Heartland

Heather in the tide races, Hartland Point

A perfect weekend! Hartland Point is the centrepoint of about 20 miles of truly astonishing coast, straddling the North Devon/Cornwall border. The rock strata along the cliffs are contorted into vertically inclined zigzag patterns, with a jagged reef extending into the sea. Sandy beaches are few and far between, and landing is rarely easy or comfortable; thankfully I had a borrowed boat! Improbably, a small harbour was constructed in the midst of these forbidding shores; Hartland Quay. However, storms washed the stone quay away in the late nineteenth century.

We joined our friends Chris and Julia for the weekend. Julia isn’t a natural camper(!) but was reassured by the marvellous Stoke Barton Farm campsite. They will purchase The Times for you (the mark of a truly civilised place) and they serve hearty breakfasts of local produce in a huge dining room inside the farmhouse. If Carlsberg did campsites …

Hartland Point lighthouse

Duck Pool Cove

Blackchurch Rock

Julia

Chris W at Buck's Mills

 

3 Responses to “Heartland”


  1. 1 Mark G June 18, 2008 at 7:21 am

    Agreed Hartland is stunning particularly in a storm, we stopped there for a night whilst walking that section of the coast path. We liked the hotel so much that we stayed an extra night, although the weather may have influenced our decision.

    Did you visit the ship wreck museum at the key? I thought it was excellent.

  2. 2 Wenley June 18, 2008 at 8:12 am

    Jus wow!

  3. 3 Mark June 18, 2008 at 8:27 am

    I’m afraid that I can’t forgive the Quay Hotel for the meals we were served on Saturday night. In any truly civilised society, any chef serving gravy that looked and tasted like evostick would be taken outside, shot and fed to the seagulls.

    Mark R

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During 2006-8 I researched, photographed and wrote a sea kayaking guide to the South West of England; from the Bristol Channel to the Isle of Wight. I have used this blog to keep folk updated as to my progress and to reveal some of the wonderful scenery, culture and wildlife of this little corner of England.

Pesda Press Titles

 

Sit-on-Top Kayak Sea Kayak Navigation

 

Welsh Sea Kayaking Sea Kayak

 

The Northern Isles Scottish Sea Kayaking

 

Oileáin English White Water

 

Scottish White Water Kayak Rolling

 

British Canoe Union Coaching Handbook BCU Canoe & Kayak Handbook

 

Kayak Surfing The Seamanship Pocketbook

 

Scottish Canoe Classics Scottish Canoe Touring

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