Hartland Quay to Morwenstow

I forgot yesterday to acknowledge all the work Chris did on this itinerary. Because of his work, i was able to save about 30% off using swingeing Mac's Adventures. Thank you Chris!

August 7, 2025 from the itinerary: Walk one of the more challenging sections of the Southwest Coast Path - designated as "challenging - severe" in the guide book, This spectacular section is said to be the toughest part of the entire South West Coast Path and involves a long hard day of walking, with some very relentless and tiring ascents and descents. It is, however, definitely worth the effort! The Coast Path climbs above the rocky shoreline, notorious for shipwrecks (over 150 ships lost on the rocky outcrops between Morwenstow and Bude), past tumbling waterfalls, across secluded combes, crossing ten river valleys before easing on the approach to Bude.

There is a real sense of isolation here (as a note; I only saw 10 people all day) and the views are stunning, in particular those from Higher Sharpnose Point and Steeple Point. A less strenuous section, following enticingly sandy beaches, leads you into Bude and the end of this challenging and extremely rewarding section of the South West Coast Path.

Distance: 9 miles. 1850 elevation gain and 1500 elevation loss

Anticipated weather: overcast with rain at about 1pm.

Just a note - The above description is for the entire hike from Hartland Quay to Bude (about 15 miles) - I made the smart decision to split this in half. Because of this, I only have a total of 9 combes to negotiate (see definition below). Because of my wonderful planning (haha - pure dumb luck), I will miss one of the more difficult combes - maps have the wording "steep ascent on the South West Coast Path" and it shows lots of stairs....

What is a combe (sometimes coombe): a short valley or hollow on a hillside or coastline, especially in southern England. I will be walking 10+ of them over today and tomorrow. They tend to be very steep...

Breakfast was very tasty scrambled eggs (a bit dry for my liking) and sausage (I could have had 5 more). Buni also liked it - yes he is with me on this voyage.

I left at the crack of 9 and immediately noticed it was raining, so back inside for an annoying 10 minutes trying to get my rain poncho on. The weather report was totally wrong, but at least the rain was light. It rained all the time I was hiking....

Within 20 minutes I noticed 2 things - My body wasn't cooperating and I felt extremely out of shape. I hope this is just jetlag; otherwise, I won't be doing too many more difficult hikes. Also, I saw a bunny which left so fast I couldn't get a photo.

The coastline, what I could see of it, was amazing. Below are some of the highlights:

St Catherine's Tor - an unusual small mountain-like prominence believed to have had a Roman chapel or villa on top, with its waterfall tumbling to the beach. I didn't see a chapel or a waterfall, but nice thought.

The waterfall at Spekes Mill Mouth: the point where the two streams that rise on Bursdon Moor cascade down a sheer rock face and through a series of smaller falls before tumbling to the sea below. Not a really spectacular waterfall - I think there hasn't been much rain lately (before today, that is). No, I didn't fall off the ledge (see the video below)

Welcombe Mouth (spelled incorrectly in the video, ugh!) stones and another waterfall: a nice small waterfall. the guidebook suggested having lunch on the beach, but there were no benches around. The stepping stones were cool, but rather far apart for people with short legs...

Cornish border: yes - actually figured out that's what it was, I thought I was entering Cornwall, but the sign at the next style said Devon green...am confused

Lunch: of course it started to rain again. I took lunch at the top of the hill next to Welcombe Mouth - lovely view. While i was munching my carrots, a dutch couple made it to the top. The lady gave me quite a dirty look and I felt guilty for not offering to share my bench. See tomorrow for more info.

The view from Yeolmouth Cliff back to Gull Rock with its ‘Devil’s Hole’: I could actually see a rock that looks like a gull's head and it had a hole in it!

The remains of ramparts at the Iron Age fort on Embury Beacon: I went to look at where I thought it was, but that turned out to be the top of the cliff and I gently backed away - much too close to crumbling cliff edges. I took a photo of the photo cause i still can't figure out where that fort is....

When i finally got to Morwenstow i was quite damp and tired of going uphill. That said I was congratulating myself for missing the hill with all the stairs (even though I had to do several of these already today). At the top was a lovely tea house with big signs saying they were open. I walked inside and saw lovely devon tea services and then my hopes were dashed when the waitress said all the seats were reserved. Heck with them and they should take down the sign!

I stayed at The Bush Inn which was a very nice stay. The Bush Inn is a historic pub with roots stretching back to the 13th century, though some stories suggest its origins even earlier, around 950 AD. It's known as one of the oldest pubs in Cornwall and is a popular stop for walkers on the South West Coast Path. The pub is rich in character, with tales of its past woven into its very fabric, including stories of smugglers and even a ghostly sailor. 

Dinner was way too much food and i forgot to take photos - sorry - except for dessert. Had to have the scones because I missed my tea today.

Watch the movie:)