Walk 149 Mullion to Praa Sands (Cornwall)

Walk 149 Mullion to Praa Sands (Cornwall)

(Second leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End

Map: L/R 203

Distance: about 14 miles or 22km approx

Difficulty: Moderate

Terrain: coastal paths and a small amount of road walking

Access: Parking at both ends.

Public transport: 37 bus runs from Helston to Mullion and No 2 bus runs between Praa Sands to Helston. Also main line rail link at Praa sands.

This a full days walk so allow good time to complete it.

Rejoin the coastal path at Mullion Cove and walk along past Polurrian Cove. Soon you will see the Marconi monument which commemorates the man's work at Poldhu Wireless Station. This is the spot where Marconi arranged the first message across the Atlantic in 1901. He had gone across to Newfoundland in order to pick up the pre arranged signal – three 's'. Work continued here until 1933. The Marconi family gave the land to the National Trust.

Soon the path cuts inland to the attractive Poldhu Cove. A short distance after this cove is Church Cove. St Winwaloe Church is very close to the sand dunes. The name derives from a 6^th century Breton saint whose mother is reputed to have grown a third breast when she had triplets (handy). It is one of the oldest churches in Cornwall and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Most of the current church dates from the 13^th century or later. Near to this cove a Portuguese treasure ship was wrecked and in 1788 a vessel carrying more than two tons of gold coins also came to grief.

Gunwalloe Cove is a further mile along and interestingly there are notices here warning divers not to interfere with an historic wreck – this usually applies to wrecks where there could be some gain.

On the land side of Porthleven Sands are the picturesque stretches of water - Carminowe Creek and The Loe. Local legend has it that this is the lake where King Arthur threw his sword Excalibur. Look out for the memorial overlooking the sands, it records the tragedy that befell HMS Anson wrecked in 1807 on Loe Bar with the loss of about 100 lives. Henry Trengrouse of Helston was so disturbed by this tragedy that he invented the life saving rocket apparatus where a line is shot across to a shipwreck and survivors taken off in a cradle attached to the line.

The walk continues to Porthleven. As you walk into the town look out for the Wreckers Studio with its collection of objects from the sea. Soon the 70 foot tower of the Bickford Smith Institute, once a centre for science and literature, comes into view. This was built by local man George Smith and named after him and his grandfather. It is now a snooker club and council offices and featured as police offices in the TV series Wycliffe. Porthleven harbour was built in 1811 to import mining machinery and export tin. It remained in tin mining hands until 1961.

A few miles further along is Praa Sands which is supposed to be pronounced 'pray' and means hags or witches caves! The village is the site of Pengersick Castle supposed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the UK.

Although not on the coastal walk, I have to mention The Blue Anchor in Helston for real ale lovers. It is the oldest brewery in Cornwall with several varieties of Spingo on sale in a totally unspoilt bar.  

Photos show: Poldhu Cove; Praa Sands.

Walk 148 Lizard to Mullion (Cornwall)

Walk 148 Lizard to Mullion (Cornwall)

(Second leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End

Map: L/R 203

Distance: about 13 miles or 20km approx

Difficulty: Moderate

Terrain: coastal paths and a small amount of road walking

Access: Parking at both ends.

Public transport: 37 bus runs between Lizard and Mullion and also stops at Helston

Follow the road from Lizard eastwards along to Church Cove to join the coastal path.

On the walk around westwards to Housel Bay look out for the Lloyds signal station on top of the cliff. Here, in 1901, signals were received by Marconi from the Isle of Wight. In World War 2 it was used as offices and has now been restored with replicas of the original radio/signalling equipment used. You should also come across the Lizard Wireless Station which is formed of 2 joined black huts. These were also used by Marconi for some of his pioneering wireless experiments in the early 1900s. These buildings form the oldest surviving purpose built wireless station in the world.

The lighthouse at Housel Bay is well worth a visit. Its interesting visitors' centre includes a magneto electric machine designed by Michael Faraday and used in the lighthouse until 1885. The lighthouse was built in 1752 when its warning light consisted of two coal fires. Prior to this, the story goes that a lighthouse was built by a pirate who was also a landowner, he hoped that ships would be directed to rocks near to his land so that he could have rights to any wreckage. Look out for the signpost which shows the distance to other famous lighthouses including The Longstone off the coast of Northumberland. The interesting building next to the lighthouse was originally built for an artist. The Lizard lighthouse complex of buildings is the largest in the world. It is now pristine white but was camouflaged in World War 2.

Make your way down on to Lizard Point – the most southerly point of the UK. There is a cafe there if you fancy refreshment. From here the dangerous array of rocks are very clear. Many vessels have come to grief, including in 1720, the military transport carrier Royal Anne -200 people died and were buried in a mass grave nearby. In 1907 the RNLI carried out one of its greatest rescue operations. It took a day and a half for 4 boats to lift all 524 people from the White Star liner 'Suevic' which had become stranded on the rocks in foggy conditions. The Point and surrounding area are now owned by The National Trust.

It is only a short walk to Polpeor Cove the most southerly beach in the UK.

Follow the path, with its picturesque views, around to Kynance Cove. This is a secluded but very popular spot as evidenced by the large, busy car park. It is noted for its rocky outcrops and caves – all of which seem to have have evocative names e.g. Asparagus Island, The Devil's Bellow, Man of War Rock, The Parlour, The Drawing Room.

About half a mile further along is The Rill, a headland where the Spanish Armada was first sighted in 1588.

The path to Mullion Cove continues past points such as Pigeon Ogo, Gew-graze and The Chair. The harbour at Mullion was built in 1895 to support the pilchard fishing industry, now it has a small fleet landing mainly shellfish. The area is reputed to have a history of smuggling and nearby are the remains of a copper mine which operated until 1919. The village of Mullion is about a mile walk inland.

Photos show: Lizard signalling station; Kynance Cove; Mullion Cove/harbour 

Walk 147 St Keverne to Lizard (Cornwall)

Walk 147 St Keverne to Lizard (Cornwall)

(Second leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End

Map: L/R 204 and L/R 203

Distance: about 14 miles or 22km

Difficulty: Moderate with challenging sections

Terrain: coastal paths and small amount of road walking

Access: Parking at both ends.

Public transport: The best place to stay for this walk is Helston as there are bus links with both places.

This walk can be very hazardous if there has been a spell of wet weather (as I found out). I was advised not to complete a section by a National Trust warden. The week after a young lad slipped down this path, fell off the cliff and was killed.

Follow the road out of St Keverne to Rosenithon and join the coastal path to Godrevy Cove. The path here was well under water when I went and it was more a case of wading rather than walking. Looking back from here are the rocks at Manacle Point which have wrecked hundreds of ships. For example, in 1809 two ships foundered simultaneously and 200 lives were lost. The churchyard at St Keverne has more than 400 shipwreck victims.

Continue the walk over Dean Point and on to Lowland Point and through Dean Quarry. The path here was not clearly marked although it might have improved by now, if not, take the lower path not the gate. Gabbro, a hard durable rock, has been quarried here since the 1890s and used mainly for roads and coastal defences. Until 2005 conveyor belts took the rocks to the nearby jetty where they were loaded on to ships. People have lived or worked here for over 2500 years with evidence of old field systems and a salt works. The area is now managed by the National Trust.

The walk from here to Coverack was very wet and very muddy (a euphemism for cow poo/sand mixture). Coverack is an attractive old village with a RNLI station for reasons made clear above. It has been a tradition here to have a Christmas Day swim in aid of cancer research. The walk out of Coverack was very overgrown and slippery. About a mile further on I came across a team of National Trust volunteers working on a path. It was here that I was advised not to continue along the coastal path for the next couple of miles because of flooding and dangerous terrain. The warden kindly gave me a lift in his van squashed in with six volunteers and hemmed in by a dog! They took me to Kuggar where I rejoined the path to Cadgwith.

Cadgwith is an attractive fishing village. Lobsters and crabs are the main catch now, in the past it was pilchards but over-fishing resulted in this trade diminishing. The main street in Cadgwith originated in medieval times as a collection of fish cellars.

Just outside Cadgwith is the Devil's Frying Pan which is an attractive tunnel like formation caused by the collapse of a cave.

Take the walk at Church Cove near the lifeboat station into Lizard Village. This is a straggling settlement noted for its small workshops where Serpentine Stone (named because of its snakeskin like markings) is polished and made into ornaments. It became fashionable after it was chosen by Queen Victoria for the interior of Osborne House, her retreat on the Isle of Wight. Ice cream, Cornish pasties and real Cornish ale all available here and all recommended. The Top House Inn is the most southerly pub on mainland UK and worth a visit for this reason alone. The name Lizard comes from 'Lis' for high and 'ard' for place.

Photos show: The Devil's Frying Pan; Dean Quarry.

Walk 146 Helford Passage to St Keverne (Cornwall)

Walk 146 Helford Passage to St Keverne (Cornwall)

(Second leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End

Map: L/R 204

Distance: about 11 miles or 18km

Difficulty: Moderate

Terrain: coastal paths and public footpaths (includes road walking).

Access: Parking at both ends.

Public transport: A 35 bus goes to and from Falmouth to Helford Passage every hour during weekdays. I suggest getting an early one to ensure the 36 bus from St Keverne can be caught. This goes at 4:35 and involves a change at Sainsbury's Helston to get to Falmouth (takes over 2 hours, but is possible). Check to see if this is still the case.

THIS WALK CAN ONLY TAKE PLACE BETWEEN APRIL AND OCTOBER AS THIS IS WHEN THE FERRY IS RUNNING FROM HELFORD PASSAGE. BAD WEATHER CAN ALSO RESULT IN THE FERRY BEING CANCELLED.

Start by getting the ferry from Helford Passage to Helford on the opposite side of the Helford River. It runs 'on demand' during the months mentioned above. The ferry service has been operating since the 16^th century.

Frenchman's Creek, the famous novel by Daphne Du Maurier set in the time of Charles 11, is about a mile to the west of Helford. However, continue walking eastwards to St Anthony's at Meneage, the site of a medieval church.

Dennis Head, the site of a Celtic fortress, presented me with a bit of a problem. I carefully followed the signs but kept going around in circles instead of getting on the path at the south of the head and making my way to Carne. I met some locals who told me to walk across a farmer's field where there was no marked path. A fear of angry cattle and/or an irate farmer increased my walking speed and heart rate but I did join the path at the bottom of the slope.

Soon the path comes to a road and there is a fair amount of road walking until Gillan. After this, Nare Head and Nare Cove are attractive places with pleasant views. Continue southwards to Porthallow. (After Porthallow access to the coast is difficult for a few miles apart from the cove at Pourthoustock).

Look out for the plaque called 'Fading Voices' which gives a hotch-potch of facts about Porthallow. I went into The Five Pilchards Pub – evidence of the once thriving pilchard industry. Despite being a 'grockle' I was given some helpful advice on how to get to St Keverne far quicker than following the official coastal path. Basically, follow the road up to Trenoweth and take the public footpath on the left which takes you into the back of St Keverne.

The village is noted for being the site of the start of the Cornish Rebellion of 1497. The Cornish people were angry with Henry V11 who wanted to raise taxes from them to finance a war in Scotland. This went against agreements with previous kings. They formed a rebel army and marched to London. Unfortunately for them, they were defeated at the Battle of Deptford Bridge and many of those who weren't killed were executed. Severe monetary penalties were enforced against the Cornish people leading many families into destitution.

The village of St Keverne gets its name from the monastery of St Akeveranus which was sited here. Look out for the cannon at the gate of the church which was retrieved from a shipwreck at nearby Manacle Point.

Photos: View from Nare Head; Porthallow beach

Walk 145 Falmouth to Helford Passage (Cornwall)

Walk 145 Falmouth to Helford Passage (Cornwall)

(Second leg of English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End

Map: L/R 204

Distance: about 11 miles or 18km

Difficulty: Moderate

Terrain: coastal paths and pavement

Access: Parking at both ends.

Public transport: Rail and bus links in Falmouth. A bus (No 35) goes to and from Falmouth to Helford Passage every hour during weekdays.

The walk starts in Falmouth where the coastal path winds its way round, initially through the docks, to Pendennis Point.

Falmouth is a pleasant enough place to look around and to enjoy including some rather expensive fish and chips at one of Rick Stein's outlets. The town was opened up as a holiday resort with the arrival of the railway in 1863. Near the modern harbour-side is a pyramid called the Killigrew Monument. The Killigrew family were a local wealthy family in the 18^th century who decided they wanted to provide a beautiful embellishment to the harbour.

In the town, look out for the attractive facade of St George's Arcade which was built in 1912 and was once one of the largest cinemas in the UK. Another impressive building is The Passmore Edwards Free Library which was built by the said man, a newspaper owner and philanthropist, in the early 20^th century. It is one of the 24 libraries built as a result of his bequests. A number of round the world yachting attempts have started or ended in Falmouth including those of Sir Francis Chichester and Dame Ellen McArthur. Further back in time, news of the victory of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Nelson were brought ashore here.

Just before Pendennis Point is a castle built by Henry V111 and strengthened by Elizabeth 1. It saw action in the civil war, ironically, from the landward side. 900 men were besieged in the castle for 6 months who then forced to give it up to the Roundheads. It is now a museum and discovery centre owned by English Heritage.

The Pendennis Castle Road has its own claim to fame. Motorcycle races were staged here between 1931 and 1937 and were the first to be held on public roads in mainland Britain.

Continue the walk around Pendennis Point and on to Gyllyngvase Beach and then to Swanpool Beach. Behind the latter beach is a small lake with high salt content that gives the place its name. It is one of a few places that a type of moss animal, the Trembling Sea Mat, is able to survive. A mineral mine once extended under the lagoon.

After another mile or so there is another attractive beach at Maenporth. Although it is sandy the name means 'rocky cove' or 'stone cove'. There was once a chemical works at Maenporth.

The walk around Rosemullion Head was very windy even though it was much calmer a little bit further inland. The spring is a good time to walk here when bluebells, gorse and purple orchids are growing. Look out for a notice on the path which warns visitors to watch out for oil beetles and not step on them as they are part of a conservation project. They are called oil beetles because they release poisonous oily deposits when disturbed – these can cause blistering and painful swelling. So don't pick them up and be careful where you sit especially if wearing shorts!

Along the south facing coast is Durgan Beach, an attractive place known for its boating. It was the home port of Captain Vancouver who explored North America in the 1790s. The area is owned by the National Trust and this includes the old school which is adjacent to the beach. This building can be rented from the trust and looks an idyllic place to stay.

A bit further along is the frontage of Trebah Gardens and its small beach. These gardens created by James Fox are open to the public.

Continue to Helford Passage with its many boats, including the ferry which feature on the next walk.

Photos show: Durgan Beach with the old school building; Rosemullion Point; Oil beetles notice.