beachcombing - part 2

October 04, 2018 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

thursday 27TH - friday 28TH SEPTEMBER 2018

maenporth - 27th september 2018

It’s time to tackle the Falmouth beaches. After a misty and cold start the sun is out and it’s starting to warm up. I’ll amble along Maenporth, Swanpool and then Gyllyngvase before heading in to Falmouth.

swanpool - 27th september 2018

gyllyngvase - 27th september 2018

perran sands - 27th september 2018

It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m at Perran Sands at low tide. I’ve never been here at low tide before but it’s rather nice.

loe bar - 28th september 2018

I wander down from our cottage near to Helston, along a nice footpath through the Penrose estate, to Porthleven, stopping off at Loe Bar on the way.

porthleven sands - 28th september 2018

Oops! I somehow managed to knock my wide angle lens into manual focus mode so I haven’t got any wide angle shots of Porthleven Sands.

That’s it. It’s the last day of our holiday and we travel home tomorrow. After a filthy day travelling down on Saturday the weather has been glorious. Thank you Cornwall.

podcast

The podcast of this beachcombing is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

the lizard to porthleven

June 08, 2014 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

8th june 2014

It looks like good walking weather again with sunshine and plenty of breezes to keep me cool.

Porthleven high tide 13:44

Porthleven low tide 07:40

Major equipment (or user!) failure today. I don't have a phone signal at the Lizard so I can't start up some of my apps and then part way through today's walk I manage to switch the phone into airplane mode which stops all of the apps from recording any info. Bugger!

I start the day at the car park in the Lizard village. I'm walking this walk to Porthleven in the wrong direction so that when I reach Kynance Cove the sea won't have swallowed up the beach.

I wander down the footpath to reach Lizard Point, the most southerly point on mainland Great Britain noticing on the way the dreaded 'no signal' on my phone. Bugger! I wander down to the old lifeboat station (I'll pass the latest lifeboat station in a couple of days) and then climb back up and head off along the cliffs. Masses of seagulls are flying around here.

Choughs (@cornishchoughs) have taken up residence here. They became extinct in Cornwall in 1973 but returned in 2001. There are seven pairs of Choughs in 2014 and a non breeding flock of immature birds. I see a few of them playing in the air but they are difficult to photograph and it's far too breezy to record them.

I continue along the cliffs towards Kynance Cove enjoying the magnificent views and the lovely wildflowers. Before reaching Kynance Cove, Pentreath Beach can be found which is a little difficult to reach, involving scrambling down what appears to be little more than a goat track. It definitely looks worth the diversion but it's too adventurous for me with my heavy backpack.

At the top of Kynance Cove I'm greeted by some wooden boards highlighting the local wildlife before descending steeply down to the cove.

Bugger! I must have mis-read the tide times as there is little more than a postage stamp sized bit of the beach! I enjoy walking along what little of the beach I have anyway. I have the whole place to myself. I waste quite a bit of time here before strapping back on my bag and climbing back out of the cove, passing the Kynance Cove Cafe on the way.

As I climb out of Kynance Cove I pass the native bloody cranesbills. The views back overlooking Kynance Cove are magnificent.

After ambling for far too long I head off along the Lizard cliffs where I encounter the first orchids of the day, including loads of heath spotted orchids so I waste more time, taking photographs. They seemed to be easier to identify a year ago.

I continue along the cliffs, enjoying the views to reach Predannack. Predannack airfield is nearby and there is usually a constant stream of helicopters flying overhead but it's quiet today. Maybe they don't fly on a Sunday? The wild flowers around here are amazing and there's sea thrift everywhere.

common spotted orchids

dropwort

ragged robin

sheep's-bit

southern marsh orchid

Mullion Cove comes into view and I take the steep descent down to the harbour. Mullion Cove took a battering in the winter storms and the harbour was badly damaged. It's still looking a bit of a mess but at least it's being repaired.

I ascend the other side of Mullion Cove and pass the Mullion Cove Hotel (@mullioncove) before heading along the cliffs to reach sandy Polurrian Cove. I waste more time pottering along the sandy beach before climbing back out of Polurrian Cove and heading along the cliffs.

I pass the Marconi monument, a granite monument commemorating the first transatlantic radio transmission on the 12th of December 1901. I think that Marconi probably had a better signal 100-odd years ago than I've had today. I continue along the cliffs enjoying the masses of pink sea thrifts.

I reach Poldhu Cove where the Poldhu Beach Cafe (@poldhu) can be found and waste more time on the sandy beach. It's quite a bit busier here than I'm used to.

I leave Poldhu Cove via the road and encounter more sea thrift before descending down to Church Cove.

I waste yet more time on the sandy beach here before heading along the beach to reach the church of St Winwaloe, set into the hillside beside the beach.

I continue along Halzephron Cliff enjoying the beautiful wildflowers and Porthleven Sands has now come into view. Halzephron Cove can be found at the end of the cliffs but the climb down is a little adventurous even for me.

I continue walking to reach the much more benign Gunwalloe Fishing Cove. I meet some people here who I'll bump into again in Porthleven. I enjoy the sandy and pebbly beach before heading off on the final leg of my journey. The Halzephron Inn (@InnHalzephron) can be found slightly inland here.

I walk past ancient fishing winches enjoying the views to Porthleven.

I walk along the path above Porthleven Sands and then descend to Loe Bar and crunch along the pebbly beach.

From here it is easy walking to reach the harbour at Porthleven. I finish the day at the Harbour Inn where a refreshing pint of Tribute awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

seagulls
choughs
sea thrift
skylarks
heath spotted orchids
rooks
ragged robin
buttercups
caterpillars
common spotted orchids
southern marsh orchids
water forget-me-nots
sea campion
red campion
foxgloves

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?

Fortunately I have a back up to my pedometer app so I've taken 36430 steps today. I've no idea how far I've walked but it should be about 13.5 miles. I've had gorgeous sunny weather all day long, it's been a beautiful early summer's day and the walking has been about as good as it gets on the South West Coast Path. 10 out of 10. No map today because of the equipment failures.

penzance to porthleven

June 07, 2014 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

7th june 2014

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday dear me
Happy birthday to me!

Today's weather forecast looks to be a lovely, early summer's day. Perfect for walking. Woop!

Penzance high tide 12:34

Penzance low tide 06:34

I start the day at Jubilee Pool, Penzance's lido and the UK's largest remaining seawater lido. The lido suffered significant damage in this winter's storms and won't open this year. The place looks in a bit of a mess so I'm not sure that it will open again full stop.

I continue along the coast path around the harbour and pass the Isles of Scilly Travel Centre (@IOSTRAVEL). I've visited the beautiful St Mary's twice but won't have time on this visit. Along the way I pass the Dolphin Inn and the Dock Inn. The Scillonian III is moored on the harbour and people are boarding it ready to cross over to St Mary's.

I pass Penzance railway station and then join the cycleway, passing what was once the heliport for catching the helicopter to the Isles of Scilly but which is sadly now a Sainsbury's superstore. At a level crossing I join the beach and trudge towards St Michael's Mount (@ntmichaelsmount), collecting shells and pebbles on the beach.

At the causeway leading to St Michael's Mount I head off of the beach, following the path next to Folly Field.

I head towards Marazion and walk along Fore Street and then Turnpike Hill, passing the Godolphin Arms (@godolphinarms), the King's Arms and the Fire Engine Inn. Beside the Godolphin Arms is Maypole Gardens which suffered damage in the winter storms and is awaiting repairs.

On Turnpike Road I pass the Mount Haven Hotel and turn right down a road to leave Marazion behind and head towards Chymoryah East. Here I temporarily regain the shore and clamber over rocks before climbing up a metal stairway to walk along the low cliffs.

I reach Trenow Cove and look back over the beach towards St Michael's Mount before heading along the path to Boat Cove. I encounter my first orchids of the day here (southern marsh orchids I think) and then suddenly runners start to appear..

Not any old runners though. These are equipped with on board hydration tanks and stick on numbers. As I reach Perranuthnoe (@PerranTweets) the mystery becomes clear as there is a check point here for an endurance running race. The place is heaving. In this village can be found the Victoria Inn (@victoriaperran).

I escape the crowds and enjoy the relatively quiet Perran Sands just down the road before bravely facing the crowds again.

I amble back along the coast path below Acton Castle to reach Cudden Point and then Prussia Cove. Prussia Cove is actually made up of three distinct coves, Piskies Cove, Bessy's Cove and King's Cove but the tide is high and I can barely make them out.

I come across a research project investigating aspects of plant diversity in Cornwall. There are wild cabbages everywhere.

I continue my ambling to reach Kennegy Sands. The beach seems to be permanently closed here. It used to be difficult to access by climbing down two chain ladders but it's now fenced off. Even so, I'm sure I can spot footprints in the sand below!

There's plenty of flora and fauna to enjoy and I manage to catch a fleeting photograph of a red admiral butterfly as well as a much more obliging speckled wood.

I then head on towards Praa Sands. Here can be found the Sandbar and the Welloe Rock Inn. Despite being slightly sheltered, Praa Sands took a battering in the winter storms but the 'sand' in Praa Sands has returned so I walk along the beach. It's a bit rough for paddling and I suspect it's freezing, despite it being June.

Half way across the beach I climb back on to the low cliffs, passing a memorial honouring the crew of a Sunderland Flying Boat which crash landed on Praa Sands in 1943.

I head through the Sea Meads holiday homes passing massive echiums and leave the holiday homes behind, climbing to reach Rinsey Head where I come across Wheal Prosper tin mine, a rubbish mine which was only open for six years.

The path then starts to ramble aimlessly along the cliffs. The coast path is heaving again as I pass a large group of walkers stretched out for miles, presumably walking for the Alzheimer's Society, before finally entering Porthleven. I pass the Ship Inn (@TheShip_levy) on the outskirts of Porthleven and head around the harbour. Time for some chips and and some pints of St Austell Brewery's Tribute Ale at the Harbour Inn.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

rabbits
seagulls
rooks
red valerian
echiums
nigella
speckled woods
a tortoiseshell
southern marsh orchids
stinging nettles
chaffinches
sea thrift
the last of the bluebells
a wren
wild cabbage
buttercups
cow parsley
a red admiral
a thrush

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 17.1 miles today which amounts to 36190 steps. I've never seen the coast path so busy, had gorgeous sunny weather all day long. It's been a beautiful early summer's day and the walking has been fantastic. 9 out of 10.

View penzance to porthleven in a larger map