Weather the same as yesterday, I walked about 2.5 miles before crossing the River Brue and walked back to Bridgwater Bay. Then turned inland again at the mouth of the River Parrett. I looked across to Steart Point, less that half a mile away on the other side of the Parrett. In the distance I could also see the Hinkley power stations, where I intend to be tomorrow night. I continued inland on the 22 miles or so detour along the wildly meandering banks of the River Parrett and after 11.5 miles I reached the first bridge crossing. I continued on into Bridgwater for a mile to my accommodation for the night.

About 14.5 miles walked.

It was still sunny but there was a cold wind out in the exposed flats along the banks of the River Parrett as I returned back to Bridgwater Bay and the Bristol Channel. At the Hinkley Point nuclear power stations sites I knew that the coast path was closed due to the building of Hinkley Point C. I followed the designated diversion.

I was appalled find myself directed along a very narrow strip of land with long grass hiding holes in the very uneven ground. There was a high fence on the right hand side with a dense overgrown wood pressing up against it and a steep sided unfenced water-filled ditch dangerously close on the left hand side. I walked along the narrow path very carefully as it wasn't overlooked and there was no one else around. Then I crossed the immaculate new road to the site, with fast traffic and white buses passing backwards and forwards every few minutes carrying site workers. Soon the signage pointed me towards rough ground again but this time it was too waterlogged to walk through, so I had to walk on a narrow, uneven grass verge next to the heavy traffic before reaching the safety of a pedestrian pavement. On seeing the immaculate infrastructure for the traffic I wondered why a little more care had not been taken to provide and maintain a safe, diversion for coast path walkers.

As I walked the final mile of the diversion around the construction site and back to the coast I passed the mountains of rock and earth that had been excavated for the new power station, with huge machines moving on them that looked like tiny toys. Apparently 5.6 million cubic meters of rock and around 4 million cubic meters of earth were excavated.

As I was unable to get accommodation for this part of the walk I bivvied for the night in a sheltered spot out of the wind. It was a clear night with an almost full moon but the brighter stars could still be seen. It was cold. I lay there looking at the stars and watching the passing satellites but it was too cold to sleep. So after a few hours I remembered that I had an emergency space-blanket in my rucksack. With this wrapped around me inside my sleeping bag I got warm enough to sleep.

About 18 miles walked.

This stretch of coast had some very interesting natural features and rock formations on the beaches. The coast path is along the beach at St Audrie's Bay and Hellwell Bay so it cannot be used during high tides. There is no alternative safe route for walkers. The tide was low when I walked through. Some ledges and layers of rock have slippery seaweed and rock pools. Some of the layers look as if they are remnants of some huge man-made cobbled road.

About 9 miles walked.

It was a half-day walk into Minehead. The hills and cliffs ended just before Blue Anchor and the rest of the walk was easy going along the shore. The clouds rolled in as I walked through Minehead and arrived at the metal sculpture denoting the start of the South West Coast Path. When I first walked the SWCP, starting in 1999, there was only a small sign on the wall where the path used to start from.

About 8 miles walked.

A total of about 60 miles in three days and two half days.

Passing through: Porlock, Lynton, Lynmouth, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Morteho, Woolacombe, Croyde, Saunton, and Braunton.

I took a tent, a sleeping bag and an inflatable sleeping mattress to give me more flexibility over where to stop if I could not find or chose not to stay in accommodation overnight.

Most of the photos for this walk were taken on a film camera. I realise now that I didn't take enough photos.

At Barnstaple I had a wander around the town, as I had lived there for a time when I was a teenager. I had a pint in the Three Tuns for old times sake then caught a train home. I was working then and had to be back at work on Monday.

Minehead to Barnstaple: About 68 miles walked. 5 days.

Best:
Arriving at Ilfracombe at 1pm on Carnival day and deciding to stop, get a room, dry out, chill out, and later have a few beers and watch the fun.
Worst:
Miles of damp woods with no coastal views between Porlock and Foreland Point. Nice if you love woodlands though.

back to the Minehead start

Passing through: Instow, Bideford, Apledore, Westward Ho!, Clovelly, Hartland Quay, Bude, Widemouth Bay, Cracklinton Haven, Boscastle, Tintagel, Port Gaverne, Port Isaac, Port Quin, Polzealth, Trebetherick, Rock, (ferry).

When walking from Minehead to Barnstable last year I overloaded myself with camping gear, so for this year I pre-booked my accommodation in advance. My rucksack was much lighter and had nothing strapped to it.

Barnstaple to Newquay. About 125 miles walked. 7 days.
Total so far 192 miles. 12 days.

I ended this section at Newquay because it had a railway station. Back to work on Monday.

Notable: Mrs Dann's B&B.
After a hard 20 mile walk from Tintagel, my B&B in Padstow town centre took some time to find. There was a notice on the door: "Ring the bell and wait at least two minutes. Don't ring again. My feet won't get there any quicker". Another notice said: "No en-suite rooms. No TV in the rooms. No single rooms - you will have to pay extra".
When I told Mrs Dann that I wanted to leave at 7 am the next morning, she told me that I was "leaving too early for breakfast" and that I "still had to pay full price". I asked about a packed lunch instead but she "didn't do packed lunches". I was worn out and needed to rest, so I paid up.

Passing through: Perranporth, St Agnes, Porthtowan, Portreath, Hayle, Carbis Bay, St Ives, Sennen Cove, Porthcurno, Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance, Marazion, Porthleven, Mullion Cove, Lizard Point, Cadgwith, Coverack, Helford, (ferry).

I pre-booked my accommodation for this section.

Newquay to Falmouth: About 150 miles walked. 10 days.
Total so far: 341 miles. 22 days.

Best: My cosy accommodation in a little cabin next to a stream at Lamorna Cove.

Bad: The new Lands End Experience. A noisy, unattractive collection of down-market amusements and concessions completely out-of-place. I spent 5 minutes there and walked on. (It may have improved since then. ?)

Worst ever: I stopped for the night at Coverack and went into the bar of the Paris Hotel. The terrible pictures of the destruction of the Twin Towers were on the television. It was September 11th.

Next day, shortly after setting out, I decided to abandon my walk. I couldn't get those pictures out of my head. I had intended to reach Plymouth but I knew that I wouldn't enjoy the walk now. I walked to Falmouth and took the next train home.

Passing through: (ferry), St Mawes, (ferry), Mevagissey, St Austel, Par, Fowey, (ferry), Polperro, Looe, Portwrinkle, Cremyll, (ferry).

I pre-booked my accommodation again for this section.

Falmouth to Plymouth: About 74 miles walked. 5 days.
Total so far: 415 miles. 27 days.

Best: Meeting up with Bob Williams, a fellow lone walker, and chatting in the pub several evenings at stops along the way.
Worst: Walking the dusty paths with high rusty fences weaving between abandoned buildings at Par.

Passing through: (ferry), Mountbatten, Wembury, (ferry), (wading*), Bigbury on Sea, Salcombe, Torcross, Stoke Fleming, Dartmouth, (ferry), Kingswear, Brixham, Goorington, Paignton, Torquay, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Starcross, (ferry), Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer and Seaton.
* Wading the River Erme at low tide only.

I decided not to pre-book any accommodation for this section. During the last few sections there were several times when I had to keep going to get to my accommodation and other times when I wanted to keep going but had to stop because I had got there. This time I took a light sleeping bag and a bivvy bag in case I could not find anywhere to stay, or did not want to sleep indoors.

Plymouth to Lyme Regis: About 122 miles walked. 10 days.
Total so far: 537 miles. 37 days.

Bests: Sleeping out under the stars and having breakfast next day in Lyme Regis.
Worst: Having to wade thigh deep across the Erme Estuary in the dark at low tide, not reaching the opposite bank in the right place and climbing a steep muddy stinging nettled bank with no boots or socks on.

Passing through: Charmouth, Seatown, West Bay, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Osmington Mills, Durdle Dor, Swanage and Studland.

I didn't need accommodation for this section because I had retired and moved to West Dorset at the end of 2003. So I was able to take buses to and from the start and finish points.

The photographs from now on were taken on a digital camera.

Lyme Regis to South Haven Point: About 79 miles walked. 5 days.

Best: Everything.
Worst: Nothing.

Total: Minehead to South Haven Point: 613 miles. 42 days.

Only 613 miles? Yes. The Isle of Portland was not part of the SWCP when I started out, but it was by the time I reached the end, so I walked it later and added 17 miles and 1 day to my totals.

Final total: 630 miles. 43 days.