Walk to the Mill, & the Rescue

We decide to walk along the cliff path to the restored mill, a different direction from the way we went previously. Looking down on the spectacular jagged rocks and steep-sided coves made us realise that it wouldn’t do to slip off the path. 

En route, we pass a rock housing a cormorant colony where they are feeding young. You’ll have to take my word for it as the birds look tiny on the photo, but we could see them clearly through binoculars.

Before turning inland to the mill, we arrive at Miller’s Point.The house on the Point, in the photo below, is run by the lighthouse and coastguard authority according to the sign on the gate. It has a great perspective along the coast, but no evidence of a light or coastguards, so maybe it’s a home for retired lighthouse keepers.

Now we’re at the restored mill. It’s set in an idyllic green valley with the wheel slowly revolving. The wheel is large and slender, more like one of a set of gigantic wheels on an ancient machine that plods its way through the undergrowth belching smoke and steam.

Inside it’s been nicely restored with cogs going round operating a millstone, as restored mills do, but this one had an unusual feature- the miller’s bed, with what looks like a guest appearance of the miller’s ghost.

We returned via easier inland tracks to the campsite. Our thoughts about the dangers of the rocks and coves became fact a few days later. Sat outside the caravan, we heard emergency vehicles heading for the beach; minutes later a helicopter sped over. We then saw it hovering somewhere to the right of the beach over the rocks.

We walked down to the beach to see what was happening. Clearly a rescue was in progress.

The helicopter circled many times around the the beach and into an adjacent cove that was cut off by the sea. The winchman went down, and each time a survivor was brought out. It was flying of the greatest precision as the blades were close to the cliff.

 We learned later that the oldest member of a family diving party, a 54 year old man, had been taken ill in the cove. The younger members had signalled for help and then tried to revive him. They were all now trapped in the cove. The eight youngsters were all airlifted out with minor injuries but the paramedics couldn’t revive the older guy. So not a totally happy ending, but certainly not for any lack of speed in response or professionalism by the rescue services in attending the incident.