Lynmouth Off The Beaten Path

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Whilst I may have a bit of a reputation for being a drunk those that know me know that I never have a drink until I've done something either constructive, creative or energetic - then, and only then, do i reward myself with a beer (and sometimes even two).

Something I'd been meaning to do for ages whilst working up here in Lynmouth was walk the section of the South West Coastal Path westwards to Hunters Inn, which as the name might suggest is a place named after its pub. With seven miles of cliff-hugging footpath to negotiate, along with several thousand feet of rises and falls the walk certainly fulfills the energetic part of my criteria and taking the camera along would give me the creative bit as a bonus.

One morning in July, after a particularly hectic mid-season week at work, I awoke on my day off to brilliant sunshine, clear skies and a head full of cobwebs which needed cleared - perfect conditions for the walk.

Even though it's only seven miles from Lynmouth to Hunters Inn it's what is described in the SWCP website as "challenging" and so I reckoned I'd need at least three hours just for the walking bit. Adding another hour for taking pics and cigarette breaks coincidentally had my start time at about the same time as the bus to Barnstaple was due to leave. OK it was a bit of a cheat, allowing me an easy start by taking me up the 700 feet or so to Lynton and the start of the footpath to Hollerday Hill, but in the greater scheme of things...

It wasn't that much of a cheat though. Hollerday Hill required another couple of hundred feet of ascent and then the vertigo-inducing cliff-hugging footpath round it.

It was turning out to be a perfect walking day with just enough sea breeze to keep everything cool and having the sun behind me meant I could see where I was going (as could the camera). From Hollerday Hill the view towards the Valley of Rocks, the Ice-age gouge left behind when a glacier finally melted, was best I've caught it. Then it was downhill again and back to sea level where I almost tripped over a suicidal goat before being forced inland by the privately owned grounds of Lee Abbey.

Lee Abbey BTW is some sort of christian community which owns the 280 acre site and has effectively blocked off the coastal section of the path here claiming that they are using the place as a retreat. Something which doesn't amuse me.

But hey it's too nice a day to get involved in a rant about the Lee Abbey bunch of tossers.

Having cleared Lee Abbey the path rises again to encircle Woody Bay - I think it is possible to make the descent down to the beach there but it involves another 600 feet climb to get back up and the official path skirts this. From here you can see why Woody Bay is so-named, especially in mid-summer with the trees in full verdant leaf when views of the bay itself are mere glimpses.

Then the path returns to the sea, spectacularly, as it hugs the cliffs at a height of about 600 feet for the next mile or so as it rounds the promontory heading for Heddon's Mouth. Fortunately the path is quite wide and level here otherwise I would have had to crawl it on hands and knees!

Then Heddon's Mouth itself, announced by the view of the river's cleave, and then the dizzying perpendicular drop down to the beach and its old lime kiln.

Though not in sight the essence of the pub is now palpable - every waypost now points to Hunters Inn and checking my watch I find that my timing is perfect: 12 o'clock and maybe 10 minutes more walking. It's maybe a 400 foot descent to the river and about half a mile along its banks to the pub itself and I find myself almost skipping - I know how good that beer is going to taste!!