March 2013
Details of the South West Coast Path may be obtained from The South West Coast Path Association. The Association annually publishes a comprehensive guide, which is free for members.
For maps I like to use the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer series and I find it very handy to print off relevant sections on A4 sheets. This saves having to carry large maps, which have to be unfolded and re-folded repeatedly! OS offer a good value subscription to GetaMap which enables one to print off sections of maps (both of the 1:50,000 Landranger and 1:25,000 Explorer series).
Up-to-date information to assist with planning walks using local bus services may be found on the Traveline website.
Up-to-date information to assist with planning walks using local bus services may be found on the Traveline website.
We walked the part of the Path from Barnstaple to Hartland Point while staying at The Beachside Holiday Park, Westward Ho! The mobile home on the park provided us with comfortable self-catering accommodation, a few minutes' walk from the village and bus stops.
Staying at Westward Ho! enabled us to use the excellent local bus services to provide links for our walks.
Saturday 09 March 2013:
Barnstaple to Instow
We drove to Westward Ho! on Friday 08 March and settled ourselves into our home for the week, ready for an early start for our first day of walking.
We caught the 09:07 bus for Barnstaple from opposite the car park, enjoying the views on the hour's journey from the front of the top deck. Alighting from the bus on Braunton Road, we followed the Path from where we had left it - just beneath the new Taw Bridge (SS550333) - through Barnstaple to the Tourist Information Centre, situated at The Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon in The Square. The Path then led us across the 'old' Long Bridge before joining the Tarka Trail.
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For much of the way to Instow, the route follows the former railway line beside the Taw estuary. This provides, for the most part, easy, level walking, much of it surfaced. We were glad when we arrived at the old Fremington Quay Station for a brief pause for refreshment. We started, sitting at one of the tables outdoors on the old platform, enjoying a delicious celeriac and thyme soup, when with little warning there was a sudden heavy shower. We, together with the other customers on the platform/terrace quickly retreated indoors!
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| Fremington Quay Station Café |
The shower didn't last long and we set out once again, following the Path around the marshes of East Yelland and Instow Barton, passing by the site of the old power station before reaching Instow.
We caught the bus from Instow back to Westward Ho!
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| Appeldore from Instow |
Sunday 10 March 2013:
Instow to Westward Ho!
| Appledore from Instow |
After our coffee break it started raining - but we carried on regardless, leaving the Tarka Trail and crossing to the main part Bideford on the old Long Bridge, before turning north along the quay.
We had originally intended to leave the Coast Path near to Hyde Barton and catch a bus back to Westward Ho! from Northam Square. Despite the showers, though, we decided to carry on - and completed the distance back to Westward Ho! on foot. By doing this we 'gained' a day on our original itinerary: we were very pleased with ourselves! It, perhaps, should be pointed out that the going on this section was 'easy' with very little in the way of ascents and descents. The handbook tells me that the total ascent is 160 metres (528 ft).
En-route we paused for a picnic lunch in the bus shelter (sheltering from the rain) at Appledore and then, spying the Johns of Appledore café we decided that we needed to go inside for a warm-up and some (more) refreshment! We had a pot of tea for two and Elizabeth had the last portion of excellent home-made soup, while I found room for a pasty.
When we had finished the second stage of our lunch break, we set off for Westward Ho!, passing through the picturesque narrow streets of Appledore and then around the rather exposed Northam Burrows Country Park.
The day's walk was approximately 19.9km (12 miles).
Monday 11 March 2013:
Westward Ho! to Worthygate Wood
The South West Coast Path Association's Guide suggests that the day walk from Westward Ho! might be to Clovelly: an 11 mile 6 hour 'strenuous' hike. With that in view, we decided to split the stretch at Worthygate Wood (SS366237).
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| Looking north towards Westward Ho! from Peppercombe |
There are certainly plenty of 'ups' and 'downs' to warrant this stretch the title of strenuous! One is rewarded, though, by spectacular coastal views.
We broke our day's walk for a short picnic lunch break on the beach below Portledge before continuing on to Peppercombe Castle and Worthygate Wood, where we left the Coast Path at Gauter Pool to head inland to Higher and Lower Worthygate with a view to catch the bus back to Bideford with a connection there to Westward Ho! As things worked out we were rather early for the bus - and there was no clear bus stop or shelter, so we walked down the main A39 road to The Hoops Inn, where we warmly welcomed and sat down for a coffee beside a roaring log fire. That was after we had made sure that the bus would stop there!
The day's walk total was approximately 12.3km (7.5 miles).
Heading throught the woodland up to Peppercombe Castle we spotted some curious bright red 'cup-shaped' fungus. We think that these were Scarlet Elf Cup (Sarcoscyph Coccinea). Although allegedly edible (and we did not feel tempted to try!), they are not regarded as worth bothering with.
| Scarlet Elf Cup (Courtesy of Guardian.co.uk) |
Tuesday 12 March 2013:
Worthygate Wood to Clovelly
We drove from Westward Ho! to the layby just to the east of Lower Waytown (SS366237), parking the car there. From the layby we retraced our steps to Coast Path near Gauter Pool in Worthygate Wood.
Follwing the Path west, we soon were steeply descending down to Buck's Mills. What goes down must go up! The path winding up through Keivill's Wood is rather steep: a long, steep climb! The bench at the top was very welcome!
The rest of the day's walk was relatively easy following woodland and field paths before reaching The Hobby Drive for the final stretch to Clovelly. The Hobby Drive was the old carriage road to Clovelly, emerging a few metres from the Clovelly Visitor Centre, with its café, shops, car parks and bus stop on the Bude and Hartland to Bideford and Barnstaple bus route. Be warned, this is an infrequent service so if you intend to do a bus walk, careful planning may be necessary.
Total distance walked was approximately 9km (5½ miles).
For the return journey to the car we caught the bus from the Visitor Centre and then drove back to Westward Ho! An alternative plan might be to park at the Visitor Centre (enquire about possible concessionary rates for Coast Path walkers) and take the bus to the beginning of your walk.
Wednesday 13 March:
Clovelly to Fatacott Cliff
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| View from above Clovelly |
Another bus walk! This time we drove to Hartland and parked in the Square car park (free) in time to catch the bus to Clovelly Visitor Centre. The route (described in the SWCPA Guide and 'moderate to strenuous') has its fair share of steep 'ups' and downs'. We paused for a picnic lunch after one of these climbs.
At Fatacott Cliff (SS264274) we turned away from the Coast Path on the sign-posted permissive path to return to Hartland down the lane (here we were caught in a sudden, sharp, hail storm) to West Fattacott Farm (the spelling on the map is different for the cliff and the farm!), then following the lanes back to the village, stopping for a flask of tea by a stile above Pattard Bridge, where a footpath crosses the steep meadow (SS262252) before returning to the car.
Thursday 14 March:
Fatacott Cliff to Hartland Point and
Upright Cliff
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| Hartland Lighthouse and Lundy Island |
We had 'gained' a day on Sunday, so we took advantage of the additional day by doing a circular walk so that we could round Hartland Point, rightly described as one of the great defining headlands of the Coast Path and finishing this stretch above the small valley (un-named on my maps) between Upright Cliff and Smoothlands (SS230266).
We parked the car in the (free) National Trust car park at East Titchberry (SS244270). From there we followed the footpath to the Coast Path and then headed east. For the first 400 metres we followed the Coast Path and then where the Coast Path bears left, we followed the field path more or less straight ahead, roughly parallel to the cliffs; about 200 meters inland. 
At the permissive path near to Fatacott Cliff (SS264272), we turned left to rejoin the Coast Path, heading west towards Hartland Point with the rather curious 'mushroom-shaped' radar tower as a landmark
Close by Hartland Point there is a car park (charges may apply) and seasonal refreshments.
After 'turning the point' we headed south and crossed the small valley, climbed the steps, and headed inland along the rough footpath on the south side of the valley. At the end of the path we turned left at the lane, crossed the footbridge and returned to the car park via Blagdon Farm and then along the lanes.
