Quite an adventure today – and rather a long one. I left home at 04.20 and got back at 23.20 – obviously not all walking but rather a lot of journeying! My ultimate destination was Lundy Island which is off the North Devon Coast. Two minibuses going from SPR today and first of all a long drive down to Ilfracombe.
So many good memories of Ilfracombe – starting in November 1996 when we all went to devise a residential trip for Year 5 and 6. First actual trip was in June 1997, staying in The Youth Hostel, which no longer exists. As I arrive in the harbour car park at 08.45 there is a really comfortable feel of familiarity, the harbour, Raparee Cove – a place of fun and BBQS and the familiar signs for boat trips.
Our boat sails at 10.00 but we have to collect our tickets at 09.15. Some exciting photos on display indicate that we should see good scenery. There are an interesting array of cottages, etc to let but apparently none are available until 2023.
We eventual set sail , luckily it is quite calm but I hadn’t realised it took 2 hours. The boat is quite crowded and my seat is not in the sun so another layer was needed! As we leave Ilfracombe we can see into the cove so often visited and the grassy slopes above where we sometimes played volleyball.
As I look up I can see the regency building and the end of terrace that was once the hostel and the window to room 4 which overlooked the harbour- well I would have been foolish not to nominate it for myself! And I also think of Mike Marshall my ex chair of governors who helped two or three times – probably quite out of his comfort zone but good value. Sadly he died a few months ago.
Although 2 hours seems a long time it is quite a good antidote to a very busy and stressful week in London where circumstances didn’t give me the opportunity to actually go for a walk as I had hoped.
There are people on the boat going to stay, some doing conservation work and others to observe wild life. About three quarters of the we way across, great excitement as dolphins are sighted. I can see their fins that look black against the water AND THEN a small one comes right alongside the boat, undulating up and down and racing us – a magnificent view.
Soon the coast is in view and we can see the East side of the island. We will come into the harbour and will need to walk up a steep track before we can start our walk. The announcement says we need to board again at 16.00, so only 4 hours!
We decide we are going to get over to the west coast where hopefully we will see puffins. I have been advised that we won’t see much detail without binoculars! Some amazing rock formations along the coast and quite a few sheep.
A few flowers including some bluebells which only have three flowers on each stalk. We are nearing Jenny’s Cove where we hope to see Puffins, it’s by half way wall, we’ve already passed ‘quarter way wall’!
From a view overlooking some rocky outcrops we can see lots of birds flying in and out from the sea. We are able to spot some that are very small and have a very fast ‘wing flap’. These are the puffins, a couple of members of the group can see them through binoculars and we share them around. We can just spot the red of their beaks. Great to see them active but you would have to have very powerful lenses to see them as they are portrayed in commonly seen photos.
As we move further on there are lots of people sitting to watch the birds but strangely they are more difficult to see than where we viewed.
Next viewing – goats!
Two of us are feeling hungry so we stop to eat, a few went back to the village to get food at the pub and the others went on to three quarters wall! Having refuelled the two of us catch up with the others. Two more decide to stride out to the end of the island and the rest of us decide to follow the wall and then walk down the East coast.
The lichen is prolific on top of the wall and before we set off on the next part of the walk the sea mist starts to come in.
We wind our way down the east side and there are signs of quarrying and an abandoned house. As we meet the village we indulge in an ice cream but not the pub – no time! The church is quite dominating, and it’s soon time to wend our way back down towards the harbour.
Unfortunately we didn’t see the deer which were right at the end of the island. We did see a seal near the harbour, in the water on arrival and then basking on a rock on our return.
Certainly a place I’d come back too. A two night stay would be about right so you could really stop to enjoy rather than trying to see as much as you can but not wanting to take too long so as not to miss the boat!
So at half past 4 we set off again, a beautiful evening and still a calm sea. Back at 18.30 and then the return journey. I even broke my own rules of no Macdonald’s – no choice but I won’t make that mistake again. Just about 9 kilometres.
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 