We've had two short trips in Martha this year and after a week at home we decided to have another few days away - our last short trip before we start our summer travels. We chose to visit Willingcott Club Campsite in Woolacombe - we've visited this site many times over the years and it's always good to visit out of season, but one to avoid in the middle of the summer as it's far too busy.
On Wednesday (9 April) we travelled to the site and were surprised to see it was very quiet and we were able to choose a pitch in our preferred area of the site. After setting up we had a short walk before returning to site to enjoy the sun.
Thursday was another glorious day so we walked along the Tarka Trail to Ilfracombe. After a short walk around the town we walked along the coast path to Rapparee Cove for our lunch. We walked back to Ilfracombe along the coast path before returning to the site along the Tarka Trail.
After our long walk to Ilfracombe the previous day we decided to catch the bus to Barnstaple on Friday. The bus drove the scenic route through several small villages and we had lovely views across the River Taw, before it finally arrived in Barnstaple. We had a potter around the town before walking along the path at the side of the river. We caught the bus back to site late afternoon and as it was a lot cooler when we returned we stayed in the van all evening.
Saturday started a lot cooler with the forecast of heavy rain. We caught the bus into Woolacombe as we didn't want to get caught in the rain whilst walking across the Downs. The promised rain didn't arrive so we walked to Moretehoe and then back to Woolacombe along the coast path, before catching the bus back to the site mid afternoon. We had only been back about half an hour when it poured with rain, so our timing had been perfect.
We had a lot more rain overnight but were pleased to have a dry morning to pack up as we returned home on Sunday. After arriving home we unpacked and then took Martha back to the storage site for a couple of weeks.
9-13 April 2025