Thursday 20th June:  Weather: 12°C to 19°C: Mostly sunny

Looe to Liskeard:  18.5k walk to Liskeard:  Ascent 446m, Descent 344m

Time:  7.30am to 1.45pm: Total time 6hrs 15min: Walk time: 5hrs 15min Plus 2 x 30m stops: 

Accommodation: Elnor Guesthouse Liskeard

Leaving Harbour Moon at Looe

Sign post to Duloe

Beautiful walk by West Looe River

Morning coffee at Church Bridge

Turnoff at the Cross on B3254 road

Bus time table Liskeard to Dobwalls

Highlight today was setting off on my second planned walk on the Smugglers Way.  This was a challenging test of navigation as the track is not sign posted, and in some places, there is no track.  But using a 1:25,000 Ordinance Survey Map, plus the Garmin Explore App on my phone in conjunction with my Garmin Watch, made it relatively easy as all I had to do was follow the little blue line which indicated if I was even 5 metres off course.

The unexpected continental breakfast left in my room was really nice - Cornflakes, fruit yoghurt, 2 slices of bread, butter and jam.  Ian is flying from Vienna to Split today so I chat for a while.  After a shower,  I pack and leave by 7.30am, not knowing if my navigation skills would work on this unsigned Smuggler’s Way.  I leave via the Mill pond at the junction of the East and West Looe Rivers then follow the signs to Watergate which I know is on the Way. It’s a beautiful walk along the West River Looe through Kilminorth Woods and soon I’m at the Watergate Camping grounds.  The path joins a country lane in the direction of Duloe then crosses Sowden’s Bridge. A sharp left on to a recently cut shaded track brings me to a junction of paths at Tremadart Wood where a lady walking her dog points me in the right direction to Church Bridge.

8k and 2 hrs later at 9.30am I stop for a coffee and chocolate chip cookie at Church Bridge, while leaning against an orange bag full of building stuff. Then at 10am, well rested, I follow my thin blue line to Herodsfoot, where I was told by my lady with her dog to watch out for a sharp turn down hill that was quite obscure.  I find this turn ok but miss the next one, having walked 500 metres uphill, so convinced it was the right track I didn’t check my thin blue line.   Back to Millcombe Farm and on to Scawn Mill, where the track leaves the West River Looe and rises steeply to Spawn Farm up a country Lane.  The track to South Bosent is covered in muddy water so I elect to walk along the B3254 to the cross at the junction to South Boduel.  I find a grassy spot for lunch of vegemite sandwich while chatting to John who is following my every steps on the app Life 360 which Bonnie encourage us all to get, especially for when I walk across Bodmin Moor. 

Continuing on, the lane descends steeply to Coombe Halt, an old disused railway station, then steeply uphill towards Liskeard where I easily find Elnor’s Guest House at 1.45pm, which doesn’t open until 4pm.  I walk back 100 metres to the cemetery and find a quiet spot to write up my diary before walking further on to see the Co-op and check out the bus stop at The Parade where I intend catching a bus to Dobwalls to avoid walking back to the busy B3254 road at the Cross.  It’s almost 4pm when walk around the back of Elnor’s and meet Ted, son of Alice who runs the Guest House, and he shows me to my single room, which isn’t that nice with two windows, neither of which open to even put a hand out to feel the air temperature outside.  I don’t bother leaving the room, and just have a cup of tea with dinner of Bread, tomato and lettuce on towel spread out on the bed, while watching more European soccer on TV.  Bed at 9pm.