Chasing the sunset

The apartment my parents rented

We are enjoying a few days in Westward Ho! We chose this location because of my happy childhood memories of the place. Actually I can remember very little detail of those happy family holidays spent here, but I do at least recall walking under that strange arch - a buttress I suppose - and my mother commenting on the dank smell on entering the holiday apartment - funny the things, the very few things, that stick in one's memories as a child. And I remember that awesome view...

The view from the apartment

Then there was that evening stroll with my father along the cliffs heading west, chasing the sunset. This morning I tried to find the place but could not... maybe my memories are all mixed up with the closing scene of Oliver - a film that also made a big impression on me: my mother took me to a showing in a big cinema in Southampton where I first experienced the wonder of surround sound. I would have been about 16 at the time.

"I'm reviewing - the situation..." from Oliver

The coastal path - was this where we walked?

Wherever it was, the fact that we walked together, just us two, is strong in my memory. Perhaps because I felt like was being treated as an adult. I don't know what we talked about. Possibly we didn't talk. Talking is often superfluous, inappropriate, especially for men-folk. Why talk when you can see?

So I followed what starts off as "Kipling Tors" and has now become the way-marked coastal footpath for several miles before turning back; deep emotions throbbing inside me. How I wish I could turn the clock back. You parents out there, invest time with your kids, do unique things with them. Treat them as sentient beings. Your time with them will be so, so short, before they grow up, leave home, have their own lives to live.

Westward Ho! was of course originally named after the 1855 novel by Charles Kingsley. Only later did it rise to fame because of Kipling's associations with the place. His novel, Stalky & Co, is based on his schooldays here and Kipling Tors is where Kipling and his friends used to smoke cigars and pipes and read books together. Which makes another connection, for the Jungle Book stories also made a deep childhood impression on me. And so I am a sort of mixed-up product of all this.

During our short stay here I've enjoyed running up and down the beach and swimming several times - the weather has been remarkably warm: both air and sea temperatures at around 15'C - and the waves are so invigorating. But regardless of the time of day (I headed out at 07:00 this morning) you will meet countless dogs and their owners. Not that I mind dogs (or even their owners) but it just makes it more difficult finding somewhere discrete to change as there is in variably an owner and dog approaching from either direction.

I did it!

On our last visit to Devon and whilst researching running or biking trails I came across the Tarka Trail, or was it Tarka Trial? At 30 miles it is one of the country's longest continuous traffic-free walking and cycling paths. And I determined at some unspecified time to do at least its southern 26 miles. And so, armed with the loan of J's bike and adequate clothing and supplies of food and water, I took the plunge and set out yesterday at 06:00.

My track in OpenTopoMap

You can follow my track in detail by downloading my track GPX file, opening a the link to OpenTopoMap, clicking the GPX button at top left and selecting the file. You can then zoom in/out and interactively follow the route via the mouse in the elevation profile. On a slow connection the underlying map may take a while to load, and the OpenTopoMap server appears to be designed to slow down if you request too many map tiles.

Or, in brief the track was 42.8 miles to get to the southernmost end of the trail, 26 miles of traffic free trail, and then home via the very busy North Devon Link road A361, a total of 106.7 miles, elevation gain 2054m, average speed moving 10.7 mph. The trail boasts two tunnels and numerous bridges under roads and over rivers, mostly existing but one bridge built especially for the trail.

first segment, courtesy Google Maps

The outward journey was selected by Google Maps with the bicycle option and was enjoyable - very little traffic, mostly side-roads including one segment of footpath. The Tarka Trail itself was delectable. It mostly follows former dismantled railway lines so the gradients are gentle. Initially quiet of Other People, the closer I got to Bideford the busier it became with a significant proportion of walkers as well as bikers, and of children whose riding skills were questionable.

The return journey via the A361 was gruelling, but then I expected no better. Never was anyone so glad to see the little houses of Tiverton perched on their hillside, and then to negotiate the roundabout where I left the A361.

The first village on my outward journey was Brithem Bottom. I'm not sure what was special about his, but on my return mine was, and still is, well imprinted with bicycle saddle. Another random observation was about Barnstaple, the termination of the Tarka Trial as far as I was concerned (the traffic free part does go a bit further north to Braunton Burrows and it would have been cool to go that far but, really...). Bideford and all before it was delightful. The locals had obviously tried to make the trail an experience in dressing up the old stations, adding Interesting Things to do or look at, and providing coffee shops and the like. And besides, Bideford is, in my childhood memories, the gateway to Westward Ho!

But between Bideford and Barnstaple the experience dwindled until at Barnstaple the Braunton route tacitly veered off across the bridge over the river Taw leaving those that didn't go that way with a quandary. Local inhabitants appeared to have interest only in giant Asda and Tesco Extra mega-stores and when I asked several passers-by how I might get from where I was to the A361 their response was a mixture of incredibility that anyone should want to bike to Tiverton at all, and ignorance as to the basic geography of the place. Oh, and my own chosen route had been over a foot bridge that had been closed, seemingly permanently. I had intended to take my picnic lunch on a suitable patch of lush grass at the Barnstaple end of the trail, but as no such patch existed I ended up in a noisy layby on the A361 out of town. No, Barnstaple is not the place for outside people like me. 

Here is a link to my photo album for those that cannot zoom in on the following.

first mention: a non-cycle part of Tarka near Dolton

Start of the cycle Tarka trail at Meeth

The old station at Meeth

Example of wayside interests

Example of frequent wayside sculptures

A former railway station

The new bridge over the river Torridge

River Torridge

Torrington station

The longer of two tunnels at Landcross

Girder bridge over the Torridge estuary

Looking back on same

The same

Ruin across the Torridge

First sight of Bideford

Bideford railway station that was

View across road bridge over Torridge

Ship wreck north of Bideford

Somewhere near Appledore

Mud flats between Bideford and Barnstaple

Sweet memories are a blessing

The present infinitesimal moment on which we travel through life leaves behind only a trail of memories. But even memories can be rich. We have just come back from a trip to visit Ali's mother in Devon and attend a nephew's wedding, and I had a day to myself whilst Ali went shopping. So I went on a memory trip.

Atlantic waves

Westward Ho!

My first stop was Westward Ho! It is possibly 50 years since I was here last and not much has changed. My goal was to taste the beach again and to locate the apartment block my parents rented. The beach satisfied: it is a long expanse of clean sand stretching over 2 miles. Of course I ran barefoot from end to end stopping only to take pictures and fight the breakers.

Looking south

Looking north towards Braunton

Around the tip of the beach to the Taw estuary

Towards the fishing village of Appledore

Westward Ho!

Zooming in to the apartment block

About here I would have purchased my daily icecream

This, I think, is where we stayed

In that door to the left - which opened into a dank smell

View from the apartment -
recalling that first thrill on arriving here

My next port of call was Lynton, or more accurately the coast to the left of Lynton. I followed signs for Martin Hoe and parked the car above Woody Bay. My goal was to retrace the euphoric walk I took during a Lee Abbey holiday. In fact I only retraced only a small part of it, but some is better than naught. True to memory I wore no top, but this time also barefoot.

Looking north-east from the top

Zooming in - the Valley of the Rocks is at top right

The glen leading down to Woody Bay

Woody Bay hotel

Looking west from the coastal path

Lee Abbey look-out tower

I followed the coastal path eastwards descending to Lee Abbey's beach which marked the starting point for my historic walk. I followed the coast westwards until defeated by unscalable rocks and sea, then retraced my steps to the beach where I swam for some while - the water so warm, so calm.

Regrettably I cannot remember how, back then, I continued westwards: there was no way-marked coastal path in those days. I think I must have used the road for a while before descending back to the coast at Woody Bay, but retracing that part of the route will have to await another occasion.

Lee Abbey private beach

The furthest I ventured

Lee Abbey

My last POI was Dunkery Beacon, the highest point in Exmoor.  Historically I would have walked here from Exford and continued on towards Dunster, but this time I cheated by parking perhaps less than a mile from the peak.  The views were fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Good memories, ephemeral though they may be, are certainly a blessing.

Towards Dunster

Looking south

The cairn

Towards west Exford and Lynton

An unknown hiker starts towards Dunster

This device wasn't there in my days!