The Valley of Rocks and Watersmeet

Wednesday 2nd September 2020

After four days in Dartmoor I had driven north to the Exmoor National Park, which is a place that I had visited only once before, in 2007, when I did a walk across the moor passing over the highest point in the park at Dunkery Beacon and completely ignored the spectacular coastline, but now I had a chance to correct that and spend a bit more time in the area. I was staying at the Caffyns Farm campsite near Lynton and decided that would be my first target, so under overcast skies I set off from the campsite into the Caffyns Heanton Wood. After enjoying four days of fabulous weather in Dartmoor conditions had now deteriorated as it inevitably does in Britain, but I wasn’t about to let a bit of rain spoil my holiday as I descended steeply through the wood. However, I couldn’t help thinking that it wouldn’t be enjoyable to have to climb all the way back up to the campsite at the end of a long, tiring walk, so I was already trying to come up with an alternative way back, though I was on a walk that was not yet completely planned even though I had already started it. My first goal was just to walk along the coast path until lunchtime, so after a brief visit to Lee Bay I walked along the road past Lee Abbey to the Valley of Rocks, which is a place that I had heard a lot about and was looking forward to experiencing, even if it wasn’t to be in the best of weather.

On crossing a cattle grid the coastal path leaves the road to a viewpoint above Wringcliff Bay that looks into the Valley of Rocks with the Castle Rock prominently the view. The rocks are much shattered leaving very low, but steep hills, while the most striking feature is the proximity of the sea with sheer cliff faces falling straight down. Some people were climbing up to the top of Castle Rock, but the path seemed too narrow to be able to follow them up so I instead took a clear, tarmacked path that passes to the seaward side of the line of hills and provides spectacular views up and down the coast while walking on a good footpath. Despite the poor weather the misty views across the Bristol Channel towards Wales were tantalising and the views up and down the coast were enthralling as I made my way along the path while trying to keep a social distance from the other people passing me. At a branch path I climbed steeply to the top of the ridge where I had a great view along the line of hills and was tempted to scramble all the way along, but although I was enjoying being at the top of the ridge I didn’t linger and instead reversed my steps back onto the coastal path.

Soon the path entered a wood and widens into a road as it enters Lynton, which is a popular tourist resort that is composed of two, twinned villages with Lynton at the top of the hill and at the bottom of a steep hillside, at the coast, is Lynmouth. A cliff railway links the two and the path crosses it three times as it slowly zigzags down the hill so I had three opportunities to see the railway carriages that are propelled purely by water as they travel up and down the hill before finally, and much to the relief of my aching knees, I reached the bottom. Quickly passing through Lynmouth while doing my best to avoid the crowds, I kept on the route of the South West Coast Path crossing the river and was soon climbing steeply out of Lynmouth. The main road follows the path up and must be a big test for car and driver, and it was very exhausting for me as I toiled up the path constantly climbing until finally the terrain eased and I could now enjoy the terraced path high above the sea that passes through the gorgeous vegetation of heather and gorse below Butter Hill.

Soon the path started descending towards the Foreland where a path signposted as being dangerous heads off to the lighthouse at Foreland Point and maybe with hindsight I should have tried that path as instead I followed the path along the top of the Foreland where I was exposed to violent winds that threatened to blow me over. Eventually I returned back along the ridge to the coastal path and followed it down into the sheltered Coddow Combe where I had my lunch. At the bottom of the valley is a tarmacked road that goes to the lighthouse and I followed that uphill even after the coastal path leaves it to continue along the coast as I climbed back up along the zigzags of the service road onto the heather covered moor to the east of Butter Hill. Soon after I veered off towards the top of Butter Hill it started raining and, thinking the rain was going to be here to stay I got all my waterproofs on before continuing to the trig point and radio mast that is at the top of Butter Hill. Turning south I came to the road at the small community of Countisbury where I took a path that after crossing a few fields starts to descend steeply through woodland to the popular tourist attraction of Watersmeet at the bottom of the East Lyn valley.

This is the spot where the East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water meet and where there is an old fishing lodge that is now owned by the National Trust and run as a souvenir shop and café. The rain stopped soon after I reached the bottom of the valley but would return periodically throughout the afternoon much to my annoyance as I didn’t know whether to wear waterproofs or not. I still didn’t have a route for the rest of the walk and dithered around for a while trying to decide whether to climb the southern bank of the valley until eventually I decided that I would stay at the bottom of the valley and walk along the northern side of the river following the course of the Coleridge Way. This initially climbs the northern bank before descending back down to the river, but is a delightful woodland path and was very popular so I constantly had to keep my distance from people as made my way along the path until eventually I returned to Lynmouth just as it started raining again. My idea from here was to head up the West Lyn valley, but there seemed to be no other way than to follow the route of the Two Moors Way climbing steeply up the hillside of Lyn Cleave high above the East Lyn River and then once I had climbed all the way up to the top I was able to turn right into the West Lyn valley.

This was very exhausting and very frustrating as I soon started heading back down the hill passing through gorgeous woodland to the West Lyn River at Lyn Bridge where a permissive path continues up the valley through lovely woodland to the village of Barbrook. To get to the campsite I followed the track of a dismantled railway for a short distance before a stretch of road walking brought me back to the Caffyns Farm campsite. The weather had not been too bad on this walk with the rain holding off for most of the day except for a couple of occasions. The scenery was spectacular with a lot of very steep ascents and descents that left me feeling very exhausted at the end of the day, which I feared might be the norm with walking along the North Devon coast, but with scenery as stunning as this I wasn’t going to complain.