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Saturday 18 April 2020

SWCP days 12-14: A Cracking Weekend

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Days 12-14

2 rest days

Bude to Crackington Haven

Approx. 10 miles, 760m ascent
27,828 steps


Two very lazy rest days at home, all washing done and the tent aired and dried out. Mum decided to join me for another few days, so we headed back to Devon on Sunday evening, staying with a friend to get an early start on Monday. It was a very good move as Mum’s friend gave us a tip off about a secret campsite near Port Isaac, in the perfect location close to the path. We stayed up far too late catching up, and after a good breakfast in the morning we didn’t get a particularly early start. We made it to Bude at about 9.30am, and after getting a pasty for lunch we got back to the path, which leaves Bude where the locks of the historic canal meet the beach.

Leaving Bude

The path quickly rose to the tower at compass point, then followed the top of the cliffs, undulating gently across green fields. The weather was a bit unsettled, with showers coming and going as clouds rolled across the sky. At Upton we passed a house with a big stack of books for sale, neatly arrange in a wheelbarrow. We hoped they weren’t getting too wet in the showery weather. In sight of Widemouth Sand Mum turned round to return to the car, and I continued on, making use of the toilets in the carpark, and pausing to watch the surf schools playing in the white water.

Looking back to Widemouth

After Widemouth the hills reappeared, with lots of amazing rocky cliffs and flower-filled valleys. There were lots of other walkers on the path, and we continued to leapfrog each other as we took breaks at different times. I got chatting with a few groups, including a speedy American couple that kept leaving me behind on the hills; I later learned they were in their 70s! I timed my lunch stop badly and the heavens opened, but I enjoyed my pasty whilst huddled in my waterproofs in a comfy grassy hollow.

Rocky coastline 
Scary path!
Ridges out to sea

After lunch the weather improved and the sun finally made a proper appearance. The crowds and stunning views continued, and I passed through a lovely valley, filled with bright flowering heather and a curious plant called Dodder, which forms tangles of orange and red growth, parasitising other plants such as gorse. I saw it all over the place on the north coast, and it gave vibrant colour to the hillsides.

Heather and Dodder
The final climb to St Gennys above Crackington Haven was a good one, gradually winding up the headland jutting out into the sea. The path then plunged back down into the village below, and I met Mum at a cafe, sitting in the sunshine with a cup of tea. We found the lovely (and empty!) campsite at Coxford Meadow, and set up in a perfect spot out of the building breeze. We had an excellent dinner at the Coombe Barton Inn, and had a wander on the beach in the lovely evening light.

Crackington Haven beach

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