praa sands to poldhu cove

June 13, 2021 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

Sunday, 6TH JUNE 2021

After yesterday’s manky weather it looks like today will be lovely, with sun all day long and nothing in the way of wind. Perfect for walking. Woop!

Porthleven low tide 09:26

Porthleven high tide 15:20

I start the day at the car park at Praa Sands where I climb steps down to the beach. I head down the beach to the sea and then start to amble along the beach. Some of the murkiness from yesterday still remains but I don’t think it will last very long.

Part 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 on the 2nd of June 1943.

I head through the holiday park here passing massive echiums and I enjoy the wild as well as the cultivated flowers. They are all extremely damp after yesterday’s rain and much more advanced than they would be at home.

I leave the holiday homes behind and climb onto Lesceave Cliffs where I continue to enjoy the wild flowers.

Lesceave Cliffs were given to the National Trust by the family of William Arthur Quintrell Treloar in his memory. I have some final views back over Praa Sands and the weather is already picking up.

I continue climbing to reach Rinsey Head where I come across Wheal Prosper tin mine, a rubbish mine which was only open for six years. A sign tells me that Wheal Prosper featured in a BBC TV series, Poldark, in 1995 but I can find no trace of this programme.

I head onto Trewavas Cliff where the sea thrift is looking magnificent.

The path then starts to ramble aimlessly along the cliffs, although the paths seem to be much better than they used to be. I come across Wheal Trewavas which started work in 1834, at its peak employing 200 miners but the mine closed suddenly in 1846.

I enjoy more of the wild flowers on the cliffs before finally entering Porthleven.

I follow the coast path down to the harbour at Porthleven and head around the harbour where I come across the Harbour Inn.

I amble along the road out of Porthleven where I walk past ancient fishing winches and canons protecting the harbour, enjoying the views back to Porthleven.

I walk along the path above Porthleven Sands.

I then descend to Loe Bar and crunch along the pebbly beach.

I regain the cliffs and amble along the top where I continue to enjoy the wildflowers.

I come across masses of five-spot burnets feeding on the sea thrift as well as what must be wall brown butterflies but they are so flighty that I don’t get to see their upper wings to be certain.

As I approach Gunwalloe Fishing Cove I come across a raptor enjoying the sunshine. I’m rubbish when it comes to raptors but is it possibly a common buzzard? Are they even a seaside bird?

I come across a hairy caterpillar shuffling across the path. When I said I was rubbish at identifying raptors I’m even worse when it comes to caterpillars. Is this a ruby tiger moth caterpillar? I have no idea.

I come across a common blue butterfly. It’s becoming quite a day for butterflies.

I drop down to Gunwalloe Fishing Cove and enjoy the sandy and pebbly beach. The Halzephron Inn (@InnHalzephron) can be found 100 yards inland here.

I climb up onto Halzephron Cliff and, oh my word, is that a small pearl-bordered fritillary? I’ve never seen one of these before.

After this first one I see several more but they prove to be too flighty to photograph.

I continue along Halzephron Cliff enjoying the beautiful wildflowers and I have a final view back to Porthleven Sands. Halzephron Cove can be found here but the climb down is a little adventurous even for me.

Creation or evolution? Judging by all the flora and fauna I’ve seen today it can only be evolution.

I continue along the cliff before descending down to Dollar Cove. The cove is named after the great wreck in 1780 when 2 tonnes of silver coins were lost overboard.

dollar cove

It is now a short hop and a skip to Church Cove at the church of St Winwaloe, set into the hillside beside the beach. I waste yet more time on the sandy beach here before heading along the beach and then climbing back onto the cliffs.

church cove

It is another short hop and a skip to reach Poldhu Cove where the Poldhu Beach Cafe (@poldhu) can be found and I waste more time on the sandy beach. It's quite a bit busier here than I'm used to although not too bad for a sunny Sunday.

I amble back along the beach to reach the car park where my lift awaits.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

rabbits
chiffchaffs
chaffinches
skylarks
stonechat
small pearl-bordered fritillary
red and white valerian
bluebells
wild carrot
red campion
echiums
aqualegia
arum lily
bottlebrush
iris
roses
sea thrift
foxgloves
birds-foot trefoil
ribwort plantain
bladder campion
devils-bit scabious
kidney vetch
english stonecrop
five-spot burnet
wall brown butterfly
buzzard
ruby tiger moth caterpillar
navelwort
common blue butterfly
wild garlic
gladioli
mint
hawthorn
scarlet pimpernel

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 26520 steps. It has taken me four and three quarter hours. After a murky start I’ve had glorious weather and the flora and fauna has been magnificent. Ten out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

A familiar story now and two of my tracking apps failed me today, including my normally extremely reliable backup myTracks app. However my Ordnance Survey app actually worked.

MAP

penzance to praa sands

June 12, 2021 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

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!

WALK DETAILS

All three of my tracking apps failed me today, including my normally extremely reliable backup myTracks app, so no walk details today.

MAP

Since all three of my tracking apps failed me today I’ve no way of generating a map.

beachcombing - part 1

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

south west coast path

monday 24th - wednesday 26th september 2018

We’re staying in a cottage situated between Helston and Porthleven this week. I’m having a week off from walking so instead I’ll be beachcombing the various beaches around here and I’m spoilt for choice. I could visit :-

porthcurno
lamorna cove
mousehole
penzance
marazion
perran sands
praa sands
porthleven
loe bar
gunwalloe fishing cove
church cove
poldhu cove
polurrian cove
mullion cove
kynance cove
and maybe the Falmouth beaches at :-
maenporth
swanpool
gyllyngvase

Not sure how many I’ll get to so we’ll have to see.

porthcurno - 24th september 2018

We travelled down to Cornwall in filthy weather on Saturday. The weather forecast for Sunday was also filthy but it turned out to be quite a nice day and the weather this morning is glorious.

Porthcurno is one of my favourite beaches on the south west coast path. There’s a large film crew camped in Porthcurno as we arrive - presumably filming Poldark - but they don’t appear to be doing very much so the beach is very quiet.

praa sands - 24th september 2018

The last time I passed through Praa Sands the sand had been washed away by winter storms but normal order has been restored.

poldhu - 25th september 2018

It is another beautiful morning and there are already quite a few people enjoying the beach at Poldhu.

church cove - 25th september 2018

It is a short walk around from Poldhu to Church Cove.

penzance - 26th september 2018

It is another beautiful morning and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I start the day at Newlyn before making my way across the beach at Penzance and then I amble across Marazion Beach.

marazion - 26th september 2018

PODCAST

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