Walking the hills of England & Wales

  • The Hermitage

    Most walkers on the coast path probably do not take much notice of The Hermitage, nestled some way back from the shore at Welcombe Mouth in Devon.  They are, perhaps, more interested in reaching the border with Cornwall, less than half a mile to the west. Indeed, the Hermitage, situated in the far west of the north Devon coast, is probably…

  • Wansfell Pike

    NY 39417 04172 Height: 482m (1581 feet) Drop: 25m Classification: Birkett In many ways, Wansfell Pike is a more satisfactory summit than Wansfell (the true summit) which lies about a mile to the north-east along the summit ridge. Although it is 5m shorter, Wansfell Pike has much better views, which extend across Ambleside and the length of…

  • Polridmouth Cove

    Polridmouth Cove is situated a few miles west of Fowey. Pronounced “Pridmuth”, it consists of a small dog-friendly beach, several footpaths, and a small number of buildings. It is usually quiet even in the height of summer. Because the slope of the beach is quite shallow, much of it is hidden at high tide, when…

  • The Mermaid of Zennor

    Why would a mermaid be depicted in a church? It’s not really a Christian symbol, and as far as I’m aware there are no mermaids in the Bible. And yet, in the Church of St Senara, in the village of Zennor in West Cornwall, is a bench with the unmistakable carving of a mermaid. With…

  • Miles Dock

    One of the delights of coastal walking is coming across places that seem, initially, not to be worth a second look; but which turn out, on closer inspection, to have a unique and special history. Such a place is Miles Dock. At first, this small indentation in the riverbank looks as though it could be…

  • Devon’s parliament

    Sometimes, just a word on an Ordnance Survey map can ignite curiosity, especially when that word is written in a fancy Old English font. An example is Parliament, marked on the map a few miles from Brixham, in South Devon. To what “Parliament” does that refer? On the ground, Parliament is made up of a…

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