SWCP Porlock Weir to Lynmouth

Section 2 Porlock Weir to Lynmouth 12th April.

The sunny weather of the previous few days had passed. As we left Porlock Weir it was cloudy day with a strong westerly, biting wind.

The path crossed a couple of fields with little lambs as we left Porlock Weir on the path climbed into woodland. Glimpses of sea was all that was on offer on the first half of this walk and the sound of the waves echoed up through the trees.

There were still many interesting things to see on this walk. A couple of tiny Churches hidden away from the world. Tunnels that you have to walk through and other derelict tunnels near the track and a bridge over the path with a turret.

This was all seen from the lower path. then skirts the side of the Exmoor hills. There is a higher path with panoramic views, but we did not fancy the extra climbing and length that this entailed.

Soon after we crossed from Somerset back into our home county of Devon the Path opened out with better views. We found a seat made from stone into the side of the path and sat and ate our Lunch. The sun was starting to come out and we were sheltered from the breeze. Later we passed a stone cross now help together with a large
rusting iron bolt that seemed to mark a well or water source. Was this were Joseph of Arametha drank on his mythical journey to Glastonbury?

The second half of the walk is more open with some coniferous woodland and then into National Trust land. Here there have been some recent attempts to remove large swathes of rhododendron around the path that have smothered all around.

Eventually we left the woodland and came upon a tarmac road which
is followed for a short way. This road leads to Foreland Point Lighthouse. We would not follow this route today, but we have walked here before and the exposed and steep rocky path over scree that leads back around the other side of the headland.

There is sudden and dramatic change of scenery from steep wooded hills to open moorland and scree slope that we be more at home in the Lake District.

After the leaving the road the path climbs steeply and as we reached the ridge we felt the full force of the
wind and the lovely view down into Lynmouth and Lynton. We continued to climb but skirted the very top of the hill on a very exposed path. We would not fancy this section on a 'windy' day. The Third Church, Contisbury, soon came into view and we walked close by before starting our final decent of the day. Thankfully this was not too steep and we were soon in Lynmouth.

After a pit stop we found the Pavillion cafe for a drink and a well deserved piece of cake.
Unfortunately this was the end of our time away in Somerset at Minehead and the next day we returned home. We are now planning our next adventure and the next stages of the SWCP. There will be few walks closer to home before we get the chance to venture further afield but the planning has started.

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