SWCP: Perranporth to Portreath

 The walking was all over by 1pm today! But only because I set off at 7.15 in the morning. There seemed to be only two options for getting back to Newquay - one at 2.40 and the other at 4.40. Both taking more than two hours! I didn’t fancy the second timing, which wouldn’t have got me back to Newquay till nearly 7pm.  So I left early enough for it to take longer than six hours (as per the guidebook) and still have time to spare. In the end I arrived just before 1. Took a punt on a three-bus journey gleaned from Apple Maps. Thought it was all a cock-up because the second bus failed to appear, and disappeared from the digital arrivals thingy. Just as I’d given up, it hove into view like a magic trick. I quickly re-jigged my journey to make a different connection and hey presto, got back to Newquay by 3.30! Hurrah for mobile apps!!! It’s difficult getting around in Cornwall because there’s more than one bus company and nobody has amalgamated all the information properly. 

There were more beautiful, pristine beaches today and they all had lots of surfers. The ascents weren’t too arduous and a lot of it was flat, but my feet and legs were quite tired by the end as I’d only sat down for ten minutes or so.

Dawn breaking over Perranporth as I left

Looking towards St Agnes

Hills carpeted in purple Heather and yellow gorse 

Mining leftovers at Trevellas Coombe 

Wheal Coates (Coates Mine) just before St Agnes

Loads of surfing going on
at Chapel Porth beach

Covered mineshaft near Porthtowan

Cornish buses have two phone chargers
on the back of every seat!!!

When I got back to Newquay I checked into my underwhelming but quiet Airbnb (an annex in somebody’s concrete front yard), went to get some stuff for dinner and stopped for a while to watch the surfing and enjoy the views along the coast. Now crossing fingers that my 8.15 taxi will show up OK to take me to the airport in the morning. 

SWCP: Newquay to Perranporth

 Today was quite easy, not much ascent. Set off at 9 and was there before 3. Passed a succession of stunning, pristine, absolutely massive beaches. Some of them had hazy mist coming off the crashing waves with the sun lighting it up - reminded me of the beach in South Africa. 

There were quite a few other walkers today.Highlight if the day was watching a huge, fat seal swim to shore and then laboriously flop up West Pentire beach 😀

Leaving Newquay

Crossing the river Gannel - luckily it was low tide. Followed footprints, Crusoe-like, to re-find the path.

Saw a girl fall into a puddle up to the top of her legs. Her boyfriend struggled to pull her out. Her trousers were covered in wet sand. Yikes.

The final bit of the path up to Perranporth was over sand dunes. Loads of paragliders looping and soaring gracefully around the dunes. Too tiring, so I walked along the beach instead, barefoot. The light was beautiful and the beach was so huge that I was walking alone. Great way to finish.  As I came up to the town beach, the RNLI drove along with their loudspeaker to say that there was a strong spring tide coming in and the beach would be underwater in about 20 minutes.

I went and had a shower in my Airbnb and then went and sat with a coffee in the Alcatraz cafe, overlooking the beach. Watched the tide come in. Lots of people trying to make it across from one bit of beach to the next. A lot of them ended up with wet shorts.

Will have to get up early tomorrow to try and get to Portreath in time for a 2.40, two-bus journey back to Newquay. 

SWCP: Mawgan Porth to Newquay

 

Flew to Newquay via the lovely Ryanair. Left home at 9.30 and was on the path by 2.30. Almost got my hiking poles confiscated at Stansted airport security and had to claim I needed them for health reasons. Was very lucky to keep them. Have bought stamps so that I can post them home on Saturday evening. 

Newquay airport is so small that I was in the cab within minutes of landing.

I’m quite surprised to see that I walked seven miles today - it didn’t feel that long. It was easy walking, not much undulation. It smelled of horse manure for miles. Then a big chunk at the end was through urban areas. I didn’t get rained on! I’ve brought too many jumpers - it feels really warm, 17 or thereabouts.

Just a lot of rocks really. There were loads of surfers in Newquay and on Watergate beach (which was looking much reduced as the tide was in). There’s a beach called Lusty Glaze (sounds like an intellectually challenged Bond girl).

Am having the usually trouble with my little toe. Hope it will be OK tomorrow. Newquay itself is nothing to write home about - seems quite deprived. Lots of chunky, tattooed locals and fast food places. Definitely not chi-chi.

SWCP: Farewell to the path (for now)

Woke up early this morning in the lovely boutique-hotel standard bed and had a little walk from the Airbnb up onto Dartmoor. Sun shining birds chirping, dew sparkling and miles-long view spreading out before me. I must come back here. Among other delights, there’s an 11-mile bike trail along a former railway track called the Granite Way, right next to the Airbnb.

Set off from the lovely Okehampton station. Train from Exeter packed to the gills because of yesterday’s strike. Almost every seat filled. However, I managed to get a table seat. Such luck! 

I feel very strong and sturdy after all my exertions. Without the rucksack I feel light as a feather. (I weighed it when I got home and it was over a stone in weight.) Have been investigating Chilterns walks and have just got Janneke’s agreement to do a walk there this Friday. Ten miles should do it! Huzzah!

SWCP: Morwenstow to Bude

A fairly strenuous up-and -down again today. The sun was out and it was warm - fine when I was in the sea breeze, but very sweaty on the sheltered sides of hills. My pack had my shoes in it for most of the way as I’d had to resort to the sandals again. Hard work! 

The day started with a lovely chat with a mother and daughter, the only other overnight guests at The Bush. The mum walked the path from Minehead to Lyme Regis when she was 21 in THREE WEEKS! they were walking together so she’s obviously still fit as a fiddle. She recommended a few trails elsewhere in England. They recommended taking a bacon sandwich from breakfast and I told them I do that too! 😅

Hawker’s Hut, built into the hillside by eccentric clergyman and poet Robert Stephen Hawker

Not even 10am yet, but looking hot and pink
from all the hills

At Stanbury Mouth  (GCHQ Bude - listening dishes galore) I missed a turning and ended up in a fenced-in corner. I wandered around a bit, wondering if I was being watched by security cameras, and then had to retrace my steps a bit before finding my way back to the path. There were over a hundred sheep, all looking at me - talk about feeling scrutinised! 😊

View towards Duckpool Beach

Duckpool Beach

Lots of green swards on the approach to Bude, sparingly sprinkled with tenets and campervans. They had a great view over miles of pristine expanses of beach. I think the tide was out. There were lots of surfers. Everyone had come out to make the most of the sun.

After looking at Bude a bit, having a swim in the huge seawater pool and getting a nice coffee, I got the 3 o’clock bus to Okehampton and this absolutely glorious Airbnb.

Train home tomorrow - I have to wait till then cos there’s a train strike today.

SWCP: Hartland Quay to Morwenstow

Pretty good day, but how the hell do people walk all the way from Hartland Quay to Bude in one day? The bit just to Morwenstow took me six hours without  a sit-down. The second half of my day felt like really hard work because there were lots of those steep hills, either with steps and and down them or scree-covered, narrow paths. I’d had to switch to sandals and was carrying my rather heavy shoes, and having that extra stone or so of rucksack on my back slowed me down a lot. That said, the views were great and the sun came out today for the first time all week. It was lovely, with a cooling sea breeze.

Black sheep

Beautiful waterfall
at Speke’s Mill mouth

It was great to be back on the cliff tops again, with plenty of birds, butterflies, flowers etc.

There were lots of linear rock formations - presumably sedimentary rock that had fallen over sideways and then been eroded. I tried to go in for a swim on Welcombe Mouth beach but the waves were a bit too big so I had to settle for wading in to the tops of my legs. Good for rejuvenating them.

Tomorrow should be a relatively easy one, just a few hours. The place I’m staying in tonight is probably the least friendly of all the places I’ve stayed this week - demanded I pay the balance of the room bill before they’d even shown me to the room. There I was, exhausted and sweaty with a heavy rucksack on. The room is fine but it’s got bins, piles of wood, old gas canisters etc lying around spoiling the view. They said they’d reserved me a table for dinner but I don't like the feel of the place so I didn't bother. 

I’ve earned it

Instead, I had an excellent slap-up cream tea at the delightful Rectory Tea Rooms just round the corner. The only thing I really want to eat is some fruit or vegetables, and both seem a bit scarce on their menu.