Portreath to Perranporth

24/8/13 Another August Saturday and so we went to Saltash again rather than use the A30. Train to Redruth and bus to Portreath. I'd forgot about the Portreath Arms.

So it was early pints of  Cornish Knocker (4.5%) and Devon Darter (4.5%) for £5.70. A few locals were in early. Then it was across the road for a pasty each. We always seem to get pasties at the bottom of hills. After the road out, we return to the coast and more ups and downs between the sea and an MoD airfield.

This continues for a while along with some signs of mining until the beach at Porth Towan comes into view. We then descend to the village and the Unicorn.

Pints of Tribute (4.2%) and Youngs (3.7%) for £7. It felt like a beach bar, but was pleasant enough. We then passed a beach bar before ascending, descending through Chapel Porth and ascending away from that beach.

We continued around St Agnes Head before descending into the village itself where there is a pub with its own brewery.

The Driftwood Spars was unsurprisingly busy. We were offered a taste of different beers, but that felt like cheating and so we plumped for Montol (4.1%) and Alfies Revenge (6.5%) for £6.20. Seemed like a nice place.

After another climb out, it was past another airfield, more mine remains and Cligga Head until Perran Sands came into view.

The wind was getting up now, but just as we were deciding whether to press on or not, the Seiners Arms appeared.

So after pints of Ginger Tosser (3.8%) and Lushingtons (4.2%) for £6.60, it was the bus to Truro station and train back to Saltash.

St Ives to Portreath

10/8/13 Maggie likes St Ives. So when she realised that was our next destination, a lift was offered. It meant an early morning start on an August Saturday to miss the A30 traffic, but we were in St Ives before 9. We even had time for breakfast before the walk. The path is a frequently used one to Carbis Bay.

Around the corner to Porth Kidney, the path continues on the sandy theme.

We stay on the ridge at first

then descended to the dunes before turning the corner to the Hayle Estuary.

After walking through the leafy Lelant, we return to the estuary and the Old Quay House.

The chatty staff are pleased to see their first customers of the day. Pints of Cornish Coaster (3.6%) and Doom (4%) for £6.40. Then it's on along the causeway to Hayle itself.

I like Hayle. Feels like a proper town. The blue building in the distance is the Royal Standard Inn. Pints of Trelawny (3.8%) and Tribute (4.2%) for £6.20 as we shelter from the rain. Opposite was a busy pasty shop with long queues. After walking along some deserted quays, we hit the Towans.

We can still see St Ives, but ahead of us are several miles of dunes.

The dunes keep coming until Godrevy.

Then the landscape changes.

I just missed getting seals at the bottom of these cliffs to go with the ponies on top.

Hells Mouth has some spectacular cliffs. We stopped at the cafe for a drink and expensive sandwiches. The walking is quite flat along the top of these cliffs until Carvannel.

The ups and downs here show some of the sea caves as well.

Soon it was Portreath that came into view.

Time for a pint in the Waterfront Inn, but we later realised that wasn't on the path. Maggie, Beth and Molly were there to meet us. Thanks to them for the day.

Zennor to St Ives

8/8/13 A Berry's trip to St Ives seemed like a good way to do this. Unfortunately we stopped at Jamaica Inn and then went via Penzance and the narrow coast road to St Ives. Just to make it worse, the driver wouldn't drop us in Zennor either. So, almost 90 minutes late, we had to catch a First bus back to Zennor. No time for a pre-walk drink and so we followed the path along the ridge and back to the coastpath.

The write-ups of this section warn of difficult going and having learned from previous walks, we did take some water this time. The path was very rocky in parts and there were some hills. The weather was not too hot and there were a few others around. You could imagine that inclement weather would have made it different, but I don't think that it is the most difficult section. St Ives kept getting closer.

We soon found ourselves on the familiar streets of St Ives. It only took 2.5 hours from the Tinners Arms to the Sloop Inn.

We sat inside and had Otter Ale (4.5%) and Cloudy Rattler (6%) for £7.75. We had to get through the crowds for the next one.

We made it to the Lifeboat Inn just in time. It just started to rain and people flocked in behind us. We already had our Pear Rattler (6%) and Trelawny (3.8%) for £7.05.

A walk up the hill in the rain with a pasty to the coach was all that was left. It was a swift return trip, but the morning journey had already cost the driver his tip.

Cot Valley to Zennor

21/7/13 Another trip down the A30 and this time on to the free car park in St Just. It was another hot day as we walked down the Cot Valley to rejoin the coastpath. There are signs telling you stick to the path as there are many mineshafts in this area. Not all of them as conspicuous as this one.

We were soon approaching Cape Cornwall.

We passed a refreshment van in the car park here, which I later regretted not using. The scenery was becoming increasingly industrial, but still remote, as we headed inland for a section before climbing up to Kenidjack.

The industrial heritage became more spectacular as we went past Botallack

and then on to Levant and Geevor.

Past Pendeen Watch is Portheras Cove.

I was hoping for beach cafe, but no. So it was on. The path stayed mainly on the cliffs with an occasional dip, but little in the way of shade again. We managed to go wrong at Bosigran and with no signs we ended up in a farm before heading back to the coast.

The last climb up from Pendour was a killer for me. Five hours without a drink in the middle of summer was silly. The stagger to the pub at Zennor was thankfully not too long. A drink of water was needed before downing a couple of pints and catching the open-top bus back to St Just.

Lamorna to Cot Valley

15/7/13 After a warm night and light breakfast at the YMCA, we caught the bus back towards Lamorna. A gentle stroll down the valley brought us back to the path in the Cove. We vaguely remembered it being rocky from the evening before, but it was quite tricky terrain in places.

Once on the top though, it did seem more like how you'd expect a coastpath to be.

Boscawen was only a temporary respite though, soon we were back down on the rocks in St Loy's Cove.

There were several more up and downs to come. We could see some walkers in the distance at Porthguarnon

and they gave us something to aim for.

Next cove was Penberth and we were starting to get thirsty now.

So at

Porthcurno, we took a slight detour to get some drinks. We also then stopped in Porthgwarra for a pasty which we ate in the shade of the lookout station on Gwennap Head. There was little shade to be had now as we could see the Longships lighthouse and Land's End in the distance.

Most of the walking was along the cliff tops now and it became busier with people from Land's End. At the far end of Mill Bay, we did spot some seals bobbing up and down in the sea weed.

One of their heads is just visible above.

We were tempted to get another drink at Land's End, but the price put us off especially when we saw the sign saying one mile to Sennen.

We descended into the village knowing what was at the end.

At the Old Success Inn we had pints of Proper Job (4.5%) and Tribute (4.2%) for £6.90. It was a pleasant refuge from the weather, but the pints hardly touched the sides.

Helicopters had been around a few times that day. One seemed to want to show off along Whitesand Bay.

The path from here goes along the back of the beach and through the dunes until eventually coming back out onto the cliff tops. We were heading for St Just and so as the footpath went inland up Cot Valley for a short distance, we took the opportunity to keep going. We headed for a shop in St Just, but unfortunately missed the bus stop and with it the Penzance bus. So we had to wait for the coastal open-top bus back through Sennen, Land's End, Porthcurno etc back to the YMCA. The sun went in for the first time that day and it was chilly for the first time in a while. We then had the long drive home.

Penzance to Lamorna

14/7/13 A few pubs expected here and so we decided to stay in the YMCA for a night. A drive to a pub that would have been 'one too many' on the previous walk took us to the Station House, where we arrived at opening time.

Not the prettiest of pubs. But there was a queue to get in and nibbles on the bar. Butcombe (4.2%) and Bombardier (4.1%) for £6.20 with a game of pool was a nice enough start to the day.

Then we left the car at the YMCA and restarted the walk. The Dolphin Tavern was soon spotted by the docks.

Pints of Tribute (4.2%) and Dartmoor (3.8%) for £6.90. An old pub, but seemed to be more of an eating place these days.

We had discussed at length what constitutes a pub for this walk, but we hadn't considered a meadery. We choose not to use the one opposite here. So it was on along the promenade, past some bars, past some pubs just off the path until we came to Newlyn.

The Tolcarne Inn was first. Pints of Tribute (4.2%) and Betty Stoggs (4%) for £6.70 were nice enough as I read their Sunday paper, but they had a jazz duo in who didn't seem to be attracting the punters.

Shortly later as we rounded a corner next to the fish docks, two pubs came into view.

The Swordfish is the first. There was only one couple in and the barmaid was in the kitchen cooking. We soon had two pints of Doom (4%) for £6.90 though. Halfway through those, ribs, sausages and roast potatoes arrived on the bar for the customers. Very nice they were too and so we had a couple more pints.

Just a few doors away is the Star. It was busier in here, but I'm not sure why as the Guiness (4.2%) and Betty Stoggs (4%) for £7.10 were not perfect.

Up the hill a bit is the Red Lion.

Two pints of Doom (4%) for £6.80 and a couple games of pool here. We were drinking slower now. Next was the Fishermans Arms.

Pints of Trelawny (3.8%) and Proper Job (4.5%) for £6.20 here. The alcohol must have been kicking now as we tried to play darts.

At least we could stretch our legs now as we moved on to Mousehole. The Ship Inn is on the quayside there.

"No alcopops here" I was told, so I think I had a vodka and Sid a pint of something as we struggled on. In fact we struggled on a bit further as we then went on to Lamorna Cove and walked up the valley to catch the  open-top bus back to Penzance for the night.