Time Departed: 9.00am

Time Arrived: 4.00pm

Distance: 21 kms 

Weather: Sunny, chilly, windy - Min 6 Max 20 

Accommodation: Orchard House Hotel, Lynmouth 

Feelings: Henk - Daunted, Di - Nervous

It was good news as I woke feeling fine so who knows what I had yesterday but it’s now behind me. We knew we had a big day ahead of us and the earlier we started the better to give us the time to take our time on the route. We packed before breakfast for a quick getaway and took our bags to the bar for collection. 

Before breakfast each morning Henk and I FaceTime with Mum and Sandra and Henk’s father. It’s good to get news from home and know all is going ok. 

Breakfast was at eight o’clock in the cosy bar area. We were the only ones. Once again we preordered our lunch as there was nothing between our two destinations today. 

The guide book said, “Porlock to Lynmouth…this stage will come as an unpleasant surprise for those who were hoping for a gentle few days at the start of the walk to ease themselves into the trip.” No wonder we had reservations!

It was a long day but not as tough as other sections we have done on the 1000kms SW Coast walk, especially in Devon. We took our time going up the steep ascents and as the descents were so steep we had no choice but to take it very slowly as well.

After three kilometres we came across the very small and ancient Culbone Church. It is England’s smallest and complete parish church and seats about 30 in the congregation. It was mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Access to the church is by walking so we weren’t sure how many would attend the services.

Once we reached the high point of 290m, the walk levelled out for a while which was a welcome reprieve and we could stride it out. It was still quite chilly today with a nippy breeze and the hedgerows were a good protection for us. We took advantage of the high hedgerows to have a ten minute morning tea break at 11.00am. It was cold and we didn’t want to stay any longer as our bodies can quickly stiffen. 

The gorse looked spectacular on the high steep hillsides. We looked across the Bristol Channel and we could see Wales. 

Near Sister’s Fountain we passed from the county of Somerset into Devon. The Sister’s Fountain which sits in deep woodland is a 19th century cross sitting on a spring well which legend says was created by Joseph of Arimathea by striking his staff onto the ground. 

We mostly spent the day in shade in thick woodland on the side of the cliffs closest to the sea. It was a welcome sight to emerge and see the sun again. 

When we decided to have lunch at 1.00pm we had trouble finding a sunny spot. Once we did we sat on the ground on the side of the path and ate our ham and cheese sandwiches from the pub. We only rested for twenty minutes before heading off again.

About an hour after lunch we came across an honesty box with drinks, fruit and chocolates. They even provided two chairs and a small table which was a bonus. It was good to sit in the chairs. Henk and I shared a coke before setting off again. 

The last three kilometres descending into Lynmouth was a chore and it took much longer than we anticipated as the path had mostly medium sized rocks. This meant we couldn’t stride it out and we had to pick our way over the rocks so we didn’t slip. It was very frustrating. The views over the cliffs were dramatic. 

As we looked back we could see the steepness of the walk.

When we arrived at our hotel we had to walk up three flights of stairs as we are in a lovley attic room again. We both collapsed onto the bed. We slept for about thirty minutes and when we got up to have a shower we both were so stiff we could barely walk to the bathroom. We won’t do that again and make sure we keep to having a shower on arrival to prevent the stiffness. 

Dinner was at the pub called The Ancient Mariner and we got stuck into a beef and ale pie with thick cut chips. We were hungry. The village is very pleasant with small speciality shops, pubs, restaurants which is access is for pedestrians only.

Lynmouth, a harbour village, sits directly below Lynton and is connected by two cable cars run by gravity using water tanks. As we are only walking ten kilometres tomorrow we might use the cable car and visit Lynton before setting off.

So, it was early to bed for us feeling rather chuffed that we had walked the toughest part of the walk climbing to only 290m but undertaking 1000m of assents. 

Today’s walking profile from Portlock to Lynmouth.