Though mostly solid, the narrow trail was rutted occasionally, the walking wasn’t always even At times, there was a radically steep drop beside. Higher we went through the spring flowers, most of which we couldn’t name, but sea campions, scarlet pimpernels and gorse bush were three of them.
Somehow the trail didn’t seem to be overly steep to the point where you constantly stopped for breath, but when we reached the top of the tor at the viewpoint, we were happy to sit down. Here the view was expansive in all directions. It’s easy to see why people rate the Torrs as the best walk in this area of many splendid hikes. It took minutes to gather it all in, and the variety from town to farm to cliffs to the sea was splendiferous.
We tarried awhile, taking in all angles, soaking up the call of nature as the waves splashed far below. Unlike the Australian bush, there were few insects here. We figured it had to do with the cold.
On the return, we passed a few other hikers tramping up and exchanged cheery greetings, as you do on the trail in any country. I scampered down to the sea at one point to some steps set improbably in a rock wall that led to a small grey sandy section about 20 metres across. Just who would want to go there and how they justified the steps remained a mystery to us, so we headed back to Ilfracombe, totally sated, and eventually ended up at the Admiral Collingwood Hotel, arguably the busiest such establishment of its kind in this city.
It owes its name to the man who fired the first shot in the battle of Trafalgar and who took over when Nelson lay mortally wounded.
By 7 p.m. we were asleep in bed. Oh dear, what happens when you exercise!
Lorraine at the lookout over Hazel Bushes Bay
Bushwalk
