Putsborough to Ilfracombe

9/8/14 We parked at Barnstaple Park and Ride. Ample free parking and £3.60 bus ticket for travel around North Devon. As we arrived in Croyde, it poured down. Sid wanted to press on anyway, but that was the only time I needed my coat. It was off by the time we climbed the hill towards Putsborough. We joined the path above the beach and headed along the bridleway towards Woolacombe. Halfway along it, we were directed down some steps onto the dunes below. The sand made the walking more difficult so a pub in Woolacombe would have been nice. But it wasn't to be.

I couldn't resist this shot of Woolacombe Bay. We were heading out towards Morte Point now and the scenery became more bleak.

This is the path itself as it rounds the point. The scenery feels more remote than it's been for a while after this, but you can see civilisation up the valleys and there were several people around. We also started to see some hills.

We eventually came out on a road into Lee Bay. There were a few people on the beach here, but still no refreshments. The road out is a steep one, but easier than steps. The sign said three miles to Ilfracombe. The first one and a half were uphill. As you start to descend the other side, Ilfracombe does come into view, but the path veers off and seems to zig-zag around a lot before coming out onto the backstreets. Then you are directed through a park and even though you can see pubs, there isn't one on the path until you come The Boat House.

We had pints of Devon Maid (4%) and Autumn Devon Scrumpy (7.5%) for £6.40. The cider wasn't as bad as the beer, but neither glasses were clean. There was still time to go around Capstone Point before heading towards the harbour.

The Royal Britannia Inn was better than it looks from the outside. Two pints of Lord Nelson (4.5%) for £5.90 were had. That left just enough time for a pasty and the bus back to Barnstaple.