Day 9 Hartland Quay to Bude (15.5 miles / 25km ) Today – and Part B of this incredible section – was the stage of this walk that most people I have met up to now have talked about the most. At each accommodation I’ve had when chatting about the trail everyone mentions this bit. The guide book say it is the hardest day of the whole South West Coast Path and with nothing in the way of stops, food or shelter it is the most remote. But I now realise why this section has the reputation…
Day 8 Clovelly to Hartland Quay ( 10.5 miles / 17km) This day and tomorrow are described as the two most wild, rugged and spectacular of The South West Coast Path. Tomorrows walk to Bude, while not my longest day at 25km, is said to be the toughest with 10 large back to back ascents and descents coming fast one after another. The first section today was a shorter preview of what tomorrow will be. Henry Stedman even gets poetic when describing these final stages in Devon before crossing into Cornwall…”wild seas crash against rocks carved by time…
Day 7 Instow to Clovelly (22 miles / 35 km) After missing a meal last night ((unheard of) I had to take breakfast very seriously as it was a big day ahead and I needed to refuel. Caroline had her attention to detail spot on and breakfast for me took on a Noahs Ark feel with me having everything in 2’s . 2 plates of fruit and yoghurt, 2 poached eggs, 2 pieces of toast, 2 rashers of Devon bacon, 2 pots of tea. I was ready . I had pulled out my Lucky hiking top…
Day 6 Braunton to Instow (13 miles / 21km) Today , as if to reflect my feeling at leaving Silver Cottage , it was overcast and rainy and for the first day I headed off in my raincoat. The timing of cloud cover and rainy filled sky couldn’t have been better , it was an excellent day for this as it wasn’t a day of views and vistas or exposed cliff walking. After two nights at this gem of a bed and breakfast I packed up to move on. I know there is so much…
Day 5 Woolacombe to Braunton (15.5 miles / 25 km) After the first 4 days of this trail being a series of ascents and descents that threw my legs in at the deep end , this day shaped up to be a restorative one. It was still a good distance but moderate and mostly flat..ish. The South West Coast planned this thoughtfully I’m sure as the landscape seemed to accomodate just perfectly. To me it felt like a vertical, moving rest day. I woke to the birds of the cottage garden before my alarm… giving it their absolute best…
Day 4 Combe Martin to Woolacombe (12.5 miles / 20km Waking up in the seaside room of my Guest House was lovely after a deep fresh air fueled sleep. I got packed up ready to move on and had my breakfast prepared by Michelle who sure can poach an egg. Michelle hurries out the kitchen as I was leaving to hand me my packed lunch for the day. A fresh baguette filled with ham , salad and chutney!! I carefully placed it in my pack swaddled as I would a new born Kate , – just in a…
Day 3 Lynmouth to Combe Martin (13 miles / 21 km) Elevation today….I’ve included this as today marks the official highest point of the South West Coast Path. There it is poking up in all it’s glory! This day was going to be a back to back testing run for my legs as Day 3 marked the longest day to be spent in Exmoor before ending this chapter. It ended with me doing 27km and not the 21km I…
Day 2 Porlock to Lynmouth (12.5 miles /20km ) There is no easing in gently to The South West Coast Path….I had read this many times in my planning and today I was able to confirm this. It was a dramatic, wild and leg testing section and a very memorable hiking day – crossing over from Somerset into Nth Devon taking in the best of Exmoor and an undulating landscape of 3000 plus feet of climbs and descents. Elevation today looked like this. I’m not sure about the 20km as I ended up at 26km…
Day 1 Minehead to Porlock (9.5 miles 15 km ) . A stunning first day! I am showered, fed, kettle is on and adusting to climbing into bed while there is still an English summers light sky outside the window. I end this first day in a picture postcard Bed and Breakfast in the very picture postcard Porlock. I was able to start early this morning after arriving yesterday from London. After a beautiful day spent with my daughters I took a train from Paddington to Taunton and a bus to Minehead, Somerset. Official start of the South…
It is with great excitement that I finish the final preparations, the final uphill training walk and of course the final cull of the chronic overpacker ready to begin this legendary and epic long distance trail in the South West of England. This one has long been on my list of coveted hikes. It’s length and time needed to complete it made it one that had to wait its turn patiently. But it was always there …never forgotten and it now feels even more special to me. It is by far my longest challenge at over 1000km…