Bucks Mills to Clovelly

By: Mike

 

Tuesday 18th August

 

                                                        View from 'The Hobby outside Clovelly

Over the bridge again.  This time it’s to catch the dreaded 319 back to Bucks Mills.  We don’t buy sandwiches.  The plan is to reach Clovelly and get lunch there.  Our friend from yesterday’s bus stop is in the bus queue with us, on her way to work.

“Bus came just after you gave up”  I say.

“Well I got a lift, anyway” she replies.

 We walk down from the bus stop at Bucks Cross, back to Bucks Mills.  It starts to rain again.  Bucks Mills, forever remembered in the pouring rain. 

 The good thing about going the extra distance yesterday is that we only have about four miles to reach Clovelly.  The skies clear and it’s now a lovely day.  To add to our joy, the last part of the trail is on The Hobby.  It’s a gentle track descending through the trees to Clovelly.  The woods are mainly a beautiful beech hanger and there are glimpses through the trees of blue sky and blue blue sea.  And, guess what?  You can still see the Saunton Sands Hotel in the distance.

 Clovelly is something else.  On a warm day in August it is packed with people.  We pay our £7.50 and go down the cobbled street.  OK, it is very pretty. 



 The harbour at the bottom once shielded 70 fishing boats and dates back at least to Elizabethan times.  The Red Lion there is only doing takeaway.  We join the queue and get the inevitable pasty.  



 

The climb back up is slow and we are only just in time for the 319 bus, which conveniently stops outside the Visitor Centre.  Don’t get me started on the Visitor Centre.  Kitsch doesn’t begin to do justice to it – and you have to go through it to get to Clovelly.  'Tourist trap' - the term was invented for Clovelly.

 

It's hard to read, but the signpost at the top of the Clovelly village street reads 'Minehead 99 miles, Poole 529 miles.  Gulp!

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