south west coast path

sunday, 8th september 2019

It looks like it’s going to be a lovely day today. Not particularly warm but I should get a lot of sun and there’s barely any wind.

Padstow low tide 07:38

Padstow high tide 13:44

I start the day at our holiday cottage on a golf course and amble down the golf course towards Polzeath. It is a beautiful morning. I admire the late wild flowers as I approach Polzeath.

As I approach Polzeath I pass the Whitewater Gallery, Cone Zone, Ann’s Cottage Surf Shops Cornwall, Paradise Pizza, The Sandbar, Waterfront Bar and Grill and Beach Box Cafe.

I head out onto Polzeath Beach. It’s still early so the beach is pretty quiet but surfers are making their way out to the waves.

I head along the path above Broadagogue Cove and Greenaway Beach and gently descend towards Daymer Bay.

I head out onto the beach at Fishing Cove Field, inhabited by dog walkers, and amble slowly along the sand. St Enodoc Church can be found just inland here but I continue along the beach. Normally I’d be able to walk straight across to Daymer Bay but the tide is too far in so I take to the grassy slopes of Brea Hill and head through the dune system.

I amble through the dunes until I find a safe exit point onto the beach and then it is a pleasant stroll along the sand of Daymer Bay heading towards Rock.

I reach the ferry slipway at Rock and wait for the ferry to cross over from Padstow.

I catch the ferry across to Padstow which costs me £4 for a return ticket.

The ferry pulls into the harbour in Padstow and I alight the ferry and amble into Padstow for a bit of exploring

It’s still early so Padstow is fairly quiet but I expect it will be heaving later.

I wander around the harbour passing the The Shipwrights (@theshipwrights), The Harbour Inn and The Old Custom House (@ochpadstow)

I retrace my steps and then climb steadily out of Padstow, walk through a gate and then follow grassy slopes up to the granite war memorial overlooking Daymer Bay and the Camel estuary. The clouds are gathering quite ominously but I don’t they’ll threaten me today.

The war memorial always signals the end of any crowds (not that there were any) and I should just have dog walkers, runners and surfers for company for the rest of today.

There’s a plaque next to the war memorial which I haven’t seen before to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War.

“They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.”

— For the Fallen, Laurence Binyon

I amble along the coast path and fall into conversation with an Australian who is walking the south west coast path in its entirety. He is on day 11 of his walk and is hoping to complete the walk in 38 days.

I reach Harbour Cove and the coast path meanders behind the beach but the sand is far too enticing so I head out across the beach instead. I have the whole beach to myself except for a few dog walkers. Out at the mouth of the estuary can usually be seen The Doom Bar, named after a rather tasty beer from Sharp's Brewery! It's covered in water today. The ominous clouds are still behind me but ahead are blue skies.

At Hawker's Cove I come across a small group of buildings and head along a road before passing between two rows of cottages. The Padstow lifeboat was stationed here until 1967, before being relocated to Mother Ivey's Bay due to river silting. I spot someone fishing from the lifeboat station slipway.

I continue to amble along the coast path enjoying the wild flowers.

I head towards Stepper Point and walk below the coastguard station here and then pass a daymark, which served as a navigation beacon for seafarers during daylight hours.

I amble along the cliffs and pass Pepper Hole and Butter Hole and head along the grassy slopes to Gunver Head, passing Fox Hole. A sign tells me that the fields around here are full of corn buntings and skylarks but I don't see any. It's very unusual to go on a coastal walk without hearing skylarks but it's the wrong time of year.

I pass a blow-hole, Round Hole, at Roundhole Point, an 80 feet deep hole in the cliffs formed from a collapsed cave. Somehow, a man managed to fall down it recently. I now have lovely views over Trevone Bay.

I walk down towards the beach car park and then head out on to the beach and enjoy the fine sand. I retrace my steps and head out of Trevone Bay.

The path continues above a rocky beach towards Harlyn Bay. I come across sea bindweed, sea thrift, common toadflax, secret beaches and some nutters who are throwing themselves into the sea.

At Harlyn Bay I climb down steps to reach the fine, sandy beach. I amble along the beach for a while before retracing my steps to head towards the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

red campion
himalayan balsam
red valerian
ragwort
rabbits
buddleia
mullein
hemp agrimony
sunflowers
nasturtiums
roses
hydrangea
agapanthus
fennel
mesembryanthemum
japanese anemones
crocosmia
small copper butterflies
clouded yellow butterflies
blackberries
honeysuckle
swallows
housemartins
knapweed
sea thrift
sea bindweed
betony
common toadflax

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 13.8 miles today which amounts to 28485 steps. It has been a beautiful day of walking. Ten out of ten!

The total ascent today has been a miserly 119 feet or 36 metres.

map

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

saturday, 7TH SEPTEMBER 2019

After yesterday's squally rain it looks like the weather will be much better today. It's not going to be particularly warm but at least it should be dry and the wind has died down a bit.

Port Isaac high tide 12:12

Port Isaac low tide 18:40

I start the day in the car park at the top of Port Isaac. I head down a tarmac path which leads into the village, passing autumnal flowers along the way

Fortunately it's still pretty early so the village isn't heaving yet with Doc Martin fans. I head down the hill towards the harbour, passing all of the touristy shops.

I pass the Golden Lion (@GLportisaac) and the Port Isaac lifeboat station before I have views over the harbour and I head down the slipway onto the beach.

The Port Isaac Shanty Festival starts today and a stage is being set up at the top of the beach. I enjoy the beach for a while before heading uphill out of Port Isaac.

I now have lovely views over the beach and harbour and I enjoy the wild flowers next to the coast path. I spot a hummingbird hawk-moth and for a change manage to photograph it.

I climb up some granite steps before walking around the edge of a field on Lobber Point. I cross a footbridge at Pine Haven.

I climb up a long flight of steps before heading around Varly Head, passing Varley Sand. I’m now above Greengarden Cove and I continue along the coast path around Scarnor Point. I pass above Downgate Cove and walk along the cliffs above Reedy Cliff.

I climb gently down from Kellan Head towards Port Quin.

Port Quin is now a short hop away and I head out onto the rather rocky Port Quin Beach. There used to be a thriving pilchard industry here as well as mining activities but these have both long ago dried up and the teeny village is now owned by the National Trust.

I head out on the beach for a bit. I spot a man sat at the top of the beach wearing wellies, a bright orange jacket and a flat cap. He gets out a bag and then pulls out a load of paintbrushes and starts to paint on some paper.

Hang on a sec! I recognize that man. He’s Kurt Jackson!! Needless to say I leave him to his peaceful painting.

I leave Port Quin via the road before climbing over a stone stile. I cut inland of Doyden Point, passing a truncated gothic tower, Doyden Castle, built in 1827 and now turned into a holiday cottage.

I continue along the coast path passing a couple of mine shafts surrounded by slate fencing posts. These mines are known as Gilson's Cove mine or Doyden Point mine and produced a mixture of silver, lead and antimony and also a bit of copper.

Between the two shafts the coast path runs through the middle of a horse whim that was used to haul materials from the mine.

I climb gently onto Trevan Point and enjoy the wild flowers where I also come across a small copper butterfly. I also spot a red admiral and a small tortoiseshell butterfly but they prove to be too flighty to photograph.

I continue along the coast and come across Epphaven Cove where I can cross a stream over the beach and caves. It’s a bit of a scramble down to the beach but there’s no beach today anyway with the tide so far in.

Between Epphaven Cove and Lundy Hole Beach I come across a painted lady butterfly.

I continue along the coast path to reach Lundy Hole Beach. It’s rather a small beach and entirely covered by the tide except for boulders at the head of the beach. There is a wooden flight of steps which takes you down to the boulders but it’s a bit of a scramble after that to reach any sand.

I climb down the steps to do some recording and then retrace my steps and continue along the coast path to reach the arch at Lundy Hole. There is a legend that as St. Menfre was combing her hair the devil appeared in front of her and was so taken aback he dug Lundy Hole. What a load of old nonsense!

I pass Great Lobb's Rock and then pass by Downhedge Cove, Pengirt Cove and head above Sandinway Beach, passing several disused quarries and enjoying the wild flowers along the way. I also come across a wall brown butterfly and a raggedy speckled wood butterfly.

The large offshore rock behind the eastern headland of The Rumps is known as The Mouls and is a breeding site for puffins, gannets and kittiwakes in summer but they are presumably long gone now.

The path continues towards The Rumps before swinging sharply to the left where I head towards Pentire Point and come across a herd of lazy cows lying on the coast path.

The Rumps were formerly an Iron Age Cliff Castle with excellent defensive capability due to the constricted neck leading out to the twin headlands.

I now change direction and start to have some protection from the cold northerly winds. I can now see across to the infamous Doom Bar sandbank where the River Camel meets the Atlantic Ocean. The sandbank is revered as a formidable nautical challenge that should be approached with respect and navigated with skill. Or so my pint glass tells me!

I now have magnificent views over Hayle Bay towards Polzeath.

I descend towards Pentire Haven but the sand is covered up so I climb back onto the cliffs and head towards Pentireglaze Haven. There’s sand here and I normally walk across this beach straight onto Polzeath Beach but the tide is in too far today.

I head back onto the cliffs and amble along before dropping down to Polzeath Beach where I head straight out onto the beach. It’s rather busy but that’s probably not surprising as it’s a Saturday and the weather is rather good. There are a lot of people out on the surf.

I amble back along the beach heading towards Polzeath village where I pass the Waterfront Bar and Grill (@WaterFront_Polz).

Fortunately I found a public footpath from our holiday cottage down to Polzeath yesterday afternoon otherwise I would have had to traipse along roads back to the cottage.

The footpath takes me out of Polzeath and I have one final round of photographing the wild flowers before heading across The Point golf course and my walking is done for the day.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

white valerian
red valerian
hummingbird hawk-moth
fuchsia
tansy
crocosmia
acanthus
oxeye daisy
buddleia
ragwort
honeysuckle
common toadflax
red campion
sea thrift
ribwort plantain
cows
cormorants
bladder campion
small copper butterfly
red admiral butterfly
small tortoiseshell butterfly
betony
knapweed
painted lady butterfly
blackberries
sloes
herb robert
gorse
cat’s ear
wall brown butterfly
hawthorn
heather
speckled wood butterfly
mullein
himalayan balsam

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 12.3 miles today which amounts to 26879 steps. It has been nice to get back out on the south west coast path after three months away and it has been a lovely day’s walking. Nine out of ten!

My total elevation today is 489 feet or 149 metres.