Jeri’s Steps: 42,873
Miles walked: 18.4
Elevation: 1,755
Pints: none (wine)
Churches: 2
Stiles: 4
Benches: 3

Today was always going to be tough; 18 miles of Devon countryside with rain a certainty and so it proved. We started early at 7.30 and Pam at Northlake B&B provided a generous packed lunch in lieu of a cooked breakfast. The walk started on roads but as soon as we stepped onto footpaths we ran into a problem. The footpath marked on the map west of Alfordon Manor didn’t seem to reflect the reality on the ground and we had to climb a steel fence to access the field. On exiting the field at the other end we had to fight through thickets of nettles to find, lo and behold, the footpath signposted on the other side of the hedge. We think the path must recently have been diverted. Luckily, once we were back on track the footpaths were well signposted for the rest of the day. Some of the route was on the Devonshire Heartland Way and the Tarka Trail but even when not on these long distance trails the paths were easy to follow. No barbed wire.  Few benches today so we had our rest stops at the two churches of North Tawton and Zeal Monachorum. Both were open so provided dry calm. The challenge was the distance; best not to think of the miles left to cover so we refrained from using the OSMaps app on the iPhone and instead focused on the SatMap GPS unit and miles achieved. The afternoon walk turned into a march as we sought to cover ground in the narrow Devon lanes; at one point we were sandwiched between a huge ‘Clarkson’ tractor and a fuel lorry. Both vehicles crept forward until the lorry gave in and reversed back down the lane; it felt like the Star Wars trash compactor scene. The lanes themselves made you feel claustrophobic; with 8ft high hedges the landscape is hidden. When we do get glimpses it is undulating and beautiful. We arrived at The New Inn around 5:30. A lovely 13th century inn with an amazingly spacious room and a very short walk to dinner! Oh yes I almost forgot. England beat Denmark in the semi final.