Day 12 - 17 Widemouth Bay to Newquay
Day 12 - Widemouth Bay to Boscastle. Well what a day that was. The morning was quite tough with steep ups and downs but that was just a taster for the proper slopes in the afternoon ! I left Widemouth Bay at 9am and arrived at Boscastle at 5.30pm very hot, pretty dirty and absolutely knackered. I’ve started carrying a little less water to try to lighten the rucksack but that wasn’t a great idea today as there was only one place along the path where I could fill up my bottles, a cafe at Crackington Haven. As a result I had no water for the last 3 or 4 miles so when I got to Boscastle I went straight into the first shop I came to and bought a large cold bottle of coke, sat on a bench outside and drank the whole thing, it was the best drink in the world. Despite my dishevelled appearance I received a lovely warm welcome from the pub where I was staying who were clearly used to accomodating coast path walkers. We had a long chat and I found out I have been mis-pronouncing Widemouth Bay - it should be said as Widdymoth Bay. They told me tomorrows stretch is just as demanding as todays !
Day 13 - Boscastle to Port Isaac. They were right, 7 really big climbs and descents during the day and the weather was even warmer. I was walking by 8.30 and set off at a reasonable pace to get to Port Isaac in time to watch the last Brighton match of the season. That was easier said than done because of the hills but there were also some lovely flattish sections along the cliff tops where I made good progress. Today I was able to fill my bottles up a couple of times from streams running down the hillside, the water was beautiful, clear and cold. I arrived in Port Issac at about 4pm but the blister on my left heel had become quite painful. Not much can be done but it will need a good wash and a couple of Compede plasters. At least I was in plenty of time to watch the Brighton v Aston Villa game with my feet firmly up. I stayed at ‘The Old School House Hotel’ which for any one who is a fan of Doc Martin is actually the school in the programme.
Day 14 - Port Isaac to Padstow. Yet another cooked breakfast and a sligtly later start at 9.15am. Port Isaac is pretty but incredibly touristy and I was happy to get back up onto the cliff tops. The morning was quite testing with several steep hills particularly around the charming Port Quin. I stopped there for a rest and a drink sitting on a wall overlooking the sea and enjoyed the hot sun. Unfortunately as I put my ruck sack on I hadn't noticed 2 small boys sitting on the wall next to me and as my rucksack swung round I nearly knocked one of them into the sea ! Luckily their mother was looking the other way and the young lad seemd to think it was a bit of a game. The going gradually became flatter as Polzeath came into view follwed by Rock and then Padsow and much of the walking was on sand. This is a truly beutiful strech of coastline on a sunny day, only spoilt a little bit becasue there were just so many people about as it was a bank holiday. To finish the day I caught the first ferry of the trip from Rock to Padstow and with the lovely cool breeze on the water I would quite happily have stayed on the boat and gone backwards and forwards a few more times.
Day 15 - Padstow to Porthcothan. No cooked breakfast this morning so I stopped at a bakers in Padstow before beginning the gentle climb out of the town. As usual, initially it was quite busy with pushchairs and dog walkers but after a mile or two I was virtually on my own. If anyone reading this is thinking about doing a part of this path, do this bit. It is easy walking and on a sunny day like this, the views and scenery are just stunning. The cliffs are low and less dramatic than elsewhere but the colours of the sea and the numerous golden beaches make it a wonderful walk. It was about 14 miles to the small village of Porthcothan where there is only one B&B so I had arranged to stay there.
Day 16 - Portcothan to Newquay. An early start this morning and for the first time on the walk it was cooler and cloudy. This is another beautiful strech of the coast, Mawgan Porth is a pretty beach and walking along the clifftops above Watergate Bay is as enjoyable as it gets. After a couple of weeks walking I am beginning to get into a rythm and at the moment the only challenge is managing the heel blisters which are now on both of my feet. The incerdible natural beauty of Newquay's setting came into view by late mornng and I was there by lunchtime. First stop was Boots Chemist for some blister treatments and then some rest.
Day 17 - Rest Day
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