Walking the Coleridge Way

and why book reviews are essential

My son, Jack, and I walked the Coleridge Way at the beginning of August. The weather was perfect, and we didn’t see another soul walking the route (apart from dog walkers near the settlements).

Overlooking the Bristol Channel, Wales is in the distance.

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Before I describe the Coleridge Way, let me thank Paula for leaving her review of Stone and Water:

and Joe for leaving his review of The Poster:

you can buy both books on Amazon here: UK, USA

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Samuel Taylor Coleridge and I share a birthday. He was born a couple of centuries before me, a few miles away from where I live now, in Ottery St Mary. He also lived on the Quantocks, one of my favourite places, for several years.

The Coleridge Way is a long-distance path that starts in Nether Stowey and finishes in Lynmouth, via Porlock.

Starting out in Nether Stowey at Coleridge’s Cottage.

We covered between 12 and 14 miles on foot, with rucksacks each day. Blessed with good weather and a fair wind, we made good going. The only problem was our legs were tired before we started due to competing at the weekend: me in weightlifting and Jack in Triple Jump and Long Jump.

“One more step and it will be the farthest I’ve been from home, Mr Frodo.”

We stayed at bed and breakfasts en route in Monksilver, Wheddon Cross, Porlock and Lynton. Some were decent; others thought we were retired and had lots of spare cash to spend (we aren’t and we don’t), charging us £9.20 for a glass of lemonade and a glass of Diet Coke!

The best bit about walking is the chance to take note of our surrounds. There is so much to see and learn about our country, even in our local patch.

Monksilver Church: Francis Drake was married here in 1583.

Jack and I are both Tolkien fans, and as we listened to the groaning of the trees and strolled along sunken paths, it was easy to imagine how Tolkien was inspired (yes, I know it’s the Coleridge Way and Tolkien didn’t live here).

We crossed ancient fords, strolled through purple heather and yellow gorse, found old trees growing out of stone walls and hidden footpaths that may have been traversed by Coleridge himself two hundred years ago.

There’s also something very satisfying about reaching the top of a hill and seeing how far we’d travelled.

Two miles from Wheddon Cross, the Quantocks are in the far distance.

We saw a dozen varieties of sheep on our journey, by far the most common livestock in this area. We also saw a rare White-Tailed Eagle feeding off the shingle beach at Porlock. It took off when it heard our feet crunching and beat its long wings out to sea.

Each step we took was a step towards regenerating our tired minds, even though our legs protested. Jack was great company for the whole trip. He’d never stayed in a B&B before but is an experienced walker, thanks to his Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. Each stage was completed with a welcome shower and a cup (or two) of tea.

While you can’t walk 100m of the SW Coast Path without tripping over someone else’s hiking pole, the Coleridge Way was quiet. If you want solitude, fresh air and some decent exercise, I recommend it.

The Valley of the Rocks (with cricket ground) is just outside Lynton.