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	WALKING THE SOUTH WEST COASTAL PATH ..... 34.5 Miles
	18th July to 21st July 1999
	In recent years Colin Middleton & I have been given permission by our better halves to go walking for a week each year. Aren't we lucky. We started in 1999. We camped nearby. Each day we drove to the finish. We got out bikes out of the car and cycled to the start. We enjoyed a day's walking to the finish at the car. We finished the day by driving to pick up our bikes and then finding a nearby pub to enjoy a pint and some tea. Follow the walk by photos right here. For more information on each day's walk see "Lifetime of Walks by Derek Harwood" If you have any queries about the pictures please e-mail me at: webmaster@harwoodonline.com
	Sunday 18th July -------- Minehead to Portlock Weir ......................................... SWCP No: 1 ................................Walk No: 435 22oC. 40% Cloud. 20% Rain. Hot sunshine, very humid and sweaty. Very good underfoot. 85% Enjoyment. Left Porlock Weir at 10.30am on bicycles. Bicycles locked to post on promenade. Photo at start. Started walking at 11:30am from Minehead. Lunch on bench at cross paths north of Bessington Hill 13:30-14:00. Followed path into and out of Bessington. Hard work walking on large stones along miles of beach, reminded me of Chisel Beach. Feet wet where large stream flowed into sea. Nowhere to cross. Single breached due to winter storms. Finish Porlock Weir at 15:30. Pint of cider in Ship Inn - excellent half hour watching world go by. .................................................8.5 miles cycling...................8.5 miles walking Monday 19th July ---------- Portlock Weir to Countisbury ............................................ SWCP No: 2 ................................Walk No: 436 20oC. 98% Cloud, Very humid. Good underfoot. 85% Enjoyment. Started cycling at 10.00am from Countisbury Church. Cycled down Worthy Toll road, no toll for cyclists. Small snake slowly crossing road just after toll gate. Back cycle wheel buckled, rubbing on frame. Left bikes locked together by toilets in Porlock Weir car park. Started walking in woods, flies, flies, flies for miles. Found snake as we passed Toll House again, but it had been squashed by a car. Photo of Culbone Church. Mars bar in field to escape flies. Short lunch break due to threat of rain, dark clouds to south. Usual outcrop of stones at Wingate Combe and the foreland. Impressive numbers of rhododendron bushes to east of Wingate Combe. Large number of simple benches. Met several couples walking to Porlock, one couple beside pool of thousands of tadpoles. What did they eat? Photo of foreland. Photo from col south of the foreland to Porlock.Finished walk at 4:15pm. .................................................unknown cycling...................10.5 miles walking Tuesday 20th July ----------- Countisbury to Trentishoe .............................................. SWCP No: 3 ................................Walk No: 437 18oC. 95% Cloud. Cold in the wind. 85% Enjoyment. Colin left me at Countisbury Church at 9.50am. He continued to the parking area by 'The Glass Box', Trentishoe Down to leave the bus and cycle back to the church. As he left me it was raining hard with strong winds. Colin returned on bike at 12 noon after two long steep climbs uphill. Walked into Lynmouth and saw cable car to Lynton as we walked up zigzag valley of rocks. Interesting - Army Brigade having photographs taken in ferns. Miles of tarmac road and paths – walking rate high. Finished at car park between Holdstone and Trentishoe Down at 16:30. Drizzle for much of way, rain for last miles. A few sunny periods. ...............................................unknown miles cycling................8 miles walking Wednesday 21st July ------- Trentishoe to Combe Martin ............................................... SWCP No: 4 ................................Walk No: 438 15oC. 80% Cloud. Very Windy. Good underfoot, slippery in places. 85% Enjoyment. Started cycling from campsite at Napps at 9.15am. Asked directions in Combe Martin to Knap Down and was directed up Shute Lane but thought we were going to Nutcombe Hill. Nothing stacked up until we had virtually walked to Stony Corner. At steep section on Shute Lane we stopped a lady in a car and asked where we were. She was not lost but couldn't show us our location on a map. Arrived at the car park (approx 1000ft) at 10.00am. Left map in saddlebag in error. Walked by instinct but only had three problems and the main problem was on Great Hangman where we had to walk through heather to reach the summit as we chose the wrong track at first. Colin shepherded approx 50 sheep past Little Hangman. Enjoyed a pint in pub on sea front at Combe Martin. Steep walk out of Combe Martin to camp site mainly along old road. Very windy, threat of rain but only a few drops fell on us. Sunny periods at finish at 13:45. .................................................unknown miles cycling...................7.5 miles walking
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