It had been tricky to find somewhere reasonably dry to walk so I decided on a route which involved coast and roads, so off we went to Polzeath and parked out at the Lead Mines, just beyond Pentire Farm, which is just a stone’s throw from the coast path. The sun was out but looking back to Wadebridge and Withiel I could see the rain was still falling. Eddie was full beans and ready to get going but looking at me and despairing at just how long it takes a person to get boots, waterproof trousers, scarf and gloves on. I had to be prepared for the showers that have a tendency to creep up behind and surprise me. As it turned out, Eddie was right to roll his eyes and tut because we hadn’t gone far before I had to stop and take a few things off due to overheating.
We set off in the direction of Port Quin and, with good visibility, I could see Tintagel church and island, the satellite dishes at Morwenstow, and right up to Hartland Point. I love our coastline and never fail to be amazed at the views up and down these rocky shores. With a strong wind blowing there were only a few birds to be seen, except for the pigeons finding shelter in the cliffs at Lundy Hole where they were clinging to whatever footholds they could find and huddling close to each other. I know they have very small heads so not very big brains but surely evolution could have taught them to move away from such a precarious perch and find somewhere a little more comfortable and safe to hunker down.
Down at Lundy Cove, above, the tide was nearly at high water and crashing against the rocks with a thunderous roar, so I wasn’t going to linger any longer than it took to take in the awesome and powerful beauty of the sea. There was a pile of ropes and debris which presumably had been hauled up from the beach by beachcombers after Storm Ciaran and left on the path to be taken away and disposed of.
At this point I left the coast path and climbed the footpath that goes up a steep slope through gorse and bracken to a stile which got the better of Eddie, and where I had to lift him into the field. The footpath climbs up hill and I was soon able to spot the sign which pointed me alongside a hedge, which gave me shelter from the cold wind but where there was standing water from the torrential rain the night before. The lane brought me into Porteath Farm and Bee Centre, which is right on the corner of the main road that goes back to Polzeath. We crossed over and, turning right, walked alongside the road for a short way before turning in the road for Mesmeer. We only met the postman, though I expect that in the summer it is considerably busier, with all the holiday cottages and barn conversions providing holiday accommodation.
Coming along to a T junction we crossed the road and through a small wooden gate to find the footpath across the field to then pick up the roadway to Roserrow Golf Club and The Point restaurant.
With all the tarmac roadways my boots had remained quite clean, but this was all about to change as the footpath took me round the edge of the golf course and over what was once just a very wet margin of the field through woods and reedbeds. When I had reached the Bee Centre, I poked my now redundant walking pole into my rucksack, where it resembled some sort of aerial pointing upward, which was fine until I had to duck down to get under blackthorn bushes that reached over the wet and muddy path. Somehow the tip of my pole managed to thread itself through some branches and entangle me. With Eddie on a lead, it was impossible to get free without taking my rucksack off which, teetering on the edge of a large muddy puddle, caused me to lose my balance and tread on Eddie’s foot. Moving quickly, I then touched down in several inches of mud. Oh, dear, I was doing really well until then. The path crosses the golf course and comes out at Shilla Mill, where there is an old granite millstone with the date 1591, which is when the mill can be traced back to.
The lane comes out inbetween the shops at Polzeath, where we went straight over and onto the beach. It was now time for a sandwich so, finding an abandoned picnic table outside a beachside bar, we sat and dined. After we had eaten it was playtime, and as soon as Eddie was off the lead it was up to me to throw stones into the sea and up to Eddie to try and find them while washing all the mud off himself. He was soon as clean as when he started the day.
With the tide still in I went up the steps off the beach and walked along to Baby Bay before taking the path back up to Pentire Farm.
It was a most enjoyable day with no rain but once I got back to Wadebridge and Withiel the heavens opened and it was back to square one.
Erica
