It is late afternoon when I leave the pub. Clovelly is set deep at the bottom of a north-facing valley and is being swallowed by dark shadows as the sun sinks lower in the sky. [The bad light makes photography disappointing and, later, I have to use photo-editing software to create usable images.]
The first thing I do is stroll to the end of the pier and look back across the little harbour and its pebble beach.
My husband stands outside the pub, bright in his yellow jacket. Continue reading
We arrive at Hartland Point and find the car park open and the kiosk manned. The attendant wants us to pay, but my husband is only dropping me off- and so we park on the road and I lace up my boots, grab my rucksack and prepare for another day of walking.
Several cars swing into the car park while I am doing this. Passengers for the helicopter trip over to Lundy Island. I see one woman with a rucksack and binoculars and, for a moment, I envy her and wish I was going too.
But I have walking to do. I add Lundy Island to my list of places to return to if and when I ever finish this round-the-coast walk. Continue reading
Today I plan to walk the short distance from Hartland Quay to Hartland Point, before lunch and a long journey home. Only 3 miles.
It is a glorious day. The car park at Hartland Quay is deserted, apart from a few chirpy birds. And plenty of DANGER signs. Continue reading
The valley of Marsland Mouth is remote and beautiful, with little tumbling waterfalls among green slopes. But the low sun creates problems with shadows and I am unable to take a decent photograph. Shame.
At 12:40pm, I cross the footbridge over the pretty stream and pass into Devon.
The climb up the far slope of the valley is as hard as I feared. Continue reading
I walk down the track from Morwenstow towards the sea, knowing I have 6 hours of good daylight in which to walk the 9 miles to Hartland Quay. I should make it easily, but I won’t have time for a pub lunch. In fact, there is nowhere to stop for lunch along this deserted stretch of coast.
The sun is slanting low across the yellow-green fields. The sea is the colour of slate. The sight of this weirdly coloured landscape is both stimulating and rather unnerving. Continue reading
I am a coward. Leaving Northcott Mouth and heading up Bucket Hill, I begin worrying. How difficult will this walk be? Will I get caught in the dark? I have less than 5 hours of daylight left. But, with only 6 miles to go, this really should not be a problem.
My map tells me I have gone over Menachurch Point and then past Westpark Pit and Sarshall’s Pit (what does ‘pit’ mean?). The path has some ups and downs, but nothing too bad. I begin to gain in confidence.
Looking ahead along the shore, I see the soft cliffs have crumbled away in places. Ahead is a gap where long lines of rocks give way to a short strip of sandy beach. That must be Sandy Mouth. Continue reading
Standing on the cliff at Upton, I look back along yesterday’s walk. I thought I had left good old Cambeak behind, but there he is, pointing his gnarly finger out into the sea. And the farthest promontory must be Tintagel. I believe I can even see the Camelot Castle Hotel.
But I am heading northwards, past Bude and onwards. The logical place to aim for is Hartland Quay. But that is 15 miles from Bude and 17 miles from my starting point at Upton. Too far. Continue reading
It is November and I am back at Crackington Haven. It’s still windy but not as windy as the last time I was here. Today the beach is deserted. Across the water I can see the humpy finger of Cambeak and the mound where I once sat to eat a bar of chocolate.
After lunch I walk up the side of Boscastle Harbour, following the South West Coast Path and heading for Penally Point. The tide is out and the water in the harbour is low. But the sun is shining and this has brought many people out for a stroll.
I climb steadily up the slope of Penally Hill, and pause to take a photograph of Boscastle village below.
After my lazy day yesterday, I feel full of energy and am keen to make good progress along the coast from Tintagel. My first stop is Boscastle, for lunch.
Ahead is an easy amble along Smith’s Cliff. The promontory of Willapark is ahead with the two rocks, The Sisters, just visible on the other side.
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Response ID: 328,436,497 Report number: 1222 Location: Ceredigion Coast Path (part of the Wales Coast Path) between Gwbert & Mwnt Date: 04/02/26 2 walkers, no dog, meet about 40 Welsh Black bullocks Pips report: “On the return stretch of our walk we encountered extremely treacherous terrain and a herd of about 40 Welsh Black bullocks […]
Incident number:1220 Response ID: 328,248,081 Location: Back Forest Farm, River Dane, near Wincle & DaneBridge, Peak District ///wasps.promote.homelands Date 26/01/26 Single walker, no dog SY’s Report: “I was heading back to DaneBridge/Wincle from Gradbach/Black Forest. I’d walked by Back Forest Farm along the path between their fields and came to a gate/stile. As I crossed […]
Incident number: 1218 Response ID: 320,795,463 Date of incident: 29.12.2025 Location: Below Denston Hall, Denston Suffolk Status: Lone walker with dog on lead on PROW L.Cooper’s story “I saw a group of cows ahead and waited to see if they would move. As I couldn’t get past without going near to them I backtracked and […]
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 