No, really.
Archive for the ‘North Devon’ Category
This is England Leave a comment
Lundy from Mouth Mill Leave a comment
Lundy Island seen from Mouth Mill in Devon at sunset, back in 2007. A friend and I had just landed at the end of a great days’ paddling; whilst I fiddled with the camera, my mate got the dinner on.
Will and Kate 2 comments
We had hoped to celebrate the Royal wedding on the island of Lundy with friends; a 4.30 am launch from North Devon would have seen us on Lundy and propped up in the Marisco Tavern nicely in time for Kate to walk down the aisle. The windy weather killed this plan (in the event, H [...]
The Valley of the Rocks Leave a comment
We paddled the splendid East Lyn River in north Devon this weekend, trying not to notice the bitterly cold wind blowing off the Bristol Channel and up the gorge. I was a happy man as it was the first time I’ve been in a boat since breaking a rib a month ago. The East Lyn [...]
Breaking the Curse of Lundy (1) Leave a comment
I have been lucky enough to paddle to the glorious island of Lundy twice. However, both of my trips have seen the weather turn bad when I’ve arrived; meaning that it wasn’t safe to cross the tides back to the mainland of north Devon. Both times I’ve had to return – rather ignominiously - with my [...]
Clovelly 5 comments
Clovelly is a unique village in north Devon, its cobbled high street so steep that donkey-harnessed sleds were used to transport goods from the small harbour. Keep careful hold of your icecream.
Beach Work Leave a comment
There are no natural harbours along the north coast of Devon and Cornwall for about 25 miles either side of Hartland Point. Before the advent of the railway in the mid nineteenth century, the only economic way to shift heavy loads around was by sea. There were a number of man-made harbour quays to offer sheltered mooring (e.g. Bude, [...]
Heartland 3 comments
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 [...]
Erratum 6 comments
I’m afraid that I didn’t do North Devon’s Hartland Quay nearly enough justice in the book. Sorry.
Fellow Travellers #8 2 comments
Apart from Mrs R, the person who has paddled with me most in the research for South West Sea Kayaking is probably Andy L. Andy has joined us to paddle in almost all sections of the South West, including a spectacular week-long tour of North Cornwall that he and I did together. Andy is yet [...]
You Should Have Been Here Yesterday … 2 comments
Had a splendid weekend in North Devon, surfing my playboat and watching cheese eating surrender monkeys get trounced at rugby. The titular quote is a classic surfing cliche, made for the benefit of our chums from Kingfisher Canoe Club, who didn’t arrive until this morning and hence missed Saturday’s much bigger surf. All this sea kayaking [...]
Distraction Leave a comment
It’s generally agreed that I’m lousy at coaching (not a single qualification to my name, to my shame) but unusually I found myself running through a few things with a group at the weekend. At the location pictured above, I was trying to explain how to use tide races . However I’d chosen a duff [...]
1st NDSKM 1 comment
We spent a very pleasant and sociable weekend at the first North Devon Sea Kayak Meet, many thanks to Rob Mc for organising it. Met nice people, soaked up sunshine, enjoyed glorious scenery, ate burgers, watched dolphins jumping about. Splendid.
The Gathering Leave a comment
Off to north Devon this weekend, to attend the NDSKM. Could be fun.
Love at First Sight 2 comments
Will someone please lend me (give me?) $7 000 000?
Westward Ho! 2 comments
The weather has been fantastic, allowing Andy L and I to explore the coast all the way down into Cornwall. The Hartland Peninsula was fabulous, and now the Cornish scenery is simply mindblowing. I paddled this way ten years ago and remember nothing; did I paddle with my eyes shut? Only negative is that we cancelled [...]
Match Fit 3 comments
I’ve been alone for the last few days, as I’m ‘between friends’. Lots of photos of the front of my boat don’t make for great book illustrations, but it’s not a problem as I’ve actually already covered and written up this part of Exmoor’s coast earlier in the year. A bigger concern has been me, [...]
Decisions, decisions … Leave a comment
I’ve just come away from an interview at a school on the Devon/ Cornwall border, having withdrawn from the field whilst apparently leading. In other words, I’ve just turned down a chance of promotion, combined with working several miles from Widemouth Bay. The location was great but the job turned out to not be what I was [...]
Meteorology 101 1 comment
The photo above shows my friend Chris paddling in North Devon, back on the 5th of May. Since that day, every single day has been cold, wet and – biggest problem of all – very windy, here in the South West. Worse still, my weather lodestone Metcheck is predicting that this unsettled weather will continue for [...]
Louisa of Lynmouth 1 comment
Wikipedia knows absolutely everything. So much does Wikipedia know and know well, that it is now entirely redundant to attempt to impart any knowledge at all in your own words. After all, Wikipedia will always know it better and explain it better… ‘At 7:52pm on 12 January 1899, a 1,900 ton three-masted ship Forrest Hall, [...]
