Day 30. Mevagissey to Charlestown

An excellent breakfast at the
Tremarne Hotel set us up for a fairly short but challenging day.

Mevagissey Harbour

It was windy and wet when we walked down Polkirt Hill again to the Harbour.

Walked around the harbour and climbed up with a good view. 

Even on a grey  day the harbour looked colourful with the flags out for Feast Week.

Many people along the way had warned us that yesterday's walk to Mevagissey was going to be horrendous but we found it to be fairly reasonable and were thinking that today's walk from Mevagissey would be similar.

That optimism faded after the first half hour of constant steep climbing and descending.

The Wet Look

Looking back to Mevagissey

We climbed up a large field only to find a herd of cows just over the crest.
Negotiating a route around and through them was tricky enough but just as we were getting to the gate there was this huge bull in the middle of them.
I never knew that Jo could run faster than Usain Bolt.

In Pentewan village we passed a pretty cafe with balloons and bunting out so we stopped in.
There were no other customers on this dismal morning but the new owners (mother and daughter) of the Little Bay Café helped to brighten the day and had a good chuckle at our bull experience.
They were celebrating National Cream Tea Day so we felt obliged to indulge.
I must remember to promote national hug a plumber day next year.

More hills and then out to (another) Black Head.
This headland has a commanding position over the bays and was a stone age, bronze age and Roman fort, (lots of grassy bumps etc).
These days it's a popular spot for pagans because the ley lines are very strong.
We were told you would feel the vibrations in your feet.
I could definitely feel a throbbing.

Wet and windy on Black Head

The steep hills and cliffs just kept on coming.
The path moved inland slightly into Ropehaven Woods where the signs disappeared but there were several possible paths.
I checked the guide book that stated this could be a difficult way to follow.
So put up some SIGNS !
It wasn't much better at Porthpean beach where the steps up are obscured from view with no signage.

Charlestown

Just as the weather started to improve we arrived in Charlestown where our hotel was the first building we came to.

If you like your hotel room small, dingey and stuffy with carpet and furnishings in brown, beige and various shades of vomit then the Pier House Hotel is just the place for you.
The room was so warm that we had to have the window open that was a few feet away from the enormous noisy and smelly extract duct from the kitchen.
The extract fan ran all night and was still too loud with the window shut.
Couldn't sleep at all and went to reception at 6.30 to get moved to another room.
Not happy.

Day 29. Portloe to Mevagissey

Jo had always wanted to stay at the Lugger Hotel in Portloe and had eagerly anticipated sitting on the little terrace looking over the tiny harbour, watching the sunset with a g & t, but that's not how it works in Cornwall.
The weather was foul when we arrived and had only slightly improved when we left.
Had a bit of excitement at breakfast because of a power cut that had the hotel staff running around like headless chickens -
' sorry sir, we can't offer a cooked breakfast until the power is restored but can I get you a cup of tea while we're waiting ?'

Looking back at Portloe, the Lugger is the firstly building on the right.

Although it wasn't raining our feet were soon soaked from walking along the path overgrown with long wet grass.

It was up and down hill walking but that didn't deter a couple of runners coming up the particularly steep hill from Portholland.

West Portholland and East Portholland are former fishing villages now de-populated by second home ownership and holiday cottages.

It was a bit brighter when we arrived at Caerhayes and stopped for refreshment at the beach café above Porthluney Cove.
The very friendly staff told us the café runs regular drive-in movies with themed food and live music.
That's got to be worth a revisit.

Caerhayes Castle, designed by John Nash, has great gardens but is only open in the spring.

From a hill above Hemmick Beach we could see the path ahead blocked by an enormous herd of enormous cows so we climbed over a fence onto a lane.
Good move because the next four fields were also full of them.

Walking up from Hemmick Beach. Jo keeps on smiling.

Dodman Point with its huge stone cross erected by the vicar of Caerhayes in 1896 as an aid to shipping around the treacherous headland.
This was the site of an iron age fort (grassy bumps etc).

This area of Cornwall is renowned for local artists.

Looking back at Gorran Haven.

Stopped for a cream tea in Gorran Haven and moved on quickly whilst the weather was holding out.

 After a bit of road walking around Portmellon we soon arrived above Mevagissey.

Walked down to the colourful harbour before having a look for the hotel that was, of course, back up the hill we had just come down.

Mevagissey, named after St. Mev and (hag) St. Issey if you can believe anything on Wikipedia.

We were a bit dubious about the Tremarne Hotel on arrival.
The decor was really dated but the staff were very friendly and the food was superb.

Day 28. Falmouth to Portloe

Two ferries to start the day.
The guide book said the Falmouth to St. Mawes ferry ran every twenty minutes so there was no need to be there at any particular time.
We got there just as the 9.30 left the quay.
Bought the tickets only to be informed that the ferries usually run every half hour but there was only one boat working today so we either had to wait an hour or walk to the other quay at the other end of town to catch the 10.15.
We had a lot of ground to cover today so we went to the other quay and waited in the rain.

Coming into St. Mawes on the Falmouth ferry

Hung around on the quay at St. Mawes waiting in the rain for the next ferry across to a place called Place.
Ferry is perhaps a bit too grand a title for what was basically a large rowing boat with an outboard motor skippered by a bloke called Rob.

Leaving St. Mawes 'sailing' to Place

The rain got heavier and we were exposed to the northerly wind out on the water.
By the time we got off (out of) the boat we were chilled through and my hands were numb.

The path was covered by long, wet grass and pretty soon my feet were cold and wet too.

Towards St. Anthony Head

Looking back to St. Anthony Head

Who would have thought that you could get a knighthood and a geographical feature named after you just for acting in coffee commercials and Buffy the vampire slayer.

Met hardly anyone on the path but had some seals for company for a while.

Portscatho

We were soaked by the time we reached Portscatho and stopped for a hearty sandwich in the Plume of Feathers.
Portscatho sounds like something the pharmacist could give you cream for.

Looking back to Portscatho

The walk was easy enough but the weather was getting worse when we went out and around Nare Head and dropped down to Portloe.

All our clothes were soaked so we tried to get stuff drying as quickly as possible on every available surface in the hotel room.

Day 27. Helford Passage to Falmouth

The Helford River always feels very tranquil and calming and it was particularly calm on this still and muggy morning.

We made good progress along this lovely stretch through a delightful mixture of woods, fields, secluded beaches and coves.

The path was narrow in places and we would often stand aside to let an approaching walker, or walkers, through.
But being polite back-fired when we let a couple pass through only to find that they were at the head of a group of about thirty German walkers.
We had a bit of a giggle about it and some of them even acknowledged our existence.

We were a bit damp and steaming when we went into the very smart Cove Cafe at Maenporth for lunch but they didn't seem to mind.

It was a quick and easy walk to Falmouth apart from when we had to make our way through a slow moving group of about twenty Germans also heading for Falmouth.

Cornwall and the south west coast path are hugely popular with German tourists largely due to the writer Rosamunde Pilcher.

She was born in Lelant, near Hayle and Cornwall is the backdrop for most of her books.
The Shell Seekers is probably the best known.
The German television channel ZDF has produced over a hundred of her stories as TV films and fans are eager to see the locations and settings.

Bit of a gloomy day for photos.

That was our shortest day of walking and we still had time to look around the town before finding our accommodation.

We stayed at the Chelsea House and, for some reason, had been upgraded to a large room with a sea view - lovely!
Had a good meal at the Gylly Beach cafe to round off an enjoyable, short and wet day.

Day 26. Coverack to Helford

                Coverack Harbour

The path away from Coverack was surprisingly boggy after a reasonably dry spell and then went through the middle of a disused quarry.

We were treated to a display by four or five performing seals at about twenty feet from the shore at Godrevy Cove.
They went through the full repertoire of flapping flippers, barking and rolling over.
Great fun to watch.

The path then turned inland around the back of more quarries and through the inevitable field of cows and this herd were right across the path and got a bit frisky when we got near them.
Then they all started towards us and we had to take evasive action by jumping over the nearest gate only to be told that we were trespassing by a woman in one of the cottages.
She must have confused us with someone that cares about such trivia.

We went through Porthoustock and more fields and lanes before coming across the wonderful Fat Apples Cafe near Porthallow.

Cottages near Porthallow

Somehow I missed the post somewhere around Porthallow that marks the half way point of the south west coast path.
315 miles gone and only 315 to go.

These leaves were about 8 feet across

The tide was out at Gillan Creek so we should have been able to use the stepping stones.
Only problem was that we couldn't find them and after chatting to a local, it seemed we were better off not finding them because they were so slippery that even spider man wouldn't stay on them.
So it was a painful barefoot wade across to St Anthony Church.



      Looking back to Dennis Head

Getting to Helford seemed to take much longer than anticipated but when we did eventually get there we were sent up and around the back of the village and out the other side to get to the ferry, only to find the ferry wouldn't be running for over an hour due to the low tide.
So we were forced into the Shipwrights Arms for a drink.

When the ferry dropped us off at the other side we still had a bit more climbing to do to reach our accommodation, but all things considered it was quite an easy day.

Day 25. Lizard to Coverack

It was damp and misty at England's most southerly point.
The lighthouse was flashing like it was night time and the fog horns were sounding.
Very atmospheric but it would have been nice to enjoy the far ranging views and perhaps spot the famous Cornish Choughs.

After a while the fog began to lift a bit giving a slightly obscured view back to the lifeboat station and the point.

The path gave us a great view of the Devil's Frying Pan.

It was a sea cave but the roof collapsed leaving just the entrance.

It got it's unusual name because during rough weather the rocks and boulders in the bottom look like they're boiling.

Cadgwith

Although we hadn't been walking for long we couldn't pass through Cadgwith without stopping.

We sat on the bench outside the shop and got chatting to many of the local people and tourists passing by.

The weather was improving as we moved along though still damp underfoot.
The rock on the Lizard peninsula is, coincidentally, called serpentinite.
It is a green rock that when it is smooth and wet, as it was along the path, looks like a Lizard's skin.

The regimented holiday chalets above Kennack Sands looked out of place in this beautiful landscape.

Kennack Sands

Climbing the steep steps away from Kennack Sands I received another cash donation from a couple from Truro who had never been here before and were amazed at the beauty that was almost on their doorstep.

Past more stone age forts (grassy bumps etc) and secluded coves it was a level walk to Black Head and towards Coverack.

Above Perprean Cove there was a fork in the path and of course we chose the wrong one making the last mile a very difficult clamber through a rocky, overgrown path.

Perprean Cove

We stayed at the Paris Hotel that took its name from the SS Paris that was grounded on the reef just off the rocky headland.

Fortunately, all on board were saved.

Day 24. Porthleven to Lizard

A damp and mizzly start to the day on the walk to the Loe Bar, a shingle ridge that separates the Loe from the sea.


Loe Bar

The Loe is the largest natural fresh water lake in England and rumoured to be the lake that the sword of Excalibur was thrown into by Bedivere, if you're interested in that sort of thing.

It was very misty when we got to Gunwalloe Church Cove which was a shame because this is a beautiful area.

The picturesque church is close to the beach and could easily be overlooked as it is surrounded by dunes and trees.

The church is used as a location for the filming of Poldark but I was looking the other way, to the golf course (Mullion) that is the most southerly course in Britain.

Watched a four ball teeing off but the conditions were so poor that I, nor they, had any idea where the balls landed.

 It was too misty for scenery shots so I took pictures of daisies and these unusual plants instead.

Had a quick lunch stop at Poldhu beach cafe before climbing up the cliff to the monument that marks the spot where the first wireless signal was sent to Newfoundland by Marconi.

Dropped down to Mullion Cove.

This lovely little harbour is owned by the National Trust but the harbour walls suffers from so much damage from the regular, severe storms, coupled with rising sea water levels that the Trust are considering the position regarding the regular and expensive repairs and, possibly leaving the harbour to the ravages of the weather.

After an hour or so of level walking we arrived at Kynance Cove, one of the most scenic places in Cornwall but today we could barely see as far as the famous Lion Rock.

So we had a quick cuppa at the café and made our way to find our accommodation in Lizard.

Day 23. Penzance to Porthleven

As usual the signs for the south west coast path disappear in town.
Eventually we found our way to the path leading to Marazion with views all the way of the iconic St Michael's Mount.

It was a perfect day for walking, dry and not too sunny with a light breeze on our backs and the path was easy underfoot.
But I was struggling a bit.
Everything down my left side was aching.
I think I strained anything that could be strained yesterday when pulling myself back from the brink at Lamorna Cove.

We walked down through Perranuthnoe and the music school at Prussia Cove.

Felt better after a stop for lunch at the Sandbar at Praa Sands.
Got our timing right for once as a sudden rain shower passed through.


Praa Sands

The fairly level path continued after Praa Sands and this was the easiest day's walking for ages.

Engine house with Porthleven in the background.

Arrived in Porthleven with plenty of the day left to mooch around.
Porthleven had changed quite a bit since my previous visit with several new eateries and now Rick Stein's in town too.

Day 22. Porthcurno to Penzance

Packed and left Treen Farm Campsite and walked back to the coast to join the path.
Took a detour out to the headland to see the Logan Rock.
This was a huge granite boulder that sits on a fulcrum and can be rocked.
Back in the early nineteenth century this was a tourist attraction and brought employment to Treen village, until in 1824 a naval officer, Goldsmith, decided to prove that the British navy could do anything and organised his men to push it off its perch.
There was such an outcry that he was ordered to put the rock back into position and finance the operation from his own pocket.

It's quite a clamber over the rocks and boulders to find it and would now need more than one human to rock it.

Walking through wooded coast, I think, for the first time in Cornwall, I soon arrived in St Loy, a beautiful hamlet with a rocky beach.
Sat on the bench by the beach for a while, snacking and rehydrating and starting to feel the effects of the previous day's exertions.
It was a popular stopping place and soon became a bit of a united nations.

After the woods around St Loy it was back to rock hopping all the way to Lamorna Cove.

Nearly squashed this beetle on the path that reminded me of myself crawling along the path with a luminous green back.

Stopped at Lamorna Cove Cafe and found the menu quite amusing. 

I asked politely if there was any bottles of beer in the fridge, yes came the reply.

I'd like a Budweiser please.

The fridge is in front of you, help yourself.

I don't see any Budweiser in there.

We haven't got any, came the snappy reply.

This exchange was repeated for a San Miguel.

May I have a bottle of beer from the fridge?

Help yourself, it's in front of you.

Did you get a refund from the customer service course?

You what?

Anyway the food was good and I was tempted to try a glass of their new range of Italian white sparkling wine - Processco !

Climbing out of Lamorna Cove I looked up briefly to admire the view, missed my step and my right leg went down into the undergrowth, the rucksack swung round leaving me teetering over a thirty feet drop to the rocks below.

I clung onto my left walking pole and was balancing for a while like the get away coach in the Italian job.

Eventually I pulled back on to the path to sit for a minute and gather myself.

That was a close one.

More rock hopping around Kemyel Cliff.

The path was very busy, perhaps the busiest section yet, even though it wasn't easy underfoot.

Eventually joined the road sloping down to Mousehole (Mowzl) and a walk through the narrow streets lined with galleries and little shops selling lots of stuff one doesn't need.

Followed the signs down to the Harbour.

Followed the signs pointing along the sea wall until some steps up.

In the absence of any signs to the contrary I continued along the sea wall for another half a mile or so only to arrive at a dead end and walk all the way back again to the steps.

Why not put up a SIGN !

Walked along the road and through Newlyn then into Penzance.

Met Jo from the London train and found our accommodation.

We stayed at the Artists Residence and this was the view from our window of the roof of the Admiral Benbow pub across the road.

And this was the wall of the bedroom we were in.

On to the Lizard tomorrow.

Day 21. Gurnard's Head to Porthcurno.

The Longest Day

Felt much better after a hearty meal washed down with a few pints last night at the excellent Logan Rock Inn near the campsite.

After the previous day's wobble I went super lightweight.
Leaving behind sun glasses, sun cream, hand sanitizer, bus timetable, guide book and loose change to make room for more food and water.
As I wasn't carrying a day pack all the supplies were stuffed into my pockets making my shorts look tighter than Ray Mears'.
That's not actually true because no-one has shorts tighter than Ray Mears but a long stride would be out of the question and climbing over stiles would be difficult.

I picked up the path back at Gurnard's Head and set off for Pendeen hoping to make up for time lost yesterday.

The going was still tough but the temperature was more reasonable and a slight breeze helped to keep me a bit cooler.

Porthmeor Cove

Sturdy Bridge

 Camera phones are very handy and take good snaps but sometimes they can't capture the full scale and beauty of the scenery.
For example, this picture of Bosigran Cliffs looks ok.

 Look at the almost horizontal crease about a third of the way down with three dark indents just above it.

To put some perspective on it, in this zoomed in picture, if you look at the triangular shaped dark indent, third from the left, the two dots in there are rock climbers.

This area is littered with old mine shafts, adits, carns and caves and could get very boggy but, fortunately, not during this heatwave. 

 Portheras Cove with Pendeen Watch behind the cliff.
I walked down to the small beach in the background and saw some dolphins about thirty feet off shore.

Pendeen Watch

After Pendeen lighthouse the path went through the scarred, industrial landscape of Geevor and Levant mines.

The scale of the industry here was immense and the information boards vividly illustrated the hard lives the men, women and children had.

Levant Mine

 I lost the path a bit after the mines and was scrambling around on the cliffs when a sea fog suddenly rolled in so I swiftly moved back inland

Kenidjack valley was beautiful, isolated and eerie in the thickening fog.

I stopped for a sandwich at the National Trust car park at Cape Cornwall.

The women working there thought I was hilarious when I told them that I planned to walk to Porthcurno that evening.

Every time I've been to Cape Cornwall to play golf or have a hike the weather has always turned inclement which is a shame because the views around here are spectacular.

Looking back to Cape Cornwall through the sea fog

Time was getting on so I got a bit of a spurt on to Sennen Cove.
Five hours of step aerobics deserves a pint so I stopped for a quick one in The Old Success.

Sennen Cove

The sea fog had lifted and the sun was shining.
The quick spurt I had put in left me standing at the bar in a pool of perspiration.
If sweat was money I'd be Bill Gates.

It was a well paved path over to Land's End where, fortunately, I was too late for the cheesy photograph and made do with a selfie.
Glad to say there wasn't any summer solstice shenanigans going on.

I had the cliffs to myself and it was a lovely evening.

The Lions Den with Longships in the background

There was still a long way to go and plenty of valleys to traverse.

Porthgwarra was another picturesque fishing village now eerily quiet from de-population and second home ownership or holiday cottages.

There was a performance on when I passed the Minack Theatre but I couldn't sneak a peek.

The steps from the theatre down to Porthcurno beach were particularly difficult after a long day and there was still a couple of miles to go before I reached the campsite.

It was starting to get dark when I got to the tent.

That was the longest day

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