Lynmouth to Hunters Inn Friday 27 September 2019

By: Mike
The Rhenish Tower at Lynmouth Harbour.

It's 08.00 at Starbuck's on Salisbury Plain and we have a decision to make.  But first, we need to get stuck into the American coffee emporium's take on the Full English - a warmed croissant containing a little cheese and ham.  The coffee is OK and plentiful.
The plan was to spend the first night in a warm bed at Hunter's Inn, about six miles along the Path from Lynmouth and then to camp for the following two nights at Combe Martin, with a combination of taxis to allow us to walk the following two days unencumbered by our gear.
But it's raining.  And the forecast for tomorrow night is utterly dire.  We are hardy, of course we are, but we really really do not fancy erecting our little tent in a storm.  Discretion, when you get past the age of sixty is always the better part of valour.  Using  my mobile phone we book ourselves into The Bath Hotel, Lynmouth for Saturday night.
"OK, but what about Sunday" say I.
"We must use the tent at least once" says Chris. "Think of the brand new sleeping bags and pillows and all the other stuff in the back of the car."
I make a mental note that if it is still pouring, we will probably find somewhere.

We get to Newberry Valley camp site (about which more later) in Combe Martin ahead of time - 11.30 and call up our cabby Andy to whisk us back to Lynmouth, depositing our overnight bags at Hunter's Inn along the way.

We buy sarnies and head up the steep path winding over the cliff railway.  It is raining. It is exhausting.  Why aren't we on the bleedin' railway? At the top we find a sheltered bench and eat our sandwiches.Then on to the Valley of the Rocks. This is familiar territory.  Why? We have done this section before.  Two years ago there was a reunion of Balliol pals at Lynton. Here's the very B & B where we stayed.

B & B where we stayed in 2017

It's only six miles to Hunter's Inn and normally a walk in the park, but the wind battered us and it was dead ahead in our faces. At one point we thought it was snowing - but it was foam from the sea 500 + feet below eddying up on the storm. There were squally showers too.


 Water everywhere and the river Heddon was roaring down to Heddon's Mouth.  We are so glad to reach the welcome oasis that is Hunter's Inn.

Last year the pub was bought by the National Trust for £1.2m.  Main reason was to add 2,000 acres to land they already had to help preserve wildlife, especially the very rare High Brown Fritillary.  Did we spot one? Of course not.





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