Day 14 Ilfracombe to Hunter’s Inn

The Harcourt Hotel at Ilfracombe again fitted the pattern of the cheaper hotels being rather better than the expensive ones.

Today should have been a second rest day – and I would have liked to explore Ilfracombe – but a while back I realised that I would need to sacrifice a rest day to spread the mileage on the days before the big Minehead day. Thus, yesterday, today and tomorrow are all under 12 miles, so that (if the plan works) I have energy enough for the long climbs on the way to Minehead on Thursday.

I have also arranged to walk four miles beyond tomorrow’s accommodation (ie: to Brendon) to shorten the Minehead day – which helpfully is now the first day of an extreme heat warning! I will get a taxi back to Lynmouth at the end of tomorrow, and then the next day the taxi will take me back to Brendon, and relay my pack to Minehead. So the Minehead day will now be (only?!) about 16 miles (without pack) including Porlock Hill and North Hill. ‘In Minehead – not dead’ will be a satisfactory result at the end of Thursday!

Planning aside, today was the most enjoyable day’s walking so far. I walked initially through the lovely village of Berrynarbor, and then to (not quite so lovely) Combe Martin for early lunch. Then a very long and hot haul uphill for nearly an hour, at which point I was rewarded by glorious views, a nice breeze, intermittent shade - and Exmoor. I could even see Wales (though indistinctly due to heat haze). The next two hours provided very pleasurable walking indeed. I remembered that walking can be for pleasure rather than just to get to the next place!

I eventually descended to Hunter’s Inn, arriving at 3.00. This is one of the more expensive stays, and, but for one thing, justifies the expense – the one thing being no phone signal and intermittent wifi. Room, service, dinner, grounds all excellent. My room even has a balcony, though I did not use it as currently there is scaffolding around the building.

The wifi problems meant that I could not listen to the radio on my phone, so I had to turn a TV on to access Radio 4. Having broken my two week record of not using a TV, I then decided to try to catch up on ‘Better Call Saul’, but the wifi gave up and would not support Netflix.

I also recorded this video from the hotel.

Tomorrow will consist of: a steep climb from here, more Exmoor, a descent into Lynton and probably the famous cliff railway down to Lynmouth, and then four miles of the Coleridge way along the river Lyn. It will be a nice day if the taxi remembers to come at the end!

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Daily Data

Days left until John O’Groats	62
Route miles walked	204.96
Estimated miles until John O’Groats	849
Evening and rest day walking	4
Counties walked through	2
Ferry miles	0.4
Number of walking companions so far	3
Number of stiles crossed	38
Current sponsorship total	£12,183.82
Cast of characters (Bold = walking companions)	Jeremy Pemberton, Laurence Cunnington, Brad Poulson, Adele Poulson, Graeme Parkhill, Andy Hellwig, Patrick Lynn, Esther Lynn, Emma Rayner, Quentin Rayner, Sara Low, Robbie Low, Christopher Darwin, Heather Darwin, Christine Hytch, Chris Hytch and Annown, Hilary Edwards, Richard Edwards

Support the Charities

To donate to any of the four charities, click here.