[barryd]

We did go to Bergh island today. Well Michelle did. I just observed. Didn't manage to go kayaking but maybe tomorrow. We were going to go to Newton Ferrer's as I remember it being a nice spot from winter 2009/10 when we went. It was like a ghost town then in January. Second homes I bet we decided not to bother. We don't take the van anywhere apart from CL to CL. Over 600 miles on the scooter so far in just two and a half weeks!

The back road to Bergh island alongside the tidal river was interesting as the road itself is tidal! Bit off-putting riding through seaweed.

Sadly it looks like the weather will change over the weekend. Moving to Cornwall on Monday.

 

[Penquin]

You had said you wanted to go kayaking and I knew you’d be on the scooter, so there was no point warning you and spoiling your fun !

What did she think of Burch Island ?

If you go to Noss Mayo rather than Newton Ferrers, it’s smaller, less touristy and worth going to - good pub food too, we prefer The Ship to the Swan, but both are OK. Bothare near the estuary, although the Swan is nearest !if the Tide is High, the views are superb, if Low,n there is a lot of mud….. Sadly, tomorrow and Sunday High Tide is mid morning, so you are on an ebb tide at lunchtime, but they are not massive tides as are midrange - neap tides are in about 8 days.

 

[barryd]

She never explored the whole island but thought it was interesting.

If my knees are not too bad in the morning I might take the kayak to the slipway at hope cove about 9 am when the tides almost in

 

[Penquin]

High Tide 0939 5.08 m

Low ride 1545 1.07 m

so tidal range of around 4.0m, not too bad…. There will be a current along the shore once outside the shelter of the headland, heading NW, winds light (14 kph) from the NE so not directly opposed to current so no steep waves.

 

[barryd]

High Tide 0939 5.08 m

Low ride 1545 1.07 m

so tidal range of around 4.0m, not too bad…. There will be a current along the shore once outside the shelter of the headland, heading NW, winds light (14 kph) from the NE so not directly opposed to current so no steep waves.

Thanks Dave. However I have decided to abandon kayaking once again, partly because I just ache too much but in favour of a bit of an adventure over to the opposite side to Salcombe and for Michelle to walk to Gara Rock. I think it will also give us the opportunity to see all the inlets at high tide so we are going to take the bike round in about an hour.

Disappointed about the kayaking but hopefully there will be other opportunities. I like plotting the routes and getting down all the little lanes to the beaches etc on the bike anyway.

 

[Penquin]

Worth going to Hallsands / Beesands - most of villages washed away in hurricane force storm, attributed to the removal of millions of tons of sand from the offshore shoal that used to protect the coast. The sand was used for the construction of the Plymouth Breakwater….. Not far from the tank of course

 

[barryd]

Worth going to Hallsands / Beesands - most of villages washed away in hurricane force storm, attributed to the removal of millions of tons of sand from the offshore shoal that used to protect the coast. The sand was used for the construction of the Plymouth Breakwater….. Not far from the tank of course

Thanks again. Added to intinery! Thank god for Google maps!

 

[Penquin]

And my memory……

I do have very extensive knowledge of the sea around the SW after spending a rather large amount of time blowing bubbles….. the number of wrecks is astounding, Cornwall more than Devon, but N Devon and Lundy are well “wrecked” sites with some great stories about what happened and how….

Probably one of the most spectacular is the tale of HMS Montagu a full blown battle cruiser which was wrecked on the souther tip of Lundy by incompetent navigation - now resting in less than 10m of water and a source of pre-radioactive age steel, which is apparently necessary for some instruments. As she had 14” thick sides there is plenty there !

Incompetent navigation of course is the reason a whole fleet was wrecked on the Isles of Scilly - the Association and Sir Cloudesley Shovell. Or the TorreyCanyon in the late 1960’s - one of the oddest wrecks I have visited…. The oil obviously tainted everything (including most of Cornwall and South Wales, but the steel of the plates was still unsettled by organisms when I dived her around 1992.

Obviously it has long been the practice of those that venture into the Briny. I always think of that when I board the Brittany Ferry ! But, hopefully it’s safe and is not a problem for those using the tunnel !

Enjoy your day, while I reminisce……

 

[barryd]

And my memory……

I do have very extensive knowledge of the sea around the SW after spending a rather large amount of time blowing bubbles….. the number of wrecks is astounding, Cornwall more than Devon, but N Devon and Lundy are well “wrecked” sites with some great stories about what happened and how….

Probably one of the most spectacular is the tale of HMS Montagu a full blown battle cruiser which was wrecked on the souther tip of Lundy by incompetent navigation - now resting in less than 10m of water and a source of pre-radioactive age steel, which is apparently necessary for some instruments. As she had 14” thick sides there is plenty there !

Incompetent navigation of course is the reason a whole fleet was wrecked on the Isles of Scilly - the Association and Sir Cloudesley Shovell. Or the TorreyCanyon in the late 1960’s - one of the oddest wrecks I have visited…. The oil obviously tainted everything (including most of Cornwall and South Wales, but the steel of the plates was still unsettled by organisms when I dived her around 1992.

Obviously it has long been the practice of those that venture into the Briny. I always think of that when I board the Brittany Ferry ! But, hopefully it’s safe and is not a problem for those using the tunnel !

Enjoy your day, while I reminisce……

I remember my Brother telling me about Sir Cloudesley Shovell after he took a load of kids to the Scilly's in the late 80s. Well I say I remember. I don't really.

The walk to Gara Rock was a success but the road round to Mill Bay following the inlets was hillareous. A trail bike might have been more suitable as in parts it really wasn't something I would call a road. Some great views though and some lovely hidden away little places I bet even cars will struggle to get to.

Never got to the other two beaches you mentioned as it turned a bit dull and windy so we have headed back to Kingsbridge for something to eat. Will post a few photos later.

Another stop or maybe two in Cornwall when we move on Monday then we will hit the north Devon coast in a week or so probably.

Been a lovely week Down in Salcombe. Bonus is it's been cheap as chips. £49 for a week's camping in Salcombe. Would probably cost more in a bus shelter down here going by the priced of everything else. £11 for a 250ml can of wine at the little van at Gara Rock!

 

[barryd]

Few pics.

First one is the actual road

 

[Penquin]

Glad you have enjoyed the Devon Lanes…. Now think of driving an ambulance down those on blues and twos at midnight….. ideal for wrecked suspension.

What part of Cornwall ? You would enjoy the Rame Head peninsula just the other side of the Tamar, go across via ferry, not the bridge as they take you to totally different places. Probably see lots of short haired mate,or wannabe’s going to HMS Raleigh - they have a great swimming pool we used to use !

Michelle would enjoy the walk around the Head, superb views across Plymouth and back towards Salcombe on a clear day. The view of the Breakwater is good - big shipping uses the Western entrance, interesting experience there when RN were loading Sir Galahad for Falklands - Queen’s HarbourMaster shut down all sniping movements ….or else….

Brittany Ferry thought he could ignore that and set out for Western entrance from Milbay He was warned by radio repeatedly, ignored them all (Gallic shrug ?), he ignored the Harbour Police launch alongside.

Then came a RN Helicopter with a crate slung beneath it, hovered a few metres in front of bow at about that level for the container.

Real row over radio, told helicopter would not move, and it didn’t, the RN Boarding team went up over the side using ropes, stopped the ship, arrested the Captain and the ship was returned to Milbay for 24 hours, Captain taken off and appeared in Court for “Actions endangering safety of shipping, aircraft and personnel, “Ignoring Queen’s HarbourMaster” and “Generally being a naughty boy”..

The ship sailed with a different Captain the following day after very large fines were levied and paid. Whether he ever got near the Bridge again, I have no idea !

Oh life was interesting around such things !

 

[barryd]

Thanks again Dave. Next stop is about 55 miles west which takes us about 8 miles north of At Austell. We've been to mevagissy before and we can get to there from this CL which is inland so we can also zip across to Padstow or if we are feeling daft Newquay. Fowey I think is another place I seem to remember.

We quite liked Falmouth area but are undecided whether to see that area from the next Cl or whether to move the van further west still to explore. We will then head up towards Bude and Ilfracombe, Lynton and then start heading north.

 

[Penquin]

Enjoy yourselves, the N Cornwall coast is very unforgiving c/w the South. St Austell is OK on a scooter, but I would avoid in MH, have you been to The Eden Project not far from St Austell, you used to be able to park overnight there,but I think they stopped it to prevent “undesirables” taking residence. Interesting place though, although nothing like as hot as when it first started (too many people collapsing from heat). We took students there from way before it was open, as guests of Tim Smit - the original idea was his. Interesting to see how it has developed using natural designs such as the Fibonacci sequence found in flowers as the design for the new biome.

The Shipwreck Museum at Charlestown was started by another diving friend and his wife; Richard and Bridget Larn who used to run ProDive overlooking. Charlestown harbour, very picturesque. It was the centre for all of the filming of the Poldark series on BBC since it first started. The Harbour is privately owned and that has caused some friction.

 

[barryd]

Not been to the Eden project but I dont think its something that will be our kind of thing really. Definitely been to Charlestown but will visit again. Will check out the Museum if its not busy.

Weather has changed here in the last couple of hours. Temperature dropped like a stone and it got a but gusty. Managed to get the bike stuck in the sand near Thurlestone. If you take the back road back from Hope Cove there is a section of road that is basically beach. Its ok going the other way if you put your feet down as its down hill but after I dropped Michelle off at Hope Cove so she could walk back along the coast I went through it going up and got stuck . People were running about all over as the sand just got airborne. Rode into Kingsbridge just now for an Indian so will enjoy that tonight with a few drinks. Just started chucking it down now.

 

[Penquin]

Is that the beach near the golf links ? That road through / past South Milton sands (through the car park there) is always dodgy, just to keep your interest up the shipwreck on Thurlestone sands, in a maximum of 8m is the SS Louis Sheid which ran aground after an incident with a U boat U-47 which had sunk another vessel who’s crew were rescued by the Belgian Louis Sheid. This all happened in December 1939.

She was my very first shipwreck dive, from the beach at Thurlsetone on a brilliantly blue sky day in May 1971 - my third dive overall. I was a student at Exeter University reading diving (with the odd bit of biology thrown in - like teaching my Professor to dive ! I got a good diving degree - a Desmond !). Diving was much more fun than studying.

 

[barryd]

I think it was the south end of Thurlestone beach Dave. You can see why there were so many ship wrecks though. Treacherous bit of coast. One of my pics was taken from one of the old cost guard look out huts. Little round building with a thatched roof.

Not much happening today. Wet and cold so just doing a bit of trip plotting. Three nights from tomorrow north of At Austell as said but then I think we will venture further west. Got a couple of places ear marked between Penzance and st Ives. Hoping we can find another basic rural retreat on our own for a week hidden away.

 

[barryd]

Got to Cornwall but only just. Filled up with LPG just outside Plymouth and the van nearly didnt start back up. I was going to call the recovery this morning but just in case they diagnose it as something else other than a knackered battery I think ill leave it until it actually does conk out when either we leave here or the next CL. no stops inbetween planned.

Got down to St Austell (wasnt impressed) yesterday afternoon and to Charlestown and Fowey. Loved Fowey. Bit like Salcombe. The CL is well inland though and the first half mile from here heading south is basically a mud track and the worst road we have encountered so far. Im going to explore the lanes this morning to see if I can find a way around it.

Going to head to Mevagissy this afternoon and round the Roseland peninsula (about 50 miles in total) then tomorrow Padstow and down the coast to Newquay. Welcome any suggestions for those areas.

Didnt take many pics yesterday. All on Michelles camera

 

[jiwawa]

Wow, fabulous weather Barry - we had too, yesterday. It's got lost today.

 

[barryd]

Glorious but it's confusing what to wear on the bike. I think the Cl is quite high up just south of Bodmin and you have to go over the top past some tin mines I think so the temperature changes a bit and then it's all down hill to the coast. Had to strip off a bit. Taken two minutes ago on Mevagissy Harbour.

 

[barryd]

Quite a ride out that one this afternoon. Down to Mevagissey which is about 13 miles south of here then what can only be described as a bit of an adventure along the coast to Portloe visiting several little hidden coves and coastal villages along the way. It took forever on some of them as they are extremely narrow, treacherous in places and steep. Worst part is the really narrow ones have gravel on them and gardens growing in the middle half the time. One fantastic bit of road was gated but ran right across the cliff tops. Thankfully not much traffic. Only 53 miles in total but it felt more like 153.

Few more pics. The photo from the bike is the gated cliff top road.

Part of the route