After another evening playing, and mostly losing, pool, we wake up in our room in the eaves of the Hunters Inn to a bright blue sky. We’ve learnt that the peacock that was tapping at the window at breakfast yesterday is called Dave – funny that we have a neighbour called David Peacock!

Saying goodbye to Dave, we head straight out onto frosty ground (I didn’t realise they got frosts down here) back down the valley towards Heddon’s Mouth.  The scenery here is unlike any other we’ve seen – the tops of the hill above us are lit up bronze by this morning’s sunshine, contrasting against the vivid blue sky. We lean over the edge of a mossy-topped bridge hoping for the splash of a brown trout in the river below, but also no.

It’s just a 20-minute stroll to the cliff top and the sun glistening on the Bristol Channel – we can make out the hills and towns of Wales over the clear still waters.

The first of today’s waterfalls is called Hollow Brook, it’s a tricky stepping stone across the gushing water flowing through the valley. We continue along a dry mud path between long grass and stunted oaks, before we are plunged into the woodlands of Woody Bay. We are so blessed with the clear skies highlighting the intricate shapes of the bare branches of the trees.

On reaching the road to Woody Bay there is a signpost directing us bizarrely to Iceland, New Zealand, America and Russia, just above the path to the beach. We opt to miss the beach and take the path pointing towards New Zealand!  There are a handful of dwellings including the former Woody Bay Hotel, which my parents stayed in many years ago. It’s since been converted to apartments.

There’s a short section on the road before a brand-new coastal path fingerpost takes us through a small wood and alongside a lush green field, with short grass.  We discover the grass-chewers, in the shape of furry sheep, have worked their way out of the field onto the fenced off pathway.  We shoo them out of our way and ascend the steps towards Lee Bay. Through the trees we can glimpse the shingle bay, beach-side café (summertime only) and grassy field up to a cream painted manor house, elegantly framed with cedar and cypress trees.

A field at the bottom is evidently used for outside entertainment and fun sports days, with a chalk board showing the scores for the Lee Abbey Olympics – it looks like Nigeria and Hungary beat Ukraine, France and Atlantis! A steep road takes us up to the Christian Centre of Lee Abbey where we peer through the gates and wander on.

I’d seen the Valley of the Rocks marked on the map, but wasn’t expecting the film like setting with craggy hills and rock stacks sticking out at angles, the winter sunshine cutting a straight line across. There are suddenly way more people than we are used to and an incongruous tarmac path winding around Hollerday Hill.  As we follow round, we realise we are being watched over by mountain goats, standing perilously above us- crazy!

The path takes us straight into Lynton where we ignore the pathway down the steep hill to Lynmouth and carry on into the village, passed the incredibly steep funicular railway.

Lynton has quaint streets with, sadly today, very few shops open, even the museum is closed until spring 2026.  We discover a little deli and enjoy a cuppa in the sunshine before jumping on a bus to fetch out car.

(The 301 bus to Barnstable takes an hour with the crazy driver speeding through the narrow lanes as a road is closed – he kept turning round and checking we were ok! Then it’s another hour’s journey from Barnstable to Combe Martin via Ilfracombe!)