Day 39  - Hartland to Bude

 

Date: Sunday 23rd May 2010   Distance: 18.19 Miles

 

Our pub B&B at the Anchor at Hartland was a disappointment. The room was very basic and bed hard. It was a lovely star strewn night and I wished I was out walking with the women’s group on the Tarka trail, instead of tossing and turning. Several times I let in the night noises of hunting owls and gazed at the trillion pinpricks of light, trying not to wish the night away too fast. Book read and TV not working, one of us could sleep anywhere!

 

There were scrapings and whirrs from decorator’s tools outside the open bathroom window in the morning and on leaving the room we nearly tripped over a flex that obviously led to the man, who seemed hyperactive, dodging from one location to another. I wouldn’t mind so much only our bathroom hadn’t got a curtain!

 

After enduring less comfort than an old style youth hostel we went for breakfast-no choice for time- between 9 and 10, only to find that although we could see the table laid we were locked out of the room. Breakfast was ok when it came but it certainly lacked the hospitality touch.

 

When we left I am sure the decorator was burying a dead cat. What a strange place!

Up the road we passed a yellow-coated old gent we’d seen out yesterday driving a motorised carriage at a fair pace up the hill. Doesn’t do much for the ego to be out- stripped by one of these but we were hot already!

 

First point of note was Bursdon Moor that consisted of 2 cattle grids and an information sign but there was a good view out to Lundy. We zoomed down the main road for half a mile and after three -quarters we were in Cornwall. We went up 5 arrow, down 3 single and then 1 double- arrowed hills and the smell of burning rubber was ever pervading. Mixed with this was the scent of wild garlic in the hedgerow. I am sure that bluebells shouldn’t be out with the primrose but they looked spectacular together.

 

We passed a very well protected area full of satellite dishes and what looked like an almost uninhabited purpose built area for personnel accommodation in the middle of nowhere. We could see this from many view -points as we continued keeping the coast on our right and later it seemed to be quite high, not apparent when we were right by it, but makes sense if it’s purpose is communication.

 

Our Pit stop was at Duckpool, where we sat at the edge of the beach of no sand just flint like rocks – though the tide was quite high- watching impressive surfing and listening to the sound of the giant waves. A girl, in an ice cream van, was reading about beekeeping and selling Hokey Pokey, honeycomb ice cream. We were boring and had tea!

 

The last 4 miles were the easiest of the 3 days and we managed 30 mile an hour at one point. We ate a very tasty Sunday Roast at the Globe Hotel in Bude and discovered we had averaged a decent 7 mile an hour despite the semi-tropical heat – up to 30 degrees- and the hilly terrain.