First thing this morning (Sunday), Catherine set off on a hike along the Coastal Trail while I drove the car along to the next little village (Boscastle) and walked back along the trail to meet her. It was a fantastic day – mild temperatures, blue skies, no wind, great views… What more could you ask for?
This was our last hike in Cornwall and as we drove further north, we passed into Devon. Wandering as we usually do, we ended up along the coast just NW of Barnstaple just outside of a small coast village called Woolacombe. We found a campsite near there in Mortehoe, set up camp, had a rest, and started off on another hike along the Coastal Path to a small hamlet called Lee. From there, we were able to hike back to the campground through fields and along Public Footpaths and lanes. Everything is just so green here right now.
While out for supper at the Smuggler’s Rest, I decided to ask the bar lady if she knew the origins of the village’s name – Mortehoe. According to her, the name means Death Valley, and in the old days, some of the locals used to tie a lantern to the tail of a donkey and approaching ships would mistake it for a lighthouse and end up on the rocks, of which there are many sharp ones along this stretch of coast. Once the ship had foundered, they would plunder it. There was a large painting on the pub’s wall depicting these nefarious activities. Truth or fiction?? Hmmm.
Tomorrow the plans are to end up in southern Wales, but that’s what we had planned for today and we’re still not there. So we’ll see.
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