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Day 10: Lundy bay to slate Quarries, before Tintagel (15 miles)

I woke to the Dawn chorus: A single wren then gulls tentative at first then their full on day calling. A robin, and then more wrens. Great tits and then at 6:10am my first chiffchaff of the summer. By 6:15am there were chiff chaffs all around the tent/one sounded as though it was on the tent! Time to get up. A bird dropping on the tent implies it was!!

A dunnock calling (like a door squeaking). After overnight oats and a cup of tea, I got the tent down and then set out at 8:12am for a short 1.25miles to port Quinn. At Epphaven the sun greeted me and lighter winds were a relief. I spotted an impressive quartzite intrusion with a waterfall.

As I continued through the morning I sighted fulmars nesting the cliff, a couple of furry caterpillars and lots of early blackthorn was flowering. Later in the day I hear Skylarks which were mum's favourites. 

I arrived at Port Quinn at 9:15am with apparently no water point I could see. There’s a pilchard palace - remnants of a curing cellar known as a “palace” - the slots in the walls held beams for pressing the fish in barrels. As I headed out I saw a National Trust lady who pointed out the water point just behind me. Not well signed as she said certainly not from my direction! I am trying to follow the principle of stopping every hour for water and chocolate (or equivalent). And taking it very steady this morning as I don't want to set up camp until 17:30 tonight.

I stopped for lunch at the Mote, (fish and chips and charged my phone) at Port Issac and filled with supplies from pasty shop - saved me having to go uphill to the Spar! There was a lovely couple having an early lunch above Port Issac, I’d followed from Port Quinn, we had a chat and took my photo and details to share with her sister and later then told another couple who ended up sitting by me at the Mote. They’ve taken details too. Then a new family who arrived asked what I was doing and I was also encouraged and said they’d donate. Another 2 couples along the way wishing luck - one living in Barnstaple has shared details in case I need help when passing through. Really appreciate meeting all these kind people.

And how the heck to go over this with the backpack now full of goodies. And then shortly after a double stile - how cruel!

And the real roller coaster begins Barrett’s Zawn, Delabole Point, Jacket’s Point - great names. But starting to realise I need to up my pace if I’m going to get near Tintagel. The hourly rest rule goes out the window but I still had enough time to say hello to young cow and got some licks on hand before descending to Barratt's Zawn.

Took each Zawn (7 of them) steadily and fuelled water and chocolate on the move.  Arrived at Trebarwith Sands, and after getting to top - met a gentleman who also took the Just Giving details - what an amazing day for talking to such supportive people - I tried one site in the slate quarry which would have been nice and sheltered but when I laid out the tent the site was too small. So shortly after found flat but exposed site above a renowned slate pinnacle. I could probably have continued further although it looked like it changed from wide grassy stretch to walled gorsey path.  I’ll have to see tomorrow if I missed a better site.

Pretty pleased with today as it is a “Severe” stretch and a had the full backpack due to the supplies. Not the greatest pitch I've done and on the clifftop the tent is feeling draughty but my sleeping bag is very snug so here’s hoping for a warm night. I can hear the church bells at Tintagel ringing above the sound of the crashing waves below. Every so often a gust of wind comes through and flaps the tent but hopefully I’ll sleep well tonight. Fingers crossed!


Re- reading this in the morning I have to chuckle that I seem to make more of the stiles than the dawns. Seven of them - the toughest psychologically was the last as I hadn’t remembered or named her (Backway Cove) and then the climb out of Trebarwith Sands. But I did it. That’s the main thing - and woken up by the wrens starting tentatively at first at 5am and then all around me by 5:50am and the gulls and crow I’m up for morning ablutions and to start the new day...











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