This from one of many long distance walkers we met today. Why? Because our day started with steep ascents of three enormous cliffs. But more about that in a moment.
I’m usually very careful in my planning for these long distanc walks. But I nodded this time, and selected an inn a mile and a half out of town. This meant walking back after dinner last night (which made for a fifteen mile day) and walking back into town to meet Gary and Cindy after breakfast (which turned this into a nine mile day).
After a stretch of good weather, we were totally socked in this morning, with occasional light rain. So no pictures of the first two climbs, up Maynard’s Cliff and the even more challenging Higher Dunscombe Cliff. But the walks were beautiful, either in grassy fields with what would have been sweeping views of the coast had we been able to see, or through verdant woods full of wildflowers.
Although we had met very few long distance walkers yesterday, we met many today, including a cheerful German woman who had walked the West Highland Way (100 miles) with her little dog, then turned around and started the Southwest Coast Path. She had walked over 500 miles of the path, and would finish the remaining 100-odd this week.
As we descended from Higher Dunscombe Cliff, we felt the sun trying to break through, which finally happened when we reached Weston Beach.
We relaxed on the beach…which was littered with walkers doing the same. We also had a good look at the last major climb of the day, Lower Dunscombe Cliff.
”Lower” means by a few feet, and we climbed this 500 foot monster from sea level.
Once up this final climb, much of the rest of the day’s walk was over the rolling clifftops with sheep and cattle farms all around.
By mid afternoon we walked down into the lovely village of Branscombe, much of which is protected by the National Trust. At the heart of the village lie the old bakery and a thatched roof forge, the only one still in use in England.
We were staying at the Mason’s Arms, an ancient pub that offered what is reputed to be the best restaurant for miles around. We had an excellent meal and lingered for almost three hours, warmed by conversation with old friends.
