Trailing acorns

28 December 2021

Today was very different to our previous walk, a real winter’s day; cold, wet and windy. Still, we’re not fair weather walkers. Oh no we’re not. It is Panto season remember. The usual suspects turned up and there was some transport jiggling to enable a one way walk. At least the wind was on our backs as we set off but it was a steeeeep hill to get us going. The coast line takes a constant battering and cliff falls are frequent. Lest we forget, huge cracks run along the seaward side of our route reminding us to keep away from the edge. It’s an up and down walk, beside Bridport golf club, through several caravan parks, open fields and finally marsh and pebbles. The cliffs around West Bay and Burton Bradstock are where the TV series Broadchurch was filmed. They definitely had better weather. At the eastern end of Freshwater beach there seemed no way across the river. In warmer weather we may have waded across the 20 feet but today was not the day so we slogged upstream with no idea if there was going to be a crossing point any time before the B3157. It was a rickety bridge when we found it but the trolls allowed us over and then we slogged all the way back to the coast path. Those with 4 legs and maybe one of the 2 legged crew didn’t seem to mind the diversion and the very steep climb once we were back on track. Finally there was a view of West Brexington and not a hill, incline or bump in the way. Note to self: Just because it’s flat does not mean it’s easy. It rained, the path diverted inland to flooded, boggy ground with only one way through. That would be the wet way. It was with much relief that we got back to the beach and a straight run back to the car, just visible with the naked eye. Another set back. These are the pebbles of Chesil bank fame and they are not easy walking. Great for honing the calf muscles but little else. Legend says that local people know exactly where they are on Chesil beach just by the size of the pebbles. We were on the extreme west end and the pebbles were still babies. Very excitable babies that took pleasure jumping into boots. In the end it was just easier to walk in discomfort than to keep taking the boots off. I was very happy to see the car getting larger and larger but it was painfully slow progress. We made it! That was one of the hardest walks………so far. Nick and half the dog team went on another few miles, lesser mortals drove back to Loders and a log fire.

5.6 miles today

Total mileage 148.4

They said it was flat……….

26 December 2021

A beautiful sunny Boxing Day to embark on a round the island walk of 8 miles in company with Tom, Nick, Charlotte, Malory and Toseland.

Hard to see how it could be flat with a humongous cliff ahead of us. Perhaps we skirt round the bottom of the cliff, or perhaps we don’t with the coast path signs pointing in a jaunty upward angle. It’s a steep climb, some might say vertical, but joy of joys once at the top it is the top. Did someone once say that of Everest? Fantastic views in all directions, views of walks yet to come if I’m to complete this challenge…….

Dangerous cliffs and rockfalls diverted us to the centre of the island, the bonus being finding the sculpture park, and not falling off the cliff of course.

Portland has many reminders of its history littered about the island, not all of them stone but the stone provides an excellent picnic bench for our lunch. How fabulous to be able to enjoy lunch al fresco on a December day.

The walk takes in the radio station and 3 lighthouses from different eras. This little island seems to go on for ever so we may be forgiven for cutting the pointy bit at the eastern end and following the beach back towards the town. ……… and the knees said ouch!

Total walked 142.8.

24 October 2021

Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast of Britain, 191 metres. I’ve seen it every time I’ve driven past, that’s over years and years, I’m almost Jurassic myself. It’s been a bit of a mental block for me since I embarked on my mission to walk the coast path. I’d hate to have walked 628 miles and failed to have done the couple of miles up and down The Cap! I know there are higher points on the north coast but I don’t see them so often so they’ve not bothered me so far…..they probably will, just not yet. So a plan was hatched, what if I just walk up and down Golden Cap and don’t go any further that day. I could do it very, very slowly and stop very very often. How hard can it be? Well, as it turns out, not so very hard at all. Silly me! I can do it and now I’d jolly well better do the other tough bits while my legs will still carry me. Tom came along for moral support. Seatown beach car park is underneath the great lump that is Golden Cap. We planned a 4 mile circular walk of which about 2 miles is actual coast path. The walk is referred to as strenuous, you only have to look up to see that could be an understatement but the track is well marked. The climb begins immediately and it is relentless. That’s the way to do it said Mr Punch and he’s right, after a while we stopped to draw breath and looked back. Very comforting to see how much vertical distance we’d covered. I was waiting to get to the perpendicular stretch but it didn’t come. It’s a steep climb alright but with various sets of steps it wasn’t too bad and plenty of resting spots along the way. Thus, I arrived at the top without the need for oxygen and with breath left to admire the splendid view in both directions. Exhilarating it was, impossible it certainly wasn’t. The western side comprises a loooong winding staircase. A short way down the zig zags was a nice bench crying out for picnickers, we obliged, cheering on those passing down and encouraging those climbing up. Perhaps the bench was intended for the uphill walkers but who else was to know which way we were going. At the bottom we peeled off toward Langdon woods to continue our circular walk back to Seatown. Just the gaps from Charmouth to the foot of Golden cap on the western side and then from Seatown eastwards to do. Those cliffs to the east look pretty scary…………………..

134.8 approximate total;)

Evidence!

Time for a breather

and another………

An itinerant loitering at base camp.

Trig point

She made it.

He did too, trailing a bit behind!

Charmouth and Lyme Regis to the west

Portland is there in the murk

It’s all in the timing. The mist descends on Golden Cap

23 December 2020

This walk is dedicated to Greg. The first time I will walk the coast path without him waiting at home for me. Fly high my darling boy.

This is the first venture on the Coast Path for 12 months. The Covid 19 pandemic has clipped many wings and with lockdowns and precautions I’ve stayed close to home, but walking has been done.

Quite a stormy sort of day and a promise of a soaking, but that won’t put intrepids off. In company with Tom. The car was left at Lee and we hopped on a Filers to Woolacombe. Last time here, 12 months ago, life was so very different. Talk of a virus in China was giving cause for concern. Families were celebrating Christmas together. Life was what later became known as ‘normal’. Nobody had any idea what a pandemic would mean to our comfortable lives, but now we know.

I started from the exact point of finishing a year ago. Not an inch of the 630 miles is going to be missed. It’s a steady climb alongside the Esplanade towards Mortehoe. Just above Grunta pool the coast path sets off away from the road. Soggy, slippery grass soon gave way to worse as the first downpour hit us. Never mind, waterproofs on and now my backpack even has a mini waterproof all of its own. Approaching Morte Point the wind got fiercer and the path narrowed. Far below black rocks rise out of the sea in jagged ridges. Around the corner the rain stopped and the wind eased which was fortunate, in a few places there is a sheer drop to the rocks below. Bull Point lighthouse focuses the eye up ahead and the sun came out to charm us. Soon after Bull Point we were challenged by steps plunging down to sea level and the inevitable climb back up on the other side of the steep valley, not once, but twice. The knees shake going down and the lungs shake going up. We sat between the steep valleys in the sun and had a picnic which charged our batteries sufficiently for the final slog. By the time we got to Lee I experienced the euphoria of a good walk ended. Would it be cocky to say I could have managed the last few miles to Ilfracombe after all. Well perhaps…….. but the car was there so what was a girl to do.

An exhilarating trek of 5 miles. Total 132.8

Leaving Morthoe

A beautiful day……..at the moment!

From whence we came

Lundy on the horizon.

A busy day on the trail.

Bull Point Lighthouse.

The down before an up!

27 December 2019

A 2 car day

A dull day but not cold. I collected my companions in Woolacombe and returned to Croyde for the pilgrimage across Croyde beach to Woolacombe via Baggy Point. Full of trepidation; that enormous lump of cliff ahead is very high and if I get to the top there’s miles still to walk. Who’d have thought; a relatively easy hike with a long but forgiving incline and before you know it the summit comes into view . Just some zig zags and we were on top of the world. It’s a spectacular walk, dark rocks below, the sea crashing into them and the cliffs stretching out ahead and behind. What a shame visibility was so poor. Who stole Lundy island? The top is gentle walking and rather lovely as the hugeness of Morte bay comes into view. Putsborough beach far beneath us was full of seals that morphed into surfers as we got closer. Woolacombe beach is simply stunning stretched out in all its 3 mile glory. With the tide retreating the sand made a good hard walking surface. I confess to having tired legs by this time. The distance didn’t seem to diminish much either and I had to keep looking back to convince myself that progress along the golden sand was being made. There are times when a car park is a welcome sight!

Not a lot of wildlife, too many people enjoying the good post Christmas weather but there were skylarks fluttering high above, almost more dogs than humans and a horse with rider having a wonderful time splashing on the shoreline. Malory found it very exciting. Not to forget the morphing seals.

6.52 miles today. 127.8 in total;)

The Start

Malory was late to the party.

Yonder is Baggy Point

Whale vertebra

Ascending

Getting higher

Tea break

Magnificent cliffs

Morte Bay

Seals

Putsborough

Retrospective

3 miles to go…….

Christmas day 2019

Bideford to Instow in company with Charlotte, Nick and Malory. We really could not have ordered a better day and absolutely no regrets that I’m not slaving over a hot turkey. Starting from Bideford where I left off on Monday we crossed the old bridge to join the railway line which now serves as the Tarka trail. Memories of trundling along, also with Charlotte, on bikes many years ago. It’s a flat, pleasant walk, with waders of the bird variety calling out along the tide mark. The winter sun warmed our backs but provided a blinding glare for those coming towards us. Didn’t we plan that well? I like to mention the wildlife, if any, spotted on my walks and today was no exception if slightly random. Half way along orangutan, giraffe and selected monkey breeds were singing out a festive message to those choosing to hear. Who’d have thought it? Global warming or, more likely, Brexit. We peppered the walk with some Geocaching in an attempt to get the 3.2.1 souvenir. Google it if you need to know. I usually forget all about Geocaching when I walk but Nick is a stickler so I must credit him with more than half of my caches. Pulling into Instow station we joined a veritable throng of people out walking or heading for the pub. Being Christmas Day there was no room at the Inn but plenty of outside seating for us to stop for some festive cheer before going on to the beach. Dog heaven; all shapes and sizes, many with seasonal headgear or naff Christmas jumpers but how they were celebrating the arrival of low tide in conjunction with the sun. Malory went through her paces at Mach 3, she’s an uber fast beach babe. Every day from our house in Appledore we have watched the sands at low tide fill with masses of dogs and their people so it was good to be amongst them today. The irony being that our house just a few hundred yards away by boat, is 9 miles on foot and in the absence of a boat we are bound to retrace our steps. Thankfully we drove to Bideford so not the full 9 miles for us.

Total walk today 3.68 miles. How important those decimal points have become. 121.28 completed YAY!

Monday 23rd December 2019

Half the party have gone on a day trip leaving the sensible pair to fill in a few miles. For us it was Appledore to Bideford. The walk moves along the quay to a quirky part of Appledore. A quarry, some cottages and the odd workshop all side by side and then the huge, ugly mass of the now silent shipyard. The route is well marked and passes landside of the yard, almost immediately turning left into fields. A short downhill to the waterside and then the path treks gently up and down virtually all the way beside the river. Up ahead the great structure of the bridge carrying the A39 across the river and even further upstream the much more appealing Long Bridge of Bideford. The new road will have brought huge relief to the gentle town of Bideford I’m sure. Not a live otter to be seen but squirrels, pheasants, buzzards, gulls and robins. Half way along there was a live-aboard boat with the owner on shore wielding a chain saw. Standing guard he had his trusty two wheeled dog, that is 2 wheels and 4 legs in various states of decay. Malory minding her own business was confronted by a furious, barking wheeled dog. We proceeded but said creature was not having people walking on his patch of the foreshore. Anyone who has ever tried pushing a child’s buggy on sand needs to invest in a pair of wheels like the wheeled dog. He moved at a terrific rate of knots bouncing over the detritus of high tide mark with amazing dexterity. The owner dropped the chain saw mid log and chased after us as we all, legs and wheels, headed up the path. Turned out it was a friendly wheeled dog and Malory seemed impressed with the mechanics of the contraption as the two exchanged canine words. Quizzically we continued on our way and after a few turns in and around some beautiful houses followed by a couple of waterfront developments we arrived on Bideford quay just as the heavens opened. Once the rain stopped we moved along to the old bridge to see the statue of Tarka the Otter. What a lovely book that was and probably introduced me to otters for the first time. We did well, especially Malory who had walked 15 miles to my 4 the previous day. Well, she does have 4 legs and not a wheel to be seen. 3.5 miles today.

117.6 See how the miles are creeping up, bit like me on the trail – creeping!

22 December 2019

Tis the season to be jolly and walk through wind, rain, hail and golf courses just to tick off a few more miles. I am decamped to Appledore where my cottage is literally on the coast path. See how seriously I’m taking this challenge! Charlotte, Nick and Malory are here too. Nick is walking to Clovelly today so Charlotte and I are tagging along for the first few miles or so. A day of sunshine and sharp showers but thankfully mild. A very nice, slightly soggy amble from the cottage to Northam Burrows. Our arrival coincided with the sharpest of squalls and the realisation that waterproofs aren’t necessarily so. Much of the area was flooded and with the gale full in the face it was impossible to see where we were going. So, we ended up in the middle of the golf course. Experience has taught me that the safest place is on the fairway and thus we navigated to the seaward side and sanctuary. The Burrows is an SSSI and has also been designated a UN Biosphere Reserve. Grassy coastal plain, salt marsh, sand dunes and unimproved grassland providing grazing for sheep and ponies. On clement days a haven for rare species but today only the foolhardy, sheep and dog walkers to be spotted. Huge waves and some crazies kite surfing but we plod on. Someone needs to invent windscreen wipers for spectacles! I’m sure it would be glorious on a sunny summer’s day. It was invigorating though and the promise of snoozing infront of the fire later was compelling. 4.8 miles according to the SWCP calculator – happy to go with that figure! Nick and Malory turned right for the next 11 miles to Clovelly while Charlotte and I took a left for home. Who made the best choice – you decide!

114.1 miles completed 😉

7 December 2019

Just a short walk to fill in a little gap in the Torbay stretch. By contrast the return bus journey was over 4 hours in total! Torquay harbour to Meadfoot beach, a tad over 2 miles and moderate with a few steep steps both up and down. Well obviously, steps by nature are both up and down, but I mean I had to step up and down today, big steep steps for my little legs. This walk has been lurking on my radar for a while but the weather has been grotty so it was fantastic to have a dry day. Penquins don’t often feature along the coast path but today I saw several. Pic below – look closely! Lots of gulls and cormorants but not much other wildlife. For such a short walk there are several of points of interest. Some pretty coves that can only be seen from the path or the sea, interesting rock formations and flowers still in bloom. Several viewpoints and more seats than you can shake a stick at. I always read the inscriptions on the benches, some for lives cut short, others for lives lived long but all mention the beauty of the trail. One quirky moment as the path goes through the ground floor of a castellated folly. The last of the climb emerges onto Daddyhole Plain. Daddyhole has featured in my life for years but I’ve never walked either left or right from the car park. It has fantastic views of the bay and is popular all year round. In the summer there’s always an ice cream van so really no reason not to visit. In 1982 I sat with my parents watching SS Canberra steam past on her way back from the Falkland war. Bitter sweet as Tom was still down in the South Atlantic. It’s just an all round good spot for contemplation. Downhill all the way to Meadfoot, and then a beach walk at low tide, roadside if not. At the end of the beach I connected with my earlier walk from the opposite direction so I turned off the path and climbed through Manor wood to Kents cavern and ultimately the bus stop. Kents cavern, another childhood memory, is an extensive cave system of Devonian limestone formed millions of years ago. The remains of pre-historic man and the animals hunted have been unearthed. An interesting tour for anyone and the spiel is almost identical today to the one I heard when I was a small person. 109.3 and counting!

15 October 2019

After days and days of relentless Devon rain the forecast came good so a walk was compulsory. This little trek, 1.6 miles, needed to be achieved to complete the Cawsand to Stoke beach section. The ferry at Newton Ferrers does not operate after September so it was always going to be an out and back walk. Wembury has a large NT car park and a super cafe which opens most days until November and interestingly for a week over the Christmas and New Year period. The walk is moderately easy, mostly high level and has stunning views from start to finish. It’s familiar ground for us, the boat house at Warren Point is the scene of many summer canoe holidays. The tide breaking over the lethal sandbar brings happy memories of getting out of my canoe, mid river, and appearing to walk on water. Less pleasant memories of the day our boat broke down and we were in danger of being swept onto the bar until we got the anchor down at the last minute and called the Coast Guard. There are some nice benches along the way for resting but beware the lovely granite one with “Henry” exquisitely engraved into the top. Rainwater collects around the letters and there’s always one duffer who will sit on that spot! It’s a popular walk, but we saw some wildlife. The omnipresent gulls and crows of course but 2 kestrels busily looking for their lunch and we paused several times watching one poking around on the ground ahead of us. Even a skylark telling the world what a beautiful day it was. Sheep (and one old goat) in the open areas, butterflies and bees going about their business on the last flowers of summer. 2 large Arabella Millers crossing the path; we moved them to a place of safety. I’ve no idea what beauties they would become. It is mushroom season but we saw the biggest mushrooms ever. I photographed one beside a 500ml water bottle for scale. You wouldn’t get anything else on the full English plate with that one . The colours in the cap reminded me of a Tawny owl. Towards the end of the walk I left Tom searching for a seat without engraving and dashed down to the ferry point in order to complete the walk down to the last inch. An operational ferry would have been perfect for us to have lunch at the Ship in Noss, a shout out for them. Instead I had to puff back up to Rocket Cottage, it’s the steepest part of the walk for clockwise walkers. A lovely day. 107.1 miles done;)

I don’t know how many gates there are on the path but I thought I should have a gate appreciation moment before I go today. Any gate which opens, and closes, easily is a real bonus. Some of the alternatives can be tricky especially for old girls like me with ancient limbs and joints. So let’s hear it for the gates and the SWCP association who maintain them. A photo just for you – thank you!