Clovelly to Hartland Quay: South West Coast Path Day 9 Guide

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Despite waking up whenever a truck rumbled past the campsite, I slept pretty well overall. That’s the good thing about long walks like this, especially while camping: even when I’m staying somewhere noisy or uncomfortable, I go to bed so early and so tired that I still get plenty of sleep!

We dawdled around for a bit, making coffee and procrastinating pulling the tent down for no particular reason other than it was nice to sit in the sun and not be walking quite yet.

Karen and Nick, the campsite owners, had kindly offered to drop us back in Clovelly this morning, which they duly did, saying it was just a little thing they could do to help out walkers. It might not feel like a big deal for them, but it made such a difference, especially avoiding the climb at the end of the day before.

We were only nine days into this walk and already I was noticing just how friendly and supportive almost everyone was along the Coast Path route. There was a real vibe that people knew how hard walking the path end to end like this was, so if they could help make it a little easier, they did.

It’s not something I’ve really encountered on any other long walk I’ve done. I guess it’s also the hardest walk I’ve ever done, so that might have something to do with it!

The Visitor Centre, and more importantly its cafe, weren’t due to open for 15 minutes when we got dropped in the carpark, so we took the opportunity to head down and have a proper look around Clovelly in the meantime. The village has a very different vibe before the day trippers arrive: stunning, empty, and incredibly quiet.

We grabbed sandwiches and coffee from the cafe when it opened, and enjoyed them on the balcony in the sunshine listened to the braying donkeys in the nearby paddock. With minimal food and drink options enroute today, we stocked up with more sandwiches, said goodbye to the donkeys, and headed out of town.

This first section was an absolute delight: unusually flat for the first mile and a half, initially beside the gardens and parks of Clovelly Court. We could see the grand house in the distance across the parkland, which seemed about as close as smelly hikers like us were ever going to get to it.

We wandered past a field of snoozing cows, through more woodland, and then took our first break of the day at one of the fanciest seats I’ve ever come across while hiking. Known as Angel’s Wings for obvious reasons, it was built in 1826, is Grade II-listed, and was presumably designed solely to be the perfect place for eating a protein bar and drinking lukewarm water.

Not long afterward the flat trail came to an abrupt end as we dropped steeply down into a valley to cross a small stream and rocky Mouthmill Beach. Entirely predictably on the Coast Path, what comes down must immediately go back up: in this case, via a zig-zagging route to the cliffs on the other side of the valley.

As we’d been sweating down and up the valley, my map had shown something called Blackchurch Rock just offshore. We hadn’t been able to see it from the trail or the beach, but looking back from the top of the hill, it all became clear.

Speaking of becoming clear, visibility was perfect on this cloudless haze-free day, and Lundy Island was very obvious out on the horizon. We’d been spotting this island for the last few days and would keep doing so for several more, but we were as close to it today as we’d get.

The next long stretch was really enjoyable, first through pretty woodland and then easy walking along the clifftop with nothing more than a few gentle ups and downs for five miles or more. The views were spectacular, and after a lazy break in a field that had a high risk of turning into a long nap, we carried on past the lovely Shipload Bay towards a large white globe on the cliffs ahead.

This old WW2 radar station was a sure sign we were getting close to Hartland Point. which also meant we were getting close to the seasonal cafe there. It was the only place on the path to buy food or drink all day, and there was a zero percent chance we weren’t going to stop in.

After a cold drink and a chat with a couple of women who were walking the path a week at a time, we hefted our backpacks yet again. The path headed straight up the steep path towards the Hartland Point lighthouse: you can’t go inside, sadly, but we took the very short detour to take in the views from alongside.

Looking back towards the lighthouse as we came down the other side, Lundy Island stood out behind it in a postcard-worthy scene. We didn’t have long to appreciate it, though, before our attention turned to other things: specifically, how much harder the trail had just become.

The gentle undulations we’d been enjoying all day turned into steep climbs and knee-destroying descents: four in the space of two miles, which wasn’t exactly what we’d been hoping for. The views along the rugged coastline were still stunning, and the grassy valleys made for the perfect place to take a rest (or two, or three), but by the final slog up the hill above Hartland Quay, we were definitely ready to stop.

A ruined old watch tower perfectly framed St Nectan’s Church in the distance, which happened to be right beside the campsite we’d be staying at that evening in Stoke. Unfortunately the only place to eat nearby is the pub at Hartland Quay, which is not only a mile from the campsite, but also down a steep hill that (of course) you then need to come back up.

Still, the lure of a hot meal and a cold pint was slightly stronger than the pain in my feet, and we had a bit of time to kill anyway. Too much time, as it happened: we arrived at the pub at 4:30pm, but they weren’t doing proper meals until 6pm.

Still, the sun was out over the tables in the large beer garden overlooking the water, and there was a lively atmosphere on this glorious Saturday evening. Hot, sweaty, and limping around in my socks between the bar and the table, I’m sure I looked a complete state, but by this point in the day I really didn’t care. Two pints later, I cared even less.

A big old feed of fish and chips (me) and bangers and mash (Lauren) was enough to fortify us for the climb back up the road to the campsite. Today had been windier than any other day so far, and although the breeze had died off a little in the afternoon, it came back strongly just after we’d finished pitching the tent.

On the upside, it meant we hadn’t had to aggressively wrestle the tent to try and stop it from flying away as we pitched it. On the downside, it immediately pointed out that the pitch I’d chosen that night was very much not sheltered from the direction the wind was coming from.

Oops.

Planning

Started at:  Roey’s Retreat Campsite (1.2 miles/1.9km off-trail, but owners will pick up/drop off in Clovelly if you call them)

Finished at: Stoke Barton Farm and Campsite (0.9 miles/1.4km off-trail)

Part of a working farm, we really liked this campsite. It’s surprisingly large, but most of the space is used for campervans, caravans, and larger tents: the field you’ll likely find yourself in as a walker is at the front of the site and relatively small. We paid £12.50 per person for a flat, grassy pitch in that field, which was about half-full and mostly being used by other people walking the Coast Path.

There were hedges that would have provided reasonable shelter at one end, if I hadn’t been an idiot and chosen a spot out in the open with better views instead. If there’s any chance of wind, don’t do what I did!

The field was close to the toilets and showers, which was a blessing for those of us (me) still nursing bruised toes. The shower block was dated but clean, and not overly busy.

There’s also a large laundry room alongside, and further up the drive, a lounge room specifically for walkers (there’s a code to get in) with a kettle, power outlets, and somewhere to sit. It’s little touches like this that make a huge difference, and every walker I spoke to at the site was very appreciative of it!

There’s also a small camp shop, with plenty of fruit and packaged snacks to go along with things like bacon, eggs, and milk that you’re probably less likely to be buying.

Transport and Parking

This is a pretty remote section of the trail, and public transport options aren’t great as a result. Buses don’t run all that often, and even if you do manage to catch one, the closest you’ll be able to get to the path is Hartland Village, about 2.5 miles/4km inland from Hartland Quay.

The 218 bus runs there from Clovelly or Bude first thing in the morning Monday to Friday, while the 319 plies the same route every two or three hours during the day, Monday to Saturday. Definitely check the timetables before making firm plans!

If you’re driving, you can park at the Clovelly visitor centre. If you only want to leave the car there and not visit the village, it’s £7.50 for the day (and £5 per day after that). If you want to visit the village as as well, it’s a far less reasonable £9.90 per person.

There’s also a carpark in Hartland Quay (£3), and a very small amount of street parking in Stoke. You could also park in the free parking lot in Hartland if you’re planning to walk to/from Clovelly and take the bus the other way.

Waymarking and Navigation

Waymarking was pretty good for most, but not all of this section. The only area where we had any trouble finding the right path was in the woods after Blackchurch Rock, where we missed turnoffs a couple of times.

Neither were a major issue, but I was glad to have a map on my phone that showed all the public footpaths so I could choose one that quickly rejoined the proper trail.

I used AllTrails as my main navigation app for the entire South West Coast Path, including this section. You can find the Clovelly to Hartland Quay route here: it’s free to use, although I pay a couple of pounds a month for a subscription so I can download maps to my phone in advance.

Phone Service

I had a bit of cell service in Clovelly with O2, but only sporadic signal from there for most of the day until we got close to Hartland Quay and Stoke. As usual on the Coast Path, there was a better chance of getting service up on the hills and cliffs, and little to none in the valleys.

As a backup, I’d also paid a few pounds for a data eSIM from Instabridge that let me swap between all three UK networks, EE, O2, and Vodafone/Three. It worked really well as a fallback option throughout my time on the Coast Path: whenever I needed data service but couldn’t get it on my usual SIM, I’d switch to the eSIM and choose one of the other networks. If there was any signal to be had in the area at all, I’d pick it up.

Facilities

Clovelly has a cafe and a tearoom that are open from 9am to 5pm: the cafe is closer to the path, in the Visitor Centre above the village. It also has better takeaway options than the tearoom if you want to grab sandwiches or similar for lunch like we did.

The only place to buy anything enroute is the seasonal kiosk at Hartland Point. It’s more of an icecreams and drinks kind of place than somewhere with proper meals, but it’s a lot better than the alternative (which is nothing at all).

The Hartland Quay Hotel is the place to go for dinner in the evening, again because it’s really the only sensible option anywhere near the path. We enjoyed our time there, which was extended by the fact that lunch service had stopped at 2:30pm and dinner didn’t start until 6pm.

There was a small afternoon menu available (weekends only), but we wanted something larger. It was worth the wait: the food was excellent, and having a pint or two in the sun while we waited was far from a hardship.

Accommodation: There’s a very small National Trust campsite at East Titchberry, on a bridleway about 200 yards off the path. Facilities are basic (composting toilet, cold water, no showers) and there are only three pitches, so you’d want to contact them in advance if you planned to stay there.

The only other option is Stoke Barton Farm where we stayed, a mile from Hartland Quay.

There isn’t a lot in the way of hotels or other accommodation on this section either, at least not those offering single-night stays. There’s a farmhouse B&B in West Titchberry, and the Hartland Quay Hotel where we had dinner also has rooms. It looked to be a popular choice, with several other walkers checking in while we were there.