Sunday 20th June 2021

Being a Sunday, public transport doesn’t get going until halfway through the morning and so we took a taxi to Carbis Bay. The taxi driver said he would pick us up again at Porthtowan if we gave him some notice which seemed like a good secure arrangement.

The walk continued along a tarmac path through the now famous Carbis Bay Hotel (for those reading this at some time in the future, the G7 summit was held there under the chairmanship of Boris Johnson and the whole bay and town went into a security lockdown for the duration. It had only reopened the week before we walked through).

We cut off a corner by walking across the Port Kidney Sands from Carrack Gladden. Oddly, though the sand was damp, it was quite soft and so after a bit of a struggle to get down to the beach we quite soon resorted to the official path. The SWCP follows more or less alongside the railway line around the Hayle Esturay as far as Hayle.

It crosses the River Hayle by the bridge at Grigg’s Quay. We followed the road into Hayle and through the new harbour development to the beach at Hayle Towans and continued on the path until we turned the corner and then dropped down to the beach walk on the sand. The sand this time was much firmer making for easier walking.  The beach was alive with surfers and paddle boarders and probably a few swimmers but they were hard to spot. We followed along the beach to Magow Rocks near Gwithian, though it was not quite the plain sailing we had expected.

The tide was definitely on its way in and I could see a rocky outcrop at Strap Rocks but walkers seemed to be disappearing behind the outcrop without difficulty. So we decided to press on along the sands rather than clambering back up to the coast path. A local dog walker realised our intention and called to Jill to say that if we kept going at our fast pace we would probably be there before the tide came in but said there was a route up that the surfers used if we were too late.

As we arrived it looked as if we would just get round the corner with dry feet; there was steady stream of of surfers and bare-legged beach walkers going through the gap between the outcrop and the cliffs but as we came round the first outcrop, there was a narrow passage where the water was already getting close to knee height – especially after a wave had come in. We looked at the alternative route up the rocky cliff and decided against that and so we whipped off our boots and socks as fast as we could and waded through the gap.

Once through, we walked up St Gothian sands paddling in the water’s edge as we went. The cool sea water was very refreshing to hot, tired feet. At the end of the beach we sat on some rocks and dried off our feet and got the worst of the sand off before donning footwear once again.

The beach ends just before Godrevy Point; Godrevy Island with its lighthouse is just a little way off shore

From here the path was wide and made of compacted grit. It may actually be a wheel-chair accessible path and it made for easy walking. There were excellent views over the cliff edges and though there was some cloud the light was very good.

At Carvannel Downs, a couple of miles before Portreath, the path reverted to dry mud and there were two significant places where the path dropped steeply only to rise up once again. There was a steep climb down to Portreath. The time was about 15:30 and so we bought ice creams and I rang the taxi firm and arranged a pick up at 17:30 from Porthtowan which was another three miles along the path.

From Portreath we climbed back up to the cliff edge and followed around the edge of the former Nankuke airfield, now notable for its remote radar dome.

Having allowed 2 hours for the gentle three miles to Porthtowan we arrived 15 mins before the taxi was due. When we had waited another 30 mins I decided to ring find out what had happened but there was a no signal.  So I had to get the wifi code from the “Unicorn on the Beach”  bar and make a call over wifi. There is a telephone box but it had no dialling tone. It appeared that our request never made it into their book and they did not have a taxi available. I tried another firm but that too had a two hour wait.  Finally we had success with Redruth Taxis. Having hoped for an early finish we had a late one.

Saturday 19th June 2021

I had thought it might be a good idea to drive to St Earth or St Ives and leave the car there. We could get a taxi to Pendeen Watch to start the walk. That would mean we could be quite flexible about when and where we finished today’s walk. I rang round some taxi firms last night and couldn’t even get an answer from any of them. This morning I tried again but when I eventually got a response from one taxi firm, I was told they didn’t have time to go to Pendeen Watch albeit only about eight miles up the road from them.

So we drove to Pendeen Watch and parked by the lighthouse in the knowledge that there was at least a bus we could get from St Ives or Carbis Bay that would take us back to Pendeen village from where we would have a mile and a half to walk back to the car. Alternatively we could try again to get a taxi.

At 08:45 when we left the car it already felt warm and so we had both removed the zip-off sections of our walking trousers. We set off along a pleasant path above Portheras Cove.

We were acutely aware that this was said to be one of the most challenging sections of the South West Coast Path. Indeed our taxi driver last night had confirmed as much and said we should allow at least eight hours for it. He then said, “ As you come up to Zennor village there are some huge steps, about two foot high, my lovelies.” I was also aware that this was the first strenuous walk since I tore my calf muscle three weeks ago.

It was a stunning morning; the clear blue skies were complemented by a gentle onshore breeze making the temperature seem more acceptable. We walked past the remains of several more old tin mines and numerous old shafts were fenced off.

For the first couple of hours the path meandered along the cliff tops, sometimes almost dropping down to a cove but almost always turning back uphill before actually reaching a beach. Being a weekend there were lots of people on the coast path and so we frequently had a to pause to let people pass.

We passed Gurnards Head and could still see the Pendeen lighthouse. The mile or so before we reached Zennor was a bit tricky with some large bouldery sections that needed care.

Eventually we came to  the steps about which we had been warned by our taxi driver. They may have been largish steps but certainly not two feet high. We scaled them very quickly legs were not exactly like jelly at the top as he had suggested. I did point out to Jill that actually the taxi driver was quite short and stocky which might have had some bearing on his warnings. We were not keen to walk to the village of Zennor which is a little off route. We carried on to Zennor Head and tackled some more bouldery bits; in due course we caught up with a family comprising parents with mum carrying a very young babe in a sling and her husband with their toddler daughter who looked about three. They stood aside to let us pass and we stopped to congratulate the little girl on her walking prowess – it was a challenging path and she was keeping up a good pace. 

We stopped for lunch sitting on a rock and aired our sweaty feet in the pleasant breeze. I really like to get my boots and socks off when we stop. On a warm day the socks usually dry off and the skin on my feet lose that wrinkled appearance of having spent too long in the bath and return to their normal selves. I think this really helps prevent feet becoming a problem on long walking trips. It also feels wonderful to put dry socks back on again.

The path continued to wind around a lot but it was gradually getting less severe. 

All of a sudden the Isle of St Ives came into view. This is not an island just a headland  with a narrow neck. The path became a tarmac walkway and we were at Porthmeor Beach. This is on the west side of the Isle of St Ives, on the east side is Porthminster beach. Oh and, just for the record, as we walked into St Ives we met several men – some had wives but if any had seven wives they had left six of them at home and there were neither sacks nor cats nor kits and there were just two of us going to St Ives – of that I am certain.

St Ives seemed to be bursting at its seams with people on holiday.  No wonder since most of the people were also bursting at the seams themselves.  Such a shame we can’t even be honest about obesity these days.

Coming out of St Ives we followed a wide, tarmac path which crossed the railway line and climbed steeply up the side of the cliff.  As the path approached Carbis Bay, we had to squeeze past a car trying to reverse up this narrow, pedestrian route shaded by trees both sides. The driver’s wife was behind the car trying to offer guidance and other people on the path were watching in slight disbelief that he could have presumably followed his Satnav for so long before realising his mistake; he was really struggling to reverse back up the path and still had a long way to go. 

Looking at my google maps I realised we would not have time to get to the main bus stop in Carbis Bay, so we cut up to an alternative stop on the main road and caught the Land’s End Cruiser back to Pendeen from where we had the mile and a half to walk back to the car.

Friday 18th June 2021

This morning we drove from Yorkshire all the way to St Just and to Cot Valley where our last walk ended in rather dramatic circumstances when I tore my calf muscle. Fortunately my leg seems to have healed well but this will be the first real test. The journey went well despite quite heavy traffic and by 15:30 we were getting our walking shoes on and about to start the walk from the Cot Valley to the lighthouse at Pendeen Watch. It is only a short walk but after a long journey it is always nice to stretch our legs and loosen up ready for the rest of the trip.

Cornwall was basking in wall-to-wall sunshine but on the coast there was steady breeze making it feel quite comfortable. The coast path for this section was really quite good and easy walking. It visits Cape Cornwall which has a landmark tower made out of a former mining chimney. Some know it as the Heinz tower because Heinz bought Cape Cornwall for the the nation in 1987. So we’ve beanz there, done that and got tomato sauce on my tee shirt.

The path then follows the cliff top, weaving around the numerous remains from Cornwall’s mining past. There are many chimneys  and fenced off shafts and various other buildings. It really helped me understand just how much mining was going on here once upon a time. The famous Levant Mine can only be visited by appointment at the moment.

The Lighthouse came into view and we were in plenty of time  to meet the taxi we had booked for 18:30. We sat in the sunshine and finished our coffee and ate our apples.

The taxi driver was the same driver who had “rescued” us after my calf injury which prematurely ended our last walk. We chatted about my recovery and the next section of the walk to St Ives. He warned us that it is very slow and we should allow 8 hours for it.

Back at the car we drove to Camborne where we have a room in the Premier Inn for three nights. After quick showers we went to eat at Trevaskis Farm. It is a farm shop that has now made it big with an excellent restaurant. We would recommend it.

Monday 24th May 2021

We drove back to Lamorna Cove and parked the car for £8.00. Unfortunately the machine only takes coins, there is no card option, but we managed to find the required coins between us.

We got out of the car and then heavens opened and so on went the waterproof trousers and the rucksack covers. Apart from a short walk along the quay the path was into bouldery territory from the start.

Essentially the path went in and out, around and over boulders and it was slow. Indeed in the first hour we had only managed a mile and a half – probably our slowest strike rate on any section since Berwick-on-Tweed. The coastline is all so attractive but the intermittent squalls of rain and the high winds made walking very difficult.

From Boscawen cliffs we could see the stoney beach of Boskenna. The stony beach we could see from half a mile away became a bouldery beach when we got there and picking our way over it was a little tricky.

There were moments of light relief for example when this water shrew trotted along the path ahead of us. Amazingly these little creatures can hold their breath underwater for up to 25 seconds while they forage for food.

We had provisionally aimed to be at Porthcurno for a late coffee and cake break but that five miles took us until mid day.

The only café at Porthcurno is a little off route and being uncertain whether it was open, or would have queues or even be to our liking we just continued. The beach at Porthcurno is magnificent and today, with huge Atlantic waves rolling in, it was a sight to behold. From the cove there is a set of steep and uneven steps that climb up the cliff face to the entrance to the Minnac Theatre. The theatre is still closed for performances but open by pre-booking to walk around.

Only a mile and a half from Porthcurno is the tiny cove of Porthgwarra and here there is a café but only with outside seating and as we arrived a sustained squall blew through soaking everything and so we moved on once more. Eventually Jill just ran out of steam and, for the first time since Saltburn by the sea, said she was seriously considering giving up; she knew there was a bus she could catch from Lands End. It was obvious we needed to stop for a rest and have something to eat so at the next headland we tucked in below the rocks so we were slightly shielded from the wind and sat on some boulders where we had our packed lunch and coffee. A couple of women appeared on the path, making their way down between the huge boulders that were providing our wind-break, one with a blooded hand where she had fallen on to a gorse bush earlier. She declined our offer of a First Aid kit plaster as it was OK now and joked about being clumsy.

By some good fortune the rain held off while we refuelled but within a few minutes of resuming the walk, another squall hit us and we were battling into the rain, hail and wind once more. Jill had responded to the energy-input and there was no further mention of giving up. Now, at last, we were out of the really rugged paths and on to wider cliff top paths as we approached Land’s End. Though it was still windy, the rain clouds finally disappeared.

Land’s End via the  coast path is much better than when approached by the road, which I did when I cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats fifteen years ago. The path is rather defined by rope barriers which keep people away from the edges of the cliffs which are unstable. The Land’s End Hotel is reasonably attractive unlike the theme park affair just a little away from the coast.

Emily took photos of us at Land’s End – though not under the Land’s End finger post for which there was a long queue of people waiting to pay for their photo.

We then moved on to Dr Syntax’s Head where the finger post for the SWCP felt a much more appropriate location for a photo to record our “Turn right at Land’s End”.

Then we set off for Sennen Cove where we agreed we would reappraise our progress and our taxi pickup.

The path to Sennen Cove is not very demanding though there were splendid views.

As we arrived above Sennen, we could see the long waves crashing over the harbour wall. By now we had clear blue skies and  the white crested waves were brilliant against the blue sea. I had gone ahead a little and found a café serving tea and organised 3 cups of tea ready for when Jill and Emily caught up. We drank our tea down as fast as we could and then I found a sheltered spot out of the wind to try and re-arrange the taxi pickup for 18:00. Unfortunately the taxi driver had another booking and so he could not manage an 18:00 pickup but the did say he could pick us up a little bit closer on the route at the Land’s End Youth Hostel which is near St Just. That was about 2.5 miles away or probably 3 miles to the Youth Hostel and we had about 85 minutes to get there. We set off feeling reasonably confident but we had not appreciated quite what a tough bit of coastline the next few miles would be although the first section to Whitesand Bay was easy.

After that, the path was never straightforward; it was always going up or down and changing direction. Short sections of clear footpath would be broken up by having to clamber over or round rocks and there was no way we were even going to approach 3mph. In compensation the views of the cliffs and the waves crashing in were magnificent.

After a while it was clear that Emily and Jill would not be able to get to the Youth Hostel in time and it was agreed that I would go on as fast as I could and try and persuade the taxi driver to wait a little longer or alternatively get the taxi to Lamorna Cove and then drive back to collect Jill and Emily.

So I set off as fast as I could manage, a mixture of striding out and running in the few places where the path permitted it and in other places just getting over the rocks as fast as I could without risking slipping, tripping or falling. It was all going well and I was pretty sure I could meet the taxi as agreed when, all of a sudden, I experienced a severe pain in my left calf  – and that was that. I had torn my calf muscle and could hardly move. I struggled on using my walking poles for support and limped very heavily. Now I really needed to get to the taxi. As I turned up Cot Valley I had a choice of paths. There was a foot path up the south side of the valley to the Youth Hostel which would have been the shortest route or there was a path across to the valley floor across a little bridge that would bring me to a narrow road which led up from the bottom of the valley. I opted for the latter on the basis that if I got into real trouble I might be able to flag a car down and get help. I limped my way across to the road and started to climb up the valley along the road. I kept checking my phone but there was no phone signal and so I could not get a message to the taxi nor to Jill and Emily. Two or three cars drove past but none stopped to enquire whether I needed assistance.

Eventually there was a couple walking down the hill  and so I ventured to ask if they had seen a taxi at the Youth Hostel and explained that I had been rushing for the taxi and injured my leg.  He confirmed that the taxi was waiting there and I continued on my way. A few moments the later the man, who was called Quinn, appeared beside me and offered to run back up to the Youth Hostel and try and catch the taxi and ask him to wait. I was relieved and delighted and watched Quinn disappear up the road ahead of me. Eventually I got to the path that cut through to the the Youth Hostel. When I arrived at the hostel there was no taxi and no Quinn. I did however have a phone signal of sorts and so I messaged Emily to let her know the situation. Not many minutes later, I saw Emily, Jill and Quinn appearing up the alternative path to the Youth Hostel. It transpired that Quinn had just managed to flag down the taxi as he was pulling away and had explained the situation and the taxi driver was going to return after he had done his other booking. So thanks to our “Good Samaritan” we had a taxi returning to collect us and all we had to do was sit it out and wait. Quinn, a runner himself, was interested in our long walk and stayed to chat for a few minutes before wishing Cliff well with his venture and leaving us to wait for the taxi. We were very grateful for his help. Shortly after that, the taxi arrived – his airport pickup had come in early and he was back to collect us sooner than expected. If only we had been able to arrange this pick-up time in advance, I would not have been rushing to meet him and things might have worked out very differently. Who knows? He returned us to Lamorna Cove where we collected the car and Emily drove us back to the cottage.

Sadly for us, there was no way I was going to be fit to walk for several days and so we decided to accept the inevitable and head back home to let my leg recover and plan how we were going to get back on schedule. We had already booked our accommodation for the next leg of our walk and so we will need to to try and start again three days earlier if we can find somewhere to stay given the Covid restrictions.

Sunday 23rd May 2021

Emily dropped us at Rinsey Head because she had checked the weather forecast and had the good sense to have a day off from walking. The forecast was not good, in fact, it was terrible, starting off with high winds and greater than 60% chance of rain, building up to greater than 95% chance of rain by noon, though possibly with the wind subsiding.

From Rinsey the walk was relatively undemanding and soon we descended to Praa Sands where we took the opportunity for a shortish sand walk.

Then we were back on the coast path but with no significant altitude change. We passed Kennegy Sands and Prussia Cove followed by Perran Sands.

At Trenow Cove there was some uncertainly as to where the path went. Unusually for there SWCP it appeared to take us down on to the beach and then up a very eroded path and a further very overgrown path before reaching the road and a sign saying “Footpath Closed”. I am not sure where the new official path went but perhaps we missed a sign somewhere – although it is not the first time we have found that signs are only located where they will be seen by walkers going the opposite way to us. In fact there seem to be no guide books at all for the SWCP in the direction we are walking.

St Michael’s Mount was in our view for most of the day but the weather was so bad we never really had a good clear view of it. We came into Marazion and hoped to find a nice warm café but there was none. The best was a take-away coffee and cake outlet which had a queue so we found a sheltered bench by the church where we had our own coffee and cake. As we finished the rain really got going. The path from Marazion to Penzance is either along the beach or along the dunes and promenade. The wind and rain were so intense that we opted for walking on the road just behind the sand dunes. We then turned on to the promenade only to discover it was closed for renovation. We turned back and walked on the road just over the railway line for about half a mile after which we returned to the prom via a level crossing assuming were were beyond the renovation works. Unfortunately we were soon confronted with another “Footpath closed” sign. Advised by two dog walkers that it was perfectly walkable and easy to get round the closed section, we pressed on. When we came to the obstruction it was a section of path probably 20 metres long where they were presumably about to lay concrete, but not at the weekend. We circumvented the closure by scrambling down the sea defence boulders on to the beach and then back up the other side. It sounds simple but in a raging gale clambering over massive, angular rocks is not as easy as it sounds.

We had decided that we would have lunch inside in Penzance. The first café we tried was full and so we pressed on. The second place did have a table and so we checked in for a light lunch. We were both very wet despite our waterproofs and the apparent need to keep the door open for Covid reasons  meant we sat at our table and shivered. Coffees arrived and were consumed and after a considerable delay our panini arrived. Mine was the wrong filling and both were undercooked. That was a great disappointment.

We set off again and were pleased to discover that  the wind had dropped a bit though the rain was heavier. We pressed on through the rest of Penzance and into Newlyn which has a busy fishing port and then on to Mousehole which was every bit as pretty as I remember it.

At Mousehole we phoned Emily to arrange a pick up from Lamorna cove about 2 miles away. The path was initially very easy going along some road before getting onto the cliffs. Here the path became narrow and running between rather overgrown banks. It then changed its character completely and  became much more rugged and soon we were scrambling over boulders and up and down little gullies.

Eventually at Carn Dhu we rounded a headland and could see our destination.

After a bit more scrambling and winding along narrow cliff path, we came to Lamorna where Emily was waiting for us.

Saturday 22nd May 20921

Today we awoke to heavy rain though the forecast suggested it would stop by about 8:00. To our pleasure it did indeed stop raining at the appointed time and we got our taxi at 8:30 back to Kynance Cove ready to be walking again by 9:00. The sky was clearing and patches of blue were appeared around us but the wind was quite strong and chilly as the three of us set off from the car park.

Amazingly all the spume that had filled the coves last night had  disappeared but there were still big waves rolling in and crashing onto the rocks making it all look wonderful. As the cloud cleared, so the sea developed beautiful shades of blue. It is difficult to pick out particular parts of the walk because it was all stunning. The path itself was quite easy going being along grassy cliff tops but dropping down to one or two coves along the way.

At Mullion Cove we stopped at the café down by the harbour and sat inside for coffee. This was the first time since last October that we have sat inside a café and it was really nice. On windy days it is just such a pleasure to get inside and hold a proper conversation at a normal volume.

Coffee done and facilities used we set off again. Just as we were leaving the café who should appear but Johanna so we introduced her to Emily and had a brief chat before moving off.

We continued on our way dropping into Polurrian Cove, Poldhu Cove, Church Cove, Park Bean Cove and Gunwalloe Cove before coming to Loe Bar. Loe Bar is a sand bar separating The Loe and Carminowe Creek from the sea. Walking across the bar is quite hard because it is made up of very small rounded pebbles which felt a bit like ball bearings.

We had decided to walk on to Porthleven for lunch and so it was a late lunch at 14:45. We had an outside table at the Harbour View. It would have been fine except the avocados ordered  by Jill and Emily we so underripe as to be inedible and so we had to complain and re-order.

After lunch we continued along the path towards Trewavas Head. The path was undulating but not difficult. At Trewavas Head there are three derelict tin mines with their wheel house and chimney  more or less intact. From there it was just a quarter mile walk to Rinsey car park where the taxi collected us.

Friday 21st May 2021

Today was always going to be a difficult day. We were changing our base and so we were up early to pack up our belongings, leave the flat clean and tidy and then drive to Porthoustock which was 90 minutes away – in theory.

We left the flat by 8:00 but some slow lorries and very high winds meant that we did not reach Porthoustock until 9:45. We got ourselves organised and were off before 10:00.

The wind was still very strong and the clouds were threatening.

We set off up the road and down into the next bay where there was a large disused quarry. This part of the coast is dotted with quarries, almost all of them now disused.

The path continued along at a low level until we came to Coverack. This is a pretty cove but quite sheltered and so the sea was almost flat despite the high winds everywhere else. One café was closed but Archie’s Loft was open and so we stopped there for coffee and a piece of Cornish Kurl (a cinnamon bun a bit like a Chelsea bun). We sat at a very sheltered table and the sun shone.

Once finished, we popped across the road to the loos and then returned to pick up our rucksacks. A young woman, who had just sat down at an adjacent table, asked how far we were going – and she then said, “I think I’ve met you before!” Then the penny dropped. Fifteen months ago, when we were walking along the seawall in Walcott (Suffolk), we crossed paths with a serious-looking, female walker who we had stopped to chat to; she was probably the only person we spoke to on that cold, grey, wet day. Her name was Johanna and she was also walking the coast of Britain but doing it in disconnected sections, sometimes clockwise and sometimes anticlockwise having started at Brighton. To have crossed paths with another round-Britain walker at all seemed pretty unlikely so to have met up twice felt quite remarkable and had only happened because Johanna was walking different sections in opposite directions and she happened to be walking this part of the SW Coast path at the same time as us. In fact she had taken a couple of day’s break, forced on her by the unseasonal weather, especially the severe squalls which she felt made it unsafe for a solo walker on some of the exposed, rocky headlands. So it was a wonderful coincidence that we were there at Archie’s Loft at the same time and we enjoyed a brief catch up conversation, much to the obvious interest of the other folk. 

We now came a section of quite rugged coast, up to Black Head. A sign warned that this was a strenuous section. So it was, but it was quite enjoyable for all that. However we were going slowly; it took half an hour to walk a mile from Porthbeer Cove to Black Head.

As we turned the corner at Black Head, we came into the full force of the wind. And what a wind it was. For the next three miles we were battered by the most severe winds I have ever encountered; we think that some of the gusts were probably around 50mph. Fortunately it was mainly an on-shore wind and so we were not at risk of being blown off the cliff but the path was narrow in places and the wind would blow us completely out of the path. Even using walking poles as a stay on the leeward side I was thrown off balance and on one occasion fell down onto a very prickly plant. Jill said she wanted to get a photo of me struggling ahead of her but simply could not risk trying to get her camera or even her phone out. We battled on, unable to communicate in the high wind. We were not alone; a number of other walkers were out on the coast path and most of them people of our age; it was obviously “Wrinkly Friday” and we were genuinely concerned as to how a couple of them would cope along the very exposed section.

At Kennack Sands we finally got out of the wind and found a picnic table at a closed café and settled in to have our lunch. The waves were crashing in but that did not deter some surfers from trying to catch a wave.

After lunch we set off to Cadgwith, about 2 miles further on. The path was still quite narrow and wound in and out around the rocks making progress still quite slow. Cadgwith is pretty little cove with lots of fishing boats on the slipway.

From Cadgwith we passed the Devil’s Frypan; a natural arch where sea rushes in and crashes on the rocks beyond.

Almost without warning we came to Kilcobben Cove. Indeed the cove is not visible from the cliffs because the new RNLI lifeboat station obscures the view. It is almost as if slid down the cliff side and got wedged there. It was opened in 2012 and replaced an earlier station established in 1961 which had itself replaced two other stations, at Lizard and Cadgwith, which were difficult to operate from in certain weather conditions. It would certainly make a very interesting visit when Covid-19 restrictions are eventually lifted.

Bass Head was our next land mark, followed soon afterwards by Lizard lighthouse. As we turned Bass Head, a squall moved in. Rain lashed down and visibility suddenly dropped. The light house was lit and the foghorn was sounding like a welcome to us. As we passed the visibility improved and the lamp and siren were switched off. All this in the course of less than twenty minutes.

It is disappointing that, as a nation, we are unable to leave our coastal extremities unadorned by tacky gift shops and holiday shacks.

After rounding Lizard point we were back in the full force of the wind. Big waves were rolling in and smashing against the reefs and rocks of the headland .

In the little coves the foaming sea had created huge amount of spume which completely fill the cove and plastered up the cliffs making it look like snow. The whole surface of the cove was a seething mass of white foam moving and heaving with the waves like some evil monster.

I have never seen high seas producing so much spume and was concerned that it was produced due to the agitation of oils and other discharges into the ocean. Reassuringly it appears that it is actually due to the whipping up of algal blooms and other organic matter. I have included several photos as it was such an astonishing spectacle.

And so it continued until we reached Kynance Cove carpark where I had arranged for a taxi to meet us. The taxi returned us to Porthoustock from where drove to Helston where we will be staying for the next week. Emily got the train down from London to join us for a weekend’s walking and conveniently arrived at the cottage at just the same time as us.

Thursday 20th May 2021

We drove back to Swanpool Beach through driving wind and rain. The winds were moving the car about on the A38 dual carriageway and visibility was not very good. At Swanpool we parked and got all our waterproofs on before departing. There is not much to say except we got well and truly knocked about by the wind and intermittently soaked by the rain. Pretty Cornish coves and delightful sandy beaches take on a different persona when they are lashed by wind and rain and sometimes barely visible.

Our first objective was the Helford river ferry just over six miles away. I had checked their Facebook page this morning and a fresh entry said that they were still running despite the weather and the tides were favourable as well.

We were walking quite well despite the conditions and I hoped we  would arrive between 11 and 12 pm. As it was, we arrived at the slipway at Helford Passage just on noon – but the ferry had been cancelled. It appeared that a subsequent post on Facebook at about 10:30 would have informed us that the ferry service was suspended for the rest of the day.

There was no point sitting around in the rain and walking around the estuary would add a day at least – by which time the ferry would probably be running again. The best solution seemed to be to take a “virtual ferry”. I called a taxi to take us back to the car at Swanpool beach and we then drove around to Helford on the west side and continue walking – just as if we had taken the ferry. So at about 13:30 we were at the car park at Helford, struggling with the telephone pay system for the car park before we set off once more.

During the time of our taxiing and driving, the weather had improved so it was dry at Helford but still very blustery.

We had two and a half miles to walk to Gillan Creek at which time it would be close to high tide and so the stepping stones would be under water. There is a ferry across the small estuary which cannot run at low tide and so we hoped it might be operating in spite of the weather as it was at rather more sheltered location than the Helford ferry.

Seeing no obvious signs of activity, we asked the man who emerged from the boat shed if the ferry was running and he said no and that, even if the water had been much calmer, they were not running the ferry at all this season; we’re not sure if this was due to Covid-19 or because they had just decided to stop. There was nothing for it but to walk the two miles along the road around the end of the creek. The ferry may not have been running but there was a splendidly restored Austin 7 parked there.

I had originally hoped we might get as far as Coverack today but, with the general conditions and the delay resulting from the absence of ferries, that was not really going to be possible unless we had an extremely long day. We were at Gillan Harbour and it was 3.45pm; Porthoustock was four miles away so it seemed that might be sensible stopping point. We set off and, when we were a mile or so from Porthallow, I rang the taxi firm I had made a provisional booking with last night to agree a revised pick-up time and location. This afternoon the taxi firm had decided our location was rather remote from Helston and said it would cost us rather a lot and advised us to find an alternative taxi firm. In short there are not many other taxi firms on the Lizard Peninsula other than those based in Helston. After a couple of fruitless calls, I called the original firm back and said we would pay their charge. I had sent Jill on ahead whilst I was struggling with phone signal, calls and texts and so I had to go fast to catch up.

There was a section across agricultural land and it was clear that the path went out of the corner of the field where a herd of heifers had decided it was their favourite place. From beyond the cattle I could see someone standing on the stile talking to a couple of companions. They were clearly reluctant to enter field with cattle. I am unconcerned by cattle in fields except for bulls and cows that have recently calved. Neither applied here. I strode up to the heifers, clapped my hands and the heifers moved away so I could reach the stile. The other walkers looked on and I reassured them that they would be safe to do likewise but should keep their dog on a short lead. In the unlikely event of the heifers “going” for them, they should let the dog go and if they clapped their hands and waved their arms they would be safe and the dog could run faster than the cattle or them. They seemed unconvinced and decided they would go back the way they had come. I eventually caught up with Jill at Porthallow and discovered that she had had a similar conversation with them.

From Porthallow to Porthoustock it is not actually possible to walk along the coast due to quarries and the absence of rights of way. Looking at satellite images I think it might be possible to get around the headland albeit taking one or two liberties with private property. The official coast path cuts across the headland along quiet lanes and across fields. We took the official route because I did not want to risk a delay in meeting the taxi.

Our taxi collected us and took us back to the car park at Helford; the £30 charge did not seem totally out of keeping. We then had a long drive back to Liskeard. Tomorrow we are changing our base to a cottage in Helston so, although we will have a long drive again tomorrow morning, our driving distances after that will be a little shorter.

Wednesday 19th May 2021

We took the train to St Austell and then a taxi back to Portloe. Fortunately I had pre-booked a taxi because between 8am and 9am most of the taxis in St Austell are on contract school runs.

The day was such a contrast to yesterday. The sun was shining, the  sea was flat and all was well with the world. Portloe looked prettier in this morning’s sunshine than it did last night.

We were soon on the coast path which was very walkable and so it was easy to enjoy the view without having to watch our feet every step. The path was quite busy today with walkers everywhere, indeed we were never out of sight of other walkers.

It is difficult to do justice to the morning’s walk in text or even with photographs. I could say that it was all a bit “samey” but that would sound pejorative. We had thirteen miles of delightful coastline with a succession of coves all similar but with their own distinctive features. Naming them would mean very little to anyone but a local. The path provided comfortable walking and the cliffs were decorated with thousands of wild flowers.

We reached Porthscatho around about noon and called into the village shop and bought pasties and cake for lunch.

We then walked quite fast given the good conditions and eventually had our lunch four miles further on from Portscatho at St Anthony’s Head. After lunch we had just a couple of miles to go to the Place Ferry which would takes us across to St Mawes.

There were four other people waiting for the ferry plus a dog. The pontoon for the ferry was a bit alarming. It comprised interlocking floating rectangular blocks but it was alarmingly bouncy as it distorted with the weight of the passengers walking on it and the waves beneath it. The ferry is just a small open boat which took us about a kilometre to St Mawes but we were able to buy a through ticket to Falmouth. The St Mawes ferry to Falmouth is much bigger with some covered seating. That ferry took us about 4km across Falmouth harbour negotiating a number of small sailing boats.

Once in Falmouth we walked through the busy port area and called in at the Tesco’s for our copy of the Times. One thing we have discovered is that customers of Tesco and Asda are not Times readers and so they are more likely to have copies of the Times in the afternoon than newsagents and petrol stations.

We then started the walk around Pendennis Point aiming to get to Swanpool Beach and then walk up to Pemere Station. The walk was not very demanding, being mainly on tarmac paths and promenade. As we arrived at Swanpool I realised we could get the 17:24  train because we only had 0.9 miles to go to the station and we had about 20 minutes in which to do it. We walked up the side of the eponymous Swan pool and used some urban footpaths to reach Penmere. We made the train with five minutes spare and managed to get a fast train back to Liskeard. When I say fast I mean that the connection at Truro did not entail a long wait. The Falmouth Branch Line is a sleepy little single track railway and it looked as if the Penmere is maintained in its attractive state by local efforts.

Tuesday 18th May 2021

This morning we drove to Lower Porthpean and parked the car on the beach road and set off to rejoin the coast path. Within minutes the heavens opened and I was rushing to get over-trousers on and a cover on my rucksack. Oh, foolish virgin am I! Jill had togged up before we left the car.

As we passed Porthpean beach, we noted a man and a woman with a toddler. The parents were zipping themselves into wetsuits and had their paddle boards  at the ready. It was far from clear who was minding the child as it wandered along the beach.

The path climbed steeply up the cliffs and this very much set the tone of the morning. The path became very narrow; barely a foot wide and more like a groove in the ground between dense vegetation. It meant it was difficult to walk fast and we had to concentrate hard to avoid slipping over. Our walking poles were a mixed blessing because the path being so narrow the poles tended to get caught in the vegetation at the side.

We struggled on as best we could knowing that we were not managing a strike rate of much over 2mph. The cliffs and the coves we passed were attractive despite the intermittent rain.

As we approached Pentewan, it looked as if it was in fact just a holiday park. However, as we got closer, we could see some old cottages tucked in behind the headland. As we walked past the café, a woman was setting up a “café open” board and so we decided to stop for coffee. This was probably a mistake because they had not got things ready in the kitchen and so we had to wait ages for our coffees and they had no food ready either. We set off again but before long we had to stop just by the entrance to the holiday park for an important phone call and we also had a cascade of WhatsApp messages to respond to. Of course we could turn off our phones or silence them but we use them for navigation and people do genuinely need to get in touch sometimes. Now we are away for so much of the time, I think we will put up with the occasional interruption.

After some more ups and downs we came to Mevagissy. It seemed quite busy to us, I hate to think what it is like when all the tourists descend on it in the summer time. We bought pasties and almond croissant to have for our lunch.  The little harbour had lots brightly painted fishing boats as well as the usual measure of pleasure craft.

As the clouds rolled in we left Mevagissy behind. The path was wide with gentle gradients and we made good progress.

Gorran Haven was fairly deserted on a grey, May afternoon. We climbed gently up from the beach and round Maenease Point and then followed the easy path as it runs along the cliff top. We were delayed by a short walk to the cross on Dodman’s Point which is said to be a landmark for the benefit of sailors but the inscription on the base makes no specific indication of its purpose.

Later we were treated to a kestrel sitting on a post; he seemed oblivious to us until I tried get a little too close when it flew off.

The path drops down to Porthlune part of the Caerhayes estate. The castle looks almost too precise and picture-book to be true. On a damp, grey afternoon when the castle was in the shade, it wasn’t very photogenic (which is my excuse for not having taken a picture of it).

We came to East and West Portholland  and rang for  a cab to meet us in an hour’s time at Portloe. We had about 2.5 miles to get to Portloe which we felt should be doable.

The path to Portloe was probably tougher than we had expected but we managed to get there with a minute or two to spare. The taxi took us back to Porthpean where we had left the car and we drove back to Liskeard.