Saturday 2 May 2026

Day 12 of walking
Bude to Crackington Haven
Distance: 18.95km
Total distance: 242.35km
Climbing: 760m
Total climb: 7,701m

First stop this morning was to Sainsburys to buy Barbara an eye mask. She likes a room to be very dark when she sleeps. Unfortunately many of the rooms we sleep in have thin or poorly fitting curtains and blinds and often there are street lights outside. She has been using an old airline “freebie” but the elastic has perished so it was off to buy a new eye mask. She now has a Sleepyzzz’s, 100% light blocking, adjustable headband, washable, with fleecy lining eye mask. Should do the trick.

We had a walk around the canal this morning. It is a popular fishing spot and there were a few anglers already set up. The canal runs right to the sea and there is a sea lock-gate holding the water in the canal at low tide. An easy grassy climb takes you up to the Storm Tower at Compass Point. It was originally built as an architectural enhancement to the coastline and was based on the “Temple of the Winds” in Athens. It is an octagonal shape with the eight principal points of the compass engraved on the appropriate face. It was gifted to the Coastguard and became a landmark for guiding ships. It is locally called “The Pepperpot”.

The walking continued to be easy on grassy low cliffs above surfing beaches to Widemouth (pronounced Widmouth) Bay. Once past Widemouth the hard work really began. The beaches gave way to an ever higher and more rugged coastline cut by deep and steep valleys. Four of these, and they had interminable switch backs or straight sets of hundreds of steps. There was some relief in woodland at the bottom of valleys and rolling meadow at the top of headlands. We stopped for lunch at Chipman Point on a bench that we discovered had “Poole 500 m” carved into it. We try hard to  think only one or two days ahead. 500 miles is just too daunting to comprehend.

It was a murky morning, no wind and not cold but a bit dreary. The forecast was for light rain from 2pm and we were hoping to get to Crackington Haven before then. We made good time for the first half of the day but when we hit the big valleys we slowed down a lot. We climb up really well but going down steep paths of loose rubble has to be taken slowly and carefully. Sure enough at 2pm the drizzle started, on went the rain coats and we had a wet last 20 minutes or so to the Coombe Barton Inn at Crackington Haven. This the first rain since leaving home 17 days ago so we cannot complain.

We had a number of stiles to climb today. In Ireland we had to climb hundreds of them but they are relatively rare on the SWCP. Today we climbed four. Usually at a fence or hedge you get a kissing gate which we find much easier to pass through than our inflexible old bodies trying to get over a stile.  I think those with a big pack on their back prefer stiles, or jst a standard hinged gate with latch, as the kissing gates are often a tight squeeze and difficult for them to manoeuvre through.

Crackington Haven is in a small cove with a lovely beach that is popular with families. There is the Coombe Barton Inn, a small shop, cabin café, large car park and about a dozen houses. The Inn is pulsating, the music going, and it is Bingo night. It is also Saturday night of a Bank Holiday Weekend so a bit busier than usual. We of course are tired and just want to get to sleep but that might not be possible for a while yet.