We start off from the highest point of the day, dropping down to the lowest on the beach in front of the camp and thereafter any heavy work is at the beginning of the walk, contained in the first third, roughly between East Quantoxhead and Shurton just below Hinkley. Even then it is of the nature of gentle rises, rather than steep hills before levelling out to continue for the rest of the day at sea level. The forecast is that it is to be hot for the whole day and we need to make sure and 'slap it on'.
The walk onwards from Lilstock Cliff was dominated by the nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. On the seaward side we could see work ongoing in building the new jetty which is utilising a unique 'walking jack up barge' to help cope with the high seas of the Bristol Channel. The new jetty will be used to bring in the aggregate that will be used in the nuclear grade concrete for the new batching unuts.
The construction site was like a scene from Dante's Inferno and the first thought we had was how terrible this must be for the local people. The construction site alone is enormous, the noise level horrendous and the whole works must result in a considerable discomfort for people and, it will go on for years. As well as the dirt and the noise, the new reactor results in a loss of land and access over the longer term. Walking the detour itself was not particularly arduous, mainly on the flat, but the psychology of walking being what it is you keep remembering what the day could have been if only there had been no diversion.
The inn, located in a secluded area just back off the main street, was of the motel-type with little units to the side of the main building. They were quite spacious and after a showering, we had a meal in the restaurant that consisted of a very nice piece of pan-fried hake on a bed of chorizo and cannelini bean followed by a very nice berry cheesecake. Cleaned up, refreshed, fed and watered, sitting with a drink in the dining room Hinkley Point was in another dimension and the world seemed a better place.