Sampling the South West Coastal Path - Part Three.
by Alan Johnson
Day 5 : The Lizard to Coverack - 11 miles
Leaving ‘The Most Southerly House’ we passed in front of the light house and then diverted
right to see the Lion's Den, an unfenced collapsed cave (to be avoided by any who suffer from
vertigo) with the oddly shaped Bumble Rock offshore . After passing the Housel Bay Hotel and the
Lloyds Signal Station, we rounded Bass Point and extensive views opened up with Black Head
prominent. Next came Kilcobben Cove, the dramatic setting for the Lizard lifeboat since 1961.
We took the time to climb down, and then back up, a very long flight of steps to inspect this
52 foot Barnet class boat. Two hundred yards on brought us to Church Cove, which, sheltered from
the south westerly gales, boasts rose-embowered thatched cottages and stately elms (and a pub
which stocks six real ales). Climbing inland of some serpentine quarries we came to the Devils
Frying Pan, another collapsed cave, so-called because of its shape and the effect when the sea
rushes in through the "handle", boiling and bubbling.
It has a natural arch at the southern end which can be crossed to descend into the Pan, but this
was a little too adventurous even for Andrew. From here the path wound its way round beautiful
gardens before bringing us into the picture postcard village of Cadgwith. A climb up to Thorny
Cliff then down a lane to Kennack sands, two beaches divided by the Caervarracks, a serpentine
reef, with many rock pools full of marine fauna. Two more ascents to the 200 foot contour with
one descent to sea level between brought us to Black Head and a long stretch along the cliff
top. After we passed a piggery, the route became complicated but, at last, we came to Coverack
and visited its pub on the quay before going on to Bakery Cottage, our lodgings for the night.
Day 6 : Coverack to Helford - 13 miles
Out to Lowland Point with little evidence of any path, we kept close to the shore and turned
north at the Point. To the north-east, occupying a square mile of the sea are the Manacles,
rocks with a fearsome reputation in the last century, culminating in 1898 with the wreck of the
Atlantic liner, the Mohegan, with the loss of over 100 lives. Thereafter the path follows a well
marked route through Deans Quarry and down to Godrevy Cove but then swings inland following a
sunken muddy lane; we kept to the field edges to avoid this, eventually reaching Porthoustock.
Here the official path turns inland once again, but following a sudden attack of dyslexia which
rendered us incapable of reading notices saying "Private Property No Admittance" and
"Danger Cliff Subsiding- we had a very pleasant walk through some abandoned quarries along a
well-worn track, far better than some official sections of the SWCP. Eventually, following the
drop down to Porthkerris Cove, we climbed a steep lane and along a right of way (not the
official path) which gave splendid views of Falmouth Bay and the Dodman before dropping down
to the beach at Porthallow. Here is situated the ‘Five Pilchards’, reputedly one of the best
pubs in the whole of the 568 miles of the SWCP. Certainly the bar is virtually a museum of local
history. Returning to the beach and continuing along the Path, a mile and a half brought us to
Gillan Creek. Here, at low tide, it is possible to cross having removed socks and boots and cut
out two miles of road walking. However, the tide was up so we had no choice but to take the road
route to Helford.
Day 7 : Helford to Falmouth - 10 miles
We left our hostess at ‘Heronsway’ in good time to catch the 9.10 ferry to Helford Passage. The
ferry runs every hour and saves a eight and a half mile road walk. The cliff walking on this
section is not as spectacular as those that preceded it but the magnificent azaleas, camellias
and rhododendrons in the hotel gardens which we passed and the brilliant yellow, white and blue
of gorse, blackthorn and bluebell together with little patches of violets and great swathes of
primroses more than compensated. With the end in sight, we made good time, passing through
Durgan, much of which belongs to the N.T., and the beaches at Porth Saxon and Porthallack,
then a steep climb up to Mawnen Glebe with fine views of Dennis Head. The stretch along along
the cliff here which leads to Rosemullion Head is famous for sightings of Mawgawr, a
Brontosaurus-like creature. We rounded Rosemullion Head, and descended to the beach at
Maenporth. Thereafter the route became increasingly urbanised until we came at last to our
final destination, Falmouth. A couple of celebratory pints in a pub, whose name I forget,
whilst awaiting our chauffeur, Peter, to travel over from Helston to take us back to my
daughter's mother-in-law's home for our last night and that was the end of a very fine
holiday.
We were blessed with good weather throughout, our lodgings delivered good food and were
reasonably priced and each night we found a decent pub to spend our evenings in. But our most
cherished memories will always be of dazzlingly blue seas, surging white-crested against rocky
promontories, the cry of the gulls, the quaint coves and the abundance of flowers.
End
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