The National Trails. Paddy Dillon
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Head. After passing a prominent white house, look out for a cross marking a place where unknown seamen were buried. Before the passing of Gryll’s Act of 1808, unclaimed bodies from the sea could not be buried in consecrated churchyards, so were often buried in lonely locations such as this. Porthleven has a 19th-century granite harbour and once boasted a thriving cargo trade, but nowadays relies on a little fishing and a lot of tourism.
DAY 22 PORTHLEVEN TO THE LIZARD 22KM (13½ MILES)
This day’s walk is full of interest and amazing scenery. Shortly after leaving Porthleven, the shingle bank of Loe Bar holds in place a freshwater lake. From Gunwalloe Fishing Cove low cliffs are followed to reach St Winwalow’s Church at Gunwalloe Church Cove. This ancient church is embedded into a hillside and has a separate belfry tower. After visiting nearby Poldhu, the cliff path passes a large retirement home, then reaches a monument to one of Marconi’s early radio stations, which operated here from 1900 to 1933. Walk round Polurrian Cove to reach secluded Mullion Cove, whose tiny harbour is guarded by enormous rocky stacks, with Mullion Island further out to sea.
The cliffs and coastal heaths beyond Mullion Cove are part of the Lizard National Nature Reserve, where grazing by rare breeds of sheep and ponies helps a variety of plants to thrive. The landscape of the Lizard is fairly flat, but the cliff coast is remarkably dramatic, with wonderful coves and headlands. Later, particularly around Kynance Cove, the cliffs break up into numerous rock stacks and islets to present a complex and chaotic scene. Flowery grasslands are a feature of the Caerthillian National Nature Reserve, and the coast path turns round Old Lizard Head. Walkers can relax at a café and ponder that they are at the extreme toe end of Britain.
DAY 23 THE LIZARD TO PORTHALLOW 25KM (15 MILES)
Shortly after passing the lighthouse on the Lizard, the coast path reaches a deep crater called the Lion’s Den, which gaped open in 1842. The Lizard Wireless Station is another Marconi site, where signals passed to and from the Isle of Wight in 1901. Lloyds operated a signal station nearby, and the National Coastwatch keeps an eye on shipping these days – testimony to how much traffic passes the point. The coast path embarks on a roller coaster, and later passes the crater of the Devil’s Frying Pan on the way to the village of Cadgwith. There are plenty of ups and downs past Poltesco and Kennack Sands, and onwards to the Downas Valley and Black Head. After passing the promontory of Chynhalls Point the route reaches the village of Coverack.
The coast path stays low around appropriately named Lowland Point, but encounters problems when faced with large, active stone quarries ahead. There is a significant diversion inland, though the beach can be gained at the tiny settlement of Porthoustock. By the time you enter the village of Porthallow, the walk around the South West Coast Path is just about half completed in terms of distance. Celebrate this at the Five Pilchards Inn!
DAY 24 PORTHALLOW TO FALMOUTH 29KM (18 MILES)
Advance planning is needed on this day’s walk, since there is a tidal inlet to cross, as well as a ferry journey to make. Indeed, more planning is needed for the following day, when two ferries need to be linked, or onward progress grinds to a halt. First, there is an easy walk from Porthallow to Nare Point, where Falmouth can be seen in the distance. However, the coast path is by no means direct, and heads towards the tidal inlet of Gillan Harbour. At low tide it is easy to cross the creek, but when the tide is in there is no option but to walk round to St Anthony-in-Meneage. A well-wooded path runs alongside the tidal Helford river to reach the village of Helford. At this point there is a ferry across to Helford Passage, and this is essential as it is too far to walk round. The coast path continues round Rosemullion Head to the little village of Maenporth, then reaches the outskirts of Falmouth at Swanpool.
Rocky stacks fill the sea at Kynance Cove near Lizard Point (Day 22)
Looking back to the tiny village of Portloe tucked into a crooked cove in the cliffs (Day 26)
You can short cut straight through Falmouth if you want, but the coast path goes all the way round the fortified promontory of Pendennis Head. There is a view across the mouth of Carrick Roads to Zone Point before the route heads past Falmouth harbour. Originally ships used to sail to Penrhyn, until Pendennis Castle and its counterpart across at St Mawes were built to protect the harbour in the 16th century. However, Falmouth harbour didn’t really develop until the rail link arrived in the mid-19th century, when hundreds of ships used to weigh anchor in Carrick Roads. The town has a splendid range of facilities.
DAY 25 FALMOUTH TO PORTLOE 22KM (13½ MILES)
This day starts with two ferries rather than a walk. The first ferry is from Falmouth to St Mawes, while the second is a simple, small boat ride from St Mawes to Place. The walking doesn’t start until you reach Place, so don’t leave it too late. The first stage is a complete circuit around Zone Point, passing a 19th-century battery. The path often runs alongside fields as it progresses towards Portscatho. Take a refreshment break in the village, or continue onwards to pass the National Coastwatch Station on Pednvadan Point. Enjoy a circuit around Gerrans Bay, later passing a hotel above Pendower Beach. A slope covered in gorse bushes leads onto Nare Head, then a succession of little coves and headlands are passed before Portloe is reached. The village and its tiny harbour come into view quite suddenly, and you need to double back to walk down to it.
DAY 26 PORTLOE TO MEVAGISSEY 20KM (12½ MILES)
The cliff path leaving Portloe is quite rugged in places. West and East Portholland are two small settlements with very few facilities, passed on the way to Caerhays Castle and Porthluney Cove. The coast path approaches Dodman Point, often referred to as the Dodman, which bears a stout granite cross on its 114m (375ft) summit. You may have been aware of the Dodman for the past four days, and it will remain prominent for much longer, so views from it naturally extend along a considerable stretch of the coast. The trail later drops down to Vault Beach, then turns round the point of Pen-a-maen to reach the village of Gorran Haven.
Cliff Road takes the coast path back onto the cliffs to reach Chapel Point, although there is no access to the very end of the point. Portmellon’s Rising Sun Inn dates from the 17th century, and the busy little town of Mevagissey is reached soon afterwards. A settlement was recorded here as early as 1313 and it was a shipbuilding centre from 1745. Fishing was once very important, and the first electric generators in town were fuelled with pilchard oil. Although fishing still takes place, the town’s biggest earner is tourism and there are plenty of services available.
DAY 27 MEVAGISSEY TO POLMEAR 18KM (11½ MILES)
The way out of Mevagissey is awkward to find, then beyond the town the coast path makes a lot of short, steep ascents and descents, going through the middle of the village of Pentewan before another roller coaster leads to Black Head. From time to time views inland appear to feature snow-capped peaks, but these are in fact the towering spoil heaps of a thriving china clay industry around St Austell. The bedrock granite inland ‘rots’ and becomes quite crumbly, so that hard minerals are easily sieved out, leaving a creamy white mass ideal for making pottery. The coast path visits the late-18th-century stone-built harbour of Charlestown, which handled much of the china clay trade in the past, but nearby dusty Port of Par has superseded it. Par and Polmear have a small range of services for coast-path walkers, but there are easy links inland to St Austell.
DAY 28 POLMEAR TO POLPERRO 21KM (13 MILES)
A little harbour at Polkerris is passed as the cliff path heads for Gribbin Head and its prominent red-and-white daymark. Walk down to a little beach at Poltridmouth and continue up and down along the cliffs to reach Readymoney Beach and 16th-century St Catherine’s Castle. Follow a road into Fowey, which sits beside a sheltered, deep-water anchorage. Spanish ships attacked the town in the 14th century, so a deterrent chain was stretched across the harbour mouth between two stout blockhouses. Spend a while exploring the narrow streets, which are full of character, then get a ferry across to Polruan.
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