Log No 254. Sun 23rd Feb 2014 - Barnstaple to Westward Ho!, 17 miles (3862 miles walked)

After a quiet, undisturbed night (I had parked across from some office/industrial buildings in Braunton) I drove back to the Tesco car park in Barnstaple and started walking at 07.30.

The weather was dry but very overcast and a brisk southwesterly wind.

Now on the south side of the River Taw I was back on the Tarka Trail along the course of the old railway line which, with it's long straights, was becoming monotonous though I did meet some early morning runners.

The old railway station at Fremington is now a cafe but I was by it an hour before it was due to open at 09.30.

There was a 2 mile straight after Fremington and it seems to go on forever when you can always see the end of it.


I did eventually get to the end as it turned to run alongside the River Torridge, going through Instow then under the first bridge, which was the A39, and in to Bideford.

The wind was much stronger now and I had difficulty maintaining a straight line while crossing the second bridge.

Once across, the wind was behind me as I headed north on the west side of the Torridge.

It made a fine change to be back on a footpath again even if it was muddy.

If the tide had been out I could have walked on the shore but as it was in I had to take a slightly longer route round houses.

Coming in to Appledore I saw a boat race just about to finish, there were 8 rowing boats with a 6-man crew and cox.



I asked someone what it was, it was a Pilot Gig sprint race for senior veterans (over 50's), male, female and mixed.

I hung around for a bit to watch the end of the race and the boats coming into the slip.

Appledore is a small village and has a very narrow street along the front with houses right on the bank of the river. This is the third time I have walked down it and I cannot recollect seeing this small house squeezed between 2 others.

The house was appropriately named "Dolls House" and must surely have been a contender for Britains Smallest House.

With the tide still in I walked on the road round to Northam Burrows Country Park then, after sitting on a bench to finish off my lunch, followed the edge of the dunes round to Westward Ho!

There was 40 minutes to wait for a bus so I went into a cafe for a coffee and shared a table with a woman. It turned out she was the wife of one of the rowers in the Gig race, she used to be one of the crew herself but had just been told by her doctor that because her immune system was working against her muscles she should not race again.

In years gone by when a Gig sailed into a Cornish port the first rowing boat out to meet it got the job (and the money) of piloting it in.
The rowing boats were constructed from Cornish Elm and had all but disappeared before someone decided they should be preserved.
From that grew the present tradition of races and it is now widespread along the southwest coast.

She liked to talk and I was relieved when it was time to get the bus!

17 miles, unusual for a Sunday!!