Hartland Quay to Bucks Woods

14/6/14 Another sunny day and we drove to Bideford Bay Holiday Park. The car park next to the shop looked to be close to the path and so we parked there and walked back to the main road for the bus to Hartland. A pasty later, we were walking along the shady road back to the quay. We'd already done the hill up to the toll booth and so we started along the cliff top.

St Nectans had been visible for the last few miles of the previous walk and was still there for the start of this one. The open countryside and cliff tops continued with the ups and downs as we headed towards Hartland Point.

There is no access to the Point and lighthouse itself and the area is a jumble of ancient and modern Coastguard and MoD structures. There is a refreshments cabin in the car park though which we made use of as it is the only one on this leg.

As soon as you round the point the character of the path changes for the first time in days and you find yourself walking through undergrowth and cultivated fields. There are still some ups and downs though as you approach Blackchurch Rock.

After that you find yourself on tracks in woodland heading towards Clovelly. It seems strange that the coastpath doesn't go through Clovelly itself, it just skirts around the hills above with glimpses of it through the trees.

There are possible routes through it which would surely benefit SWCP and the village owners. We did decide to deviate to the New Inn at the top of the village for some local ale. The path continues along a wide track for a few miles before emerging out into some fields. Soon an unsigned path branched off to the right and within a couple of hundred yards, we were back at the car.