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WALKING THE SOUTH WEST COASTAL PATH .....106.5 Miles
23rd July to 27th July 2000


Year two and read about my adventures with Colin on the South West Costal Path.

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Sunday 23rd July -------- Combe Martin to Venton,
......................................... SWCP No: 5 ................................Walk No: 462
18oC. 90% Cloud. 20% Very windy from east. Hard going, always up and down. 80% Enjoyment.
Left Leamington Spa at 9.15am. Started cycle from Putsborough Sand 10:45am and cycled to Knapps camp site 12:45pm. Lunch by cycles chained to fence. Started walking at 13:00. Ilfracombe at 14:30. Lee Bay at 16:00. Morte Point 17:15. Woolacombe 18:00. Wide variety of interest for whole route. View of distant Lundy Island. Security camera at Water Mouth Bay near castle, with security spikes around base of camera to deter theft. Unusual bird (Jackdaw) at Ilfracombe near new uninspirational theatre (two cooling towers in the middle of town). Bird of prey? on path before Lee Bay with strings hanging from its feet. Seals spotted by other walker with binoculars after Lee Bay. Good view of Baggy Point and Hartland Point after turning Morte Point. Amazingly long car park at Todor Beach on Woolacombe Bay, could get through from Putsborough Sand. Lighthouse not on end of Morte Point. Not visible from Woolacombe Bay. Finished at 18:45 and collected bikes at19:00. Lovely sunny evening over Woolacombe Bay.
.................................................13 miles cycling...................15 miles walking

Monday 24th July ---------- Venton to Braunton
............................................ SWCP No: 6 ................................Walk No: 463
20oC. 60% Cloud, No rain, Beaches crowded, Very good underfoot. 80% Enjoyment.
Cycled from Chivenor camp site at 9.15am. Left cycles in field behind gate and locked to fence, 7 miles. Started Walking from Putsborough Sand at 10:00am. Rounded Baggy Point, walked then high route to Croyde, didn't realise there was a low route. Soft sand across Croyde Bay. Stopped for elevenses at Saunton Down above road. Cheeky woman playing tennis at Saunton Hotel. Very long walk past golf course and military range to southern end of Braunton Burrows. Lunch 14:00 to 14:25 among dunes. Walked into Braunton on top of dyke. Walked along old railway track past Chivenor RAF Station, 22 Squadron to campsite 16:00 15 miles. Collected bikes from Putsborough. Breeze from east – sunny periods. Hot thermals while walking, in Croyde area, very strange but nice Butterflies and dragonflies abundant in thicket or warren.
.................................................unknown cycling...................15 miles walking

Tuesday 25th July ----------- Braunton to Westward Ho
.............................................. SWCP No: 7 ................................Walk No: 464
20oC. 85% Cloud. Sunny periods, threat of rain at mid-day. 90% Enjoyment.
Left from Chivenor campsite to Westward Ho by car at 9:00am. At 10:00 cycled from Westward Ho to camp site. At 11:30 walked from campsite. Heron fishing in estuary. Enjoyed a pint of Buffy's Ale 5.5% in 'Check Inn' at 12:45. Continued walk at 13:10 along old railway track to Bideford. At 15:10 missed ferry to Appledore from Instow due to low tide. Walked to A39 Torridge Bridge and crossed at high altitude. No obvious way down to track. Climbed down bank by bridge over barbed wire fences. Photo of goat. Interesting walk to Appledore. Walked around Northern Burrows Country Park. Good views to Braunton Burrows and Staunton Hotel. Finished 18:45 at Westward Ho. Called at Tesco in Barnstable for bread, milk and cider.
...............................................15 miles cycling................21 miles walking

Wednesday 26 July ------- Westward Ho to Clovelly
............................................... SWCP No: 8................................Walk No: 465
19oC. 5% Rain. Very good underfoot. 85% Enjoyment.
Left camp site Chivenor at 9.20am. Colin bought tyre for his bike from Halfords at Barnstable. Started walking from Westward Ho at 11:45 Lunch at Buck Mills at 15:00 Very undulating, always up or down, sometimes down to the beach. Still no other walkers completing the whole walk. Colin saw a fox running across the field. A short sharp shower through wood just before Buck Mills. Another shower (longer this time) just as we left Buck Mills. Couple in Buck Mills from Bideford helped themselves to hydrangea plants (cuttings). Met several couples on route picking best walking bits of South/West Way. Hobby Drive built in 19th century by Napoleonic prisoners, logging vehicles had destroyed surface in places. Didn't have time to descend to Clovelly at 17:45. Walked to bikes, cycled to campsite Dyke Green Farm. Cycled to car at Westward Ho 16:40. Started raining, another shower as we left Westward Ho in car for campsite. Field around green cliff just cut by farmer. Fairies everywhere from cropped thistles. Disturbed small birds (hundreds) while eating seed.
.................................................11 miles cycling...................11 miles walking
Thursday 27 July ------- Clovelly to Hartland Quay
............................................... SWCP No: 9................................Walk No: 466
19oC. 60% Rain. Good underfoot until rain then slippery in places. 80% Enjoyment.
Travelled by car to Hartland Quay 9:30am. Cycled to Clovelly 10:00 - 11:00am and locked biked behind gate. Start walk at 11:00am from Clovelly. Interesting shelters in woods. Blackchurch and surrounding rocks very interesting and spectacular. Met a couple who had been chased by bulls. Thunderstorm started at approx Brownsham Cliff, very heavy prolonged rain (13:00pm). Sheltered behind hedges and ate sandwiches in the rain. Stopped raining approx 16:00pm. Finished 16:30 at Harthill Quay top car park. 10 Miles Car back to campsite to listen to weather forecast. More rain forecast for Friday. Lots of slugs and snails on path after rain. Sheep droppings abundant near and close to edge of cliffs just before Hartland Quay. Fantastic views to both sides of Point and of Lundy.
.................................................7 miles cycling...................10 miles walking

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SWCP 23 July 2000 - Map Courtesy www.streetmap.co.uk
illfracombe Hilsborough Fort Harbour and Capstone
Derek and Lundy Island from Rockham Beach
23 July 2000 - Bull Point Lighthouse from Rockham Beach
23 July 2000 - Watermouth Bay
20 July 2000 - Woolacombe from near Grunta Beach
SWCP 24th July 2000 - Map Courtesy www.streetmap.co.uk
24 July - Baggy Point
20 July 2000 - Derek & Lundy Island from Saunton Down SWCP 24th July 2000 - Map Courtesy www.streetmap.co.uk 25 July 2000 - Instow from A39 Torridge Road25 July 2000 River Torridge at Low Tide SWCP 25th July 2000 - Map Courtesy www.streetmap.co.uk
26 July 2000 Towards Westward Ho from Peppercombe Baggy Point Back to Westward Ho from Green Cliff 26 July 2000 - Clovelly Harbour from Hobby Drive 26 July 2000 - Derek towards Peppercombe SWCP 25th July 2000 - Map Courtesy www.streetmap.co.uk
26 July 2000 - Hartland Point Lighthouse rain after Storm

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