Friday 24 April 2026

Day 5 of walking
Woolacombe to Braunton
Distance: 27.11km
Total distance: 111.08km
Climbing: 171m
Total climb: 3,850m

The landscape has now totally changed. The high exposed cliffs with a rocky coast have given way to beaches. Vast expanses of golden sand. Each beach is separated by a low grassy mound. The tide was out this morning and so Woolacombe Sand was a huge broad bronze plain stretching for 3½ kilometres to Baggy Point. The official route runs slightly inland behind the sand dunes but when the tide is out everybody walks along the beach. Walking on soft sand in the dunes is difficult but the hard sand is easy.

Baggy Point separates Woolacombe Sand from Croyde Sand and is quite low and an easy walk. At the point there is a high almost vertical slab of rock and we saw one guy abseiling on it. We passed several others coming up from Croyde carrying ropes, harnesses and other climbing equipment. Also at Baggy point is the Coastguard Pole. A tall notched pole. It used to be twice as high and is made to resemble the mast of a ship. It was used by coastguards to practise the dangerous business of rescuing crew and passengers from stricken ships. They would fire a rocket towards the pole and attach a breeches buoy so that those in trouble could climb in and be winched to safety. When we were here last time Barbara climbed to the top of the pole but this time we reckon those over 70, the pregnant and anyone even slightly inebriated should not climb the pole.

The second beach, Croyde Sand, is the smallest of the three but the busiest. It is trendier and more glamorous than Wollacombe and is favoured by families and surfers. It also has more facilities than the other beaches. There was a good surf running this morning and about 30 surfies out enjoying themselves. There is another small headland and the truly enormous length of Saunton Sands. Behind the beach is the large dune complex of Braunton Burrows.

We walked through Braunton Burrows which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is the largest sand dune system in England. After a scary section walking along a busy road with no shoulder it is a flat easy walk around the burrows. It includes going through a golf course and an army training ground, and an incredibly boring flat, straight section on a gravel road that took over an hour.

At the end of the Burrows we turned and walked all the way back through Braunton Marsh on top of a stop bank (The Great Sea Bank) that separates the Burrows from the estuary of the Rivers Taw and Terridge. The edge of the stop bank is dotted with wrecked boats and small fishing craft. The stop bank takes you right into the town of Braunton – and its Tesco Super Store.

At Tescos we bought some food for dinner and a fruit smoothie. Our accommodation is inland so we didn’t want to do any extra kms to come back and find a pub. The fruit smoothie was to give us a sugar hit for the last slightly uphill section to Silver Cottage. The fruit smoothie is 250ml and guaranteed to contain 1 pressed apple, 5 crushed strawberries, ¼ of a banana, 3 pressed grapes, 4 crushed black currants, a splash of pressed beetroot and a squeeze of orange. We have had these before and they do seem to give you a lift near the end of the day.

Silver Cottage is 1½km off the Coast Path and slightly uphill. So an extra bit of walking today and again in the morning. It is a beautiful cottage in a lovely garden. We were welcomed by Sophie who showed us around and made us a pot of tea which came with home made chocolate muffins. The cottage has a breakfast room and lounge/kitchen downstairs and two double bedrooms and bathroom up in the roof space. We are the only ones staying here tonight and had use of both bedrooms. She provides a continental breakfast which will be a nice change from the full English. They also make their own honey and jam and get non-homogenised milk from cows we would have passed in Croyde. I remember non-homogenised milk from when we had school milk and there was a thick layer of cream at the top.

Today was a magic day weather wise. Clear sunny sky, no wind and the temperature got up to 18°. A long day but fairly easy walking. We also reached the mile stone of having walked over 100 kilometres. We didn’t talk to so many of our new best friends today. Just the guy with the stents and a very cheerful couple we see most mornings but they walk faster than us so we never see them for the rest of the day.