Westward Ho to Instow - 11 miles

I’ve had another lovely walk today – in the sunshine and pretty much on the flat.  When Ann took me for a little walk around the block before breakfast she wasn’t very happy.  It was raining, windy and generally felt rather cold.  ......But she was determined to do this walk come rain or shine, so I’d resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be a soggy doggie today.

Ann left her car in Instow for free and then Angela parked hers (£2.50 for the day) at Westward Ho.  Angela had worked out what direction the wind would be blowing so thought that we’d be best walking from Westward Ho rather than vice versa.  It was raining a lot when we were in the car however by the time we’d driven to Instow and then back to Westward Ho it had stopped.  In fact today turned out to be the best day of the whole weekend. 

On the beach at Westward Ho

I've found a tennis ball

First we had to walk round the Royal North Devon Golf Club and Northam Burrows Country Park.  Almost as soon as I got let off my lead I found a tennis ball.  Ann said she wasn’t going to throw it for me but I knew if I did my ‘appealing look’ Angela would.  I had about an hour and a half playing with it.  I was zooming about all over.  It was such fun.  But then we had to walk along a road into Appledore.  I had to go on my lead.  Ann said I could carry the ball if I wanted to keep it.  However, I accidently dropped it and I wasn’t allowed to go back for it, so that was the end of that. 

Me - in Bideford

Once we got through Appledore I was allowed to go off lead again as the coastal path went down by the Torridge Estuary and then up a little hill and through woods.  However once we got to the outskirts of Bideford I had to go back on my lead.  In fact I had to stay on my lead all the way from Bideford back to Instow.  On this section we were back on the Tarka Trail again but the path was running parallel to a very busy road so Ann said just to be on the safe side I had to stay on my lead. 

Today’s walk took us just under 5 hours.

Almost at the end of 50 miles walking

It’s been lovely having Angela walking with us.  It’s so much easier when we don’t have to get public transport to the start of our walks. 

Also ‘Sundene House’ has to be the best B&B in the world.  I’ve had a lovely time here.  I’m not sure what section of the SWCP we’ll be walking next.  I know I’m a super fit collie but 50 miles of walking in just four days is tiring even for me!

Woolacombe to Braunton - 15 miles

Woolacombe Beach

Today we walked 15 miles in 6 hours.  It was a relatively easy walk today apart from the wind.  We had to walk along three very big beaches and it was very, very windy on all of them.  However apart from that I’ve had a lovely day and now I’m very tired.



On my best behaviour beside the sheep.



Ann parked her car at Braunton and then Angela drove us to Woolacombe.  We were able to park both cars for free.  There were lots of people walking on Woolacombe beach and the tide was going out so I was able to have a good run.  That was fun.  It took us about an hour to get to the end of the beach and then I had to go back on my lead because we had to walk round the headland to Baggy Point and there were lots of sheep grazing.  I can’t be trusted not to go chasing when there are sheep about.  However, I was a very good girl.  I just trotted along sensibly by Ann’s side.  Angela was very impressed with me. 

I need the loo now!



Fun on the beach

   After we’d walked round the Baggy Point headland we got to Croyde beach.  Angela wanted to go to the toilet but lots of sand had blown off the beach and made a little sand dune that she had to climb over to get in.  It was quite funny – and no way could she shut the door so I had to stand guard.

Braunton Burrows

I found a tennis ball on Croyde beach.  Even though I’d been walking for 2 hours at this point I still had loads of energy left for running.  In fact I got to play with the ball for the whole of the time on the beach.  Then Ann said I had to leave it there for another doggie to enjoy.  I wasn’t really very keen on that idea but she took it off me, put me on my lead and threw the ball back on the beach.  I had to stay on my lead until we got to the Saunton Sands Hotel because the SWCP went along the road for a little while.  I was a very good girl and walked sensibly. 

From Saunton Sands Hotel we went down onto the beach at Braunton Burrows.  The beach there was ever so long.  It was only 1pm at this point which lulled us into a false sense of security.  Even though Ann knew this walk was 15 miles she thought it would just be a gentle stroll along the beach and then we’d be back in Braunton.  Actually it was a three hour walk along the beach, back to the car, with us walking directly into the wind!  It was ever so hard to walk & I started to get a little bit tired.  I didn’t do any running because I was concentrating on how to stop the sand blowing in my eyes.  There weren’t any streams for me to have a drink out of so Ann had to stop to give me some water because I was very thirsty.  If the tide had been in we would have had to have walked along the path which went behind the dunes.  In retrospect this would have been a better option as it probably wouldn’t have been so windy. 

When we got to the end of the beach we then had to follow the path through the dunes which ran alongside the River Taw, then we had to walk alongside a much smaller river; the River Caen, until we got back to Braunton.  I was a little bit naughty in this last section – I’d managed to stay lovely and clean for the whole of the walk and then about 15 mins before we got back to the car I went wallowing in a muddy pool.  Well, I needed to cool down a bit, though I have to say Ann wasn’t too pleased with me.  However, she likes to see me having fun so she wasn’t too angry with me.

Today’s walk has been great and I really enjoyed it but I have to admit I am getting very tired.  Ann says we have one more long walk to do tomorrow – Westward Ho to Instow which is 11 miles – and then I can spend the rest of the week relaxing.

 

At the end of our walk




 

Braunton to Instow - 13 miles

On the Tarka Trail

Today’s walk was so, so much easier than yesterdays.  Originally we thought we might walk from Combe Martin to Woolacombe but as that part of the SWCP is described as moderate to strenuous we decided against it.  At least Ann decided against it.  She said she couldn’t cope with another day of hard walking.  Instead we walked along the Tarka Trail from Braunton to Instow which was easy peasy.

Ann parked her car (for free) by the beach in Instow and then Angela drove us to Braunton where we also parked for free – one of the advantages of doing our walks out of season.  When walking with friends, Ann prefers us to be the driver at the end of the walk because she says I often stink.  I suppose I do have a habit of wallowing in mud and swimming in every bit of water I can find.  I’m ever such a good girl if I have to go in some one else’s car – I just sit by Ann’s feet in the foot well.  But in my own car the boot is all kitted out for me with towels, etc, so Ann doesn’t mind how muddy I get.

This walk wasn’t as exciting as yesterdays walk for me – there were no pheasants to chase.  But compared to yesterday, this walk was like a stroll in the park!  Because the Tarka Trail (which is part of the SWCP) follows what used to be a railway line around the coast it was all very flat.  No hills at all which I have to say pleased Ann.  The only problem with this walk was that it was very, very windy, but compared to the strenuous ups and downs of yesterday, it wasn’t a problem at all.

The never ending road!

We had to walk up one side of the River Taw to Barnstaple and then back down the other side to Instow.  I was off my lead for most of the way although when we got to the section around Barnstaple, Ann said I had to go on my lead just to be on the safe side.  I didn’t do anything naughty on this walk.  Well, actually there wasn’t any opportunity for me to do anything naughty?!

As far as walks go it was pretty boring as far as I was concerned – walking along an old railway route doesn’t leave much room for deviation.

Also it was a pretty dismal day.  It didn’t rain but the sun never shone.  We think the views would have been so much better if it had been a nice day.  However, I’ve had another lovely day.  Our walk today took us about 5 hours and now I’m very tired.

Clovelly to Westward Ho - 11 miles

This has got to be one of the hardest walks we have ever done.  Almost 7 hours of walking nonstop.  We started our walk at 9.45am and got back to the car at 4.30pm.  The official SWCP website describes this walk as 11 miles of easy to strenuous walking.  We are starting to wonder just exactly who measures the length of these walks?  And who puts up the sign posts.  This walk was very confusing!  Firstly, it definitely seemed to be much, much, longer than 11 miles.  And secondly, the signposts were not very accurate.  For example, we regularly passed signposts saying it was a certain distance to a place; we would walk half a mile to a mile, and then see another signpost saying that it was further than the original one.  Very odd!

At the start of our walk

Anyway I have had a lovely day.  Ann left her car at Westaward Ho (£2.50 to park it all day – out of season) & then her friend, Angela, drove us to Clovelly.   We didn’t have to pay there because we arrived before 10am.  Normally we would have had to purchase a ticket to park, enter the tiny one street pedestrian village, etc. etc.  It was extremely windy in the car park.  Ann had forgotten to bring a hat and her ears were getting cold.  However once we got into the woods it was lovely.

For some reason Ann thought that the first bit of the walk was going to be the strenuous part (she obviously didn’t read the map properly) but the first couple of hours were actually very easy as we were walking along a made up track.  We were walking through woods.  In fact we walked through woods for at least four hours of this walk.  It was fab.  There were zillions of pheasants in the woods and I went zooming about chasing them.  Ann told me I had to pace myself but I didn’t really know what that meant so I must have run more than 10 miles in a couple of hours. 

Poorly sheep

This was a hard walk

Bucks Mills



Another steep hill!

 Ann had brought water for me but there were loads of little streams for me to wallow in and have a drink out of.  Unfortunately there was absolutely nowhere on this walk for Ann & Angela to stop for a coffee or have something to eat.  However they knew this, so they’d had a big breakfast before we left.

               After we’d been walking for a couple of hours we came out of the woods and had to cross a field before going back into the woods.  Ann said I had to go on my lead ‘just to be on the safe side’.  We couldn’t see any sheep but there were sheep in a neighbouring field and because we couldn’t see the whole field we didn’t know if there might be sheep further on.  There wasn’t – but then we spotted a sheep just lying by the fence.  We were able to go right up to it.  It wasn’t very well.  I had to sit by Ann’s side while Angela went to see what was wrong with it.  The sheep didn’t move while Angela felt all over it to see if she could work out what was wrong.  We think it might have had a broken leg.  We didn’t really know what to do so me & Ann stayed and looked after the sheep and Angela’s rucksack & walking sticks while she went to the next field where the other sheep were, to see if she could see anyone (we’d spotted a guy riding around on a bike that we’d thought was maybe a ‘modern day’ shepherd) but she couldn’t.  Then she walked up the hill to some barns and a couple of houses but no one was there.  We had no option but to leave the sheep where it was.   However, the one and only couple that we met on this walk, soon after, said they’d try and contact someone once they got to Clovelly.  We actually must have spent at least half an hour trying to find someone to help.  We diverged off the path to go to the ‘Bideford Bay Holiday Village’ looking for someone to help us (it was closed for winter and no one was about).  We also spoke to some guys just outside Buck’s Mills who were erecting a new seat and some guys in Buck’s Mills village.  But no-one knew who the farmer was.  We’re hoping the couple we met, who were walking to Clovelly, managed to contact someone.  The sheep was really sweet – I liked it.

Once we got past Buck’s Mills the walk got really, really hard.  We were still walking through woods for a lot of the way but the path went up and down constantly – until we were about 2 miles from Westward Ho.  I pretty much ran about for the entire walk.  In fact I was off my lead for the whole walk (apart from a few times when we walked past fields of sheep) until we got back to Westward Ho and had to walk along the road back to the car.  Ann & Angela started to get quite tired but they knew they had to keep going.  We weren’t near any civilisation, we only saw a couple of other people walking and this walk was actually quite isolated.  Ann said she was glad that Angela was walking with us.  She was glad she wasn’t doing it by herself.  Well, she’s never by herself – I’m always with her.

Today’s walk was brilliant.   I have had such fun. 

Ann and Angela were thinking of walking from Combe Martin to Woolacombe tomorrow which is 15 miles of moderate/strenuous walking.  They’re tired so have told me we are going to do an easy section of the SWCP tomorrow instead.  I don’t mind where we go. 

Actually I have to admit I’m very tired too.  I’ve been asleep on my duvet since about 6pm.  Ann & Angela went out for something to eat and I was allowed to stay here by myself and snooze.  Ann took me out for a quick wee when she came back and then I went straight back to bed.  Well, a collie does have to conserve ones energy for another long walk tomorrow. 

Just in case anyone is interested – we’re staying at ‘Sundene House’ in ‘Northam’ (just outside Westward Ho).  This is the best B&B we have ever stayed in.  Absolutely great location for walking in North Devon.  We have a ground floor suite (Angela has a first floor suite).  Ann has a double bedroom all for herself, and then Ann & I share the living room which has a TV, microwave & fridge.  I have my travelling duvet in this room.  And we’ve also got an en-suite shower room.  The owners, Harry & Louise are lovely, their children are lovely (they like me) & the breakfasts are lovely.  There are no rules or regulations.  I think they only have 3 letting rooms/suites and as there’s only us and Angela here I’m allowed in the breakfast/sitting room.  Also I’m allowed to stay in the suite by myself.  Just how good is that?  And all this for £35 per night.  This really is the best place to be.  I love it!

I'm exhausted.