SWCP Day 3

Had a good night's sleep. I was in a sheltered spot with just a few sheep nearby, although last evening I'd seen two Exmoor ponies and three deer.



Elwill Bay

I was away by 7.10. The sun was bright and there were no clouds. It was a lovely walk along East Cleeve and then the descent to Heddon's Mouth and up the other side. Hat and gloves came off at the top as the day was warming up. Such a change from the recent cold weather.

The café just before Lee Abbey was closed so I stopped and brewed tea in the grassy car park. Then on via the Valley of Rocks into Lynton and down to Lynmouth for a pasty.

On the path up to Countisbury I met my first "thru hiker", doing the complete SWCP from Minehead to Poole, although he was using B&Bs. He'd done it last year as well but the other way. A while further on I met some others, just doing a section of the walk (like me), heading for their B&Bs in Lynton.

I detoured off the path to go round by the lighthouse at Foreland Point. The path to it was very poor in places due to scree falls but there was a warning sign.



Lighthouse at Foreland Point

I then rejoined the CP intermittently in and out of woodland. Much of the vegetation was almost tropical. It was a warm sunny evening, just perfect and I could happily have walked for longer. My pitch for the night was one that I'd heard of. I had a grid reference but unfortunately no GPS with me. However, with a bit of care, I found it or, at least, a decent pitch beneath trees just up from a stream. The birds are singing, food is cooking. Life is sweet.

Embelle Wood

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