22/6/2023 Westward Ho! to Clovelly (13.61mls)

A long walk but nothing memorable. Westward Ho! is a pebbly holiday resort with a sandy beach to the north of the town. The walk along the coast follows the old route of the railway line from Westward Ho! to Bideford and when the railway line turns inland the route is a series of ups and downs. At Babbacombe Mouth we decided for a change that, rather than walk up and over the hill, we would walk along the 'beach' to Portledge Mouth.

The beach at this point is pebbles, some more like boulders (easier to hop across) and others much smaller and more difficult to walk over at speed. Walking down to the sea we were struck by how clear the water was ...

... and a nice change from Grand Old Duke of Yorking up and down the hills.

Eventually, back on the path we walked mainly through woods above the coast before descending into Bucks Mills looking to eat lunch and purchase a drink. Disappointingly the only cafe was closed and the village deserted.

A tough climb out of Bucks Mills and then back into the woods before eventually joining Hobby Drive, which was not a pleasant surface to walk on, for the few miles to Clovelly and the Visitor Centre. Again looking for a drink at the end of a long day, the cafe stopped serving hot drinks at 16:30 and all that was available was a cold drink before the centre was closed at 17:00! Not a welcoming reception AGAIN!