Wednesday 29 April 2026

Day 9 of walking
Clovelly to Hartland Quay
Distance: 17.67km
Total distance: 193.99km
Climbing: 726m
Total climb: 5676m

Today there was quite a dramatic change in scenery as we turned Hartland Point, one of the defining points of the SWCP. From the Red Lion Hotel we started with a steep 250m climb up the cobbled street out of Clovelly. The first stretch was through the Clovelly Court Estate all very domesticated and ornamental, like a parkland. We came across an unusual ornate wooden pagoda like structure called Angel’s Wings. This was carved in 1826 by a former butler of the estate. After wandering through woodland there was a steep descent to Mouthmill Beach, once the haunt of smugglers and now the home of a lime kiln ruin.

Climbing steeply out of Mouthmill Beach we then crossed an endless series of fields and went through countless gates. It was a bit undulating but easy walking. In one field was a memorial to the crew of a Wellington bomber that crashed into the cliff when returning from a raid in Europe in 1942. One of the crew was F.O. E A Blair of the RNZAF so we could do our ANZAC Day remembrance even if three days late. From here as you approach Hartland Point you can see the Hartland Radar Station. When we were here in 2018 it stood out for miles before reaching it as a huge white golf ball sitting on a tee. Disappointingly the white ball has gone and it is now just a bit of metal antenna going round and round and making an eerie whooshing sound on each revolution. I have included a photo of what it looked like in 2018.

At Hartland Point the coast changes to a more southerly direction and the fun begins. At Hartland Point there is an 1874 lighthouse and seasonal café. The landscape is now dark brooding cliffs with jagged fingers of rock stretching out into the ocean. There was another memorial this time to the Glenart Castle, a hospital ship sunk by a submarine in 1918. 153 of the 186 men and women on board died. There were now 4 climbs to get over before the end of the day. Each seemed higher and steeper than the last but I guess we were just starting to tire. The woodland was now gone and we were out on the exposed cliffs with the sun and the wind. Eventually there was one last descent to Hartland Quay.

There has been a port here from King Henry VIII times and there was a quay very similar to the one in Clovelly. Lime, slate and coal were shipped in from Wales across the Bristol Channel and local produce such as oats and barley shipped out. With the arrival of the railway in Bideford maintenance of the quay stopped and by 1900 most of it had been destroyed by storms. In the 1970s the local boat club built a slipway so there is some sea access.

There is not much else at Hartland Quay other than the hotel. It is a lonely outpost of hotel, museum, bar and tiny shop. These are all converted from old stables, stores, fisherman’s cottages etc. Our ensuite bedroom was one of the corn and hay lofts. The Wreckers Retreat Bar is very comfortable and we had a great meal there of beef lasagne (me) and chick pea, spinach, sweet potato curry and rice with naan bread (Barbara).

The next two days are regarded as the two hardest on the entire Coast Path. The South West Coast Path Association rate each section of the walk as easy, moderate, strenuous or severe. So far we have done some easy, moderate and strenuous but we have yet to taste severe. Both the next two days are severe. The young fit and strong sometimes combine them into one day from Hartland Quay to Bude of approx 25km but we mere mortals break it into two shorter days staying a night at Morwenstow. There are 10 major ascents and descents in the next two days but we are now walking fit and are looking forward to the challenge.