy task with these rucksacks!). Thankfully we were back on the correct path quite soon after that - phew!

After a little cliff top walking we headed down into Lee - a lovely little village with a pretty bay. After Lee the walk became a little more testing with an undulating path across Damage Cliffs.  Although the walking was tougher it was worth it for the spectacular views.   The path passed by Bull Point & then eventually carried on to Morte Point (from where we had our first views of Woolacombe Bay).  Apparently these cliffs have such morbid names because of all of the ships that were wrecked here during the 19th century - how cheerful!

In case you are wondering how Mark’s leg was faring … all fine (still aching but not as sore as last night).  He swears it wasn’t because of his dodgy leg that he almost fell backward down a slope of gorse & brambles - apparently he took the corner too sharply!! Scared the hell out of me - bloody clumsy fool!  

After Morte Point it seemed we had a lovely downhill descent into Woolacombe …. WRONG!  It seems that the coast path no longer goes the way indicated in our guide book.  Instead we had a steep uphill climb that took us high above Morthoe & Woolacombe before descending via Combesgate Valley.  Not the sort of diversion you need I can tell you - despite the splendid views!

We stopped in Woolacombe to pick up pasties for tea tonight & breakfast tomorrow.  The town was so so busy …. We were lucky there were any pasties left at the shop - that’s what you get for hitting a busy seaside town on a sunny Saturday (on a Bank Holiday weekend nonetheless!). To reward ourselves for making it this far, and because it was quite hot by this time, we treated ourselves to a couple of ice-creams … I had lemon meringue & raspberry pavlova flavours; Mark went for honeycomb & salted caramel. Very delicious indeed & much appreciated. 

Unfortunately what lay ahead now were a couple of miles of walking through sand dunes!  Sand is not the best surface to walk on & it is so hot in the dunes (sheltered from any breeze).  Felt like they were never ending!  Luckily there was an end & we then got to enjoy more headland walking to Baggy Point. From there we had amazing views of Croyde Bay & Saunton Sands. We could also make out Lundy Island across the sea (too far for any acceptable photos which was a shame).

We then had just over a mile to walk into the village of Croyde where we had an Air BnB booked for the night.  At this point Mark did declare that his whole body was aching & he just couldn’t walk any further!  He even used the phrase “you’ll have to go on without me”. Needless to say I told him to hush & managed to keep him trudging onwards until we eventually reached the property!

Wildlife Encounters:

Didn’t encounter any animals that you would class as ‘wild’ today but we did pass by a small herd of belted cattle grazing on the headland …. Such beautiful cows.  

Actual ‘wildlife’ count remains the same:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

The End:

Our Air BnB is nice. It is a self-contained annex with a private bathroom. No room to swing a cat but the bed is comfy, the shower is fantastic & we have a television (with IPlayer & Amazon Prime!). We’ve had much much worse on previous SWCP treks!  

We are properly tired after the walk today but tomorrow should be a much easier day as meant to be mainly flat (we shall see!). Mark’s leg seems to be fully recovered, fingers crossed there is not a relapse overnight.

Tomorrow we head to Barnstaple - here’s hoping for a slightly easier day!

01/05/25

02/05/25

Day 4 (02/05/25): Combe Martin to Ilfracombe - 7.47 miles (45.91 miles total)

The Start:

Great sleep last night - think we were so drained after yesterday we could’ve slept anywhere!  Another cooked breakfast to start the day.  We had it a bit later than normal as we only had a short walk today to Ilfracombe.

The Middle:

Thankfully the skies were overcast when we set out this morning which meant the temperature was considerably lower than yesterday’s inferno!  Perfect walking conditions!

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘moderate/strenuous’. This meant we were starting with one or two notable gradients moving onto a path of frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!!  Having walked this section in the past we were aware of what lay ahead of us today.

The walk from Combe Martin started with quite a steep ascent but then flattened off into some pleasant woodland walking to Watermouth Bay followed by Watermouth Harbour.  A very pretty harbour it is indeed. 

After a bit more coastal walking (with lovely sea views) we could see Ilfracombe in the distance. Before reaching our destination however we had to negotiate Hele & the steep ascent through the woods of Hillsborough.  I swear the steps were never ending in the woods!  I’m sure it wasn’t so tough when we walked it a few years ago, although to be fair we weren’t carrying 12kg rucksacks then! 

After eventually climbing out of Hillsborough, we then descended on a gentle path down into Ilfracombe.  You couldn’t miss the controversial statue ‘Verity’ standing tall across the harbour … what a beast she is!  What was Damien Hirst thinking!!

We had a quick stroll around Ilfracombe & treated ourselves to a frappe in a lovely coffee shop.  We then got tempted in to the Weatherspoons pub across the road that had a fantastic roof top beer garden with views of Capstone point.  Here we rested a while …. The sun had his hat on so it was a joy to be able to just sit down & enjoy it (rather than be cursing it like we were yesterday!)

It was now time to head to our B&B, Varley House Hotel.  We stopped in Morrisons on the way to pick up a meal deal (it’s been a few days since we’ve had one & withdrawal symptoms were kicking in!)

Wildlife Encounters:

No wildlife encounters today but weren’t expecting any on such a short jaunt!  Wildlife count therefore remans as yesterday….

Total animal counts:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

The End:

Our room at the B&B is absolutely amazing!  So luxurious with a huge shower (no bonus bath but who cares when the shower is that good? !)  The television is enormous …. Great for Mark watching snooker!

Was nice to have a more restful day today - actually felt like we were on holiday!  Cannot wait to be back on the trail properly tomorrow when we head to Croyde!

Day 3 (01/05/25): Lynton to Combe Martin - 13.41 miles (38.44 miles total)

The Start:

Not a great night of sleep last night unfortunately. It wasn’t the fault of the B&B (the bed was so very comfy) , it was all down to the heat! Soooo hot!

The full English breakfast that we had at the B&B was very nice indeed & the views we had while eating were pretty great too.  Once we were suitably refuelled it was time to head off.

The Middle:

We thought yesterday was hot but today was even hotter - nowhere near the right temperature for doing any sort of hike, particularly a tough section of the SWCP!  Not blessed with shady woodland today so we spent the majority of the day under the sun’s scorching rays!

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘strenuous’. This meant a day of frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!  Not only was this our last day walking in Exmoor but today we were also due to climb to the highest point on the SWCP (Great Hangman); to see one of Britain’s biggest waterfalls (Hollow Brook); and to negotiate one of Britain’s steepest valleys (Heddon’s Mouth).  All in the extreme heat - joy of joys!

Not long after leaving Lynton we reached The Valley of The Rocks.  This is a group of peculiarly weathered rock formations that have many myths & legends attached to them. It was quite an impressive set of rocks but nothing more peculiar than some of the rock formations we have seen while walking the Cornish section of the SWCP.  What we were looking forward to in this valley were the famed feral curly-horned goats that can be seen here!

Now I’m just assuming that in Devon, the word feral is a dialect word for invisible/imaginary as not a bloody goat was to be seen!  Who cares about peculiar rocks?!  We wanted to see goats!  Not even an Exmor pony was seen (also promised in the guide book).  

The walk from here to the Hollow Brook waterfall wasn’t too tough although it wasn’t flat by any stretch of the imagination. Shelter from the sun was available from time to time under the trees so made it quite an enjoyable section.  The waterfall was lovely although I’d imagine it would be more impressive if there had been a lot of rain recently.

We now became aware that it wouldn’t be long until we reached Heddon’s Mouth.  We had heard from other walkers that it wasn’t going to be an easy part of this stage… how right they were!  Firstly you spend a considerable amount of time descending to the floor of the valley before then having to follow the winding steep path back up the other side!  I don’t know just how bad this would have been in suitable weather but today it was very tiring indeed.  We were relieved to get to the top where we were treated to comparatively flat walking with amazing coastal scenery.

Unfortunately from this part on we were unable to find any shelter from the sun!  Worse still were the number of flies around … we spent the next 20 minutes or so walking through swarms of little annoying blighters that insisted on landing on us!  If you stood still you got covered in them so the only option was to stank on through at a ridiculous pace!  At one point I could’ve sworn we had been sent a biblical plague!!

The final ordeal of the day was ‘Great Hangman’. As is usual for the SWCP we had to descend steeply downwards (on very uneven paths) before then having to steeply ascend back up the other side of the valley.  The going was slow but we got to the top eventually (not without numerous stops to let our muscles ease & to catch our breath).

Great Hangman is very disappointing - just a big pile of stones marked this highest point on the path.  It was so rubbish that I couldn’t be bothered to take a photo (plus those pesky flies were swarming again!)

All that remained was a long, tiring, hot 2 mile walk down to Combe Martin.  Once we reached our destination we treated ourselves to a Strawberry milkshake then headed to the Premier Stores to purchase our meal for this evening (an egg & ham baguette each plus some crisps etc).  We then walked, what felt like miles, to the Saffron House Hotel (our home for the night).

Wildlife Encounters:

What a rubbish day for wildlife encounters!  No feral goats …. No Exmoor ponies …. A plague of flies!

Total animal counts:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

Feral goats = 0

Flies = 5 billion!

The End:

Our room at the B&B is very comfy.  No bonus bath but a lovely shower.  There is a television!

We are exhausted but feeling very proud of what we achieved today, in spite of the heat!  Easy day for us tomorrow as we only have a short walk to Ilfracombe - after the past 3 days I think we have earned it!

30/04/25

Day 2 (30/04/25): Porlock to Lynton - 14.28 miles (25.03 miles total)

The Start:

After a brilliant night’s sleep we started the day with a full English breakfast at our B&B.  Absolutely delicious & the perfect way to prepare ourselves for what lay ahead today. 

The Middle:

Another hot day today - even hotter than yesterday. Luckily we were going to spend most of the day walking through woodlands alongside the coast … good for shade, not so good for views!

Our guide book classifies the walk today as ‘moderate/strenuous’. This meant we were starting with one or two notable gradients moving onto a path of frequent gradients & uneven surfaces!!  As you can see from the elevation photo above, the gradients were certainly frequent!!

You’ll be glad to hear that ‘Mrs Negativity’ did not put in an appearance today.  ‘Mr & Mrs Tired’ were certainly in residence by the end of the day! The keyword we would use to describe today’s walk is ‘sapping’!  There didn’t really seem to be much flat walking & even when there was the ground was uneven & tough going!

We started by having to walk around the Salt Marshes between Porlock & Porlock Weir. Due to the tide being almost all the way in, this involved a little lateral thinking & a lot of careful foot placement to ensure our boots didn’t get soggy!  

After Porlock Weir, we entered the woodland & there we stayed for the next 10 miles or so!  We did have the occasional glimpse of the sea but mainly it was just a never ending series of  ascents & descents!

We eventually exited the woods into the blazing heat of the day!  Thankfully there was a welcome breeze at times which did help take the edge off & also helped to dry our sweaty brows!

After a couple more miles of walking we descended steeply into Lynmouth.  Was nice to visit the place that I had learned all about in GCSE geography more than 30 years ago (the floods of 1952).  We took the opportunity to purchase a couple of pasties for tea & then headed to the Lynmouth Cliff Railway which would take us up into Lynton.  Now, although it seemed like a much better option than walking at the time, I instantly regretted it as soon as I sat in the train & looked up.  In hindsight, if you’re scared of heights then this train is not for you!  Mark enjoyed the views the train offered while I sat panicking about what would happen if the wires pulling the train up the cliff were to snap!  Needless to say, I have no intention of ever doing that sort of thing again!

After disembarking the train from hell, we set off to our B&B for the night (once my heart rate had reached an acceptable level!)

Wildlife Encounters:

We did have a slightly more successful wildlife day than yesterday (although Mark may disagree with the use of the word successful).

We happened upon an adder sunbathing on the path today!  Upon seeing the colour of the beast we realised that what we actually saw yesterday was a grass snake (comparatively less scary looking than an adder although both very unpleasant in Mark’s view!)

We did manage to catch a glimpse of a red deer today.  Was quite a distance from us & was only a fleeting glimpse so no photo possible unfortunately.

That concluded the wildlife count for the day - despite all the time spent in the woods not a bear was seen (neither having a picnic nor doing any other activity).

Total animal counts:

Red deer = 1

Adders = 1

Grass snakes = 1

Ticks = 0

The End:

Our room at the B&B is great - compact but it has all the facilities we need (including a TV!) No bonus bath though.

The pasties we purchased in Lynmouth were consumed at such speed that they barely touched the sides!  I must mention that we decided to bypass traditional Cornish pasties today & try spicy chicken ones. Let’s just say I won’t be making that mistake again!  As a Cornish maid I should be ashamed of myself for such deviant behaviour! 🤣🤣

We are both in need of a good rest tonight to prepare ourselves for the walk to Combe Martin tomorrow. Not only is the weather forecast to be hotter but we will also be climbing to the highest point on the whole of the SWCP!  It’s gonna be tough!

29/04/25

Day 1 (29/04/25): Minehead to Porlock - 10.75 miles

 The Start:

Began the day with a pasty each for breakfast - ‘ansum way to start the day!  Treated ourselves to a morning bath as well … who knows when or if we will be lucky enough to get another room with a bonus bath!  It was then time to hit the path!

The Middle:

The weather today was absolutely glorious - dare I say far too bloody hot for walking!  Thankfully we did get the occasional sea breeze so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been (albeit still stifling in parts).

Our guide book classified today’s walk as ‘moderate’ difficulty.  This means that it can feature one or two ‘notable’ gradients!

It was a bit of a walk from the Premier Inn to the official start of the South West Coast Path.  Nothing taxing … just a boring walk on tarmac through Minehead.  We had our photo taken at the hands/map sculpture which marks the start of the path by some very kind people who were also walking part of the path today.

After a quite innocuous start we came across the first of the ‘notable’ gradients!!  Boy was it notable!! The climb was continually upwards through wooded areas until we eventually reached the headland!  Not the easiest start to a day when you’re still struggling with the weight of your back packs!  I won’t lie, we did have to stop for a sit down on a bench midway up when I was having a big crisis of confidence.  Luckily Mark was my rock (as always) and convinced me that I could make it to the top.  Always handy when one of you has retained positivity when the other is almost having a panic attack!  Once we reached the top of the climb the walk did get easier. Don’t get me wrong, it certainly wasn’t flat walking but was much easier than the first ascent.  

After several more miles of clifftop walking, with a few ups & downs (well it wouldn't be the SWCP without them) we reached the part of the path where we could choose the route we took.  The first was a more straightforward route down to Bossington, with wide paths (set away from the cliff edge).  The other option had the warning to not take the path in strong winds or adverse weather conditions!  Needless to say we went for the more ‘daring’ route.  The path was narrow in places with a lot of loose stones underfoot but thankfully wasn’t as bad as the sign suggested. Although close to the edge of the cliff at times, it really wasn’t that tricky (although I can see how it would be if windy).

After Bossington, it was just a gentle hike on flat ground to reach Porlock.  We arrived too early for check-in so treated ourselves to a couple of pints of shandy at the Ship Inn.  Thirsts suitably quenched and time sufficiently passed we headed to The Cottage B&B, our home for the night.

Wildlife Encounters:

Quite a disappointing day as far as wildlife goes. We were allegedly likely to see red deer today … alas no!  What we were unfortunate enough to encounter was an adder basking on the path.  Luckily she slid away into the gorse without any fuss but not before she scared the life out of us both!  Thankfully Mark didn’t have a heart attack at the sight of it with his ophidiophobia (although the goose bumps on his arms & legs were real!). On the bright side, no ticks for either of us today 😊

Deer = 0

Adders = 1

Ticks = 0

The End:

Our room at the B&B is perfect.  We have an ensuite bathroom - no bath but the shower is fabulous (and much needed after a sweaty day of walking).

We have a television!!  Those of you who have followed our adventures before may recall that we are often not lucky enough to have such facilities!😂

Tea consisted of the two remaining delicious pasties purchased from Minehead yesterday!  Starting & ending the day with a Cornish pasty - doesn’t get better than that! 

It’s now time to get some rest & recharge our batteries for the walk to Lynton tomorrow … looks like it’s going to be longer, tougher & in hotter weather!  Let’s hope we survive! 😉

Travel Day (28/04/25)

Early start this morning for us - alarm set for 6.15am!  We had already unpacked & repacked our bags yesterday, making sure we had the weight reduced to the bare minimum (but also ensuring nothing essential was forgotten). Including 1.6l of water each we had managed to get the weight down to approx 12kg per bag.  Although this is the normal weight of our coast path bags they did feel slightly heavy today - we’re sure that as days go on we will get used to the weight.

Our personal chauffeur service “Stephens Limos” collected us at 7.15am & got us to Penzance station in plenty of time for our train to Taunton - thanks once again Uncle Malc & Aunty Chris for the 5* service.  Thanks also to mum for coming along for the car ride, despite the silly hour of the day!

The train journey to Taunton was long but uneventful.  It was a very busy service with all seats being taken.  Unfortunately this meant that we couldn’t change our backward facing seats to forward facing ones - thankfully no travel sickness was experienced!

At Taunton we picked up our dinner …. You’ll all be glad to hear that we’re back on the Tesco meal deals (we had missed them 🙊).

We caught the bus from Taunton to Minehead. What a tedious journey that was … not helped by the huge number of folks headed to Butlins!!  Really didn’t expect a small bus to get that busy!

We eventually reached Minehead & made a detour to the Oggy Oggy Pasty Company on the way to our Premier Inn, to purchase pasties for both breakfast & tea tomorrow (the shop is closed tomorrow so was very fortuitous that we decided to pop in today!). We also picked up another Tesco meal deal for our tea … double meal deal day!! We are truly spoiling ourselves 🤣

We have checked in at the Premier Inn …. Bonus discovery that our room has a bath!  We are now going to settle in for the night & prepare ourselves for the adventures that await tomorrow when we head to Porlock …. We cannot wait!