Walked from: Rock
Walked to: Port Issac
Walked with: Annette and Kat
Distance: 12 miles
Home for the night: The Slipway
Weather: Blowing old boots
Photos: Near Padstow Bay / Annette and Kat in action / stormy sea / bit more stormy sea

Who would be daft enough to go walking on the South West Coast Path in the middle of a long period of torrential rain, flooding and land slips? When the whole of the south west is cut off from the rest of the country because rail lines are either falling into the sea or submerged by flooding? Take a wild guess…

Anyway, context of the walk established, I can tell you that we actually had a fantastic day, thanks to spectacular scenery, stormy seas and the rain gods choosing, for this day only, to show their benevolent side.

We started by the Ferry at Rock (where a sign in the ladies toilets warned of the dangers of flushing tea bags down the pan; odd), quite quickly putting the calm waters of the bay behind us. By the time we got to the beach at Daymer Bay we were seeing the full on stormy sea in action, and although we had some beautiful rolling countryside off to our right it was hard to tear our eyes away from the waves crashing against the headland and each other – a stunning display of nature in all its furious glory.

Made it to Polzeath quite quickly, which looked bewilderingly like a dozen other Cornish seaside villages I’ve wandered into over the years, and then it was on to Pentire Point, still with views back to Padstow Bay. And while the wind was with us all day it really made its presence felt there. Which didn’t really help when the hail started its attack… Fair to say, the weather was a bit too exciting at times… Huge relief to get to beautiful Rumps Point and have the wind behind us again!

A short lunch stop by Lundy Bay (yes, Lundy from the Shipping Forecast – what fame! what celebrity!) to refuel and after having a nose at tiny little Doyden Castle (built by some rich guy in the 1800s to entertain his friends in) and taking the less hardcore path Port Issac we had ‘arrived at our final destination’ before 3pm. Which was why I really had to have a cream tea. Even though I don’t drink tea. Or like cream… Well, it is my holibobs…