SW Coast Path

The original plan was to spend two weeks covering approximately 200miles walking from Minehead to Newquay. Unfortunately, due to Denise developing crippling blisters we had to cut our journey short after only six days, returning to Westward Ho! on the seventh day.

Other than having to come home early we had a great time. The scenery was absolutely stunning. I was a bit worried that walking next to the sea every day would get a bit monotonous, but that was definitely not the case. Over each headland and around each corner was a different spectacle, so that the view was constantly changing.

The weather was also constantly changing. We experienced one of the hottest days of the year and that was followed by thunder storms.

Apparently, if you complete the whole South West Coast Path then you will climb a height greater than four times that of Mt Everest. In our first week we climbed almost 5000metres. On three separate days we climbed over 100m, higher than Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England.

Day	Distance(km)	Ascent (m )
1	13.1	416
2	21.3	1143
3	21.8	1182
4	17.3	1013
5	30.9	570
6a*	15.8	75
6b*	11.8	248
7	4.9	205
Total	136	4852

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* On the sixth day we used the ferry to travel from Instow to Appledore, thus saving ourselves 10km of walking into Bideford and back.

 

 

Camping

For the first five nights we camped at commercial sites, but on our last night we wild camped.

The commercial sites gave us access to clean water, proper toilets and showers. There was also a reasonable pub close by for dinner and a welcome pint or two of beer.

Day	Campsite	Pub
1	Sparkhayes, Porlock A basic but delightful site with a laid back, friendly feel. Definite plus points for us were the fact that the owner clamped down on the rowdy caravan group who were making noise past the curfew time of 23:00, and the fact that there was a sheltered area outside the dishwashing area where we could have breakfast when it was raining. There was even a kettle we could use.	Royal Oak A great local pub that delivered great food, good beer with friendly staff and good service.
2	Sunny Lyn, Lynton A strange little site with lots of signage. “Do this”, “Don’t do that”, “Outside seating only available to those purchasing food from the cafe” (so you can’t just have a coffee). Showers barely big enough to turn around in, let alone swing any sort of additional mammal. Staff friendly enough though. A hard walk up from the sea or a £5 taxi ride.	The Cottage Inn An even stranger pub / Thai restaurant. When we arrived there were a few locals in there, who soon left, leaving just us two. The Thai restaurant was closed, it being Sunday night, so we had to order a takeaway from the landlord’s sister’s place in town, even though two young ladies who appeared to be staff members had obviously just cooked their own dinner. Have to say that the landlord was very friendly and helped us get online to check onward travel plans. The burgers were delicious when they arrived by taxi and still very hot. The taxi driver who delivered them was the same one who had driven us up from town earlier. So why did it cost us £4.66 but only cost £3.50 to bring the two burgers? Unfortunately we both felt a bit unwell during the night and just  wonder if the burgers were to blame. Were they piping hot because they had already been cooked and then heated in the microwave before delivery? Who knows.
3	Newberry Valley We arrived after closing time but were able to call the caretakers who came and booked us in and led us to our pitch, which was flat, green and tidy. The facilities here are awesome. Situated in a purpose built building there are a number of washrooms that have a toilet and a sink, and there are a number of shower rooms that are more like wet rooms. They contain a toilet, a sink and a shower. Each room is huge, with masses of room to shower and get changed. Each room has been professionally tiled and appointed and are all well maintained. As an additional highlight we saw glow worms in the hedge!	Dolphin It was a choice between the Giant Crab claws and the Sea Bass. I went for the Bass and it was excellent. Accompanied by a few pints of local beer and followed by a fresh fruit pavlova.
4	North Morte Farm The plan had been to travel to Woolacombe but all the camp sites round there seem to be huge holiday sites. North Morte Farm was recommended to us by a lady working at Newberry Valley. There was a warm, friendly welcome from the staff on site. The site has pitches for tents, tourers as well as a number of fixed units. There is shop on site selling a good range of food. The toilets and showers are clean and comfortable. The views from the campsite out to sea are fantastic.	Chichester’s Arms This was also recommended to us. Out of the three pubs in the village this is the furthest from the camp site but appeared to be the most popular. Even though it was really busy the staff were friendly and helpful. The food and drink was great. I went for the Ling and sampled a pint of each of the three real ales on offer, “Proper Job”, “Otter Ale” and “Litehouse”.
5	Chivenor Caravan Park After leaving Woolacombe and the long walk from Saunton across Braunton Burrows, this was the first campsite. And one of only two in the area according to the Harvey’s map. Greeted by friendly staff who seemed genuinely helpful we were shown to our pitch. The facilities are basic and a little run down, but were sufficient for one night. There is a garage over the road that sold enough to resupply us for the next day.	The William Arms About 1km up the road from the camp site, towards Braunton this is a large pub / restaurant. We found a very comfortable table in the bar area and enjoyed great food and beer.
6	Cliff top outside Westward Ho! There is nothing finer than wild camping in a remote spot and this seemed as remote as any, with fine views across to Hartland Point and out across the sea as the sun set. Glorious	NA A superb meal of “Look what we found” Lamb Hotpot followed by chocolate and coffee. Consumed sat in the tent watching the sky darken.