HARTLAND QUAY to MORWENSTOW Stage 15 (15th March 2008)

We were driven from Bradworthy to Hartland Quay and it began to rain as soon as we started to walk. In fact it rained all day. At least the visibility was much better than the previous day. This section of the walk is rated as the most severe on the whole path, with ten river valleys between Hartland Quay and Bude. The views were excellent from most of the clifftops and it even stopped raining for about 20 mins at Littermouth. Ronald Duncan's hut was open and would have provided a dry interlude but we decided to press on. Quite a few of the higher fields have been recently ploughed. Is this a sign of increased arable in this previously dairy and sheep country? We found it hard going in the rain, especially as the deepest valleys cluster close together just before Morwenstow. We were grateful that the church was open and we were able to have a rest in the dry and warm up a little before Peter collected us. The walk took us 6 hrs and was the most tiring section yet. NB the fabled Rectory Farm Tea Room, just next to the church, was still in winter mode and therefore closed. Memo to selves: don't venture on SWCP before easter.

Total distance walked 7.9 miles (12.5 km). Ascent on walk 750m

The South West Coast Path is the longest of the official UK National Trails, running from Minehead in Somerset round the English south west peninsula coast to Poole in Dorset. The total length is just over 1000 kilometres or, more precisely, 630 miles. Only very dedicated walkers could contemplate completing the whole walk in one go, although plenty of people have done just this. Received opinion is that it would take around 6 weeks, even for the most dedicated.

Get Ordnance Survey maps on your website to enhance the service and customer experience.