Last week with a few days to spare I took the ferry from Southampton to Cowes, on the Isle of Wight, to walk part of its Coastal Path. Having only 3 days, I chose a counter-clockwise semicircular loop from Cowes along the Solent in the north to Ventnor on the English Channel in the south. This segment has some of the most dramatic scenery and least developed areas on the isle. Although the weather wasn’t very good (this is England, after all!), the 42 miles were enjoyable nonetheless. Here are a few photos I took. . .

Next week Maggie and I will be flying to Ireland to get together with my brothers and sister-in-law for a few days on the Dingle Peninsula. Perhaps we’ll do some walking. . .

The Vagabond Hiker

The South coast of Cornwall has a reputation of being less rugged than the north coast, and certainly compared to the section from Westward Ho! to Padstow (see my last post), this was true.  The walks, though, were no less interesting for their more gentle character.  From my cottage near Truro in Cornwall these past two weeks I’ve done several loop walks of lengths varying from five to twelve miles or so. Other than a short walk on Bodmin Moor, all my hikes involved sections of the South West Coast Path followed by an inland return to the start point. The inland portions of the walks were generally pleasant in themselves, by streams, through woods, across meadows, and along quiet country lanes.  The Ordnance Survey (OS) Pathfinder Guide “Cornwall: Outstanding Circular Walks” was invaluable in route-finding for several of the walks.  (At 1:25,000 scale, OS maps cover the entire country with detail similar to USGS Quads). It still amazes me that Public Footpaths and Bridleways crisscross the patchwork of private lands, giving right of way to walkers throughout rural Britain.

As walking options abound within a half hour or shorter drive, I never did get further afield to more well-known spots such as Land’s End or Lizard Point.  In any event, the nearby coast of Roseland Peninsula is indistinguishable from these more famous landmarks, apart from having far fewer tourists. I chose the photos below to capture some of the variety of Cornwall’s landscapes. Enjoy!

On Monday Maggie and I are off to Bucharest. We will spend two weeks there, divided between the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania and the Danube Delta, with one day in the capital city of Romania.  Until next post, keep hiking and enjoying nature!

The Vagabond Hiker

At 630 miles, the Southwest Coast Path is the longest in England. From Minehead to Poole, it follows the coast from North Devon through all of Cornwall, on through South Devon and finishes in Dorset, encompassing all of the south western coast of England.  Long on my Bucket List, for me it is the most scenic long walk in this country.  This month I walked one section of the SWCP, between Westward Ho! in North Devon and Padstow in North Cornwall.  Following mostly footpaths through 90 miles this section is arguably the most rugged of all.  This section is typically divided into 7 stages, but I extended it to nine days, breaking up two of the longer days because of limited accommodations in a couple of the usual stopping places and the desire to enjoy the journey more than I otherwise would have.  I usually had a pack lunch with me, but more often ate in a pub.  With a hot shower, a glass of wine, and fresh local fish at the end of the day, what’s not to like about the Southwest Coast Path?

Day 1: Westward Ho! to Clovelly

11.5 miles, 3200 ft total elevation gain

The village of Westward Ho! has the distinction of being the only one in Britain that has an explanation point in its name. It has the further distinction of being the ugliest town that I came across.  It was named after a 19th century book of that name by the Reverend Charles Kingsley, a distant ancestor of mine.  In addition, a rather tasteless dinner in a seaside restaurant made me sick for two days, something that three weeks in Nepal this past autumn had failed to do.  Without a doubt, it was great to start walking on that first morning, leaving Westward Ho! far to the East.

Clovelly to Hartland Quay

10 miles, 3300 ft gain

Climbing the cobbled road out of the charming, if touristy, village of Clovelly (accent on the second syllable), on Day 2 I began another moderately long section of trail through the woods and fields of North Devon.

Hartland Quay to Bude

15 miles, 4600 ft gain

With dry weather and dry clothes, my mood was much better on Day 3.  This stage I broke into two, staying at an 18th Century Grade II Listed National Trust Property farmhouse halfway through and about one mile inland from the coast path.  This approach enabled me to reach Bude by noon on Day 4 and admire the classic cars in a local show on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Bude to Boscastle

17 miles, 4500 ft gain

Well, I needed at least one long day and Day 5 was it! After my early arrival in Bude the previous day, I felt very strong. I met an equally strong hiker (the only one that was possibly faster than me the entire time). We walked together until lunch, when I stopped and enjoyed the scenery, unlike him not needing to catch a bus in Boscastle.

Boscastle to Port Isaac

14 miles, 4100 ft gain

This was another longish stage that I divided into two, enabling me to stay at the scenic Port William Inn at Trebarwith Strand halfway through on the evening of Day 6.

 

Port Isaac to Padstow

12 miles, 3000 ft gain

The final day! While I was glad to get out of Port Isaac, at the same time I was a bit sad to be reaching Padstow and the end of my eight days walking.  It was a fantastic journey, if a trifle expensive with all the comfortable accommodations and fresh seafood!

After  completing this section of the Southwest Coast Path, I have stayed in Cornwall, doing a series of circular day hikes.  If I have any photos that are new or different enough, I’ll post another blog from Cornwall.  If not, I certainly will have some photos to share around mid-June of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

Happy trails,

The Vagabond Hiker