Date: 20180531
Stay: The Old Ship Hotel, Padstow
Activities
Rest day in Padstow. Since the weather is good, I want to make a boat trip so that I can view the cliffs from the other side.
After first walking a little through Padstow (this doesn’t take too long, but on request some pictures of pubs), I look at the offers of the various boat trips. I decide to go on a boat trip with the Jubilee Queen. An hour and a half, not too expensive and one doesn’t get wet (I did that already yesterday).
I get on board at the quay in the village. Fortunately the boat is not packed full. The GPS track below is from the boat trip and not from a walk (I still can not walk on water).
Afterwards we have to get off the boat on the beach, it is low tide and that means no water in the harbor.
There is a brewery in Padstow, the Padstow Brewing Company. I have to visit them. Google comes to help with an address and the route. First I have a Cornish Pasty and then I walk to the brewery. Along the way I pass the church and the cemetery. After that I have to go a long way along a fairly busy road, without a footpath. Not the best of walking routes.
In the end I arrive at the top (yes, of course it went up). A few more yards and in an industrial area I find the brewery.
I am kindly received in the middle of the bottling plant (or better canning), where plenty of beer is packaged in cans. They have lots of beer in bottles, but unfortunately nothing open … The tasting room is located down in the village.
When the brewer hears that I have come up on foot, he offers to take me down to the village. Given the walking route along the busy road, I gratefully accept his offer.
On the way down we of course talk about beer. He only found Heineken in Amsterdam, so I told him about Brouwerij ‘t IJ, De Prael, De Troost and all the others. The Padstow Brewing Company now exists for 5 years and they brew about 15-16 different beers in small batches. The brewery is running well, which is why they have been able to open the tasting room in the village.
Once arrived in the village, the tasting room is quickly found and that is where the tasting started.
Actually that was my rest day, a boat trip and a brewery visit / tasting. Great day for me!
Weather
Good weather today, better than yesterday. Sunny all day. There were some very dark clouds, even during the boat trip, but in the end it remained dry all day.
Lyric of the day
Today was largely dominated by beer, therefore Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers by ZZ Top:
If you see me walkin’ down the line
with my fav’rite honky tonk in mind,
well, I’ll be here around suppertime
with my can of dinner and a bunch of fine.
Beer drinkers and hell raisers, yeah.
Uh-huh-huh, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
The crowd gets loud when the band gets right,
steel guitar cryin’ through the night.
Yeah, try’n to cover up the corner fight
but ev’rything’s cool ’cause they’s just tight.
Beer drinkers and hell raisers, yeah.
Huh, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
Ah, play it boy.
The joint was jumpin’ like a cat on hot tin.
Lord, I thought the floor was gonna give in.
Soundin’ a lot like a House Congressional
’cause we’re experimental and professional.
Beer drinkers, hell raisers, yeah.
Well, baby, don’t you wanna come with me?
I start on time because at the end I have to catch the ferry from Rock to Padstow and I want to be there in time (otherwise it will cost me a taxi).
Before I start my walk, I first walk through Port Isaac. The town is famous because it the 
Although the sting is in the beginning, it is not that bad. The hills are not that high anymore, so every climb and descent is a lot shorter. There are a number of steep slopes to take, but I can manage that. However, I have to be careful because everything is wet. Especially on rocky stretches that means it is slippery.
After about 5 kilometer I reach Port Quin, a hamlet by the sea. Normally here in the parking lot one can get something to drink (from an old Citroen HZ), but today they are closed because of the beautiful weather. Too bad, I really would have liked a cup of coffee.
And then you walk on a not too wide path, along a cliff, and then there are about 10 cows that want to pass you. Going back does not make sense, then you get stuck on a stile. So, crawl against the edge as much as possible and stay as still as possible. The cows have a look at this, they do not trust it completely. Then they pass by one by one. One of the last is a calf and that needs more time before it dares to pass. But in the end it takes a sprint and shoots past. The cow behind it looks at me for a moment as if to say: how dare you against a calf …
Before I started the official walk today, I first went into Tintagel. The old post office is mentioned everywhere and the church. There are also the King Arthur’s Great Halls. Everything in Tintagel has a connection with King Arthur (even if only in the name). You would almost imagine yourself in the Middle Ages, were it not that it is all very touristy.
Then on to the church, which lies on top of the cliffs, a little away from the village. Of course with associated cemetery. There is a special old font in the church. After having taken the necessary pictures, I lit a candle so that the rest of my trip will also go smoothly…
Obviously steep as I have come to expect from the Coast Path. This was immediately after Trebarwith Strand, the last civilization before the end point of today. Unfortunately, this was a bit too early for a break, I had just started walking.
After all the ups and downs I finally arrived in Port Gaverne, a hamlet just next to Port Isaac. However, the height differences were not done yet. I had one last climb to get to Port Isaac and one descent.
In the end I was very early done today. Partly because I left on time, but also because the route today was not very long. Time for a pint at the Golden Lion.
Rain was predicted later in the day. Indeed, official weather warnings were in force regarding thunderstorms and flooding. But these are normally very local and the chance that you are affected is not that big.
Since I spend the night in Tintagel and everything is dominated by the Middle Ages, today a song by a group that makes medieval music (both acoustic and a combination of rock with traditional instruments). Today Spielmannsfluch by In Extremo:
Before I get there, however, I first have to cross the highest cliff in Cornwall. The ascent is alternately easy (read not too steep) and less easy (so steep). In the end I’ll manage it up to the 223 meter high top of High Cliff (original name).
After this tour de force it mainly goes down with some steep slopes before I am in Boscastle. There are a lot of people in Boscastle, which is probably because it is a bank holiday in England today. At least I manage to get a spot in the beer garden to drink a pint.
After I have also replenished my water supply (which is going very fast today with the warm weather), it goes on to Tintagel. It also immediately goes up again. After that it keeps going up and down with a few steep descents and rises. Eventually Tintagel Castle comes into view, or at least the remains of it. I left this morning extra early because I want to pay a visit. This visit also brings a number of altitude meters with it because the castle and everything that goes with it lies on two hills. But that does not stop me, I can handle the few extra meters.
Summer weather today, sunny the whole day. There were clouds to see, but they were further away. Actually too hot to trudge up steep slopes. Fortunately, there was a nice sea breeze, which gave a bit of cooling.
Today a more relaxed route. Although there were a few climbs at the last section. Basically everything that a South West Coast Path walk should have:
Something more about those rocks. The rocks are about 300 million years old and made up of the sedimentary rocks sandstone and shale (mud and other minerals). They were formed in the Carboniferous Period. Over the years the rock layers have become squashed and folded by the movement of the earth’s crust (the tectonic plates) to produce almost vertical strata in some places.
And again perfect walking weather. Cloudy, occasionally sunny and a nice temperature. Although there were occasionally dark clouds, it has remained completely dry.
This is my 10th walking day on the South West Coast Path. And a heavy stage is up for today. All documentation that I have (see 
The first part is very relaxed, at least after the initial climb. I walk without too many height differences on top off the cliffs and through meadows. On top of the world.
Then I am suddenly caught up. That is special, usually I am the one who passes people. It is someone who runs the part that I am walking today. I thought I was sweating a lot, but he is soaking wet from head to toe. When we talk for a moment, there is a constant stream of fluid from his cap. Am I glad that I can walk.
I was not planning to walk to Morwenstow, the route of today is long enough. However, there is a diversion because part of the Coast Path is impassable. This diversion is via Morwenstow. So if I am already there, then it is time for coffee at the Rectory Farm Tearoom.
And again I come across a hut, a very small hut this time, Hawker’s Hut. This hut was made of driftwood by a local clergyman. And again to get inspiration for poems (or to smoke opium). I wonder which one it was…
Before I start my walk today, I first go down to the harbor in Clovelly. They are moving someone which means everything on sleds (cabinets, washing machine, everything) and down to the harbor . There is a road behind the hotel near the harbor.
I also take this road and I return to the Coast Path near the Clovelly Visitor Center, after a long climb. I could have saved that climb, based on my overnight stay I could have used the Landrover service. But hey, no patience and so … Once on the Coast Path, a fairly relaxed walk follows through Clovelly Court Gardens with a hiding place called Angel’s Wings and a viewpoint to Blackchurch Rock.
Then it starts going down a few times and back up again. The first time to the beach at Blackchurch Rock. I try to get a good picture of it (with the holes visible), but I can not. For that I would have to go into the sea and I don’t want to right now.
After a few drops and rises, another very relaxed part follows past fields along the cliffs up to Hartland Point. Here it is time for a break and coffee at The Hartland Point Outdoor Café where food and drinks are sold. They also have a terrace and fortunately they have a few parasols open so that I can sit dry (see weather below). They are open every day and certainly with this weather I think that’s very good service. On the other hand, half the terrace is full of walkers, so rain or shine, there is always something going on here.
I only need to walk 4 – 5 kilometers, but these are heavy it says in the SWCP flyer. And they are right, the rest of the route is alternately laid back and then it goes down and back up again, up to 5 times.
In the end the last climb is done and I see lying beneath me Hartland Quay. That’s where I need to be, that’s my stay for tonight.
After a relaxed part immediately after Westward Ho! it is really going up and down again and up and down … So a typical Coast Path route. All in all it is manageable. What really helps is that after the last big climb the descent is very gradual. That descent goes via the Hobby Drive, a road to Clovelly which used to be a toll road. The road is called that way because building the road was a hobby for Sir James Hamlyn Williams.
Halfway through the Hobby Drive I meet a lot of people at a viewpoint. One of those people is Davey, whom I also encountered in Ilfracombe a few days ago. We walk the Hobby Drive together for some time, until Davey wants to drop the pace again.
Clovelly waits at the end of the Hobby Drive. Clovelly lies against the hill and has a very steep main street of boulders. Motorized traffic is banned and all transport is through sledges or donkeys. My hotel is halfway up the hill and I am well on time. Even earlier than my bags. So I will have a local beer while waiting.
The first activities of today were of a more domestic nature. Walk to the launderette and do the laundry. That went amazingly well, but I will spare you the details. And no, the lyrics of today do not come from Trafassi 🙂 (I am afraid that this one will elude most of my non Dutch friends, try looking up Trafassi and Wasmasjien and translate the song lyrics).
After the housekeeping was done, it was time to walk to the coast (only a few hundred meters). There I started with all beach bars going from left to right (not that there are so many). Nicely laid back on the terrace, reading a little, working on this report and doing nothing (except watching people).
Perfect summer weather to spend on the coast. Sunny all day and a nice temperature.
The Coast Path follows the Tarka Trail until Bideford. This means long straights that tend to become a bit boring. In Bideford it is time for coffee, at the White Hart Inn. While drinking coffee, I hear a song that I have not heard for ages, Son of my Father by Chickory Tip. Without knowing the whole text, I decide that this will be the lyrics of the day.
After Bideford, the path changes into a more Coast Path like path, along the river via narrow tracks to Appledore (this sounds like a place from Harry Potter). Appledore was and is known for its shipbuilding. This used to be done in the Richmond Dry Dock. That fell into disuse when a new, modern and covered dry dock was put into use. The Richmond Dry Dock is named after
Richmond Bay (in Prince Edward Island, Canada). There ships were built to a seaworthy level, crammed with wood and then sent to England. Here the ships were then finished and the wood was used for further shipbuilding.
On the quay in Appledore I can just see the ferry going to Instow. I could have taken that too, but walking is more fun.
After this welcome break I continue. Around the corner is a large church with a huge graveyard. The number of graves against the hill is amazingly large. I think they have never cleaned up a grave here.
On the edge of Appledore, almost at the end of Irsha street (a street full of nice colorful cottages) I come across a nice terrace. Since the view here is very nice and I still have time enough, I decide to go for another pint, a Dark Horse at the Beaver Inn.
