Day 41  - Crackington Haven to Pendoggett

 

Date: Monday 14^th June 2010   Distance: 16.73 Miles

 

Julie from the B&B at Crackington Haven kindly followed us the 30ish miles to Barnstable where we needed to return the hired car. Although we had brought it from our home area we were able to leave it here. We had a quick coffee in McDonalds before returning in her car to her B and B and the bike. What a lovely lady! Her husband gave up his profession to be a local postman which he really enjoyed in this beautiful area. They told us that the caterpillar from yesterday is probably a  Garden Tiger Moth.

After a quick lunch we left them at 12.30 a bit embarrassed to have taken so much of their time. It was on to Boscastle.

 

We caught up a camper van, so we stopped to let it get ahead, the roads being so narrow, and we took some scenic pictures only to catch it up again and have to stop once more. The roads were a sure test for patience!

 

Boscastle was very busy & touristy. Stopped at the Mill Kitchen for our lunch, all they had left were 2 pasties and 4 sandwiches. It was a nice strong cup of tea and there was somewhere to lean the tandem out of the melee.

 

Walked along the stream until it became the harbour. There was seaweed on the harbour bed as the tide was out and boats were grounded. It was picturesque, but spoilt rather by the crowds. Verdant banks were topped with outcrops of slate. Pretty little houses & paths went through gardens full of coastal flowers (and a pungent curry plant.) It is hard to think that this was all devastated by a flash flood in August 2004. Hopefully the deepening of the narrow river running through the village and the management of trees above will decrease the chances of it happening again.

 

We visited the old post office at Tintagel (National Trust). They let us take the bike into the back garden through the main entrance. There were tapestries and quilts on display in a quiet haven unlike the touristy bustle of Boscastle. Maybe the flood made an impact on future tourist numbers.

 

The views were all hazy, but we could still see the GCHQ satellite dishes north of Bude. However we had not one glimpse of Tintagel castle. We had been there before so decided not to visit as we had less time today to play with.

 

The route had quite steep hills and we stopped for some cars to pass as we wobble as we struggle up. Also it is a big feature of Cornwall and Devon that the roads are not only narrow but winding and edged with high vegetation making it hard for even bike and car to pass. There were good views of the coast though. The last 5 miles were quite fast surprisingly.

 

The B&B was Lane End Farm at Pendoggett. It is a first class place to stay and a good position for a B&B. They kindly put our bike in the the conservatory as we do prefer it to be tucked away out of sight. Our room had a fridge with real milk which we really appreciated. http://www.laneendcornwall.co.uk

Local pub was only a few hundred yards to walk, the Cornish Arms and it had all the trappings of being a posh expensive pub but it didn't live up to expectations unfortunately. I notice that it has 5 stars on trip advisor now though.