Gary Qualter walks the South West Coast Path

Sunday 24 April 2016

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

Walking the entire length of magnificent South West Coast Path was a wonderful adventure that I'll never forget. I am so glad I did it. The path really did live up to it's reputation; endless beautiful scenery, delightful coastal towns, friendly people everywhere. I absolutely loved every minute of the journey and could not wait to go back between visits.

There is so much variety that each of the thirty days had its own distinct character, no two days felt alike, I can't think of a single section I found even slightly disappointing.

The South West Coast Path often makes lists of the top ten trails in the world. Now I've seen it all with my own eyes I fully understand why. If possible why not get out there and see some of these amazing places for yourself? Smell the sea air, see the wildlife, listen to the seabirds and the waves crashing on the shore. Looking at picture galleries is great, but nothing is ever as good as actually being there and taking it all in yourself.

Raphael Cliffs

Best Bits

There were so many highlights I've found it very difficult to single out favourites. Maybe the one place I enjoyed walking through above all others was Porthcurno Bay on Day 18. My first ever visit here fell on a lovely sunny day. The sea was a deep shade of blue, the white sand absolutely glorious. In the bright sunshine it looked more like somewhere in The Caribbean than a far-flung corner of Great Britain. Add to that the amazing story of Logan's Rock, the history behind the Cable Hut, international submarine cables and wartime tunnels, and the Minack Theatre carved into it's dramatic location on the headland above. A truly magical place.

Porthcurno Bay

After much thought I've decided to go with Day 24 Tintagel to Bude as my pick of the thirty. This tough but exhilarating walk was the perfect way to spend my 49th birthday. Again I had the good fortune to enjoy fantastic weather that day while exploring a series of breath-taking places I'd never seen before; Rocky Valley, Boscastle, Fire Beacon, Rusey Cliff, High Cliff and more. A rugged, isolated region with fantastic scenery that really tests your legs. Coast walking at its very best.

Day 24, view north from Rusey Cliff

Worst Bit

The least enjoyable section for me was going inland on a long-term path diversion on a steep busy road linking Lyme Regis and Charmouth on Day 4. I walked it in heavy rain on a cold, windy day. A thoroughly miserable experience in an otherwise delightful area.

Day 1, South Haven Point to Lulworth Cove was easily the toughest of the thirty. To make sure I made it through the Lulworth Firing Ranges that Sunday before a five day closure meant I had to walk a hilly 30 miles. It was turned into an even bigger test by two unwanted complications. First the failed lunch meeting that left me short of food and fluids. Then the arrival of a fierce Atlantic storm that battered Dorset all afternoon, by far the worst weather I encountered in the entire journey.

Best Pub

The Ferryboat Inn at Helford Passage. Great atmosphere, excellent service, delicious food, a good choice of local ales, reasonable prices. The perfect place to refresh yourself after a day on the path.

Best Fish & Chips

The Harbour Lights Restaurant in Falmouth. Delicious freshly-caught Cornish fish, the best I've ever tasted. Huge portions, great views over Falmouth Harbour, excellent service. So good that we went out of our way to go back for more when I was walking in North Cornwall the following year.

Porthleven Sands

Distance

The South West Coast Path is always being described as being 630 miles in length, yet according to the GPS devices which recorded my tracks I managed to walk a total of 667 miles. The extra distance is in part explained by my decision not to use every ferry available. In particular the Exmouth to Starcross Ferry. I opted to walk between the two towns on the excellent Exe Estuary Trail adding about 15 miles to the total. Quite often I came across path diversions around obstructions that necessitated extra walking. Sometimes I would divert a little off the path to visit a viewpoint or place of interest, other times to meet Lea for a lunch break. No matter how good you are at map reading it's impossible to walk 630 miles without finding yourself having to retrace your steps a few times after taking a wrong turn. It all adds-up.

One of many path closures caused by landslides, this one alone added an extra 2 miles to official 630 mile total.

Advice to other walkers

The South West Coast Path really is as good as it sounds. Whether you want to get out there for a day trip or take on the whole trail in one go you will not be disappointed.

Those of you thinking of walking the entire length please remember that I did it the easy way. Never more than five consecutive days of walking at a time spread over a two and a half year period. I had the luxury of Lea shadowing me in her car all the way, the boot always stocked with drinks, snacks and dry clothes. I had a roof over my head every night, a decent breakfast before I started walking each morning. I didn't have to worry about public transport or missing a ferry. I only ever carried a fairly light day pack.

If I were to walk the entire path in one continuous trip carrying a full pack and camping along the way I would reduce my daily average mileage by at least 25% and build in some rest days. Most people should probably allow at least 60 days if attempting the whole path in one go. If you are not an experienced long-distance walker I recommend you get in shape before attempting a 630 mile hike. You need to get out on hilly practise walks wearing and carrying all your kit. Practise the camping too, sleep outdoors in your tent to get used to it. Expect bad weather and mud. The South West Coast Path is on a peninsula that juts out into The Atlantic Ocean. Rain and strong winds will happen sooner or later, often both at the same time, sometimes all day, sometimes several days in a row.

In my opinion finding places to wild camp should be quite easy if you know what you're doing. Please be responsible and leave no traces. The South West of England is popular with holiday makers, in the more populated areas you'll rarely be far from an official camp site.

Nearly all of the ferries on the path are seasonal. You need to know if and when they'll be operating before you arrive. At The River Erme there is no ferry, the only way across is to wade through the river at low tide. The Lulworth Firing Ranges, a great section, is usually only open to walkers at weekends. All these places have the potential to force you on long inland detours.

Just about anywhere on the South West Coast Path is a great place to go walking for the day. Read this blog and take your pick. I move fairly quickly compared to most people. To fully enjoy the path you might want to take it a bit easier then me and walk a shorter section. Maybe around half of one of my 20+ mile days.

What Next?

For the remainder of 2016 I'm going to be focussing on running events. To celebrate my 50th Birthday I'll be participating in three races in three counties over a five week period to raise funds for MacMillan Cancer Support. The Cardiff Half Marathon, Exeter's Great West Run and the TCS New York City Marathon. You can sponsor me here;

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Qualter

I'm very lucky, I live in Exmouth, so I'm doing most of the training on the South West Coast Path and Exe Estuary Trail.

I'm hoping to take the ferry over to Lundy at some point this Summer to walk the around the island's coast. I may also walk and/or run the West Somerset Coast Path soon, a natural extension of the South West Coast Path continuing on from Minehead. It's only 25 miles in length and fairly flat, just right for a day trip.

At the moment I haven't decided what my next long-distance walk will be. There are several attractive options, the Wales Coast Path being one of them, the Pennine Way another.

Thank-you

This walk was an adventure shared with my partner Lea. She can't walk far because she has a permanent disability caused by injuries sustained in a car accident. However, Lea selflessly shadowed me in her car every walking day, patiently waiting at pre-arranged meeting points, always making sure I was well fed and carrying adequate fluids. I cannot thank her enough for her brilliant support.

I'd also like to thank my parents Bill and Eileen Qualter for their great support throughout, particularly at the Dorset end of the walk when I was based at their house.

Further Reading

The South West Coast Path official website, a great resource full of useful information.

https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/

Ruth's Coastal Walk. My favourite coast-walking blog, Ruth is currently walking the entire coast of Great Britain in stages. She has already completed the entire South West Coast Path, a great read.

https://coastalwalker.co.uk/

'The Perimeter'. Professional photographer Quintin Lake is also walking the entire coast of Great Britain in stages. His superb photography gives a unique perspective of a coastal walk. At the time of writing he is making his way around the South West Coast Path.

https://theperimeter.uk/

My new Just Giving page. I'm raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gary-Qualter

If you want to know what I'm up to you can find me easily on Twitter @GaryLQ. I welcome any comments and questions.

Thank-you for reading :)

Gary

24th April 2016

Monday 18 April 2016

Day 30 - April 14th 2016 - Lynmouth Harbour to Minehead

My good luck with the weather continued as I began my thirtieth and final day on this magnificent trail. When I arrived back at Lynmouth it was cool, dry and misty, absolutely perfect for walking. As I crossed the harbour I looked up at the two narrow valleys that converge here and thought about the terrible 1952 flood that killed 34 people when a freak storm dumped nine inches of rain on Exmoor.

The path was lined by lovely wild flowers where it entered some woods. A sign there said 'Coast Path, Minehead 20'. I tried not to think about finishing. After leaving the woods the path climbs steadily to around 900 feet above sea level near Countisbury. From the top I had great views back over Lynmouth, Lynton and Exmoor. On the way up I saw three deer on the path ahead of me. They dashed down the steep slope before I got too close. After reaching the highest point of the climb there were grassy rolling hills where Exmoor ponies were grazing. The path then dropped into a steep scree-filled valley at Coddow Combe. A road along the bottom leads to Foreland Point Lighthouse. I'd glimpsed the lighthouse from the cliffs at Rocky Valley yesterday afternoon, but it wasn't visible from the path today. A herd of deer high above the valley watched as I walked through.

At Glenthorne Cliffs the path entered hillside woods that went on for several miles. It stayed high up through this section and sea views were infrequent. I crossed several small bubbling streams. I found the stream at Coscombe which marks the county boundary between Somerset and Devon. There is absolutely nothing to let you know you are crossing the county border, unlike Marsland Mouth where I completed Cornwall and entered North Devon back in September. A bit further on an alternate route going inland was offered. On the coast path 'alternate' usually means easier and less interesting, so I stuck to the lower woodland route in the hope it would get more dramatic. However that section still seemed quite tame to me. Wooded all the way, just a few short steep climbs around landslips, occasional fallen trees partly blocking the path, sea views stayed few and far between.

After the two paths had merged again I suddenly came across Culbone Church in a clearing miles from anywhere, it was a nice surprise. It was a lovely spot, the 12th century chapel, apparently the smallest complete parish church in England, looked pretty and well maintained. I didn't stop to go in. A bit further on a man leading a family group of about a dozen who must have come from Porlock Weir asked me 'Did you make it as far as the church? Is it worth us carrying on?' Some of the less fit people at the rear of his party looked quite red and sweaty. I assured them they were nearly there, that it was an easy walk from here and well worth continuing. I decided not to mention that I'd come from a lot further on than the church. Annoyingly my camera's low battery warning came on at Culbone, it had shown as being full in the morning. I used my phone as a back-up camera to take most of the pictures for the rest of the day

After dropping down from the woods I arrived at Porlock Weir having passed several strange derelict tunnels on the way. Another rendezvous with Lea went exactly as planned, a 100% success rate for us this week with just the one more at Minehead to come. As usual we ate our lunch in the car while people watching and discussing the days events so far. Porlock Weir was a nice place to stop with it's quaint harbour and lovely old buildings. Despite it's fairly remote location there were plenty of people around, the hotel, pub and other businesses all appeared to be doing well.

For the first few hundred yards after leaving Porlock Weir the path crosses a shingle bank similar to that I'd walked on at Westward Ho! Then it enters a system of pancake-flat fields. Warning signs tell you the fields often flood at high-tide, in which case walkers should take the road. The slippery water-logged surface told me it hadn't been long since the last flood. After leaving the fields the path emerges into unspoilt Bossington, a small village with attractive old cottages, most still have quaint thatched roofs.

A pleasant river-side walk through woods took me out of Bossington to the bottom of Hurlstone Combe. The South West Coast Path had one last big test for my legs, an energy-sapping climb up the middle of the steep dry coombe, gaining over 700 feet of ascent with most of it at a gradient of over 30%. To put that in perspective the London Eye is 443 feet tall. I marched up, determined not to stop and made it to the top without taking a rest. With my heart still racing after the climb I had a decision to make. A sign at the top offers the choice of 'Rugged Alternative Coast Path', or 'Coast Path'. Having come this far there was absolutely no way I was about to turn all soft now, I set off on the rugged alternative without giving it a second thought.

The alternative path skirted around several deep scree-filled valleys. It was scenic and had an isolated, rugged feel. There were no buildings, no roads, no people. I had good views across to Wales where I could now make out towns, beaches, cliffs and a large industrial complex. It was growing increasingly overcast. I only felt a few odd spots of rain, but I could see what looked like a slow-moving shower over Porlock Weir, another was visible further up the Severn Estuary somewhere near Cardiff. This section didn't really feel that tough at all, if you can make it up Hurlstone Combe it's a piece of cake. I enjoyed having it all to myself, when I re-joined the easier path I still hadn't seen another person since the bottom of Hurlstone three or four miles back.

When I started to see dog walkers near a car park above Burgundy Chapel Combe I knew the end was getting close. I made my way down towards Minehead through grassland then woods. Whoever erected the frequent signs has a sense of humour. You see ' Minehead 1 3/4', then 'Minehead 1', soon followed by 'Minehead 1/2'. By now you're expecting to arrive in town at any moment, but the next sign then says 'Minehead 3/4'.

In the final mile a section of the path goes along the drive of Greenaleigh Farm. It's quite narrow, so when I heard a 4x4 vehicle approaching from behind I stepped aside to let it through. The driver stopped and offered me a lift! I couldn't believe it, this was the first lift I'd been offered in the whole 630 miles. We couldn't hear each other because his window wasn't wound down. I tried to gesture back something to the effect of 'thank-you, but I've got only 1 mile to go!'. He smiled, nodded knowingly then went on his way. I wonder if he suspected that might be the case before he stopped. I don't think I looked like someone out for a casual late-afternoon stroll.

Suddenly I noticed the tall white canopies of Butlins ahead and knew I was entering Minehead at last. The way into town wasn't exactly glamorous, a path through a scruffy grassy area with very prominent signs warning dog-owners to pick-up. I came out onto the seafront, in the last quarter mile I saw the small harbour. The tide was out and the boats were resting on mud. Then I saw the sculpture that marks the start/finish of the South West Coast Path just ahead. Lea was waiting and walked the final few yards with me. I finished this amazing walk with tears in my eyes and a mix of emotions. I was very proud to have successfully completed this wonderful adventure, the 630+ miles, the 4x the height of Everest worth of climbs, and all the rest, I'd loved it all. But I was also sad the path had to come to an end. I'd enjoyed the walking so much I truly wished it could just carry on forever.

I'll be back soon with one last blog post containing my final thoughts :)

Distance Walked Today - 21.70 miles (34.92km)

Cumulative Distance Covered - 667.72 miles (1,074.59km)

GPS track; https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1126013659

Lynmouth Harbour on a fine morning, The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway rising behind.

Deer on the path ahead of me flee down the hill near Countisbury

Exmoor pony near Foreland Point

A herd of deer watch me from the top of Coddow Combe

I left Devon and entered Somerset when I crossed this small stream in the woods at Coscombe

A tree across the path in the long wooded section between Glenthorne and Porlock Weir

Culbone Church

Porlock Weir

Leaving Porlock Weir on the shingle bank, the last big hill on the South West Coast Path ahead

The sign at the top of the steep 700+ feet climb at Hurlstone Combe (I turned left of course)

One of the valleys I had to myself on the rugged alternate path

The final countdown begins as I descend towards Minehead

The driver of this vehicle offered me a lift in the final mile.

My first glimpse of Minehead

The very last of around 2,500 waymarks I've passed since leaving Poole Harbour

Me moments after completing the path. Mixed emotions, all good things must come to an end.

Sunday 17 April 2016

Day 29 - April 13th 2016 - Ilfracombe to Lynmouth Harbour

Leaving Ilfracombe this morning I met Verity for the first time. She's the controversial 66 foot (20m) tall sculpture that stands over the entrance to the harbour, created by local resident Damien Hirst. When Verity was erected in 2013 I must admit I didn't like her much based on news coverage I saw at the time. Having now seen her with my own eyes I've warmed to her and decided I do like her after all. She does somehow remind me of the Statue of Liberty on a smaller scale. However I'd rather not see her insides, I much prefer the side with skin, and would like her even more had both sides been made that way.

I knew a hilly day lay ahead. My legs were duly tested in the first half mile by a steep climb up to Hillsborough, the site of an Iron Age fort. I was rewarded with great views over Ilfracombe and the harbour from the top. Verity now seemed quite small viewed from high above. As I started my descent I was impressed to see a runner in a charity t-shirt coming up the other way, still going strong as he neared the top. He had enough breath to wish me a good morning. I wondered if he was in training for the London Marathon which was being held 11 days later.

Between Ilfracombe and Watermouth the path briefly re-joins the road several times before dropping down again. It was quite muddy here in places after yesterdays storm. This section was fairly unremarkable until I reached Widmouth Head where Water Mouth looked great viewed in the misty morning light, the tall headlands of Exmoor looming beyond.

I didn't know I'd be passing a castle at Watermouth, so that was a nice surprise, though it didn't look particularly old. I found out later it's not a real castle, a 19th century country house built to resemble one. Opposite the castle the path goes uphill on grass through a caravan park where there were no caravans. I assume it hadn't opened for the season yet. After seeing a nice hotel, re-joining and leaving the road yet again, I dropped down into Combe Martin, the last town I'd be seeing for a while. You don't see much of Combe Martin, a couple of minutes later I was already on my way out passing a sign marked 'Exmoor National Park'.

Ahead of me was a long strenuous climb on grass up to Little Hangman. The official path doesn't go to the very top, but being so close I couldn't resist making the extra effort to go all the way up to the summit. There is a small plateau with a bench, a dramatic spot with amazing 360 degree views. I rested briefly and took in the fantastic vista before continuing my ascent up to Great Hangman.

Between Little Hangman and Great Hangman the gradient is less steep and relatively easy. When I reached the cairn at the top of Great Hangman I stopped to savour being at the highest point on the entire South West Coast Path at 1,043 feet (318 metres), a few feet higher than The Shard in London, currently the tallest building in the European Union. To my surprise I had a good mobile signal. I took a panoramic picture on my iPhone and posted it to social media. Great Hangman is also the highest sea cliff in England, with a cliff face of 800 feet (244m). But the summit is somewhat disappointing, you can't actually see the cliff face at all, it just feels like you're on the top of a hill that gently slopes away in all directions. I enjoyed being at Little Hangman summit more, one of those special places where you really do feel 'on top of the world'. A much finer place for a set of gallows!

Moving on I soon came to a deep valley named Sherrycombe where there's a very steep descent and climb back out for walkers to tackle going in either direction. The rocky path now went through moorland going around Holdstone Hill for a mile or two before returning to the cliff-tops. A well-equipped walker with a large pack I met going the other way had several questions for me. 'How far is it to Combe Martin?', 'do you think I'll make it that far today?'. I don't think he believed me when I said I'd left Ilfracombe this morning and had made it this far from Poole in 29 days of walking. Just around the corner was the dramatic scree-filled valley of Heddon's Mouth. The path was fairly narrow and tricky underfoot. I loved the great views it's but not the kind of place for those with a fear of heights. I left the path and found my way up the valley to Hunter's Inn where Lea was patiently waiting as always with lunch. We watched the resident peacocks while we were there.

After a short walk down the opposite bank of the river from Hunters Inn I re-joined the South West Coast Path and walked up the other side of the valley to Highveer Point with more wonderful views across Heddon's Mouth and the small beach at the end. The path was high up again, but not too tough. After a while I entered a long stretch of cliff-side woods with limited sea views. I saw a lovely waterfall and several bubbling streams coming down from Exmoor as I made my way through. Above Woody Bay the path joins a road for a while. Then you drop down into some fields, a somewhat pointless exercise because you have to climb back up and re-join the road not much further on.

For a while I'd been able to see what looked like a large country house ahead. It turned out to be Lee Abbey. The road continues on past the abbey, which strangely smelt like a Chinese restaurant as I walked by. Suddenly you find yourself entering The Valley of the Rocks. It's a great place to see, spectacular rock formations either side, dozens of feral mountain goats grazing around you. There weren't many people around, but it does feel somewhat spoiled by the road that goes through the middle complete with roundabout and a car park. The coast path leaves through a gap between the rocks and goes along the side of a high cliff as it heads on towards Lynton. It's a lovely walk with amazing views, the path is wide, safe and easy. I saw goats with their young in scary-looking places on the cliff below.

Coming into Lynton I was high up above Lynmouth Harbour which I could see far below. The path zigs-zags down steeply, crossing over the fascinating cliff-side railway three times. I watched as the carriages went up and down, a clever system powered by water that's been operating continuously since 1890. Lea was waiting on the esplanade where the path emerges next to the station. She'd had a ride on the railway while waiting. There was a fish and shop on the corner that looked rather nice so we decided to buy our supper there. Unfortunately for us it closed at 5-00pm, madness in a holiday resort, we arrived at one minute past, just after they'd locked the door. We drove back to Ilfracombe where opening times are more sensible and ate there instead.

Today had been a truly wonderful day of walking, Exmoor more than lived up to expectations. My legs were somewhat tired having managed around 4,800ft of vertical ascent, but it had been well worth every single step to enjoy the amazing scenery.

Distance Walked Today - 20.48 miles (32.60km)

Cumulative Distance Covered - 646.02 miles (1,039.67km)

GPS track; https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1124528081