The Rossendale Rambler

Sampling the South West Coastal Path - Part One.

by Alan Johnson

In 1995, I determined to go on a walking holiday and invited my son, Andrew, who was then unattached, to accompany me. As I am not the best navigator in the world when extemporising a route, I decided to do part of the SWCP for I guessed (and so it proved) that it was just a matter of keeping the sea within eyeshot on my right. In addition, my daughter's mother-in-law lived in Gweek near Helston so I was able to arrange for a bed there for the first and last nights of the holiday and for Peter, her stepson, to drive us to Cape Cornwall, the start of my planned walk. Walking a coast path is not an easy option because it requires at least a dozen descents a day to sea level and a similar number of ascents again to the 200 metre mark. I decide, therefore, to limit each day's walk to about 10-13 miles so that we could enjoy both the views and an extended lunch hour in some convenient hostelry.

Day 1 : Cape Cornwall to Porthceurno - 11 miles
We arrived at Cape Cornwall at 10.30 and bade good-bye to our chauffeur, Peter. Cape Cornwall is a rocky promontory with excellent views both north and south of the coast line. It is owned by the N.T. and open to all. It was once considered to be "Lands End" so may be it had a lucky escape from commercialisation. From thence to Sennen Cove with its coastguard station, a rather grand granite lookout complete with battlements. Descending the headland we could see a slit right through Dr Syntax's Head which proved to be a cave 150 feet long. The best thing about Land's End is the seascape. There are numerous rocks offshore and even in comparatively calm weather, the sea is in a state of turmoil. From Carn Boel, the path goes steeply down past ruined walls and the remains of the first of little daffodil fields found on south facing coasts, then on to Nanjizal with the longest stretch of granite cliff in England. Granite produces fine castellated structures of rock of endless interest to the eye. From thence to St Levan where we took an inland diversion to see its church and its gravestones, evidence of the nearness and cruelty of the sea. Just before arriving at Porthcurno, our overnight stay, we came to the Minack Theatre, created in 1935 by Miss Rowena Cade. Based on a natural amphitheatre and built into the cliffside, it has a dramatic back-drop - the sea and the Logan Rock promontory. We stayed the night with Mr Ring of Trebehor, who picked us up from, and dropped us back at, the coastal path and fed us right royally into the bargain
Day 2 : Porthcurno to Penzance - 11 miles
From Porthcurno, the path crosses the base of Treryn Dinas, another iron-age fort. However, we diverted to the headland with its massive blocks of granite and the Logan Stone. Crossing over Cribba Head, the Tater-du lighthouse came into sight and a fine stretch of cliff with the grimly named Coffin Rock off-shore. The path then drops into Penberth Cove which was in ancient times, according to tradition, a landing place for Phoenician merchants who came for Cornish tin. Then on to St Loy which has the reputation of being the warmest place in England and, as if to prove it, fuchsias and hydrangias lined the path. Next to Tater-du, whose lighthouse was built in the late sixties following a public outcry after a Spanish vessel was lost with eleven of its crew drowned - one of many in this "fishing boat graveyard". From Mousehole to Penzance the route is urban but we left the road and walked along the beach and were rewarded by superb views of St Michael's Mount and the sweep of the bay right down to Lizard Point.

To be continued.....

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Walter Waide
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