Day 12, June 12, 2011 -- Bude to Hartland Quay

Golfing in the Rain

“Rain before seven, clear by eleven.”   If I hear that expression one more time....   I walked through rain and wind the entire day. But the rain doesn’t affect the locals, so why should it affect me?

Abseiling in the rain

As I followed the trail ascending the bluff, I came upon a group of school children from Canterbury. They were still on half-term, and were engaged in outdoor activities. Today was “abseiling” from the cliff top. We use the word rappelling more often in America, but that’s a French word and apparently the Brits prefer to use the Swiss word. (Don’t tell them, but I think it’s actually a German word.) In any event, abseiling in the rain would give Geof Chaucer a new tale to write about.

Footbridge at Duckpool

At Duckpool (don’t you just love those names?), I decided that the trail was getting too muddy and slippery to be safe. I abandoned the trail and followed country lanes the rest of the way to Hartland Quay.

Aileen and Martin



The country lanes added some mileage to what had been scheduled to be a 14 mile day, but with the easy walking probably didn't add any time.  Except for a few other walkers who similarly abandoned the trails, the only traffic I enountered most of the day were the snails crossing the wet pavement.  

At 4:30, I stopped in the pretty little crossroads of Lymebridge and had tea and pie at a beautifully restored mill and garden.  It was far too wet to tour either the mill or the garden, but in the covered patio I was able to change into dry socks.  The two resident dogs hardly noticed.

I didn't linger over the tea, because I still had another 2 1/2 miles to go.  I arrived at Hartland Quay about 6:30, totally wet, totally tired, and totally happy.

© 2011 Ken Klug