Week 2 Day 4 - Bideford to Westward Ho!

We decide to tackle the walk from Bideford to Westward Ho! despite the threat of rain in the air. We park on the quay in Bideford and, wearing full waterproof gear, head north towards Appledore starting at 0940. The path is interesting if somewhat muddy. It passes through housing developments, woodlands, fields, beach and cliff. Due to the heavy rain yesterday, there are frequent puddles and many that it is impossible to walk around.


By 1040 we have reached Appledore and stop for coffee and a toasted teacake in The Quay cafe - a very welcoming place with excellent service and good value. As it has stopped raining we remove our waterproof trousers and pack them in Liz's rucksack. Just as we leave it starts to rain again but only briefly.


We walk around the coast to Westward Ho! passing within half a mile of where we were on Friday last - 3 days ago! - across the estuary. The wind is relentless and cold (from the south east) and a few short rain showers keep us damp. At one point my hat blows off my head straight into a large puddle of water left over from yesterday's downpour.

As we walk around the sand dunes at Northam Burrows, there are a few hardy golfers out on the golf course braving the strong wind and occasional rain. We reach Westward Ho! at about 1300 after a walk of nearly 8 miles and sit on a bench on the sea front to eat our packed lunch. Afterwards, we walk into town seeking a hot cup of coffee and find the 1325 bus about to leave for Bideford. We decide to take it, leave our walking togs in the car and head into Bideford town centre for coffee.


Distance completed today: 9.3 miles
Total distance completed: 87.5 miles (13.9%)