I was thinking about going to Lundy on Friday. I like small islands and this one has interested me for a while. I noticed on the map that in summer the ferry goes from Ilfracombe which is where I want to finish walking my bit of the coastal path.
I spent today, or at least this afternoon, wandering around Minehead; partly to give my knees a rest ready for my big walk tomorrow, but also to research logistics for my next few days walking. Whilst in the tourist office I picked up some leaflets on Lundy and then settled into a nice cafe (The Creamery) for a delicious late lunch and to study them.
Unfortunately the times of the ferries are such that I'd only have four hours on the island. It's 3 miles long and half a mile wide and there are quite a few things to see - seals, ruins, views. To circumambulate the island would be about 7 miles so it is doable in 4 hours, but I'd feel rushed and like I couldn't stop to enjoy it. If I was staying longer I could get the ferry from Bideford instead and have about 8 hours on the island, but it's not to be. And at £30 return with National Trust membership (more without) I don't want to go for quick whiz round - I want to have time to explore properly. So that's on hold.
What was interesting on the leaflet though was the helicopter service. It seems to only be out of season and is £99 return. This is going on a Monday and returning on a Friday. Maybe this would be too long for such a small place, but if I just wanted a relaxing half term to camp, walk, read, write and think then this could be good.
When I tick the ride in a helicopter task off my list I want to actually go somewhere in the helicopter, not just do a scenic ride. I had intended it to be the Scilly Isles, but now Lundy is a real contender as well.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
Minehead to Porlock
Today was a shorter walk of 7 miles. Minehead to Porlock - the first section of the Southwest Coast Path. The first bus of the day didn't leave Porlock until late morning which is why I hadn't done this section yesterday. I didn't want to be hanging about all morning on my first day. This morning however, I was glad of the later start as it rained really heavily for most of the morning. By the time I was due to leave for the bus stop it was just a light drizzle and by the time I started walking it had stopped completely and ended up being a nice day.
When I arrived in Minehead I called in Boots to buy some special tick tweezers in case any more ticks think I make a good lunch. Then I bought a cheese and broccoli Cornish pasty and wandered down to the seafront to eat it. I wasn't sure where the walk actually started so just walked along the seafront in the right direction. A huge bronze sculpture of a couple of hands holding a map open to show the path in it's entirety was a pretty big clue. That and big white writing on the pavement saying 'Southwest Coast Path' and an arrow. I was very impressed with the sculpture so stopped to take a few photos of it before starting the walk.
The walk soon headed out of town and uphill into dense woodland. It was beautiful, but like yesterday, there were glimpses of the sea rather than a permanent view of it. There were plenty of grey squirrels and I stopped to watch a baby one playing in front of me seemingly without fear. The path zigzagged upwards until it flattened out onto moorland quite a way in from the sea. At one point I passed a sign pointing to a 'rugged alternative path' which seemed to go closer to the coast. The 'rugged' bit of the sign attracted me though I thought I should maybe avoid anything too rugged as my knees were still sore from yesterday and I knew I had some more descents to cope with before the end of my walk today. The clincher though, was the 'alternative' part of the sign. I didn't really want to do any 'alternatives' unless I had to. The alternative could be saved in case I ever did this walk again.
It was a good decision as the moorland walk was lovely with lots of wild flowers and big skies. I even got to see some Exmoor ponies. I only saw a couple of other people the whole time I was on the moor. Of course it had to drop down though and my knees were soon objecting. One bit in particular seemed very steep and I descended very sloooowly saying ouch with each step. As I got nearer the bottom there was a well-placed and welcome bench with a lovely view of the sea. I sat for a while and finished my flask of coffee.
Then it was the final bit of descent before picking my way across farmland and marsh to the turnoff back up to Porlock. This bit wasn't very well sign-posted and if I hadn't have started my walk from here yesterday I would have missed it. So if walking here make sure you use your map!
The total descent (and climb) on this section is allegedly 698 metres. No wonder my knees hurt again.
When I arrived in Minehead I called in Boots to buy some special tick tweezers in case any more ticks think I make a good lunch. Then I bought a cheese and broccoli Cornish pasty and wandered down to the seafront to eat it. I wasn't sure where the walk actually started so just walked along the seafront in the right direction. A huge bronze sculpture of a couple of hands holding a map open to show the path in it's entirety was a pretty big clue. That and big white writing on the pavement saying 'Southwest Coast Path' and an arrow. I was very impressed with the sculpture so stopped to take a few photos of it before starting the walk.
The walk soon headed out of town and uphill into dense woodland. It was beautiful, but like yesterday, there were glimpses of the sea rather than a permanent view of it. There were plenty of grey squirrels and I stopped to watch a baby one playing in front of me seemingly without fear. The path zigzagged upwards until it flattened out onto moorland quite a way in from the sea. At one point I passed a sign pointing to a 'rugged alternative path' which seemed to go closer to the coast. The 'rugged' bit of the sign attracted me though I thought I should maybe avoid anything too rugged as my knees were still sore from yesterday and I knew I had some more descents to cope with before the end of my walk today. The clincher though, was the 'alternative' part of the sign. I didn't really want to do any 'alternatives' unless I had to. The alternative could be saved in case I ever did this walk again. 
Then it was the final bit of descent before picking my way across farmland and marsh to the turnoff back up to Porlock. This bit wasn't very well sign-posted and if I hadn't have started my walk from here yesterday I would have missed it. So if walking here make sure you use your map!The total descent (and climb) on this section is allegedly 698 metres. No wonder my knees hurt again.
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Porlock to Lynmouth
I woke up early after a good first night's sleep in my tent and was raring to go. It would have made sense to start my walking by going to Minehead and walking back to Porlock and the campsite. Minehead is the beginning of the Southwest Coast Path after all. But as the first bus to Minehead doesn't get in until almost 12 o'clock and I was ready to get going I decided to leave this walk until tomorrow and do the Porlock to Lymouth stretch today.
I started by walking down Sparkhayes Lane to the beach which is a good half mile or so. The beach isn't a sandy sunbathing type of beach, but rather a pebbley and marshy affair. It was getting the full blast of the wind too. In 1996 the natural shingle ridge across Porlock Bay was breached by a storm, resulting in the flooding of the fields behind at each high tide. This means the official path has had to be moved inland a bit. The signs were quite confusing so I just walked on towards Porlock Weir. I thought I'd know if I was on the old path as it would become impassable and I'd have to turn back. However, once I got to Porlock Weir I saw a much clearer sign that pointed out that I had walked the closed part of the path. Hmm, was that why I'd had to wade through that bit of a slippery, green-slime-filled river?
Once I arrived in Porlock Weir (about 2 miles further on) the wind dropped and the sun came out. I sat at a picnic bench looking out to sea and ate my breakfast. Then I had a wander round the tiny village - thatched cottages, boats and an old pub - all very pretty. There's supposed to be the remains of an ancient forest here which can sometimes be seen when the tide is out. Well, the tide was out, but I couldn't see the forest. Unless of course, I was confusing it with all the old groynes that were around.
From here the path was clearly marked all the way and very easy to follow. I only needed to refer to my map when I wanted to check distances or whereabouts I was. It became very wooded and was slightly inland. This meant that apart from occasional tantalising glimpses of the sea through the trees, it felt very much like a woodland walk. This was pretty much the theme for the rest of the day.
The path from Porlock Weir led upwards and into Yearnor Wood. A short while on I passed the end of the toll road with big arches for cars to go through. The signs said the toll road goes to Lynmouth but I wasn't sure about this as on the map it seems to finish at the main road a long way from Lynmouth. Next I had to walk through a couple of tunnels and past signs pointing down to the beach. It was too much of a detour though as I had a bus to catch to get back to the campsite. So I had to be in Lynmouth for 5pm. There are so few buses on these routes that, although I enjoyed myself and saw and did plenty, I still felt rushed a lot of the time.
I did stop at Culbone Church. This is really hidden on the banks of a river down in a bit of a valley. The church is dedicated to St Beuno and is apparently the smallest complete parish church in England at only 35ft long. It's main structure dates from the 12th century. I had a look inside and immediately felt the hush. It made me realise just how noisy it actually was outside in the woods with so many birds everywhere.
I didn't see many people on the walk until I got to County Gate which is the border between Somerset and Devon. There is a car park and so a couple of groups of people had wandered down to the Coast Path from there. They didn't seem interested in actually going anywhere once they got to the path though, so soon I was on my own again.
The path got a bit hillier and there were quite a few detours where the original path had slipped. One detour seemed almost vertical and was very sandy so my feet couldn't get any grip. There was nothing to grab hold of and even my sticks kept slipping. That was the only tricky bit though, and even that was only a very short bit.
All in all I walked about 15 miles and climbed 934m (according to the coastal path website). This wasn't one big climb, but was continual ascents and descents. By the time I was within the last few miles of Lynmouth my knees were causing me quite a bit of pain and I could feel them swelling up. This slowed me down a bit meaning I only got to Lynmouth about 10 minutes before the bus was due to leave, so I didn't get chance to have a look around. Despite the pain, I'd really enjoyed my first day's walking.
There were signs up in quite a few places warning of ticks in the area. I've been in plenty of places before with ticks but never had any attach themselves to me. So I had another first when I later got ready for the shower and found 2 small ticks firmly attached to my left leg. Tweezers easily got rid of them, so as long as I don't contract Lyme disease they weren't a problem.
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| The way to the beach led through a marshy area |
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| Porlock Weir |
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| Old groynes on the beach. |
From here the path was clearly marked all the way and very easy to follow. I only needed to refer to my map when I wanted to check distances or whereabouts I was. It became very wooded and was slightly inland. This meant that apart from occasional tantalising glimpses of the sea through the trees, it felt very much like a woodland walk. This was pretty much the theme for the rest of the day.
 |
| A couple of short tunnels in the woods |
 |
| Culbone Church |
I didn't see many people on the walk until I got to County Gate which is the border between Somerset and Devon. There is a car park and so a couple of groups of people had wandered down to the Coast Path from there. They didn't seem interested in actually going anywhere once they got to the path though, so soon I was on my own again.
The path got a bit hillier and there were quite a few detours where the original path had slipped. One detour seemed almost vertical and was very sandy so my feet couldn't get any grip. There was nothing to grab hold of and even my sticks kept slipping. That was the only tricky bit though, and even that was only a very short bit.
 | |||
| Lynmouth can be seen in the distance |
There were signs up in quite a few places warning of ticks in the area. I've been in plenty of places before with ticks but never had any attach themselves to me. So I had another first when I later got ready for the shower and found 2 small ticks firmly attached to my left leg. Tweezers easily got rid of them, so as long as I don't contract Lyme disease they weren't a problem.
Saturday, 28 May 2011
England at Wembley
Driving down the M6 on my way to Exmoor I passed lots of cars and vans and minibuses with Manchester United flags and scarves flying out of windows or strewn across the back windows. It was cup final day at Wembley: United vs Barcelona in the Champions League.
This made me think about the new Wembley Stadium and how I'd like to see it. I loved the old stadium with the iconic twin towers and it's a shame it's gone. But the new one looks like a pretty interesting piece of architecture too.
I first went to Wembley when I was about 14 and at secondary school. I went along on my brother's primary school trip to see England vs Holland in a schoolboys' under 15 game. We won 7-0 and I fancied the Dutch goalkeeper.
The last time I went into the stadium was when I worked as an extra for the day on a Persil Automatic advert. I had my face painted red and white and was part of an imaginary football crowd. It was a long day but I got paid £50 and well fed.
In between times I went to the market that was held in the car park on Sundays. I wonder if it still is? I've also been to a couple of concerts there. I saw Madonna in her 'Who's That Girl?' tour in the 1980s. I queued up all night for tickets, ticking something of my 'things I must do' list of wishes at the time. The 'thing I must do' was the queuing up all night, not the Madonna concert. The other concert I saw there was the celebratory concert after Nelson Mandela was freed. The man himself was there and made a speech on stage, as well as a whole host of bands and singers.
So I have good memories of the old Wembley and I'd like to start getting some of the new Wembley. I've never been to an England game - the 'real' England, not the schoolboys - so it would be great to see them for the first time in the new Wembley. I doubt I'll see them win 7-0 though!
This made me think about the new Wembley Stadium and how I'd like to see it. I loved the old stadium with the iconic twin towers and it's a shame it's gone. But the new one looks like a pretty interesting piece of architecture too.
I first went to Wembley when I was about 14 and at secondary school. I went along on my brother's primary school trip to see England vs Holland in a schoolboys' under 15 game. We won 7-0 and I fancied the Dutch goalkeeper.
The last time I went into the stadium was when I worked as an extra for the day on a Persil Automatic advert. I had my face painted red and white and was part of an imaginary football crowd. It was a long day but I got paid £50 and well fed.
In between times I went to the market that was held in the car park on Sundays. I wonder if it still is? I've also been to a couple of concerts there. I saw Madonna in her 'Who's That Girl?' tour in the 1980s. I queued up all night for tickets, ticking something of my 'things I must do' list of wishes at the time. The 'thing I must do' was the queuing up all night, not the Madonna concert. The other concert I saw there was the celebratory concert after Nelson Mandela was freed. The man himself was there and made a speech on stage, as well as a whole host of bands and singers.
So I have good memories of the old Wembley and I'd like to start getting some of the new Wembley. I've never been to an England game - the 'real' England, not the schoolboys - so it would be great to see them for the first time in the new Wembley. I doubt I'll see them win 7-0 though!
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Soon to be waxed
I called in at the beauty therapy salon bit of college tonight on my way to web design to check out times and so on for waxing. As it's a college and training place they only do 'salons' at certain times. At the moment the only evening ones are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, neither of which is convenient. Thursdays I definitely can't do, but Tuesdays should be possible in the next few weeks. The appointment would be at 6pm and take about half an hour. I start web design at 6.30pm. After half term the teaching should be pretty much finished and we'll just be getting on with creating our own websites for the assessment, so then it shouldn't matter if I'm a few minutes late. So another few weeks and then I'll be having my first waxing experience.
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Update
Web Design
As I didn't do the Duke of Edinburgh camping weekend, I've spent today sorting out plants, making up hanging baskets and planting vegetables. I've also got loads of laundry and ironing done. These are all things that needed doing, but I've run out of time to do the other things I was hoping to do, like my homework for the web design course. So I'll have to do that tomorrow evening instead. The teaching part of the course has almost finished and soon we'll be starting on creating our own websites for the assessment. I'm going to work on the actual website I want to have so at least I'll be well on the way with it when the course finishes in July.
Exmoor
I rang the campsite in Exmoor this afternoon to try to book for next week. As it's half term and the bank holiday I thought it might get busy. I spoke to owner who doesn't take bookings in advance, but advised me to try to get there before lunch as it is likely to be busy. He said they shouldn't have too much trouble fitting just me and my small tent in though. I've checked out a route online and it's about a 4hr drive. To allow for a stop on the way and any delays, I think I'll leave home at 6am next Saturday. That should give me plenty of time to explore the area once I've got my tent up, and then I can start my walks first thing on the Sunday morning.
I read a bit of the April edition of Country Walking magazine whilst I was having my lunch. It's got a special feature on the national parks and yes, there was an article on Exmoor. So I've cut it out and will take it with me. I've already got the OS map which I bought a few weeks ago and lots of printed out walks from the internet.
Ballooning
I spoke to a friend at work during the week about ballooning. If I can get a good price she is willing to do it with me. So now I just have to wait for the special offer to come up again on Groupon. When it does I'll buy a couple of vouchers and then we can sort out a day to do it.
Diving
The Groupon voucher that arrived today was for a PADI diving course. Although I have no time to do anything about this at the moment I had a quick look at what the requirements are for the course. I need to be able to swim 200m. I can swim 200m, but only with lots of breaks, and I somehow don't think they'll count this. At least I have an idea now of what I need to aim for when I start swimming again.
As I didn't do the Duke of Edinburgh camping weekend, I've spent today sorting out plants, making up hanging baskets and planting vegetables. I've also got loads of laundry and ironing done. These are all things that needed doing, but I've run out of time to do the other things I was hoping to do, like my homework for the web design course. So I'll have to do that tomorrow evening instead. The teaching part of the course has almost finished and soon we'll be starting on creating our own websites for the assessment. I'm going to work on the actual website I want to have so at least I'll be well on the way with it when the course finishes in July.
Exmoor
I rang the campsite in Exmoor this afternoon to try to book for next week. As it's half term and the bank holiday I thought it might get busy. I spoke to owner who doesn't take bookings in advance, but advised me to try to get there before lunch as it is likely to be busy. He said they shouldn't have too much trouble fitting just me and my small tent in though. I've checked out a route online and it's about a 4hr drive. To allow for a stop on the way and any delays, I think I'll leave home at 6am next Saturday. That should give me plenty of time to explore the area once I've got my tent up, and then I can start my walks first thing on the Sunday morning.
I read a bit of the April edition of Country Walking magazine whilst I was having my lunch. It's got a special feature on the national parks and yes, there was an article on Exmoor. So I've cut it out and will take it with me. I've already got the OS map which I bought a few weeks ago and lots of printed out walks from the internet.
Ballooning
I spoke to a friend at work during the week about ballooning. If I can get a good price she is willing to do it with me. So now I just have to wait for the special offer to come up again on Groupon. When it does I'll buy a couple of vouchers and then we can sort out a day to do it.
Diving
The Groupon voucher that arrived today was for a PADI diving course. Although I have no time to do anything about this at the moment I had a quick look at what the requirements are for the course. I need to be able to swim 200m. I can swim 200m, but only with lots of breaks, and I somehow don't think they'll count this. At least I have an idea now of what I need to aim for when I start swimming again.
And another volcano erupts when I'm not there
Yes, another volcano in Iceland has erupted and yet again I miss out on seeing lava. I was close to this volcano when I was in Iceland a couple of summers ago. I skidooed over the glacier that covers it, though I was further south. I also came close when I did a trip into the interior of Iceland which is pretty much closed to everyone in the winter. Because of distances and difficulty of getting transport in this region this Grimsvotn volcano isn't as easy to get to as Eyjafjallajokul would have been when that erupted.
One of these days one will erupt when I'm either already nearby or when I'm in a position to get on a plane (assuming they're still flying) and head straight over to see it.
One of these days one will erupt when I'm either already nearby or when I'm in a position to get on a plane (assuming they're still flying) and head straight over to see it.
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