North Devon: Bull Point, Morte Point, Mortehoe and Lee

Date: Friday 12th December
Route: Bull Point Lighthouse to Morte Point, Mortehoe Village, Lee and back to the lighthouse
Distance: 7 miles

I'm conscious that this is the first blog post since August - we have actually done a few walks between August and December, but, apart from a few old favourites in Cornwall that I was too lazy to blog about at the time, not really any to write home about.

That changed this weekend, with a trip to North Devon, staying in one of the cottages at Bull Point lighthouse on the coast between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe (see here for more details). Built in the 1870's, the lighthouse is at the end of a very narrow winding lane, on top of the cliffs amongst dipping hillsides and alongside the South West Coastal Path.

This means that it is possible to walk outside the grounds and straight into the midst of a walk from the AA's 1001 Walks collection. The path follows the coastline with steep climbs and knee-jarring descents, alongside ship-wrecking rocks, deserted beaches and gorse bushes. The first landmark is Morte Point, a jutting headland with views back towards Bull Point and on to the sandy beach at Woolacombe.

From Morte Point a few minutes of hillside path leads to the road to Mortehoe Village, which boasts three pubs, a couple of village shops and even a museum. The walk then winds away from the coast, through a caravan site and beautifully situated farm and down a steep and leaf-strewn woodland slope into a wooded valley of moss-covered trees and rhododendron bushes. Once out of the woods the path continues to the village of Lee, where it meets up with the coastal path again.

The last section of the walk back to the lighthouse is typical coastal path - three very steep climbs (for which walking sticks definitely help to ease the pressure), a couple of corresponding descents, bracing weather and great views of the sea over to the right, the island of Lundy and plenty of crumbling rocky cliffs.

A brilliant walk in an amazing location to blow the cobwebs away and cleanse the soul on a chilly winter's day - definitely one to write home about.