[at-l] The Coastal Path (England)

[rafeb at speakeasy.net (Raphael Bustin)]

Anybody here done any hiking in England?

I mention it because it's so utterly different from the AT.

My wife and I (yes, the two of us) did several very
pleasant day hikes there last fall, on the Coastal Path.
This is a 250 mile (approx.) continuous path along
the coast, from Devon to Cornwall (or is it, Cornwall
to Devon?)  Our longest hike was still under 10 miles,
but that's pretty respectable for Merry.

What's so different about it is that there's no
pretense of wilderness, yet access and views
are terrific, and there's no sense of overcrowding.
I saw no litter, no conduct unbecoming.  Very
pleasant.  Hardly ever broke a sweat.

You typically have grazing fields uphill of you,
and the sea below you.  The path is either at or
near sea level, or more typically several hundred
feet above it.  The high point is about 1500 feet
above sea level.  A typical days' walk might involve
600-800 feet up and back down.

Most of the time there's a 360-degree view.  Here
and there is a short green tunnel through hedges
and woods.

Families stroll with picnic baskets and poodles,
including grandma and the little ones.

The trail is more or less guaranteed to go through
a coastal town every 15-25 miles, and there are pubs
and inns more frequently than that, either right on the
path or a short walk away.

It's just an utterly "civilized" way to hike.  Like
I said -- even my wife recalls it fondly.

The focus is on recreation, not wilderness.
People don't go there to test themselves, and I
doubt anyone goes there on "vision quests."


rafe b
aka terrapin


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