Camel Trail - Wadebridge to Padstow

We drove to Wadebridge where we left the car and hired bikes to ride along the Camel Trail to Padstow.  The path was very good and flat all the way (5 miles).  It was low tide so the river so not looking as attractive as it might have done at high tide but nevertheless the views were great.

We left the bikes at the edge of Padstow and walked into the village, which was really packed with tourists.  We went to Rick Stein's Fish and Chips Restaurant for lunch and had beautiful fried goujons with chips.  We then walked up to the grass area above the village to see that view before we returned to our bikes and the ride back.

Although the cycling was not too tiring I (and particularly my bottom) was glad when we got back to Wadebridge.

Dartmeet

We took my mum on Wednesday for a walk in the car across Dartmoor.

We drove to Dartmeet where we had lunch at The Badgers Holt then walked along the river to the bridge.

We then drove on to Vennford Reservoir following the river Dart at times and climbing up to go across the top of the moor with beautiful views.

Whitsand Bay Part 2

In the past we have walked around Whitsand Bay from Rame Head to the Cliff Top cafe  and from Tregantle Fort to Portwrinkle.   So we can say we have done all the South West Coast Path we decided to walk from Tregantle Fort to the Cliff Top cafe.

To get to Whitsand Bay we have to go on the Torpoint Ferry.  Although we frequently use this ferry I have never photographed the view from the ferry.  Today was a beautiful sunny afternoon so I took the opportunity to take some photos as we were carried across River Tamar.

The walk from Tregantle Fort was easier than walking from the other end of  Whitsand Bay.  There were no steep ups and downs just gentle slopes.  However, after a time we had to walk along the road, which was not too busy, but nevertheless not as good as being off road.

W Cornwall Holiday Day 4

Our holiday finished today, but we determined to make the best of the time left.  We started by driving to Godrevy Head.  This is a special place.  To one side there is the wide sweep of sand of St Ives Bay, with the surfers at Gwithian.  Out to sea there is Godrevy Island with the lighthouse standing bright and proud.

As we walked around the other side of the headland we saw a seal bobbing up and down in the sea.  We looked down at the next cove and there were a number of seas on the stones.  They were well camaflouged against the grey stones but you cold see them moving towards the sea.  At one point I counted a group of about a dozen going into the water.

We continued walking around the coastal path admiring the views until we reached Hell's Mouth, which we had walked to on Friday.  This was not so spectacular today as it was low tide.  We stopped for a coffee at the cafe there - very good before walking back to Godrevy and seeing more seals.

As we headed back to Plymouth we stopped at Lanhydrock for a brief walk.  As usual the gardens were looking spectacular.

The trees were just beginning to change colour, and there was only one or two which were in their full autumn glory.

W Cornwall Holiday Day 3

We started today by driving to Long Rock, between Penzance and Marazion, to the free car park we found the last time we were in the area.  From there we walked along the edge of the beach towards St Michael's Mount.  The tide was out so we were able to walk across to the Mount.  However it was too early to go into the castle and gardens.

As we walked back to the car I decided to stay by the waters edge.  The tide was coming in and already the water was coming into the harbour on St Michael's Mount.

There were quite a few birds feeding at the edge of the sea.  This one group seemed to be a young family.  They were like little children running in and out of the waves.

From Penzance we drove to Sennen Cove.  We parked at the beach car park and walked towards the harbour.  We should have parked at the harbour car park as it was cheaper!  From the harbour we climbed steps up to the cliff and then walked towards Lands End.

After walking round Lands End and photographing the iconic signpost we headed back to Sennen Cove.

 After watching the surfers at Sennen beach we drove to Porthcurno.  The beach there had beautiful fine sand and the light yellow contrasted with the blue of the sea.

We walked across the beach and up steps to the Minack Theatre.  We saw that there was a steep flight of steps but thought we would manage that.  however when we reached the top there was more!  The steps were uneven, with no handrail and carved in the side of the cliff.  It was very scary!  There was no way we were going to go down so we had to keep going up.  However, when we looked along the coast the view was lovely.  Eventually, with signs of relief, with reached the top.  However, because there was a performance going on we were not able to go into the Minack Theatre.  Instead we walked down the road back to the car park.  The road was narrow and bendy, but not as bad as the steps!

W. Cornwall Holiday Day 2

The first full day of our holiday started off wet. Nevertheless we set off for St Ives.  We parked the car at Carbis Bay and caught the train into St Ives. (Free car parking rather than the parking fee at the official park and ride at Lelant!)  We spent the morning looking round the shops in St Ives and visiting the Tate.  The most interesting exhibit there was the balloons which we walked through - a giant ball pool with fantastic view!

In the afternoon we drove out to the Godolphin Estate.  The building is in the process of being renovated by the National Trust and the old buildings were interesting to view.

In the gardens there was a beautiful patch of wild flowers.

When we went into the small cafe for afternoon tea there was not only a lovely cake with lemon curd but beautiful table arrangements using the wild flowers.

 By this time the raining had stopped so on the way back to the holiday centre we stopped at the beach at Hayle and walked down through the dunes to the beach.

In the evening we returned to St Ives, again travelling by train, which took us to Porthminster Beach.

The train that took us to St Ives

 This time we walked around the coast from Porthminster Beach past the harbour and across the Island to Porthmeor Beach.  Unfortunately there was no spectacular sunset but the light was still good.

St Ives Harbour

The Island, St Ives

West Cornwall Holiday Day 1

On Friday 23 September we set off on a short break to West Cornwall.  Again we had booked 3 nights on a special deal at a holiday centre.  This time we were staying at Tolroy Manor, just outside Hayle.

On the way down we stopped at Newquay.  This was the first time we had ever visited there, even though it only takes an hour to get there from Plymouth.  We stopped on the road just by the Western Beach and had our coffee on the cliff top watching people learn to surf.  We then walked through this end of the town seeing what shops were there before our hour had run out and we had to move the car.  We then drove on to the other end of the town and after parking near Towan Beach we walked along the coast past the harbour around the headland to Fistral Beach.

We then walked back and ate our lunch in the gardens overlooking the island.

We then moved on towards Hayle.  We stopped again just past Portreath at North Cliffs and walked along the coast to Hells Mouth.  This is a very easy part of the south west coast path, a good path and no steep slopes.  Reskajeage Downs was covered in heather, but unfortunately most of it had finished flowering.  It must have looked spectacular a week or two ago.  However, the sea views were lovely.

Hell's Mouth

Saltram Gardens

We had not been to Saltram for a number of weeks, so we decided to see what was out in the gardens in this time between summer and autumn.  As we walked from the House to the Lime Walk we immediately saw colour under the trees.  There was a mass of cyclamen under many of the trees.  A lovely sight!

Warren Point to Stoke Beach

Yesterday the sun was shining so we decided to join up two walks we had done previously.  We drove to the National Trust car park just outside Noss Mayo (Should have turned right just at the Noss Mayo sign).  Probably won't use that car park again - very narrow road to reach it - the next car park along at Stoke Point is easier to access.

There was a steep walk down the side of the field to the coast path, but the coast path was a broad firm path and it was easy walking.  There were no steep sections in this walk.  The sea was dark blue and the foam on the top of the waves contrasted sharply to it as they hit the black rocks.

When we left this broad path to walk through woodland near Stoke Beach the path was muddier, and as we have found in the past there were lots of butterflies around, particularly red admirals.

The leaves had not started to change colour yet, but there were signs of autumn around, such as the chestnuts that were beginning to fall.

Bigbury to Westcombe Beach

When we walked from Wonwell in an eastward direction we went as far as Westcombe Beach.  Previously we had walked from Bolbery Down to Hope Cove and  Hope Cover to Bantham which is just across from Bigbury, so we wanted to 'join the dots' and link these walks.

We parked at Bigbury and walked to Chalaborough.

Chalaborough 

There was then a gentle hill up to the top of the cliffs.  From there there were wonderful views back to Bigbury and Burgh Island.

As we approached Ayrmer Cove there was a steep path downhill and an even steeper hill out.  Then we came to Westcombe Beach with an even steeper path downhill!  Although the walk was not that long (less than 2 miles out) it had taken us longer than anticipated because of hilly nature of the walk.  So we turned back.  This is not a walk I would want to repeat.

The path down to Westcombe Beach

Portwrinkle

We parked the car in a residential road parallel to the coast road.  We started walking eastward.  After a short portion up the road we turned into a muddy path that climbed up to the golf course. After walking through a couple of golf holes we came out to a cliff top walk with views across to Whitsand Bay.

We walked on to the edge of the firing range at Tregantle Fort.  The red flag was flying so we could not go across the range.  We had already walked this way when we walked from Whitsand Bay so we turned back and retraced our steps to Portwrinkle.

After lunch we walked in the opposite direction.  To begin with we came to the harbour, but it was low tide so there was no water in it.  We then climbed up to the cliffs to walk towards Downderry.  There was a lot of   hills in this walk and we were walking into the wind and it was very windy so we turned back after walking abut 30 minutes.

Photographing Dartmoor

On Saturday 10 September we attended an excursion operated by Dartmoor National Park Authority called "Capturing Dartmoor at Sunset".  We were picked up at Newton Abbott railway station by the Haytor Hoppa and taken to Hound Tor where we met photographer Rob Hutchinson. We walked around Hound Tor as he explained how best to capture the light and landscape of Dartmoor. We were then taken to the Old Inn in 

Widecombe-in-the-Moor for a meal and drinks.  While we ate Rob showed some of his photos and equipment.  The Haytor Hoppa then took us back to Newton Abbot in time to catch the 10 o'clock train back to Plymouth.  It was a most interesting evening.

Some of the photos I took on Hound Tor:

Flowers growing around granite

The sun coming through clouds

Gorse giving colour to landscapes

Interesting shapes of granite at the top of Hound Tor

Edges of granite often look like faces

The sun came up and shone in the distance 

The sun shining on the medieval village near Hound Tor

Hound Tor from the Kist (burial chamber)