Sometimes you miss what is right under your nose and
the world really is on your doorstep. Today we walked right from our front door
and within half an hour I was walking down a road I had never been down before.
Today was also different in that our walk was linear. It finished in a
different place to where we started and we came back using the bus. Usually I
avoid public transport like the plague. I like being out in the country due to
my highly misanthropic nature and public transport is my idea of hell. Today
however it showed us a marvellous way to march further afield.
 |
| Less than three miles from home and I've never been here before. |
I won’t detail the exact route today as if I publish
where I live you might come round and pinch my washing. The final destination
was Ilfracombe and this is where we caught the bus. As the sky seems to have
taken up raining as its new hobby we stuck to the small country lanes. These
are ideal when the weather has been bad and also if you don’t have any mud
proof footwear. It’s also a good way to start out navigating for yourself.
Footpaths can move and can be hard to find sometimes. Roads are far more
dependable and easy to navigate. The only downside is traffic but if they are
hidden away enough cars are few and far between. The roads we were on were
quiet enough and narrow enough to let Chuck off the lead for the majority of
the journey.
 |
| A different perspective of the local countryside. |
The area we walked in was largely free of any
settlements other than a few farms and hamlets. These roads don’t really go
anywhere in particular so are ideal for wandering around. The main roads around
tend to follow the valleys so you don’t get a sense of the scenery. As we
walked along I was amazed at how stunning some of the views are just a few
miles from my house that I have never seen before.
 |
| Vicious guard dog. |
After a few hours walk we came to the village of West
Down which is quite near to the A361, the main road to Ilfracombe so the volume
of traffic increased slightly. West Down has a church, a pub and a shop so is
an ideal pit stop if you need one. We didn’t however so we cracked on. We
crossed the A361 and headed towards Willingcott. This also has a pub but we
skirted around the village on the No. 27 National Cycle Trail. This is on the
route of the old Barnstaple to Ilfracombe railway line. It is now paved
cycle/walking route which is a popular tourist route.
 |
| West Down. Not sure why I photographed the church instead of the pub today? |
Past Willingcott it is downhill almost all the way to
Ilfracombe. There are series of reservoirs and dams just off the path leading
down to Ilfracombe. Obviously, one member of our group wanted a swim so in he
went. From here it was just a few miles into Ilfracombe. A point to note here
is that this is a shared walking/cycle path and it slopes quite steeply
downhill. Despite all the warning signs telling cyclists to slow down and sound
their bells, you will get lycra clad Bradley Wiggins wannabes flying towards
you at 40mph from behind you. So make sure you are ready to send them flying into
a hedge and then point out the signs telling them to sound their bell and slow
down if they get upset about it.
 |
| No. 27 Cycle Route. Keep watch for potential Wiggins'. |
I’ll not dwell on Ilfracombe. You can have an ice cream, look at Damien Hurst’s statue of something pretentious and then place a bet in William Hill and that’s about it. Oh and there’s a Co-op. The best thing about Ilfracombe is the view walking in. It’s like a George Seurat painting. It looks nice overall but look too close and you’ll just see spots.
 |
| Is it a fish? Is it a dog? No, it's just Chuck in his natural environment. |
Top tip, check
the bus timetable before leaving and also check if weekend timings are
different. Also if you have a dog ensure your bus company takes dogs. Our
Waverider buses charge £1 for a Petexplorer ticket. Despite never having been
on a bus before, Chuck seemed to cope quite well with it. This was a great way
of seeing more and going further than if we had walked back. Is there anywhere
near your house that you’ve never been? A road or path you’ve never explored?
Let us know if you manage to get a new perspective of your surroundings in the
comments below. See you next time.
