SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

saturday, 5th june 2021

The weather forecast for this week had been looking pretty good until I got up this morning and the forecast is now showing that it’ll be grey and damp. At least there won’t be much in the way of wind. Whatever happened to all that sun?

Porthleven low tide 08:36

Porthleven high tide 14:37

I start the day on the Promenade close to Jubilee Pool (@JubileePoolPZ), Penzance's lido and the UK's largest remaining seawater lido. The view across to Newlyn is decidedly murky.

The view towards Penzance is not any better.

The last time I was here the lido had suffered significant damage in winter storms and I suspected that it wouldn’t open ever again. But I was wrong and it did open and is now looking lovely. Jubilee Pool is run for the community, by the community, and has been operated since 2017 as a charitable community benefit society. On 31st May 2020 Jubilee Pool celebrated its 85th birthday.

I duck behind Jubilee Pool and stand next to the war memorial where I have murky views over towards St Michael’s Mount.

I continue along the coast path around the harbour and pass the Isles of Scilly Travel Centre (@IOSTRAVEL). Along the way I pass the Dolphin Inn and the Dock Inn.

I wander through the car park passing the Penzance Sailing Club and then 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.

A sign has promised me lovely views but all I can see is murkiness.

I join the beach and trudge towards St Michael's Mount (@ntmichaelsmount). It is extremely murky and I can barely see St Michael’s Mount but I do believe the mist is lifting.

There’s a river flowing down the beach so I have to retrace my steps and cross a bridge over the river next to the road before following the path next to Folly Field.

I head towards Marazion and walk along Fore Street and then Turnpike Hill, passing the Godolphin Arms, the King's Arms and the Fire Engine Inn. Beside the Godolphin Arms is Maypole Gardens.

I head out of Marazion. The coast path signs have dried up and I’m sure I haven’t gone this far out of Marazion before.

I head down a track that looks like it might go out to the coast and then follow a public footpath. I find some coast path signs again but none of this looks familiar.

I reach Trenow Cove and there is a curlew on the beach and swallows flying around me. I look back over the beach towards St Michael's Mount before heading along the path to Boat Cove.

I used to encounter southern marsh orchids along here but someone has been over enthusiastic with a strimmer and there’s no sign of them. Nevertheless, I enjoy the wildflowers around here even if they are a little damp.

I reach Perranuthnoe. In the village can be found the Victoria Inn but I skirt around the village and enjoy the relatively quiet Perran Sands just down the road before regaining the coast path.

Rain/mist looks like it is set in for the day now and it is much windier than the forecast promised. I continue to amble back along the coast path below Acton Castle where I come across masses of six-spot burnets.

I reach Cudden Point and I am now seeing wild cabbages everywhere.

I continue on to Prussia Cove. Prussia Cove is actually made up of three distinct coves, Piskies Cove, Bessy's Cove and King's Cove.

prussia cove

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!

I then head on towards Praa Sands. Here can be found the Sandbar. It is very murky here and the beach is all but deserted.

My walking is done for the day and so I head to the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

echiums
red and white valerian
curlew
swallow
wrens
red campion
cow parsley
alexanders
rape
foxgloves
ribwort plantain
sea thrift
bird’s-foot trefoil
bluebells
bladder campion
yarrow
six-spot burnet
hogweed
buttercups
common dog-violet
wild cabbage
honeysuckle
navelwort
wild garlic
kniphofia
english stonecrop

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 11.3 miles which amounts to 26269 steps. It has taken me four and a half hours. The weather has been pretty poor today with rain, mist and murkiness for much of the day and it has been much more blustery than it should have been. Seven out of ten!