20180525 Clovelly – Hartland Quay

Date: 20180525

Time: 9:40 – 15:15

Distance: 20.4 km

Stay: Hartland Quay Hotel, Hartland

Walk

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.
At one point I am working my way up with left and right fairly steep precipices. I wonder where that will end and expect every moment that it just stops before me. Then I arrive at the top and what do you think? Nothing but green pastures with sheep and plenty of space …

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.
Hartland Quay is a hotel with an accompanying restaurant / bar, a souvenir shop and a small museum. The museum shows that this part of the coast used to have many shipwrecks (10 per mile it is said).

Weather

The start of the day is good, cloudy and not cold. It starts to rain around 11 o’clock. Not hard, also no drizzle rain. Real drops, but not too much. In any case, not enough to make my pants wet, the bushes that I walk through take care of that. I have my light jacket with me, but that is far too hot. In addition, my blouse gets wet anyway, I do not need rain for that with this kind of walk.

To speak with another hiker I spoke to today, we walked with our heads in the clouds today!

Lyric of the day

Because of the rain and because it is a fantastic song, today The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin:

It is the springtime of my loving – the second season I am to know
You are the sunlight in my growing – so little warmth I’ve felt before.
It isn’t hard to feel me glowing – I watched the fire that grew so low.

It is the summer of my smiles – flee from me Keepers of the Gloom.
Speak to me only with your eyes. It is to you I give this tune.
Ain’t so hard to recognize – These things are clear to all from time to time.

Talk, talk, talk, talk – I’ve felt the coldness of my winter
I never thought it would ever go. I cursed the gloom that set upon us, ‘pon us, ‘pon us…
But I know that I love you so. But I know that I love you so

These are the seasons of emotion and like the wind they rise and fall
This is the wonder of devotion – I see the torch we all must hold.
This is the mystery of the quotient, quotient – Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall.
It’s just a little rain oh yeah

Photos