Porthleven to Penzance

10/7/13 I intended to drive to Liskeard and then train and bus, but the train was late and so we decided to drive to Porthleven. We started walking on a hot day just before noon. The path is undulating here and there is no shade. We came across this typical Cornish industrial view at Trewavas.

It wasn't until Rinsey that a similar site offered the first piece of shelter as I walked ahead to find it. Then it was down to Praa Sands.

A pasty and drink from a beach kiosk helped us on our way. It was then on past Prussia Cove and Perran Sands. As St Michael's Mount came closer, the undulations started to flatten out. On entering Marazion, the Fire Engine Inn was there to greet us.

Pints of Tribute (4.2%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £6.70 were gratefully received. They were nice, but hardly touched the sides on this hot day. In the centre of the town is the Kings Arms.

Here it was Tribute and Rattler (6%) for £7.50 that were well received inside this small pub. Just around the corner is the Godolphin Arms.

Pints of Doom (4%) and Proper Job for £7.20 were not so well received here.

As I had to drive home, we passed the Station House for now and followed the flat path on the embankment between the railway line and the Mounts Bay beach into Penzance. There was time for a sandwich before returning on a tardy bus to Porthleven.

Lizard to Porthleven

23/6/13 A Sunday drive to Helston enabled us to park in the main street opposite the main bus stop. Then bus to the Lizard before retracing our steps towards Bass Point. The Lizard Lighthouse and our most southerly point was next.

The path around here did seem busy. Maybe because it was a Sunday, maybe because of the scenery

or maybe because it was windy.

Anyway, once past Kynance the walkers did thin out a bit. The terrain was moor like from there with different paths to choose from near the cliff tops. Eventually we descended to Mullion Cove.

We had an expensive pasty before continuing north through a few other coves until the last one, Church Cove.

We didn't see a coastpath sign coming out of here and accidentally took a shortcut up the road to Halzephron. From here we could see Porthleven in the distance and choose to ignore a sign to a pub 100 yards away. The wind was starting to annoy now as we were walking in small trenches and had to concentrate.

Soon the Loe and its Bar came into view.

Fortunately there was some grassy sections to walk on to avoid most of the sand. Then it was along a track to Porthleven. You come into the harbour past the clock tower and the first pub is the Harbour Inn.

We had two nice pints of Trelawney (3.8%) and Tribute (4.2%) for £6.30. The pub was busy for early on a Sunday evening. Then it was a walk around the other side to the Ship Inn.

We had Hancocks HB (3.6%) and Skinners Porthleven (4.8%) for £5.75. Another busy pub with what seemed to be locals. The harbour was busy with the local youth jumping in and out as well.

Then it was a short bus ride back to Helston and a 10 yard walk to the car.

Coverack to Lizard

15/6/13 Delayed drive to Helston, dropping my son off in a field near the Tamar first, for the bus to Coverack and a gentle stroll into the village. The Paris Hotel is the pub seen at the end of Dolor Point.

Pints of Tribute Pale Ale (4.2%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £6.55 were had. It was busy and the beer perhaps not at its best.

There was a slight inland diversion coming out of the village, but we soon returned to the path out to Chynhalls Point and back. The path continued mainly on cliff tops until the descent to Downas Cove.

Then it was up and down a few more times until reaching Kennack Sands.

More ups and downs including the new bridge at Poltesco.

Then on to Cadgwith and the Cadwith Cove Inn.

We sat outside in the shade and downed pints of Doom (4%) and Betty Stoggs (4%) for £6.50, which could have been better.

Then we were soon passing the Devil's Frying Pan

and on towards the Lizard. Ideally, we would have rounded that before heading inland to the bus. But time was getting on and we decided to head for the village once we passed Bass Point. We only just made the Helston bus in time.

Helford to Coverack

1/6/13 A sunny morning drive to Playing Place again. A cheaper bus ticket (£10 for two) again for the trip to Falmouth and then on to near Helford Passage. We walked down the hill and waited on the pontoon for the ferry. We had it to ourselves, but there were many waiting on the other side.

A short walk brought us to the Shipwright Arms.

Pints of Harbours Indian Pale Ale (5%) and Light Ale (3.7%) for £6.60 were very pleasant to drink in the morning sunshine beside the river.

But we knew that we didn't have much time to dwell there and so onwards it was. The going was estuary like and with quite a lot of litter until we rounded Dennis Head.

It was high tide and there was no sign of a ferry in Gillan, so we did more estuary walking. Once around Nare Point, it became much more coastal though. We could see Porthallow in the distance and were soon descending to it.

You can make out a large stone structure by the entrance to the beach in this photograph. It is not facing the path though and it was not until later that I realised that this marks the half way point on the coastpath. Perhaps we only had eyes for the Five Pilchards Inn behind it. Pints of Sharps Own (4.4%) and Dartmoor IPA (4%) for £6.30 and a game of pool awaited. We had only just arrived in time as the pub shut behind us at 2:30.

It was inland and uphill from there to Porthoustock, where it did the same again to avoid some of the quarries. At Rosenithon we decided to press on rather than head for the bus and so it was down to Godrevy Cove.

From here the coastpath did follow the coast, but we went through more quarries until Coverack came into sight. The bus stop is just before entering the village and we made it just a few minutes before it arrived. It felt like we had walked a long way, but the bus driver was the same one that dropped us five hours earlier on the other side of the Helford River. We changed buses in Helston, before a ride on a double decker around the country lanes of Cornwall back to Palying Place.

Swanpool to Helford Passage

25/5/13 An early start was deemed necessary for this one as we had a long day planned ahead of us. So I drove to Playing Place where we caught the bus to the outskirts of Falmouth and walked downhill to the coast at Swanpool. We were walking by 9:30. They we setting up for the day on the beech and the sun was out already for the start of the bank and school holiday. The next place was Maenporth.

From here we continued around Rosemullion Head into the Helford river estuary. The gardens of Glendurgan and Trebah were close by and the path was getting busier with people out for a stroll or a run.

As we approached Helford Passage, the Ferryboat Inn came into view.

Pints of Trelawney (3.8%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £7 were quaffed as we played pool inside and others took in the sun outside.

The intention was to catch the ferry after which the pub is named. Coming out the pub we could see the ferry on the beach in front of us, however it would have looked better in the water. A notice confirmed that the ferry would not be running for another two hours. So that was a premature and disappointing end to the day. We walked up the hill to Mawnan Smith, caught a bus to Falmouth, had a pie and a pint before another bus back to the car. The previous late night started to catch up on the way home, but at least we appeared to have the road to ourselves at times as we watched the queues in the other direction.

Falmouth

27/4/13 Likely to be pubs here, so TVP to Truro and then Penmere for the walk down to the Prince of Wales Pier where the St Mawes ferry comes in. The Prince of Wales is only just on the path.

Pints of Betty Stoggs (4%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £6.80 tasted like the first pints of the day from the pumps. Also just on the path is Finn MCouls.

Sid felt obliged to have a Guiness (4.2%) and a Doom (4%) for £6.90. A free juke box was on offer. Next was the Grapes.

Doom (4%) and Cornish Coaster (3.8%) for £6.50. Sid asked the lad behind the bar for some light on the pool table. We hadn't expected him to have to climb up on the table to do it though. As you can see, we were just walking along the main drag. We hadn't seen any coastpath signs yet. The Kings Head was closed and so it was on to the Quayside Inn.

Only the Betty Stoggs (4%) was available for £6.18. We also ordered some starters to share. Further along the road is 5°W where we had pints of Tribute Pale Ale (4.2%) and Sharps Special (5%) for £6.80 and a game of battleships.

Just a couple of doors away is the Cutty Sark. Pints of Doom (4%) and Cornish Knocker (4.5%) for £7 and a game of pool.

Continuing in what seemed like the right direction for the coastpath, we eventually saw a sign to confirm it as we passed Falmouth Docks station. The path then goes around Pendennis. As we had a few pints on board, it seemed appropriate to do some climbing to get this view.

Next it was past Gyllyngvase Beach to Swanpool. We thought about walking a bit further, but there would have been no bus back and so we caught the last one back to the town.

We had a pasty and went to see if the Kings Head was open.

Portscatho to Place

14/4/13 The public transport options for this one were limited, so we opted for a circular walk. I parked in Portscatho and we popped into the Plume of Feathers for a pint even though it was just off the path. Then it was off along the coastpath on this breezy, cloudy Sunday. It was fairly gentle stuff through the Roseland countryside.

This view of Towan Beach was taken from an interesting vantage point...

 The pole is used for practicing breeches buoy rescues. The path continues towards St Anthony Head.

This is Portbeor Beach looking towards Zone Point. After passing Zone Point, the large Fal Estuary comes into view. Unsurprisingly, there is plenty evidence of military defences around St Anthony Head.

The path now has that estuary feel to it. Sheltered from the elements.

The path goes in land to avoid Place House and ends up in a graveyard.

Didn't notice if any of the graves were of coastpath walkers. We eventually end up at the jetty for the St Mawes ferry.

Just as well that we were planning a circular walk. The ferry wasn't running. We followed a wooded, muddy path along the river before an inland stretch towards Gerrans. The pub there was shut and so it was a relatively early return journey home.