A pleasant stroll through coastal heathland near Bude.
We met at Crooklets Beach in the car park behind Rosie’s. Half the price of the Council one next door. Coffee to get us going. It would have been rude not to. Then out to find the coast path to take us up and across Mear Down to ‘The Bungalow’ now grandly called Northcott House, a wooden building which looked like my old village primary school. At Northcott Mouth we headed inland following an old track up Bucket hill, resisting a second coffee stop at the very attractive Horse Box. The track lead us through an overgrown bridle path where an odd pink campion lingered. We will do this again in the spring when it is reputed to be “a wild flower fiesta” or so it says in the AA book written by Des Hannigan, Raz’s brother in law.
Onwards across fields of recently harvested crops to join the road to turn left towards Sandy Mouth. Only 11.30 so we had a wander across the wide expanse of beach, quite wild and windy.
A very pleasant lunch was enjoyed in the National Trust Café. Alas no crab sandwiches on today.
We headed back following the coast path to Northcott beach then inland again to find a lovely old lane through a wood to meet the road back to Crooklets. Some headed home. Others found a view over to Maer Lake Nature Reserve. Only a few ducks and Canada Geese to see through binoculars today but Jon found a very exciting ‘thing’! Then we had ice cream and were serenaded with live music. A very nice day somewhat marred by being greeted when I got home by my next door neighbour saying “Raz has gone to Derriford!”
Stella