SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

Thursday, 11TH MAY 2023

The weather forecast for today isn’t great but I’ve been hampered by poor weather all week and this is the last chance to get in some walking, so I’ll just have to take my chances.

Port Isaac high tide 10:00

Port Isaac low tide 16:15

I’m dropped off on the outskirts of Tintagel and follow a footpath down to the coast path covered in wild flowers, heading for Barras Nose.

A coast path sign tells me that Trebarwith Strand is two and a quarter miles away. I’m beginning to doubt the accuracy of these signs.

I reach Tintagel Castle on Tintagel Head. Blimey! That’s an expensive entrance fee.

I pass the cafe, once used as offices and workshops for the mines and climb back up onto the cliffs where it starts raining.

I head towards St Materiana's Church above Glebe Cliff. Odd name for a church and I don't know why it's called this. The cover of the first edition of possibly my favourite book, A Month in the Country by J L Carr, featured this church even though the book itself was set in Yorkshire.

I continue along a track, passing Tintagel Youth Hostel.

The weather can’t seem to make up its mind and I’m battered by heavy showers followed by sunny spells which results in a lot of rainbows.

It is now a rocky path over Glebe Cliff, around Dunderhole Point, Gull Point, Higher Penhallic Point and Lower Penhallic Point passing quarries on the way.

I climb my way gingerly down the cliff to reach Trebarwith Strand, one of my favourite beaches. The trouble is that I’m close to high tide and the beach has been completely consumed by the sea. The path down is lethal after the rain.

I climb steeply out of Trebarwith Strand, passing The Port William, and I have final views over the strand before heading back along the cliffs.

I now have stonechats for company, clicking away in the shrubs and I can see Port Isaac not that far away in the distance.

I round Dennis Point and then drop down into the valley behind Backways Cove.

I then head along an easy path above Treligga Cliff and then cross a stone slab bridge above Tregardock Beach.

I climb up onto Tregardock Cliff. It’s a stinky, narrow and muddy path, overhung by rusting barbed wire waiting to spike anyone who slips.

I reach Dannonchapel and come across a coast path sign that tells me that Port Isaac is only three and three quarter miles away.

port isaac three and three quarter miles away

It has finally turned into a glorious day and I have lovely views over to Port Isaac and back to Trebarwith.

I slip and slide along until the going gets a bit difficult along Jacket's Point. I cross a footbridge above a waterfall and then climb a load of steps before crossing several valleys to reach Barrett's Zawn. It is extremely tough going slipping and sliding on the mud and slippery rocks.

I continue along the top of Bounds Cliff and pass over Pigeon's Cove, St Illickswell Gug and Rams Hole before rounding Tresungers Point.

I drop down to the road at what was once Headlands Hotel but is now derelict. I walk down into Port Gaverne, passing the Port Gaverne Restaurant and Hotel.

I follow the road steeply uphill out of Port Gaverne to reach my destination for the day, the car park above Port Isaac.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

pheasants
wall butterfly
small copper butterfly
oystercatchers
stonechats
gorse
red campion
bladder campion
sea thrift
foxgloves
spring squill
ribwort plantain
kidney vetch
bluebells
ox-eye daisy
navelwort
common sorrel
birds-foot trefoil
oxslip
stitchwort
common dog-violet
red valerian
hawthorn

PODCAST

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

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 10.7 miles which amounts to 27843 steps. It has taken me five and a quarter hours. The weather was stinky to start with but improved massively. Despite slipping and sliding through mud much of the day, eight out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

MAP

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

wednesday, 10TH may 2023

The weather forecast for today looks OK if a little on the cold side and with the possibility of rain.

Boscastle high tide 09:43

Boscastle low tide 15:14

I start the day back in Boscastle at the car park next to the shops and walk down through the village passing the Cobweb Inn and the bridge over the river before heading along the tarmac path next to the harbour.

I pass next to the harbour wall and have some final views of the village before climbing back onto the cliffs where I have some lovely views of the sheltered inlet to the harbour.

I come across a sign telling me that Tintagel is three and a half miles away. I don’t think so. If it is it’s going to be a very short walk!

There are plenty of wildflowers around but my camera is playing up today. It’s a new camera to replace my battered old field camera. I thought I’d tested it enough over the last couple of weeks to get used to it but a lot of todays photographs are under exposed.

I pass a white tower on Willapark, built in 1827 as a summer home.

There are the remains of man made rabbit warrens here. I head out along the cliffs passing Grower Rock and the Ladies Window rock arch. I have magnificent views back to where I've come from.

I now pass numerous sea stacks, Short Island, Long Island and the rocks that make up Saddle Rocks.

I revert to my iPhone to see if it’s any good at taking close up photographs of the wildflowers but I don’t particularly like the results.

I come across another signpost telling me that Tintagel is still three and a half miles away!

tintagel still three and a half miles away

I head above Trambley Cove and Trewethet Cove before reaching Rocky Valley. It certainly lives up to its name. I gingerly clamber down one side of the valley, cross a footbridge over the stream in the middle of the valley and then climb steps up the other side. It is a wild and beautiful place but it is infested with the dreaded japanese knotweed.

It has turned into an unexpectedly lovely day and I now have spectacular views over towards Tintagel.

I head over Benoath Cove and Bossinney Haven which are both closed due to falling rocks.

I walk inland of a headland before heading off across Smith's Cliff on the seaward side of Camelot Castle Hotel and Tintagel.

Before reaching Barras Nose I pass a fellow coast path walker who’s heading in the opposite direction and is carrying a MASSIVE amount of luggage.

I reach Barras Nose and my walking for the day is almost at a close.

I've now reached Tintagel Castle on Tintagel Head. It feels wild and remote today but was once a hive of mining, slate quarrying and fishing activity. Beyond Merlin's Cave there is King Arthur Mine, driven into the headland and worked for silver and lead in the 19th century.

I head up towards the castle before passing the cafe, once used as offices and workshops for the mines. I then follow an access road which takes me up to the village of Tintagel. I wander through the village to the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

sea thrift
cowslips
bladder campion
common dog-violet
common sorrel
gorse
red campion
bluebells
ribwort plantain
navelwort
herb robert
bugle
kidney vetch
japanese knotweed
celandines
rabbits
wrens
chaffinches
chiffchaffs
goldfinches
wall butterfly
stonechats

PODCAST

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

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 6.2 miles (not 3.5 miles) which amounts to 15833 steps. It has taken me three hours. A pleasant short walk in what turned out to be lovely weather. Nine out of ten!

tintagel to port isaac

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

Thursday, 11TH MAY 2023

FLORA AND FAUNA

PODCAST

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

WALK DETAILS

MAP

boscastle to tintagel

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

wednesday, 10TH may 2023

FLORA AND FAUNA

PODCAST

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

WALK DETAILS

MAP