Blackberry walk - Morwenstow

A week or so into the term, my Mum and Dad came to stay with us for a while. It was great to see them, although fitting seven people into our cottage was a bit of a challenge.

While Wayne and the kids were in school, I took my parents to some of our favourite places and walks: Golitha falls, Looe to Polperro and Bodmin moor three times. (We saw the Hurlers standing stones in a thick mist and very nearly got lost. Quite evocative, though!) On the weekends, we went out as a family.

The first weekend trip was up to Morwenstow, a north coast expedition. Annie pleaded exhaustion from a week at high school, and Jack and Eleanor had prior engagements with the neighbouring children, so it was just an adult trip this time. Dad was especially interested in one of our pub walks, so we duly parked outside the Bush Inn. The guide book said it was a 13th century inn once the haunt of smugglers and wreckers. When we pulled up a wedding party was just setting up. We quickly walked off, since we lacked the sartorial elegance required for the wedding reception...

We slowed down just as quickly, as we entered a lane hedged with blackberries as far as the eye could see. I was prepared this time, and we spent the first half-hour or so filling our 2 ½ kilo Vegemite bucket (long since cleaned out of its original contents) with luscious fruit. Wayne got to carry the full bucket in his backpack, just to keep him fit.


Finally we made our way down a field to a kissing gate, and were met by a vista of Bude Bay. Through we went, joining the South West Coast Path. We were high up, and had a beautiful view to the left along the cliffs.



There was a lot of flowering heath and other plants that we had not seen before. We examined them closely, often rewarded with more blackberries which kept up our strength along the way. Here is Wayne at the beginning of the descent into the Tidna Valley. This was a tricky downhill bit, with narrow path and crumbly rock. I'm afraid that it tested my Dad's new knee to the maximum. Fortunately he had a good walking stick with him, but he did go for a bit of a skid at one point

Eventually we made it to the bottom - then went uphill again, just for something different. This was tagged as a three mile walk, but it was a strenuous one, to be sure.

We took a little detour along a path that dropped steeply on either side, to go to a headland. Jack would have hated it, and Dad winced as Mum peered over for a closer look...
We saw some interesting, and very large, mushrooms on the side of this path. We left them there, as we didn't know what sort they were.

Dad started to make "are we there yet?" sort of enquiries. Role reversal! At least he didn't ask me to carry him.

From time to time we caught sight of these large satellite dishes in a field near the cliffs. Down south there are huge modern windmills in a similar location.

Wayne then took this very silly photo of me. He thought that the dish looked like a speaker near my ear. (You might be able to see it, faintly, near my raised hand). It just looks likes me being deaf as usual, except with a really fake expression on my face as well.

We finally turned inland, to Dad's relief. It was a steady, muddy uphill trek to the Bush, however. We did go through a pretty wooded patch at one stage. Also, another cow field, with a view quite wasted on the grazing beasts. It was a really beautiful early autumn day.

And so, to the Inn. Once again, we arrived well after normal lunch hours. Fortunately, the Bush served dinner all day, and we had a reservation. The wedding party were just leaving. We did not go to the glassy, modern reception room, but to the old snug. The floor looked sunken, rather than the ceiling high. There was a huge old fireplace, showing this used to be a kitchen. It was a tiny, atmospheric room. We ordered drinks in very short order. Mum and I had a very acceptable alcoholic ginger ale. Then there was classy fish and chips - all locally sourced food. Beautiful!

Off we went home, pausing only to buy pasties for the hungry children. We had enough blackberries for stewing AND jam.