Day 7 Instow to Clovelly (22 miles / 35 km)

 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 for today – it has been on every sinlgle hike with me since I turned 40 when I bought it for the Coast to Coast.   It is there in every picture of previous walks.  It has history.    It had holes in it so before I left I took it to alterations to get carefully repaired.   I’m not superstitious but starting this walk without it wasn’t an option and  for today I needed a bit of luck on my side on what was to be the longest day of the whole 7 weeks.     

 I was met with rain and wind  as I said a quick goodbye and thank you to Carloine for this lovely stay in the big room –   I wanted to  try and make a quick start.   I had put two sections together on this day,  this was because  the first 18 km from Instow to Westward Ho!   were fairly flat so I could hopefully move along quickly in order to best approach the second leg – Westward Ho!  to Clovelly , my aim being to reach Westward Ho! by lunch time arouind 12 ish.   (this is not an accidental exclamation mark , it is the name of Westward Ho!  !!!)

 It was mainly flat walking passing through the fishing village of Appledore with its bright coloured fishermans cottages.   Cute but no time to ponder …forced myself to look the other way while passing the window of Appledore Antiques.   Even doing that I managed to spot a gorgeous jug in my periphery.  It took every ounce of willpower and I left Appledore jugless but on time.   

  Without any dilly dally and the weather starting to ease I had 18km’s  done buy 12..  Arriving at Westward Ho! with a spring in my step excited for the next section to tackle after lunch and what is described as one of the most wildly beautiful parts of this trail.    Westward Ho! is a bustling surf town and not one that I had time or really needed to linger in.  It is the only place in the UK that officially contains an exclamation mark in its name – named after Charles Kingsley’s 1855 novel.    This is the kind of quirky fact  that can win you a game of trivial pursuit so I forced myself to remember.      I stopped for Carolines lovely packed lunch , delighted I was on track to tackle the afternoon and the second part of todays long distance.  

I don’t know if I can quite write the look on my face for the next 6 hours of walking.  It was sheer English walking heaven.    The distance soon left my mind as I felt like I could of stayed walking in this scenery till the light had left the sky.    It smelt, felt and looked beautiful at every turn of every corner .   Starting this section at this time of day meant that I truly had the entire place to myself –  my guess other walkers had started early from Westward Ho!   I did not see one other walker at all .   This was the most incredible feeling as I looked at the vastness of the landscape out in front and especially back to where I walked across the cliff tops.     

Hitting Cornborough and Abbostsham Cliffs the path narrowed and began the rollercoaster of ascents and descents.  Up again on exposed cliff edges and then dropping sharply into stunning deeply wooded valleys.   It had all my favourite things and I marvelled that my eyeballs all at one time had it all – meadows, lush green woods, cliffs peeling down to sparkling blue inlets.     I’m not sure if it was lucky top related or  if someone was looking out for me ( hello Dad ) the weather changed to layer peeling sunshine.   It was just simply stunning in the sheltered woods which were cool and damp but the sun meant that the glimpses of blue ,visible all the way through the trees of Peppercombe Valley ,were sparkling.    

Climbing steeply out of Peppercombe the path was wild and remote, frequently plunging into ancient, dense oak woodlands before finally easing as it merged onto The Hobby Drive.   Built in the early 19th century by the local estate owner this  is a wide carriage way that winds down and into the amazing village of Clovelly.  

As if the walk today wasn’t enough of a feast for the eyes , the ending was magical .  Clovelly is something out of story book and others are in full agreement it seems –  Dickens wrote about it and Wedgewood recreated it on their China .   It is worthy of both these things.   It clings to a 400 ft cliff and is perfectly preserved with one single very very steep cobbled street – totally inaccessible to cars so that sledges and donkeys are used to move things up and down.   Either would of done me at that point.

 It was 7.30 when I arrived .   (thank goodness for long light English summer days) and my Bed and Breakfast for the night was right at the top of the village and then another 20 minute walk straight up to  Higher Clovelly.   This was a booking oversight as I had no clue of the gradient and booking.com did not let on.    I was worried the owner would lock up before I got there so I put every last bit of energy into climbing up  – all the while getting hungrier and worrying that kitchens would stop serving .  I was no way going to bed without dinner and it was this that kicked me into turbo – pie of the day got me up that hill I swear it.   

I fianlly burst through the doors of the 250 year old farmhouse B and B probably looked slightly crazed but Becky greeted me with a lovely smile exclaiming “You found us!”.    I quickly greeted her but could not focus as all I could think about was dinner.   I said its so lovley to meet you Becky – but please tell there is someone close by to eat ??  .   She looked at the clock that was now 7.50pm .   She said “QUICK !! THE CLOSEST PUB STOPS SERVING AT 8!”   I said “WHERE IS IT ??”  she said ” A 15 MINUTE WALK AWAY!” I said “NOOOOOOO!!” she said “RUN!  GET IN THE CAR!”   So I did .  I ran and leapt into the car and she drove down the hill taking the corners on two wheels and said “GO!’ before she had even come to a stop .  So I did and half ran half slid  down some cobble stones straight into the New Inn Hotel at 7.58 and ordered a large lasagana and a large glass of red in under two minutes.    There are no words to describe the joy of this meal. 

Becky came back an hour later to collect me and we were able to then chat, not in cap locks, as she properly showed me to my lovely cosy room for the night.  

This remarkable day marks the end of Week One for me.   I wondered at the beginning if at this stage I would be thinking    ‘Oh- there’s still 6 weeks to go…..’     or       ‘Oh- there’s only 6 weeks to go….. ‘ 

I can truly say with the biggest smile and the fullest heart that it is most definitely the latter.  xxx