The Southwest Coast Path: Westward Ho! to Padstow

At 630 miles, the Southwest Coast Path is the longest in England. From Minehead to Poole, it follows the coast from North Devon through all of Cornwall, on through South Devon and finishes in Dorset, encompassing all of the south western coast of England.  Long on my Bucket List, for me it is the most scenic long walk in this country.  This month I walked one section of the SWCP, between Westward Ho! in North Devon and Padstow in North Cornwall.  Following mostly footpaths through 90 miles this section is arguably the most rugged of all.  This section is typically divided into 7 stages, but I extended it to nine days, breaking up two of the longer days because of limited accommodations in a couple of the usual stopping places and the desire to enjoy the journey more than I otherwise would have.  I usually had a pack lunch with me, but more often ate in a pub.  With a hot shower, a glass of wine, and fresh local fish at the end of the day, what’s not to like about the Southwest Coast Path?

Day 1: Westward Ho! to Clovelly

11.5 miles, 3200 ft total elevation gain

The village of Westward Ho! has the distinction of being the only one in Britain that has an explanation point in its name. It has the further distinction of being the ugliest town that I came across.  It was named after a 19th century book of that name by the Reverend Charles Kingsley, a distant ancestor of mine.  In addition, a rather tasteless dinner in a seaside restaurant made me sick for two days, something that three weeks in Nepal this past autumn had failed to do.  Without a doubt, it was great to start walking on that first morning, leaving Westward Ho! far to the East.

Clovelly to Hartland Quay

10 miles, 3300 ft gain

Climbing the cobbled road out of the charming, if touristy, village of Clovelly (accent on the second syllable), on Day 2 I began another moderately long section of trail through the woods and fields of North Devon.

Hartland Quay to Bude

15 miles, 4600 ft gain

With dry weather and dry clothes, my mood was much better on Day 3.  This stage I broke into two, staying at an 18th Century Grade II Listed National Trust Property farmhouse halfway through and about one mile inland from the coast path.  This approach enabled me to reach Bude by noon on Day 4 and admire the classic cars in a local show on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Bude to Boscastle

17 miles, 4500 ft gain

Well, I needed at least one long day and Day 5 was it! After my early arrival in Bude the previous day, I felt very strong. I met an equally strong hiker (the only one that was possibly faster than me the entire time). We walked together until lunch, when I stopped and enjoyed the scenery, unlike him not needing to catch a bus in Boscastle.

Boscastle to Port Isaac

14 miles, 4100 ft gain

This was another longish stage that I divided into two, enabling me to stay at the scenic Port William Inn at Trebarwith Strand halfway through on the evening of Day 6.

 

Port Isaac to Padstow

12 miles, 3000 ft gain

The final day! While I was glad to get out of Port Isaac, at the same time I was a bit sad to be reaching Padstow and the end of my eight days walking.  It was a fantastic journey, if a trifle expensive with all the comfortable accommodations and fresh seafood!

After  completing this section of the Southwest Coast Path, I have stayed in Cornwall, doing a series of circular day hikes.  If I have any photos that are new or different enough, I’ll post another blog from Cornwall.  If not, I certainly will have some photos to share around mid-June of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.

Happy trails,

The Vagabond Hiker