Following the coast (3)

Sunday 2nd February 2020 - Pott's Corner to Overton and Pott's (Circular)

Am I the only one with a list of unfinished projects? I still have left a final section of the OS straight line route I am doing with Bowland Climber. I also need to do the first part of the Dalesway from Ilkley to Bolton Bridge (only about five miles) and there is still the rest of the Cumbria Coastal Route from Drigg to Carlisle. Way back I never finished the Cumbria Way when my old Springer Barney went on strike when we made it to Borrowdale and we had to get the bus home. There have probably been others unfinished. But, the beauty of this coastal infill is knowing that I will never complete it - I am just using it as a tool for day walks (at the moment...) so there is no pressure.

Having said that I still want to walk the sections as reasonably close to the coastline as I can but I am finding that quite big diversions inland cannot be avoided. It seems there is a plan afoot for an England Coast Path  being organised by Natural England:

CLICK HERE

My first impression from the voluminous website is that efforts (as so often) are being concentrated in the south. For instance the only section from the Scottish border to the Welsh border on the west coast to be designated "English Coast Path and associated access rights now open" is a comparatively short stretch of about thirty miles from Silecroft to Whitehaven.  Linking up a credibly integrated total coast path is going to be a massive undertaking. I have not yet had time to look at the other regions but will shortly study them in more detail.

Of course there is a large amount of the coast furnished with paths, tracks and roads already and one can always make one's own way but it is hoped that more of the sections where access is presently denied will be negotiated for and more links made.

After my previous less than inspiring section today's was better. A good but very muddy path wandered across the saltmarsh with that lonely and mysterious atmosphere reminiscent of Magwitch's first appearance, and emphasised by dark clouds, strong wind, and the moody threat of rain - I was in my element. 

Sambo's grave now seems to be enclosed by a fine stone built wall that I don't remember from my previous visit.

Sambo's grave is a memorial to a young, black slave who is thought to have arrived in 1736 at the port with his master.

He was born in Africa and taken first to the West Indies as a slave before being brought to Lancaster by his master.

He was taken ill and died near a local inn at Sunderland Point.

He was buried in an unmarked grave but in 1795 a schoolteacher - Rev Watson - raised money to erect a memorial to Sambo and penned the elegy on the grave.

The epitaph reads:

Full sixty years the angry winter's wave
Has thundering dashed this bleak and barren shore
Since Sambo's head laid in this lonely grave
Lies still and ne'er will hear their turmoil more.

Full many a sandbird chirps upon the sod,
And many a moonlight elfin round him trips
Full many a summer's sunbeam warms the clod
And many a teeming cloud upon him drips.

But still he sleeps - till the awakening sounds,
Of the Archangel's trump new life impart,
Then the Great Judge his approbation founds,
Not on man's colour but his worth of heart.

Thanks to BBC archived article:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2007/03/28/abolition_sambo_grave_feature.shtml

After that visit my route crossed to Sunderland Point which was a thriving slave port back in the 1700s. The scattering of dwellings reflects that period and it remains as a windswept, tidal abode for a few - there is much history if you care to search the Internet.

Sunderland Point is serviced by a public road from Overton. That road is subject to total tidal immersion and that was of some concern. I had looked at the tide tables and was pretty sure I would be safe and so I was, but it was quite evident that my concerns were well founded as I used the easy going to quicken my pace.

I followed the coast south of Overton to Bazil Point and then back to Overton and more waterlogged fields back to my car at Pott's Corner. Although only about half of this eight mile circular made progress on my coastal infill it had been a pleasant and interesting outing.

Click first photo to see rest enlarged

Setting off from Pott's Corner into the windswept saltmarsh 

Sambo's grave now enclosed by a handsome stone wall

Connecting across to Sunderland Point

See below - I think there are plans to develop it as some sort of information centre. I reckon it must be one of the ugliest churches seen on my travels

From what I could glean it looks as though the above mentioned plans may have floundered?

I was not sure if I was on an "alternate Sunday" or not but it was only about 13:00 hours, so a bit early if there was a service. 

In Sunderland Point - this and next two

The tide-prone road from Sunderland Point to Overton

Bazil Point

As always I had just lunched sitting on a large stone before coming across this seat

Exiting from Bazil Point to head back to Overton. There was a ridiculous arrangement of  projecting stone to scale the wall at the top of the steps involving gymnastics and not a pretty sight if anybody had been watching.

Start: Pott's corner, top west coast - anti-clockwise

Welsh Boundary Walk - Gyrn Goch (north of Trefor) to Caernarfon

Thursday 5th May - day 16
First of all, these Welsh names. I am aware of misspelling some of them when working from memory, but digging back into the rucksack for a map or other source that one has just put away can be more troublesome than you might expect.
It rained in the night, then stopped. The tent was dry until I was half way through packing up then it started again, so I was faced with packing a wet tent. It has rained on and off all day, but after fifteen days of good weather I can't really complain. Today has been all on Tarmac, but for a lot of the way the A 499 had a splendid, smooth cycle track.
I only had a couple of biscuits before setting off and held out little hope of anything else for sometime judging from the map, but at Clynnog Fawr there was a Londis where I had a good tuna mayonnaise bap and Aero chocolate. The two kind ladies running the shop also made me a cup of tea.
Leaving that unexpected oasis I sensed rubbing on my heel. These things must be dealt with straight away, but it was raining and I needed kit from rucksack, and a friendly environment to work in - now here is a tip for my fellow backpackers. I went into the village church and was able to perform my tasks in peace and quiet, but with a slight guilty conscience. I did put an offering in the box.
At Dinas Dinllie I was wet (only on the outside) and somewhat bedraggled and went into a dismal seaside cafe for tea and a cake. There was a very young girl serving with a mixture of strange coulours to her hair, and one lonely couple sat at a table - business was not brisk. Radio 1 was playing at fairly high volume- how anybody can listen to that stuff all day is beyond me.
I decided for a hotel or similar rather then putting up the wet tent in the continuing rain.
The TIO in Caerrnarfon recommended The Black Boy (reminds me of Little Black Sambo). I went there and they wanted £99 b and b. They told me of guest houses in Church Street nearby. One was full and at the other two nobody answered the door . I went back to the TIO. They now recommended the Bron Menai Guest House where I am comfortably installed for half the price, and they also do evening meals. Why couldn't the TIO have told me about this in the first place?
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