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

Devon: Morwenstow to Hartland Quay 20/7/2000*


 

Leaving Cornwall
 
Dark green fritillary
 
Sea spleenwort at Hartland Quay
From Morwenstow we walked downhill past the church and vicarage with its chimneys in the shape of different steeples, through a shady moist wood of sycamore and ash, across the stream, and then struck west for the coast through a field of mangel-wurzels.  The cliff-top path bordered fields of barley and hay.  The first stream we crossed, Westcott Wattle, had yellow pimpernel, after which we passed among sheep and cows.  Beyond Litter Mouth we crossed the more prominent valleys of Marsland and Welcombe that together form a nature reserve.  At Marsland we crossed the stream, passing from Kernow (Cornwall) to Devon, thus completing the whole Cornish coastal path. 
      Marsland beach was shingle and rocks and we easily managed to get over intervening rocks into Welcombe beach, where there were good rock-pools.  Here the stream came down over waterfalls, attracting grey wagtails.  We forded it on concrete stepping stones.  Having regained the cliff-top we found the next few miles were relatively even with no significant valley breaks.  The vegetation was tall herb and prickly scrub, with the usual hemp agrimony, sheepsbit, thyme, bell heather, wood sage and wild carrot.  We saw one dark green fritillary and three raptors – buzzard, peregrine and kestrel.  There were mild gradients past Embury Beacon, Gull Rock and South Hole Farm, with fields of clover and oats, adding further diversity to the farming encountered today.  The cliffs were generally sandstone above (often red Devonian beds) with the slates to which we had grown accustomed making a foreshore of vertical strata forming straight lines out to sea at various angles.  A large patch of seeding slender thistle had attracted a similarly large flock of goldfinches.  There was a steep descent to Speake’s Mill Mouth, where there was a double waterfall.  This was followed by a brief upward climb and then gradual descent again behind St Catherine’s Point. This was a strange half-dome rounded on the landward side but sheered off vertically as a rock cliff towards the sea.  We were then at Hartland Quay, a rather run-down location where the former harbour had been ruined by the sea and the only habitation was a hotel converted from a row of former fishermen’s cottages, where we stayed the night.  Sea spleenwort grew in the rocks and spray zone.  There were good views of rocks and cliffs, especially Warren cliff with Lundy showing clearly across the sea, and a wheatear.  Many people had driven here for the view and the hotel bar, the Wreckers Retreat, where there were photos of how the harbour used to look.
Entering Devon
 
Sheepsbit and thyme
 
Slender thistle

 

Speakes Mill waterfall
 
Sunset at Hartland Quay
Warren Cliff, Lundy in distance
 
Hartland Point
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