It really was my last chance. After busing it to Braunton the day before in the hope that a days rest would help heal my ankle and knee it was time to put my body to the test by walking the short and flattish 10km section to Barnstaple.
Having done a basic clean of my self contained accommodation it was barely a 500 metre walk to pick up the Tarka Trail (a prominent cycle / walking trail partly located on disused rail lines) wich would take me all the way in to Barnstaple.
The initial section was on part of the former Barnstaple - Illfracombe line sadly closed in 1970. The trail ran through marsh land before going alongside the Commando base at RAF Chivenor and then followed the impressive River Taw as it headed into Barnstaple
It was obvious, particularly after short breaks enroute, that my walking tour was over as even the flat tarmac trail was now causing me significant grief.
Finally hobbling into Barnstaple in the afternoon heat I made my way slowly to my b&b a torruous (for me) 3 storey building with my route taking me up precipitous steps to an attic sized room that had just enough room to put my backpack down and little else.
An afternoon walk to Wetherspoon (a cheap pub chain saw me served with what I consider to be just about the worst worst meal I've ever been served - a chicken burger that tasted like it had been stewing in luke warm ater all afternoon. Despite complaining to the waiter I got no response maybe a reason why Wetherspoons have recently decided to drop social media from its web site.
With my walking trip all but over it was time ti work out how to get back to home base in Honiton.
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