hartland quay to bude

June 08, 2024 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

SATURDAY, 1st june 2024

sunday, 2nd june 2024

Start location: Hartland Quay (SS 22278 24747)

End point: Bude (SS 20590 06516)

Map: Explorer 126, 111

This walk is a little on the long side for my ageing limbs so I’m going to split it into two much shorter walks by heading for Morwenstow and then returning to the village the next day to continue to Bude.

The weather forecast for the entire two days is fantastic and it’ll be warm and sunny with very little in the way of wind.

Saturday, 1st June 2024

Bude low tide 07:37

Bude high tide 13:49

sunday, 2nd June 2024

Bude low tide 08:45

Bude high tide 14:54

I wander down from high above Hartland Quay to start the day on the beach at Hartland Quay. It is a beautiful early summer morning with hazy sunshine so I enjoy the beach for a little while.

The quay here was originally built in the 16th century but swept away in 1887. I marvel at the folded rocks here but it's time to get going. I wander up the slipway, completed in 1976 by volunteers from the Hartland Boat Club. Lundy should be clearly visible out to sea but it is too hazy today.

I leave the beach and head up the road to the Hartland Quay Hotel and pass the Wreckers Retreat Bar, a traditional smugglers inn.

I climb steps uphill and head out on to the coast path before coming across a waterfall at Speke's Mill Mouth, all the while enjoying the early summer wild flowers.

I head inland and cross a footbridge. I used to have a choice of routes, the cliff top route or the valley route but the valley route seems to be the only one signposted. The signpost is covered in ivy and has seen better days.

I pass behind Brownspear Point, Longpeak, Hole Rock, Gunpath Rock, Mansley Rock and Cow Rock. I rejoin the coast path. I continue along the path to reach a road junction at Sandhole Cross.

I turn right along the road and then regain the cliffs to round Nabor Point. Somebody around here is keen on transmitter masts!

I pass Gull Rock, Coney Rock and Ramtor Rock and come across an Iron Age fort at Embury Beacon. Most of the fort has fallen into the sea but a section of the inner rampart still runs across the headland.

A sign tells me that I’m one mile from Welcome Mouth and I come across a lone orchid which I assume is a common spotted orchid but it’s a manky specimen.

I continue along the path, descending to Knap Head before a steep zig zag path takes me down to Welcombe Mouth where stepping stones take me across a stream above another waterfall.

I pass the car park and climb steeply up a scrubby slope to find a hut overlooking Marsland Mouth where Ronald Duncan wrote his poetry and plays.

The hut fell into disrepair after Ronald died in 1982 but it was rebuilt by his daughter Briony.

I come across a couple of fellow walkers who ask me to take their photo high up on the cliffs, which I do.

A series of steps takes me down the steep slope to Marsland Mouth.

I cross a footbridge at Marsland Water. I'm now on the border between Devon and Cornwall and a wooden sign welcomes me to Kernow. I’ve been buggering around so much that my fellow walkers have caught up with me so I take another photo of the two of them in front of the county boundary.

I climb wooden steps and then climb up onto the top of Marsland Cliff. Out to sea I can see Gull Rock and I have magnificent views back over Marsland Mouth.

I come across a signpost for the Tamara Coast to Coast Way, a 90 mile Cornish walking route reaching from the south to the north coast of Cornwall via the Tamar valley. I’m not sure why the signpost is here because I’m nowhere near the River Tamar.

I climb steeply down more steps and then cross a footbridge over a stream. I amble across Cornakey Cliff and a grassy descent leads me to a footbridge over Westcott Wattle. All the while I enjoy the wild flowers.

A slippery scrambling climb leads me over Henna Cliff before crossing another footbridge over a stream and I can now make out Morwenstow just inland. More steps lead me up onto Vicarage Cliff.

According to my ancient Ordnance Survey map I should come across Hawker's Hut but I fail to see any sign of it.

From here I follow a footpath inland towards Morwenstow, passing Morwenstow Church, to reach the car park at Rectory Farm where my lift awaits.

I return to the car park next to the tea rooms at Rectory Farm in Morwenstow the next morning and head out towards the coast path.

I head back along the footpath towards Vicarage Cliff where I pass Morwenstow Church again. It is another beautiful sunny morning.

As soon as I reach the coast path I come across a sign pointing to the left telling me that Hawker’s Hut is 200 yards away. So I didn’t miss it yesterday and it’s located in the wrong place on my Ordnance Survey map. Sure enough, when I look at the up to date digital version of the map it has been moved.

I amble along the cliffs and come across a National Trust sign for Hawker's Hut, a little hut made from driftwood and built by the Revered Hawker, the eccentric Victorian vicar of Morwenstow, who liked to smoke a pipe of opium here with his literary friends.

hawker's hut

I zig zag down a steep slope and pass a National Trust sign for Tidna Shute and cross yet another footbridge over a stream.

tidna shute

I come across a ruined coastguard lookout station at Higher Sharpnose Point.

I amble along a grassy path before a steep zig zag descent leads me to a footbridge in the valley at Stanbury Mouth. Apparently a steep and difficult climb takes you down to the beach but I can't see much of a path and it looks too dangerous anyway.

I now have a steep climb up to the radar station at GCHQ Bude where I come across a fox. I don’t know what it’s supposed to signify.

GCHQ Bude is an eery place and it feels like they are listening to me! I quickly pass it by.

I amble past the station but fail to see any coast path signs. I cross a load of concrete pads and walk across a fenced in field. This can’t be right.

I can now see the sandy beaches leading up to Bude. Fortunately, towards the end of the field I come across a wooden bit of the fence which I can climb over and this takes me back to the coast path at Steeple Point. Out at sea are Squench Rock, Pigsback Rock and Kempthorn's Rock.

A steep descent down the cliff takes me to Duckpool Beach. On the way down I come across common centaury. It may be common but it’s not something I recognize so hopefully now I’ve spotted it I should see it more often.

common centaury

The beach here is rather pleasant, particularly when the tide is out, which it is today. I crunch across the beach and head down to the lovely sand exposed by the tide.

I enjoy the beach here with quite a few other people on this sunny day. I should now head inland to cross a footbridge but instead cross back up the beach and find a path that climbs up the steep grassy slope back onto the clifftops. I walk downhill and cross a teeny footbridge at Warren Gutter.

From here it is a thoroughly lovely walk along the clifftops above Warren Little Beach, Eliza Beach and Warren Long Beach before descending down to another footbridge at Sandymouth.

The tide is out today so there is quite a bit of sand.

The tide is nowhere near far enough out though to continue along the beach so I head back onto the low cliffs where I have lovely views back over Sandymouth. Before reaching Northcott Mouth I come across a load of flag irises.

I continue along the path to reach Northcott Mouth. At low tide, the wreck of the SS Belem is revealed, wrecked in November 1917.

I walk along the top of Maer Down where I come across some lovely clumps of wild carrot. I now have views over the beaches at Bude.

I continue along the path to reach Crooklets Beach. I cross a footbridge and pass the beach huts.

I drop down to the beach at Summerleaze Beach next to Bude Sea Pool.

I head out across Summerleaze Beach which is rather busy, before heading in to the car park behind the beach where my lift awaits. A fun fair is taking place in the car park so it is a rather noisy end to a peaceful day.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

sheep’s sorrel
foxglove
red campion
flag iris
stonecrop
wild carrot
gorse
cat’s-ear
bugle
cuckooflower
ribwort plantain
kidney vetch
sea thrift
oxeye daisy
devil’s-bit scabious
common centaury
oystercatchers
stone chats
swallows
chiff chaffs
whitethroat
linnets

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 18.5 miles over the last couple of days which amounts to 47023 steps. Phew, that’s a long way. I’m glad I did it over two days. It has taken me eight hours 45 minutes. The weather has been gorgeous across the two days and it has been a rollercoaster ride. Ten out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

bude to crackington haven

May 27, 2023 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

SUNDAY, 7TH may 2023

It looks like it might be quite a nice day today with some sun and not much in the way of wind.

Bude high tide 07:20

Bude low tide 13:43

I start the day in stinky Bude in the car park behind Summerleaze Beach. I head out onto the beach and watch the surfers before retracing my steps.

I head back towards Bude and take a footbridge over the River Neet and then a wooden lockbridge over Bude Canal.

I pass Efford Cottage, built in 1820 and head on a path towards the coast.

I pass the eight sided storm tower on Compass Point, built in the 1820s as a coastguard shelter, which is surrounded by scaffolding.

I wander along grassy slopes where I pass Efford Beacon trig point, number S5629.

I now have lovely views back over stinky Bude.

I pass what was once the Elements Cafe Bar, Italian Restaurant and Hotel which is now in a sorry state of disrepair. I then wander through Phillip's Point Nature Reserve and enjoy the spring flowers here.

I pass Higher Longbeak and then Lower Longbeak with its funerary round barrow.

I descend towards Widemouth Sand, passing the Bay View Inn. I walk along the beach at Widemouth Bay heading towards Black Rock before leaving the beach and heading back up onto the cliffs.

I head along a rocky track before crossing a stream. I head along the minor road passing what was once the Outdoor Adventure Centre but is now OA Surf Club.

I pass Ocean View, a new development of a 5 bedroomed house with an indoor pool, gym, steam room, sauna and cinema room, all within a two acre plot. That’s not going to be cheap!

I climb up onto Penhalt Cliff where I have some lovely views back towards Bude at Penhalt Cliff Poundstock car park.

I pass Foxhole Point and then Bridwill Point before climbing steeply down to Millook. I wander down the road and head out onto pebbly Millook Haven Beach.

I climb steeply up the road and then regain the cliffs and have lovely views ahead of me. The wildflowers around here are looking at their very best and the geology is not bad either.

I enter woods at Dizzard Point, which are blissfully peaceful before entering fields and bush covered slopes, passing Chipman Cliff, Stoneivy Rock and the cave at Mot's Hole.

Along the way I pass Dizzard Point trig point, number S5612.

I pass some ponies munching on the vegetation and they don’t take any notice of me.

I have magnificent views ahead of me before coming across the deepest valley I think I've ever come across. It doesn't even appear to be marked on my Ordnance Survey map but the National Trust have it down as Lower Tresmorn. There's nothing 'lower' about it. The photograph does it no justice. I clamber slowly down the valley, cross a footbridge and then clamber gingerly up the other side.

At the bottom of the valley I come across a small copper butterfly.

The path heads out to Castle Point and passes Little Barton Strand and Great Barton Strand and heads towards Pencannow Point before darting back towards Crackington Haven.

I now have lovely views over Crackington Haven and I head down the slopes to the village, enjoying the flowers next to the path.

I pass the Coombe Barton Inn where a saxophonist is playing and head down to enjoy the beach here as well as the heavily folded rocks. It’s close to low tide so I have to walk a long way down the beach to reach the sea.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

sea thrift
gorse
song thrushes
skylarks
swallows
oystercatchers
bluebells
greater stitchwort
bracken
herb robert
red campion
cowslips
common dog-violet
common sorrel
germander speedwell
celandines
bugle
cuckooflower
alexanders
sand martins
bladder campion
chiffchaffs
chaffinches
peacock butterfly
blackcaps
speckled wood butterfly
small copper butterfly

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 12.2 miles which amounts to 30591 steps. It has taken me five and a quarter hours.

It has been a lovely day today walking in North Cornwall which I haven’t seen for seven years. Ten out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

bude to boscastle

October 02, 2016 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

sunday, 25th september 2016

It chucked it down overnight but the bad weather was clear by the morning and the forecast is for quite a nice day if a little cold and blustery.

Boscastle low tide 07:11

Boscastle high tide 13:40

I start the day back in stinky Bude in the car park behind Summerleaze Beach. I head out onto the beach where it is blowing a gale.

I head back along the beach and take a footbridge over the River Neet and then a wooden lockbridge over Bude Canal.

I pass Efford Cottage, built in 1820 and head on a path towards the coast. My hat barely stays on my head despite the fact that it is tightly strapped on.

I pass the eight sided storm tower on Compass Point, built in the 1820s as a coastguard shelter. I try to shelter from the wind inside but it's basically useless as a storm shelter.

I wander along grassy slopes where I pass Efford Beacon trig point, number S5629.

I now have lovely views back over stinky Bude.

I pass the Elements Cafe Bar, Italian Restaurant and Hotel and then wander through Phillip's Point Nature Reserve and enjoy the late season flowers here.

I pass Higher Longbeak and then Lower Longbeak with its funerary round barrow and a rainbow appears in the sky behind me.

I descend towards Widemouth Sand, passing the Bay View Inn. I walk along the beach at Widemouth Bay heading towards Black Rock before heading back up onto the cliffs. The photographs suggest that it is a glorious day but the reality is that it's blowing a gale and I'm struggling to stay on my feet.

I head along a rocky track before crossing a stream where a fellow coast path walker passes me. I head along the minor road passing the Outdoor Adventure Centre and climb up onto Penhalt Cliff where I have some lovely views back towards Bude at a car park, and pass my fellow coast path walker as she takes a drink.

I pass Foxhole Point and then Bridwill Point before climbing steeply down to Millook. It's time to dig out the walking pole as the path is slippery and tricky to navigate. I wander down the road and head out onto pebbly Millook Haven Beach.

I waste far too much time here and get lapped by my fellow coast path walker again and I see her head up through the vegetation on the cliffs from the beach

I climb steeply up the road and then regain the cliffs and have lovely views ahead of me. I enter woods at Dizzard Point, which are blissfully peaceful and filter out the wind perfectly, before entering fields and bush covered slopes, passing Chipman Cliff, Stoneivy Rock and the cave at Mot's Hole.

Along the way I pass Dizzard Point trig point, number S5612. I also overtake my fellow coast path walker one final time.

I look back over the valley and spot my fellow coast path walker one last time. She's a tiny dot climbing slowly down the cliff. The path heads out to Castle Point and passes Little Barton Strand and Great Barton Strand and heads towards Pencannow Point before darting back towards Crackington Haven where I come across a friendly herd of cows.

I now have lovely views over Crackington Haven and I head down the slopes to the village, enjoying the flowers and berries next to the path.

I pass the Coombe Barton Inn and head down to enjoy the beach here as well as the heavily folded rocks

It is now a rollercoaster ride to Boscastle. I climb out of Crackington Haven and head over three footbridges. On the slopes above Crackington Haven I come across my fourth small copper butterfly of the year. Not the greatest of photographs but there you go.

I amble along the cliffs, where I have lovely views back over Crackington Haven and walk above Little Strand, Samphire Rock, The Strangles and head along High Cliff.

I come across an outcrop of folded rocks.

Next up is the MASSIVE Rusey Cliff and I'm beginning to feel the effect of all of the climbing. There is apparently a tricky descent to Rusey Beach but I don't see it and it's probably too dangerous today anyway. I head towards Gull Rock.

It continues to be tricky going but I head along the cliffs passing Saddle Rock, Beeny Sisters and around Fire Beacon Point and pass Seal's Hole before doubling back on myself around a valley at Pentargon, crossing above a waterfall. The wind is forcing the waterfall to fall back on itself.

I head out towards Penally Point and suddenly I can see the harbour at Boscastle.

It has been hard going all day long but I'm finally almost at the end. I swing back downhill and walk down a narrow road past a number of cottages and buildings to reach the bridge over the river.

There's one last piece of excitement for the day as there's an ambulance on the bridge!

That's my walking done for the day so I head for the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red valerian
common toadflax
common knapweed
devil's-bit scabious
fleabane
cat's ear
honeysuckle
heather
ragwort
ivy
red campion
small copper butterfly
cows
sheep
horses
hydrangeas
elderberries
blackberries
the odd bit of sea thrift

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 18.5 miles today which amounts to 48010 steps. Ouch! It has been a wild and windy day again and the going has been tough since leaving Bude. The walking is just about as good as it gets. Ten out of ten!

My total ascent today has been a massive 1174 metres or 3851 feet. Look at that graph! What a rollercoaster ride!!

MAP

hartland quay to bude

October 02, 2016 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

saturday, 24th september 2016

Considering it's late September, the weather forecast for today looks to be pretty good. What I failed to notice though was the strength of the wind which proved to be a factor throughout the day.

For some reason my tide time app isn't showing the low tides at Bude so I have to choose Boscastle instead. The tide times won't be a lot different.

Boscastle low tide 05:38 and 18:32

Boscastle high tide 12:17

I start the day on the beach at Hartland Quay. Actually there's not much beach today as the tide is in too far. It is a wild and windy start to the day which doesn't bode well for the rest of the day. I can't stand strong winds which isn't a good trait for a coast path walker. It makes map reading impossible, it means I have to strap on my hat tightly, the straps on my bag flap about all over the place and worst of all, it makes recording anything almost impossible.

I leave the beach and head up the road to the Hartland Quay Hotel and pass the Wreckers' Retreat Bar, a traditional smugglers inn.

I climb steps uphill and head out on the blustery coast path before coming across a waterfall at Speke's Mill Mouth.

I head inland and cross a footbridge. I now have a choice of routes. I can either take the cliff top route or the valley route behind the cliffs. I choose the valley route which I hope will provide some shelter from the wind. and enjoy the late flowers and fruits of the valley.

I pass behind Brownspear Point, Longpeak, Hole Rock, Gunpath Rock, Mansley Rock and Cow Rock. I rejoin the coast path and the sea is raging. I continue along the path to reach a road junction at Sandhole Cross.

I turn right along the road and then regain the cliffs to round Nabor Point. Somebody around here is keen on transmitter masts! The footpath ahead is closed due to a landslip so I head into fields instead.

I pass Gull Rock, Coney Rock and Ramtor Rock and come across an Iron Age fort at Embury Beacon. Most of the fort has fallen into the sea but the main rampart still runs across the headland.

I continue along the path, descending to Knap Head before a steep zig zag path takes me down to Welcombe Mouth where stepping stones take me across a stream above another waterfall.

The sea is raging here but it seems to be too tame for some surfers who join me in heading towards Marsland Mouth. We pass the car park and climb steeply up a scrubby slope to find a hut overlooking Marsland Mouth where Ronald Duncan wrote his poetry and plays..

The hut fell into disrepair after Ronald died in 1982 but it was rebuilt by his daughter Briony. Rebuilt it might have been but it's not providing much shelter today.

A series of steps takes me down the steep slope to Marsland Mouth. I pop down to the beach and the sea, if anything, is raging more than the sea at Welcombe Mouth. Sure enough there are several surfers at this remote spot who are gingerly entering the sea. I'm sure the effort will be worth it if they can avoid crashing onto the rocks.

I rejoin the coast path and cross a footbridge at Marsland Water. I'm now on the border between Devon and Cornwall and a wooden sign welcomes me to Kernow.

I climb wooden steps and then climb up onto the top of Marsland Cliff. Out to sea I can see Gull Rock.

I climb steeply down more steps and then cross a footbridge over a stream. I amble across Cornakey Cliff and a grassy descent leads me to a footbridge over Westcott Wattle.

A slippery scrambling climb leads me over Henna Cliff before crossing another footbridge over a stream and I can now make out Morwenstow just inland. More steps lead me up onto Vicarage Cliff where I almost get blown off the cliff.

I should come across Hawker's Hut, a little hut made from driftwood and built by the Revered Hawker, the eccentric Victorian vicar of Morwenstow, who liked to smoke a pipe of opium here with his literary friends. I am so battened down due to the wind that I completely miss the sign for the hut.

I zig zag down a steep slope and pass a National Trust sign for Tidna Shute and cross yet another footbridge over a stream before coming across a ruined coastguard lookout station at Higher Sharpnose Point.

I try to shelter inside the station but the lack of glass means that the wind just rages all around me.

I continue along the coast path and come across sheep sheltering from the wind on the cliffs.

I now have a steep climb up to the radar station at GCHQ Bude. It's an eery place and it feels like they are listening to me! Apparently I'm not allowed to take any photographs. WTF?! I'm on a public footpath so I can do pretty much whatever I want within reason.

I amble past the station and along the cliff path to round Steeple Point. Out at sea are Squench Rock, Pigsback Rock and Kempthorn's Rock.

A steep descent down the cliff takes me to Duckpool Beach. The beach here is rather pleasant, particularly when the tide is out. I crunch across the beach and head down to the tiny bit of grey sand exposed by the retreating tide.

I enjoy the beach here with some dog walkers. I should now head inland to cross a footbridge but instead cross back up the beach and find a path that climbs up the steep grassy slope back onto the clifftops. I walk downhill and cross a teeny footbridge at Warren Gutter.

From here it is a thoroughly lovely walk along the clifftops above Warren Little Beach, Eliza Beach and Warren Long Beach before descending down to another footbridge at (not so sandy) Sandymouth.

The tide is still retreating so a crowd of people are occupying a pathetic bit of sand at the head of the beach. The rest of the beach just consists of shingle.

The tide is nowhere near far enough out to continue along the beach so I head back onto the low cliffs where I have lovely views back over Sandymouth.

I continue along the path to reach Northcott Mouth. Finally some proper sand. I enjoy the pebbly and sandy beach where at low tide, the wreck of the SS Belem is revealed, wrecked in November 1917.

I walk along the top of Maer Down where I now have views over the beaches at Bude.

I continue along the path to reach Crooklets Beach. I cross a footbridge and pass the beach huts.

I pass above the beach at Summerleaze Beach before heading in to the car park behind the beach where my lift awaits. I attempt one final shelter next to the RNLI shop but the wind is still blowing a gale.