We ended up in Hartland because we needed a place to camp for the night, which ended up being a campsite in a field which was quite nice with a view of the channel with Lundy island in the distance. It was cool and cloudy and windy - typical English summer weather. In the morning we drove down to Hartland Quay before setting off further north.

The ocean was cold and as broody as the sky - typical British coastline, really. The British coast can be divine, though it's rocky beaches struggle to compete with the sandy ones of home. To get to the small quay - no longer used - you walk through the pub beer garden and a row of gift shops and a hotel. It wasn't open that early but I hear tell the pub is quite nice with reasonably priced traditional food. Of course it's a Smuggler's Inn - how many of them are there in this country? I loved the sign.

We were very pleased that we didn't have to pay for parking for a change. It's so bloody expensive to park anywhere in this country and seaside towns are the worst. It must be quite hard to get a park in this carpark when it's open!

Interestingly, the quay has been used for many films and tv shows like Antiques Roadshow and Top Gear. They filmed 'Rebecca' here and spent months building a false facade so it looked like an 18c retreat. It certainly would be a dramatic setting!

I'd certainly recommend coming here if you wanted to eat in a beer garden with a view - not least because of the free carpark. You could also go for a walk along the coastal path before or afterwards. Don't let the weather bother you - It's all part of the experience! I kinda prefer it this way - there's less people around.

Of course, it started to rain - but I think if you're going to survive Britain at all, you do have to grin and bear this weather, and see it has it's own beauty. We raced back to the car and ate muesli in the car watching the rain batter the coastline. Fair weather is for boring people.

With Love,

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