Introduction


When we started walking the coast of England we had no intention that this would become a major lifetime project. Having to make a last-minute arrangement for our summer holiday in 1987, we said "Let's go to the nearest piece of coast and see how far we can walk along it." It turned out well and we started adding further stretches of coast, initially once every two years, but soon annually, or even twice a year.

We had always enjoyed the coast - there is something refreshingly "edgy" about having the sea always at our side, and one of us was into marine molluscs. We also enjoyed long-distance walking and had long been involved in general natural history recording. This project enabled us to combine all three interests.

You soon discover when embarking on a project like this that you need a few rules, which evolve from the first experiences. Our main rule was that we should walk as close to the coast as possible, which meant beach-walking whenever we could (unlike the official coast paths that largely remain above shore, recognising that at high tides the beach may be inaccessible). The route should also be capable of being a continuous walk, so that when we came to an unfordable river we walked inland along its banks to the first place at which we could cross, whether a bridge or a ferry.

We only carried light packs, so that at the end of each day's walk we had the problem of getting back to our car where we started. Initially we walked back, but soon realised we would be walking the coast twice this way! We used public transport whenever this was available - buses or trains, sometimes adjusting our start and finish points to make this easier. Failing this - and it was often not possible - we would phone for a taxi (an increasingly costly option over the years). Having our car with us gave us more freedom as to where we could stay at night - and after a day walking and only light food we were usually ready for being spoiled by a good meal and a comfortable bed! Even so, we stayed on the coast itself whenever there was a decent option.

Each walk was made for enjoyment, it was not a route-march to see how quickly we could get it finished. We therefore took it gently at times when passing through pleasant scenery or where there were many plants or creatures to record.

In terms of biological recording, we systematically noted every bird, butterfly, creature or sea-shell that we came across, sometimes spending time searching for the shells. We could not record every plant in the same way - there are too many common ones - so we were more selective, noting all coastal plants and any others that were not run-of-the-mill.

In our daily posts, edited from our original diaries, we include a star-rating from no star to **** according to our subjective estimate as to how special that day was from the point of view of natural history. This score (and our daily records) will, however, have been affected by the weather - it is difficult to appreciate the environment fully, for instance, in torrential rain, and there are many more butterflies and other insects to be seen in warm sunshine!

A summary of all our natural history records on the walk can be found using this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1LLGD55lKRHYXd1SGU1QndrcUU/edit?usp=sharing





Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Cornwall: Crackington Haven to Bude 18/7/2000***


 

 
 
Stunted oaks
 
 
 
Mud-crack formation, Widemouth Sands
 
 
Ripple formation, Widemouth Sands
We collected a fresh-made lunch from The Cabin in Crackington Haven and ascended to the top of the cliffs, where there was view of the Aller Shoot waterfall.  It was steep down and up to a welcome seat on the other side.  Scrade is another large valley with a waterfall reaching to a beach of boulders and pebbles.  A narrow and precipitous path goes down but is hardly worthwhile.  We saw marsh valerian here.  There were excellent views of cliff rock strata from Chipman Point.  The cliffs from Dizzard to Bynorth were covered in a wood of stunted oaks, sessile, pedunculate and their hybrid.  With them were rowan, holly, hazel and a woodland flora of bluebell, primrose, yellow pimpernel, redcurrant, wood meadow-grass, wood sedge and ferns.  Because the oaks were short and they descended the cliffs below the path, we were able to look down on the tops of the trees and see purple hairstreaks resting and flying there.  We had our lunch on a seat overlooking the magnificent scenery.   
      Approaching Millook Haven we had to join the road to go down to the beach, a jumble of boulders and shingle, with good examples of folding in the cliffs.  Tangles of wire-plant (a native of New Zealand) were established among the rocks.  Returning to the cliff-top, a road came so close to Penhale Cliff that we had to walk along it, a view of Widemouth Bay ahead.  A path eventually leaves to Wanson Cove, whence we kept to the shore, crossing low rocks and intervening sands all the way to Widemouth Sands, where holidaymakers were surfing, sunbathing, kite-flying and game-playing.  The strata in the cliffs here are vertical, creating narrow rectangular caves, and there are large exposures of ripple and mud-crack formations.  This beach afforded a welcome chance of ice-creams on a continuously sunny day.  A path ascends from the far end along the low cliffs all the way to Bude, squeezed between the land’s edge and a road, mingling the sounds of surf and traffic.  At Phillip’s Point the cliff turf is part of a nature reserve and there were stonechats.  We walked on past Upton (the village where we were to stay the night at Upton Lodge right by the coast path) and over several hills to Bude.  From one of these hills, Efford Down, there were views to Lundy Island to the north, just visible in the heat haze, and Pentire Point to the south.  The next headland featured Compass Tower, showing the eight main directions.  From here manicured grass led down to Bude, with fishing boats on the river and holidaymakers on a large sandy beach beyond, grey clumps of sea holly on the dunes visible even at a distance.  The normal river crossing-point is the lock-gate, but it was under repair and we had to continue by road to a bridge in the centre of town.  After catching a bus and checking in at our B&B, we returned to Bude for dinner at The Falcon.
 
 
 
Acorns forming on sessile oak
 
 
Purple hairstreak
 
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