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By the time we got onto the M5 the rain had stopped and the sun peeped out from behind heavy black clouds. The forecast was for heavy showers and the maximum temperature was given as 16°
Dave drove and we made good time, arriving at the car park in Porlock Weir by 9am. After a quick coffee and wished farewell by Maggie, we set off onto the Coast Path. It was 9.15am
Almost immediately we were accompanied by a friendly little pooch who went by the name of Mini (according to her collar tag). She took the ascent in her stride far easier than we did. It seemed that, for the first hour, the only way was UP! Eventually it did level out a for a while and those periods of level walking were the 2nd best part of the day. Getting hotter by the minute, I was now, one by one, shedding the many layers of clothing I had deemed it wise to put on at the start. My rucksack was now bulging with the following: the tea-shirt printed with the sponsorship logo, a roll neck jumper, a thick woollen jumper, a hat and a spare pair of socks. There was also a flask of coffee, a sandwich box with three rolls, a bag of crisps and a couple of cakes, a little glass salt cellar, a damp flannel, bottle of water, packet of apple juice, an umbrella (collapsible) a wet coat, leggings, a sun hat, 8 spare batteries for the camera, a book on trees, a book on wild flowers, a penknife and a multi tool kit. Not too much then! At least I was cool now but struggling under the weight of an unnecessarily over packed rucksack!
We still had Mini with us and she was a source of amusement as she chased squirrels and tried to carry sticks the size of fallen branches. At one stage she ran off after a squirrel and the next we heard was a pitiful howling. We were all somewhat concerned for her but, after much calling, she re-appeared, licking her lips and seemingly none the worse for whatever had happened. We reckon she had a go at a squirrel and he had a go back!
The walk took us past Culbone Church, said to be the smallest church in England with origins back to the 7th century. An so on, through Culbone Wood, out into the open again and we came upon Silcombe Farm. We had walked about three miles by now and still we had Mini trotting steadfastly in front of us, leading the way. Spotting the farmer we asked if he knew the little hound. He did not but, being a caring soul, put her in the back of his Landrover having taken down the telephone number on her tag and promised to ring Mini's owners and take her back to them. A little bit of faith restored, to me that is, for the farming community. Incidentally, Silcombe Farm does bed and breakfast and Geoff though he might return later in the year. Click on the link Geoffrey!
Onward and Upward!
After over three hours of walking we arrived at County Gate where the long Somerset hills give way to the rolling hills of Devon. An early lunch was agreed upon and we rested just down from the car park which, at the time, accommodated three lone cars. We sat looking out towards the Doone Valley. A light drizzle kept us cool as we ate but didn't, couldn't detract from the view. We ate mostly in silence, a silence we had become accustomed to throughout the morning. As Geoffrey said at one stage, he could almost hear the silence. I know what he meant.
We arrived at County Gate along a path that had, inadvertently, taken us away from the South West Coast Path and consequently a little more inland than we should have been so we set off now heading straight down towards the coast and the cliffs. It's now 1.15pm and we've been going for 4 hours.
We are not Stupid! We have learned now that, for every step in a downwards direction, there will need to be a step in an Upwards direction, at least until we arrive at Countisbury Hill, then it's all downhill from there on. So off we go. Down! And of course, that's how it is for the next few miles. One Combe after another. In compensation however this was followed by a long stretch of relatively flat walking and we were able to make up some time. Our original ETA at Lynmouth was, what we thought, a generous 3.30pm. This was now revised to 4.30pm.
We're on the homeward stretch now. It's 2.30pm and Dave has a small blister. He stops to put a plaster over it and Geoff and I snatch the opportunity for a brief rest. The sun is out, the clouds hanging over the Welsh coast are spectacular and we've got just 4 miles to go! They turn out to be probably the toughest 4 miles we've walked for many a year.
We head off, round The Foreland and up Butter Hill in the direction of Countisbury. That last long pull up to Countisbury takes every bit of will power and strength left in us. Well, in Geoff and me that is. Dave was our beacon and we just put our heads down and followed. I'm not too bad on the UPS, it's the DOWNS that hurt me. By now my knees were giving me some pain and by the time we reached the top of Countisbury Hill the exhilaration of finishing the climbing was tempered by the thought of having to walk down hill for about a mile. But, with the help and companionship of my friends I made it, albeit with a bump at the end!
It was a delight to see Maggie waiting for us and we promptly sat ourselves down at a cafe table, ordered coffees, scones and jam with lashings of cream, content and with a sense of achievement. We did it. Who needs a Bus Pass! Thanks chaps for your support.
