Having been given very good hospitality in Bude from John & Mary Smyth a retired Elim minister - Mary did all my washing which means in that respect I'm set up until the end of the walk. John took me back from Stratton to Bude and dropped me off at the Coast Path at 7.50. An early start was desirable as the guide bok stated that this was the most demanding section of the entire South West Coast Path. So I set off taking the view of taking it steady and not rushiing up inclines. I was at Sandy Bay at 8.40, Duckpool by 9.10 and was passing the radar/ satelite station above Lowwer Sharpnose Point. After this some of the ups and downs began to come with short stretches of reasonably level walking at the top of the plateau. 10.20 at Hippa Rock, 11.00 Vicarage Cliff [the local church was visible inland but no viacarage!], 11.30 Henna Cliff and for the first time I had a really good view of Lundy Island to the north, 1`2.30 Marsland Cl;iff and at 12.55 I crossed the bridge over the strewam called Marsland Water which has signs indicating that I had passed from Cornwall [Kernow] into Devon. Jubilation as this marked another milestone and home seemed so much nearer and I had survived the North Coast of cornwall which was not as bad as many had said. Maybe I'm just that much fitter. At 1.10 I stopped for lunch at Ronald Dun cans hut, which was open to the public so I said comfortably inside for half an hour.
After lunch I resumed walking and at 1.40 arrived at Welcome Mouth where I met two men running from Hartland Quay to Bude. We stopped and chatted and they said that I would be at Elmscott soon after 2.00 and that to stop there until the Youth Hostel was open to book me in at 5.00 was a bit daft and uggested I went on to Hartland Quay which wou;ld also shorten the next days journey which was quite long. At 2.45 I was at Sandhole where it is necessary to turn inland for the Youth Hosterl. so I rand the hotel [the guys I met gave me the telephone number] and I booked a room. At 3.45 I arrived at Speakes Mill Mouth where ther is an amazing waterfall. The stream runs down the valley and then at the beach cascades down an almost sheer slate rock face into a rock gully and runs for 40 yards and then there is another smaller waterfall before the stream enters the sea. At 4.10 I arrived at Hartland Quay Hotel which was about three strenuous miles on from Elmscott.
Distance walked 15 miles
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