Mortehoe to Combe Martin

Walked a bit further than I meant to, with a stroll around Ilfracombe, but in SWCP terms I'm now up to 595 miles (and 105,000 ft) so tomorrow I'll be over the 600 mile mark. Komoot summary and photos (many of which are not in the blog, so do go and have a look) here.

I started at 8 am in Mortehoe, just up the hill from Woolacombe, on another sunny day but at least with a cool breeze. At last a hill to climb and the views back didn't disappoint. the sea really was this colour and so clear.

Round Morte Point: As you might suppose from the name, this has been the site of many shipwrecks over the years. One had a cargo of live pigs, most of which survived and the cove to the South is now called Grunta beach! Next up was Bull Point, the path turns right here and starts to make its final progress East towards Minehead. The Bull Point lighthouse had to be rebuilt after subsidence in 1972 made it unsafe. The old lighthouse keepers cottages are now let out for tourist accommodation.

The view 'round the corner' was much more to my liking than the previous few days. Since Hartland really, before Clovelly.

The reason, apart from my preference for non-flat and non-tarmac walks, is I think partly down to geology. The North Devon coast is much less precipitous then is generally the case for Cornwall, and the soil usually richer so much of it is wooded. This has its own charms and is a wonderful habitat for wildlife but does get in the way of a good view!

One other welcome change today was that with the stronger winds I could actually hear the sea. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed it over these hot, still days.

My wish for hills was handsomely fulfilled today and after a brief drop down into Lee (lovely placid place with few houses, a derelict hotel but a proper pub - that I didn't go to - weren't expecting that, were you?) at the end of 'the Fuchsia Valley' it was back up onto the tops again. A bit of road work before emerging onto the fields and a first glimpse of Ilfracombe. The path here descends via a long series of hairpins in an area called the Torrs. As it emerges from the woods (there they are again) there's a view directly across to Ilfracombe's tidal swimming pool.

I spent a little time in Ilfracombe, just wandering. Partly I confess because I kept missing the coast path signs but also because it looked interesting. Ilfracombe has been around since the Iron Age, dominated by Hillsborough (the large hill to the East that I’m going to have to climb), known as the Sleeping Elephant. St Nicholas's Chapel (built 1361) on nearby Lantern Hill is reputed to be the oldest working lighthouse in the UK and the sheltered harbour became a significant registered port of refuge on the Bristol Channel. The town is now home to the new Landmark Theatre (aka Madonna’s Bra) with a somewhat recognisable shape:

 Mariners are now guided in by local patron Damien Hirst’s statue “Verity”. I confess I find her rather disturbing but I guess that's perhaps the point, at least partly. She stands on legal textbooks and holds a pair of scales behind her so it's some kind of allegory on truth and justice I guess. Think I need help to get any further though.

In the 1820s a set of four tunnels were hand carved by Welsh miners to give alternative access to the beaches instead of climbing the cliffs, rounding the point by boat, swimming or clambering around the rocks of the point. These tunnels led to the tidal pools I saw earlier, used for segregated male and female bathing – women completely covered, men not.

George Eliot and Terry Thomas both visited here, which sounds like going from the sublime to the ridiculous; Peter Sellers lived here with his parents who managed the Gaiety Theatre; and Joan and Jackie Collins went to boarding school here. Heady stuff.

Oh, and the author of Tarka the Otter, Henry Williamson, lived here. 

There's also a prominent artwork celebrating Jonathan Edwards Olympic gold medal winning triple jump. When you see the actual lengths of the individual hop, step and jump it's pretty impressive.

Climbing out of Ilfracombe up Hillsborough gave some marvellous views back towards the harbour and, inevitably, Verity.

The next section was subject to many diversions as a result of extensive erosion so a lot of it is either on the road or close to it. More hard pounding, unfortunately. There's a brief drop down into Hele which on first encounter seems almost to have been overrun by mobile homes, and then Watermouth, clearly a boating favourite and a very sheltered inlet.

Apart from the harbour, Watermouth has its own castle. Really just a country house, built in the early 1800s by Joseph Bassett and used as a military hospital during WW1. Bought by the conservative MP for Dorking South Keith Wickenden (who died in a light aircraft crash near Shoreham in 1983) who sold it in 1977 for £50,000. It is now run as a tourist attraction with themed rides such as Gnome Land and Adventure Land.

And so finally into Combe Martin. Like Litton Cheney and Shipton Gorge the Martin suffix refers to the family that used to own it, in this case the Fitzmartins in the 13^th and 14^th centuries, and sadly not mine in the 20^th . 

It has the Guinness world record for the longest street party (yards, not days); an annual wheelbarrow race; and a yearly procession  "The Hunting of the Earl of Rone". This refers to the legend of the Earl of Tyrone, fleeing Ireland in 1607, being shipwrecked on nearby Rapparee beach. He wasn’t but let’s not spoil the party - which lasts a weekend, finishing with a two mile procession involving the 'obby 'oss and Earl of Rone, a Fool, "Grenadiers", drummers and music, a donkey, and hundreds of dancers in festive dress. Quite some party.

The village's Pack o’Cards pub, built around 1700 by George Ley, is reputed to have been funded by his gambling successes and originally had 52 windows, 13 rooms and four floors.

Some Combe Martin silver is in the Crown Jewels.

I'd noticed the previous evening that I could get a massage back in Mortehoe, and had duly booked it, so that was my reward today. So good, almost as good as a bath. I'd like to see more like this on the route - Carol Briggs (Sea Breeze Retreat) did a splendid job ironing out my muscle kinks so if you're in the area and in need: 07884 070289.

Tomorrow is a long one with no obvious stops for hydration or food. It'll take about 7 hours so hopefully I'll get another early start and arrive in time to meet up with my friends arriving from London. I'll have company on the last two legs of this walk, all the way to the finish line, which will be great and make it into a proper celebration.

Still hoping for rain but the forecasters seem to have gone off the idea!

Peter