Day 9 - Exmoor

Day 9 - Challacombe to Luxborough. Another gorgeous day as we sat down to breakfast in the spacious dining room at Twytchen Farm. Our fellow guests were multinational, a german family, a Korean couple and a Dutch group. We havent seen a lot of walkers, considering the distance we've covered and that it is Easter weekend, but a good proportion have been foreign. The English dont seem to be getting out onto the hills!
We started later than usual and were very conscious that we had a long day ahead. We started on the road and before long we encountered the sign welcoming us to SOMERSET! so we are now on our third county and have covered over 140 miles of the West Country. We turned left, through a steep field and climbed towards the moorland above us. We entered a landscape of huge panoramas across rounded hills of grass, heather and sedge crossed by long fences and paths. There were also stunning views to the countryside below and best of all, the ground was dry -Exmoor can be extremely boggy and difficult to cross. There was a cool breeze from the south-east in our faces as we joined a long ride that runs for much of the length of the entire moor and we trudged happily along this for several miles, meeting a couple of groups of walkers on the way. There were a lot of skylarks and we watched then rising up from the grass, wings shimmering as they sang their distinctive song, while rising up high into the air. Progress was good but slower than on the country lanes and at one point we had to leave the path and cross a stretch of heather which slowed us further. We dropped down into pretty valley to pass Warren Farm, and after another stretch of moorland, dropped down to a road. This was narrow and there was enough traffic to make us nervous, so we were glad to drop down into Luckwell and get back on paths and lanes.
The problem now was that we were well into the afternoon, and although we had been walking steadily and only stopped for a couple of short breaks, we had a very long way to go. The countryside around Exmoor is very hilly indeed and we found ourselves plunging down through a steep field, only to rise up again equally steeply. The second time this happened, we realised we were getting very tired and had a further 6 miles to go which was simply too much, so as soon as we got mobile reception (rare in these parts) we called our B&B and they kindly offered to collect us from Luxborough, about a mile further on. This worked well, and just as we tumbled down the hill and arrived at the little church, John Brewer drove up in his Range Rover and with a broad smile, welcomed us and loaded our gear.
The welcome given us at Wood Advent Farm was exceptional: Diana immediately gave us tea and her truly delicious chocolate cake and we even had a room each! A great luxury. It was a lovely rambling old farmhouse which they run as a B&B and for winter pheasant shoots on their land. These are very enterprising, hard working and delightful people. Judy gave us a home-cooked dinner and we were able to enjoy the open fire in the spacious sitting room afterwards. We really felt thoroughly rewarded for our labours.

Day 8 - Great Torrington To Challacombe

Day 8, Easter Sunday. Another sparkling morning and I really cant believe our luck as last year was awful at this time. Elaine Norridge, our host in Windsor House gave us a big breakfast and also contributed £5 to the charity - a sweet lady (follow her lead on www.justgiving.com/johndrinkwater). There was mist in the river valley below, but we were in bright sunshine, the air crisp and cold. As we walked north-eastwards our of Torrington, we saw a hot air baloon rising into the blue. The air was still so it travelled slowly and at one point gently disappearing down into the mist behind the town before rising again.
This was to be a very long day - 24 plus miles and climbing up onto Exmoor at 1,500 feet, so a lot more up than down. The first few miles to Newton Tracy were past farms and fields, but now with the distant view of Exmoor and none of the deep coombes you find further west. Wild flowers continued to be plentiful: the primrose would be our flower icon for this trip as they are on every lane and sometimes in profusion, but there are also lots of violets, stitchworts, daisies and occasionally swathes of wood anenome. We had to walk down a main road for a while, which can be alarming as the cars go very fast and you feel very vulnerable. We take care to be as visible as possible but keep such occasions to a minimum. We returned to the lanes and wound our way towards Bishops Tawton and I was navigator for the day. I was in a dream world somewhere I think, but I was used to John following and didn't think to check as I took a couple of turns on very small roads. He in the meantime had stopped for a natural break and lost sight of me and had no idea where I'd gone. I was waiting for him at the top of the hill and soon realised there must be a problem so had to retrace my step, steeply downwards, for about 600 yards to a cross roads, where I saw him approach. It was a relief as we had no mobile reception at all.
We joined the A377, crossing the River Taw, and were relieved a mile later to enter the village and leave the main road once more. The weather was almost summery, with a cloudless sky and clear air as we joined the Tarka Trail which climbed Eastwards then down to a stream, which it followed pleasantly, and also through an aggregates quarry which was less so to the village of Landkey. We ate our lunch sitting on a wall by the church and overlooking the valley we had climbed. The afternoon started with a very steep climb up through a field of sheep to a farm, where we got great views back over where we had come and Northwards to Barnstaple and the Bristol Chanel. Soon we went steeply down again to Chelfham, where there was an enormous viaduct over the buildings below with no apparent use now or at any time. It was impresive but peplexing!
Thereafter the climb up to Exmoor began, and we walked steadily uphill for the next 3 hours. It was mostly steady, through Bratton Fleming, but as we rose further there were a few big ups and downs designed to test weary limbs. However the countryside looked really lovely in the evening sun. As we approached Challacombe, I encountered a yew and 2 lambs on the road and stopped off at the nearest farm to alert them. I got barked at severely by a dog but the an did thank me for my pains.
Arriving in Challacome at last at 5.45, the pub wouldn't open till 6, so we clumped on the last 10 minutes, steeply uphill to our B&B at Twitchen Farm. Here we were greeted by a pair of yapping jack russells owned by a Korean guest. I wasn't in the mood and nearly barked at him - at least I must have looked fearsome as he avoided me from that moment on.
It was a relief to get into our room and relax and clean up, the sun still streaming through the window and on the scene spread out before us. We still had 2 more walks to do - that 10 mins down to the pub for dinner and back again, but we managed it, I called home, standing under a brilliantly starry sky before falling into bed.

Day 7 - Blandis Corner to Gt Torrington

Day 7, Easter saturday dawned cool and sparkling and at 8am we were tucking into an excllent cooked breakfast - I had the traditional but John enjoyed scrambled eggs with smoked salmon which were delicious. The fields sparkled with dew in the morning sun and the colours of fields, flowers and the sky were vivid. We walked along winding lanes, descending into one deep coombe where the air was loud with bird song and the ground carpeted with wild flowers; alas I couldnt stop and enjoy it as we are very disciplined about when we stop. This is essential if we are to cover the miles needed to make a dent in this long journey and it is also easier to maintain a rhythm. I am finding that all the aches and pains of the previous evening have gone in the morning after good nights rest and food. As the day wears on, my feet get sore and on a long day I get tired but apart from the odd niggle, my body is coping well. Walking on paved roads is worse for the feet, but quicker than foot paths where there are styles, gates, muddy bits to dodge and always the danger of wasting time through blockages or losing our way temporarily.
The first village on our route as Black Torrington where outside the village shop we came across a group of friendly men who greeted us and chatted and, in the process, gave us £10 towards Precious Lives. They bought their newspapers and then Barry, the shop keeper, came out with coffees for them which they drank as they talked and enjoyed the sunshine.
Many of the road verges were lined with great swathes of wild flowers, mostly aconites, cellandines, daffodils but with many other species between. HOwever you don't see or hear many birds, apart from crows and sparrows, over the farm land. I did see a couple of goldfinches on a feeder in a garden and there are larks, blackbirds, tits and sometimes buzzards rise up, but I have yet to spot a thrush.
No pubs today, but we stopped and ate our trail mix with water when we found somewhere to sit. One of these places was by a little pond which had been set aside by the locals as a place for wildlife and to sit and enjoy the peace: it was very pleasant although we saw none of the frogs with which a sign said the place abounded. Leaving this pleasant spot, we were on a filthy track that trailed up past a small quarry and which got increasingly worse, with greenish brown smelly gunge coating it to about 5 inches of thickness as we approached the farm - quite disgusting and the remains stuck to our boots for the rest of the day in spite of attempts to clean it off. Farmers can be very careless!
We joined the Tarka trail in the afternoon which followed the route of an old railway line alongside a stream which is now wooded for its length, which gave us a pleasant easy descent to the River Torridge. There followed a steep climb into Great Torrington, our destination, and a pint of beer followed by a warm welcome at our B&B. I had carefully booked accommodation for the Easter weekend, but it seems to have been unnecessary as there are many places with vacancies. 19 miles again today.

Day 6 - Launceston to Brandis Corner

Day 6 dawned fine with white clouds ambling acros the sky. as we left our room I looked around again as I tend to leave things behind, and had the feeling that something was missing, but it looked clear. We set off down the steep hill from the Band B and through the old arch in the middle of town then down the route we had come in on, when I suddenly realised that I was NOT carrying my guitar - I'd left it at the BnB! Had to hurry back up the hill and rescue it, feeling very foolish. Having climbed the other side of the valley, our best route by far was through the Werrington Estate, but there is no right of way. However there is a good road traversing it and no sign saying you cant enter, so we did. We met one chap who said we might get a ticking off from the gate man but didn't try o stop us. It was a very pretty park with a river running through it and a huge mansion and we exited over a gate on the other side without any problems, luckily.
We continued for almost all the day on country lanes through farms and fields, still getting used to carrying our packs and were soon on a bridge over the River Tamar, which marks the border between Cornwall and Devon. It has taken over 5 days to walk through Cornwall: a long county! West Cornwall has few trees and can be quite stark. It is cut by river valleys (coombes) which tend to be heavily wooded and can be delightful, but they are the exeption. There is a special light, especially near the sea, which attracts artist to places like St Ives. Since we descended from Bodmin Moor, the countryside has become more rounded and gentle, with more trees and deep green fields. It is very hilly and there is little level land so although the hills are mostly small, you do a lot of climbing during days walk.
The sun was bright as the morning progressed, making the wild flowers that line these lanes vivid as we walked. We will be in each others company for a long time, and we dont spend all our time talking - there is only so much to say. There are times when we discuss the walk, our lives, ideas or get grumpy about politics or the state of things. Luckily we both have a fairly relaxed approach to life and are able to give each other space, and get on pretty well.
After 10 miles we needed a break and diverted to a pub at Ashwater, which entailed a yomp up a very steep hill. However, when we arrived, the village was delightful and the pub welcoming. we had a pint of shandy and a cheese sandwich - we had to order that specially as the normal 'sandwiches' came wit chips and a big salad! We got talking to the locals and were given £10 for Precious Lives. So we left in high spirits, enjoying the lovely weather and pretty scenery. We saw a couple of roe deer in the woods and some buzzards and other birds as we walked, and although the country is almost all farmland there were great views South to Dartmoor and back to Bodmin in the west.
As the aftrenoon wore on, our feet began to get sore and the last mile up an A road was a bit of a slog. HOwever the Brandis Arms had a warm welcome and a comfortable room ready for us, all very welcome after 19 miles of roads.
After dinner and checking with the landlord I took my guitar down to the bar and had a great reception with the people in the bar applauding every number and asking for requests. They also donated £35 to our charity, so it was a great evening and I retired well pleased.

Day 5 - Jamaica Inn to Launceston

Thursday 9th was one of our shortest at 15 miles, which was welcome on two counts: firstly, we could do with a late start after the long day yesterday, and secondly it was to be our first day carrying all our gear as we will not return home again during this journey, so we had to have everything we needed in our packs, and no more. The early morning was spent preparing and packing and we were driven the 40-odd miles back to Jamaica Inn to continue across Bodmin Moor. It was grey when we set off, wit a strong breeze from the south - again luckily at our backs as walking into the wind would have been very hard work. The moor looked bleaker under the scudding clouds and intermittent rain meant that we had to wear anoraks with the hoods up. We were following an old route dropping down from the high moorland to the farms below which was a lot easier than the the cross-country adventure of last evening.
The lanes we followed wound through high farms and hamlets and we were grateful for the protection from the wind offered by the hedgerows and trees lining the road.
John and I didn't know each other that well before we left, and have certainly never shared a room, and we will be in very close proximity for the next many days. So far we have got on well, sometimes walking together talking, sometimes walking apart but always companionable. We have plenty of time so are not hurrying to spill the beans on our lives but the stories are coming out, along with some strongly held opinions. We both see the goal as the important thing on this trip, so that will remain the priority, but I dont imagine our relationship causing major problems, in fact it will probably e a lot of fun.
As the afternoon progressed, the weather improved and we ended the day walking down a long river valley until Launceston Castle, high up on its pinnacle above the town came into view. There was a stiff walk up into the centre of town where the tourist information centre booked us a B&B.
That evening we were invited to join my old friends, the MacDonnells for dinner at their holiday farmhouse. We spent a delightful evening among old friends along with their children and grandchildren, eating, drinking and catching up.

Day 4 - St Eval to Jamaica Inn

Day 4. For the first few days of our adventure, we are sleeping at John's house near St Ives: this is great in many ways but does involve an increasinly long transit each evening and morning. Having finished at the St Eval wind farm on Tuesday night, Lindsey drove us back the 40-odd miles at 8am on Wed morning. It was a nice spring morning, with broken cloud and a light breeze from the SW - great weather for walking. I was sorry to see my wife of 11 months drive off as we will only meet up a couple of times between now and June! Why do we do these things?
We started southwards past the wind farm and it was interesting to hear just how much noise the turbines produce as they turn - it is a major source of objection during planning. It didn't sound at all loud to me, and I do love the idea of the wind lighting houses and powering machinery rather than the filthy carbon-based fuels we are so addicted to. We were walking away from the sea now, and won't see it again until near the end. The hedge rows and road verges were bejewelled with primroses, celandines and daffodils; flowers that will stay wth us for some days to come. There was a short, frightening, stretch o f A road, then we were on the Saints Way route for a bit, dodging mud and puddles and gradually descending from the heights of St Eval. We encountered yet another obliterated footpath at Pawton Manor Farm, which seemed prosperous & very well run and had to walk across a huge seeded field and use careful navigation to find the route. All totally unnecessary as there was a perfectly good route available just needing signposts.
After that we followed a long lane 3 miles down through the fields and woods to Wadebridge where we immediately found a cafe serving excellent coffee and rested. The weather was really gorgeous as we walked down to the River Camel, crossing it to Egloshayle. Everything looked sparkling and lovely looking along the river valley winding through the reeds and meadows. The route turned off the road onto a delightful footpath through woodland beside the River Arrun. The ground was carpeted in celandines, primroses, wood anenomes and early bluebells. We pushed on and reached St Tudy at 2.40 - we hurried in the hope of finding the pub still open, which it was, so this was becoming a charmed day. It is a pretty village where apparently William Bligh (mutiny On The Bounty) was born and the first blood transfusions were carried out,
We continued towards Churchtown on paths and found ourselves walking steeply up a cascading stream to be rewarded by a great panorama at the top, back to our starting point. We were soon climbing up onto Bodmin Moor and the fields and hedges were replaced by open fells and the ground colour changed from green to beige and brown. We had another rest on a stile before climbing into the centre of the Moor and found ourselves walking through swathes of tussock grass, which slowed us up. Our progress slowed considerably and it took us nearly 2 hours to do the last 3 miles through bogs, tussocks and over fences and walls. Strangely, the last kilometre was really difficult again, and I still don't know how John managed to get through the worst bog with dry feet - I didnt! So we were really glad to reach Jamaica Inn at 7.15pm and be picked up by Yolanda.
No pictures on this post as I am now using the netbook computer that I'm CARRYING on this walk, and it hasn't got all my software. Im working on it.

Day 3 - St Earth to St Evals

We were back to the St Agnes Hotel at 8.30 am and soon on the road. St Agnes is a town built on tin and lead mining and you can see the engine houses and smoke stacks dotted all around. There is no mining now but there are many shafts and workings so whole areas are fenced off with signs warning about the danger of hidden holes in the ground. Now they are quite picturesque, but a hundred years ago, this must have been a hard and smoky place. St Agnes climbs up a valley from the see so the roads tend to be steep and narrow and not made for motor vehicles.

We emerged onto the heath at the top of the village to the north then past the Wheel Kitty mine and down Trevellas Coombe with further workings at the bottom. Here we joined the coast path once more and climbed up to the cliff top where we were to walk for most of the day with the breeze at our backs and distant views under a blue sky.

The views from the cliff tops today were truly spectacular in the clear air: you could see right back to our base in Carbis Bay and north-eastwards over several distant headlands. We tend to start the day walking together, talking about whatever comes to mind: our families and lives, this walk, grumpy-old-man stuff, politics and even philosophy. On long stretches one of us will get a bit ahead of the other, meeting again at the next strategic point: a change of direction or entrance to a settlement.

We passed a lot of old tin workings – apparently some of these go down several hundred feet, then extend under the sea for several kilometres. As we looked out, the sea and the sky were deepest blue: if you stroll around the art studios in St Ives you may feel that the artists are exaggerating the colours but, on a day like this, they are not. The colours are vivid.

In the mid morning, we decended to Perranporth then struck out along Penhale Sands which run for nearly 3 miles with a huge area of dunes to the landward that rise up to 200 feet. We were shocked by the amount of flotsam strewn across the sand at high tide mark – plastic bottles, trays, containers, fragments along with ropes, fishing gear and so on.

At the northern end of the bay we had to climb steeply up to the army road, which we followed around the training base situated there and passing a group of trainees being lectured on map reading. This was a bit of diversion from the planned route and we only arrived in Newquay at 1.30 – a bit later than planned. Newquay is an edgy town, and on the way in we encountered a drug dealer giving a client a hard time and some fearsome looking dogs. We stopped and bought a pasti and sat down on a bench overlooking the sea to eat it. Half way through mine, a seagull dumped on my head and astonishing quantity of poo, which went everywhere – very unpleasant and it took some cleaning up! John was vastly amused by the way I go so irate and offended by it.

During the afternoon, we navigated out of Newquay, over Porth beach and up to the cliffs again and the sun and the breeze and the views. It was quite a walk, so as we approached Mawgan Porth I thought I saw a short-cut through a field which, inevitably, turned into a rather long-cut and wasted some time and energy owing to impenetrable hedges. From Mawgan Porth, it was a slog up roads and round an RAF signals base that we had to skirt around, passing the lonely St Evals Church. This has a huge tower and sits atop the peninsula, but had no other buildings around it. Then we anticipated a quick walk across some fields and lanes to meet our lift home. We were completely stumped at Trevisker Farm, where the owner seems to have completely blocked the path off making it impossible to proceed. Very frustrating when you are tired and there is no good alternative (another grumpy old man moment for me). So I phoned Lindsey and changed the meeting point where we ended the day at 5.40pm. This gives us a longer and less interesting day tomorrow.

Tonight it’s POURING with rain, but the forecast is quite good.