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Thursday, 16 April 2020

SWCP Day 11: Dishes in the drizzle

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Day 11

Morwenstow to Bude
Approx. 7 miles, 600m ascent
20,334 steps


We awoke to a damp morning, the couple of days of sunshine long gone. We sat in Mum’s car to drink tea and have breakfast (cold pizza!), then rushed to put the damp tents away in between heavier showers. Despite the miserable weather Mum decided to join me again for the first few miles, so we packed everything up and headed back to Morwenstow to rejoin the path. As with yesterday, the path would spend the next few miles on a rollercoaster up and down steep valleys, before arriving in Bude just a few miles away. It would only be a short day, but I was quite happy with that given the persistent drizzle, and also looking forward to a rest weekend back at home. 

The big cliffs continue!
Precarious path

We conquered the first valley at the curiously named Tidna shute, and as we got into sight of the big radio station on top of the next hill Mum headed back to find the car and I continued on. We used to go to Bude quite regularly with my Dad when I was a kid, and I had clear memories of spotting the big white radio dishes on top of the hill, so it was interesting to see them up close. The are several industrial and military installations at various places along the route of the coast path, and they always have an eerie feel, with high fences, tangles of barbed wire and loud KEEP OUT signs everywhere. I felt particularly on edge on that foggy windy morning, so was quite happy to turn away from the dishes and head back down in to the next valley.

Dishes in the distance
The radio station dishes

Above Duckpool the path followed a ridge jutting out into the wild sea, a very precarious route into the valley below, steep drops on both sides. I took shelter in the National Trust toilets at the bottom and put on my waterproof trousers, continuing my stubbornness of not putting them on until it was far too late and I was already soaked. I was bemused to see a note from someone, addressed to the NT complaining that the toilets were untidy. Considering they were in the middle of nowhere I was extremely grateful that there were facilities at all, and they really weren’t dirty, just a bit of sand and mud on the floor. No pleasing some people!

Ridge-walking

At the base of the last steep valley at Sandymouth I found a cafe so stopped for a slightly early lunch. I was once again pleased to find there was a tiled floor, as I was fairly soaked through by that point, and dripping all over the place. I found a spot by a radiator and had a good lunch alongside a big mug of hot chocolate. The walker I had met on the way to Hartland point a couple of days previously was also enjoying some lunch, so we chatted across the tables about the path and our plans for the next couple of days, as some rough weather was forecast. I was glad of my decision to take a couple of days off!

Sheepishly leaving a puddle behind, I headed back out into the increasingly rough weather for the last couple of miles into Bude. The path was pretty easy going for this last section, along low cliffs behind the surfing beaches. As I got into town I spotted Mum waiting in the car, a quick change out of my drenched clothes and the day was done, I was soon struggling to keep my eyes open as we headed back to Dorset.

Arriving at the deserted beach at Bude

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