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