Walk 34

Porlock to Blue Anchor 11.5miles

Started the day by driving out to Porlock and parking in the town, then realised I had no water so I went in search of a shop and I found one in the high street run by a guy who comes from New York City! and has been living in deeepest darrkest Somerset for 25years...just totally did not expect the accent! really nice guy and he runs the traditional sweet shop in Porlock if you want to look him up!!!

The weather was very windy today, which managed to blow me up the one and only climb of the day at Bossington, it was a nasty a good mile long :(. The rest of the journey t Minehead was pretty uneventful and finally I made it to the start/finish of the SWCP ( see Pic) The next part of the journey is down to my map reading skills!!! oh dear...........

I walked on to Blue Anchor with the intention of catching the steam train back to Minehead, but just as I was walking into BA the steam rose above the staion and the train chugged past me at the level crossing minus 1 unhappy walker :(.....however this story has a happy ending because stuck in the traffic was a guy in a camper van who obviously saw that I was lookin a little forlawn and he souted over to me "do you need a lift to Minehead?" wayhayyyyyy what a result. So a bit thank you to Alan and his campervan.......hooorarrrrr.

Just for the train spotter amongst you all.......the second pic for you :)

Walk 33

Lynton to Porlock 13miles

I drove to Lynton today, parked up and then hopped onto the cliff railway down to Lynmouth, the cliff railway was built by the Victorians and is completly water powered .....enviro friendly!

The first 2 miles of the walk out of Lynmouth was uphill! the rest of the walk was through forest so I didnt see the sea for most of the day! In amongst the forests I managed to cross the county border into Somerset (hooray! another county other than Devon and Cornwall!) The weather was glorious again and the walking (other than the first bit) was really very easy and flat. I finished the day off with a ride on the open top bus from Porlock to Lynmouth the views were stunning! however it took me 3 days to get the bugs out my teeth :)

Walk 32

Ilfracombe to Lynton 18miles

A bit of a challange today as most people complete ths part of the walk in 2 sections.......I can see why, a lot of up and down valleys ( Great Hangman was really a tough one) right up until 2 miles before the end of the walk! I managed to complete it all in just on 6hrs ( so I didnt miss my bus!) It was another fantastic autumn day and I even had to resort to sun tan lotion:) Picture was taken from Little Hangman looking back towards Ilfracombe.

Walk 32

Croyde to Ilfracombe 13miles

Today was the 1st September and what a glorious autumn day for walking!, sunshine all the way. Luckily the tide was out so I got to walk the whole of the 3 mile stretch along Woolacombe Bay (see Pic). Also, a first wildlife sighting today...at last, 2 seals were basking in the sea in the warm sunshine.

As I walked around the Bull Point lighthouse I had my first sighting of Wales (the country not the mammal!) Stopped in a lovely B&B in Ilfracombe even had my own dressing gown....what luxury! :)

Walk 31

Westward Ho! to Croyde 13 miles

It started raining the moment I put my boots on ....and stopped 4.5hrs later just as todays walk was over :( oh well you cant win em all! The journey was split into 2 walks incorperating 3 buses. The first part of the walk was W/Ho to Appledore then a bus to Barnstable and onto Braunton, 2nd part of walk was from Braunton to Croyde, really easy walking all day today and a fantastic beach at Saunton Sands ( see Pic) to walk accross

Walk 30

Clovelly to Westward Ho! 13 miles

Started today with a very pleasant train journey to Barnstable followed by a bus journey to Clovelly...still did'nt pay to get in! Weather was very nice again, first 5 miles of the walk was through a forest and very flat at last!. Photo is of Peppercombe bay. The rest of the walk was spent walking up and down valleys....you'd have thought I'd be used to it by now. Stopped the night in Westward Ho! in a very nice B&B... even had my own lounge! Oh yes a word on Westward ho!....Yuuuuch :(

Walk 29

Elmscott to Clovelly 13miles

A bit bleak for the first 2 hrs today with driving horizontal rain, with only 5 up and down valleys on this section things are getting gradlually easier. Picture is of Spekesmill mouth waterfall which is on of the biggest in Devon. Lundy Island came into view today just after Hartland Quay and kept me company for the rest of the journey. Finished the day in Clovelly....and no I did'nt pay to get in.....bloody cheek :)

Walk 28

Bude to Elmscott 13miles

A nice day for walking ( no shirt day!), all the beaches up the coast were packed with holidaymakers. This sections of the SWCP had been described to me by many people as the toughest part of the whole path and with 12 up and down valleys I tend to agree. At Welcombe I pased back into Devon so thats it now for the whole of Cornwall! I stopped the night in Elmscott YHA.....I know after all I said in a previous blog.... but what can I say, I was desperate and as its peak season I had no alternative. Anyhow the YHA turned out to be very nice, met some people from around the globe.....the beds are still bloody awful :(