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| Perranporth Beach |
Having walked some of the coast path
out of order (as in not consecutively rather than while badly behaved) I have been left with a gap to fill - the thirty mile section between Perranporth and St Ives. This needs to be done sooner rather than later- I am acutely aware that one of my many failings is a tendency to not quite finish things. Almost but not quite. If you have ever decorated a room but have never got around to glossing that bit of skirting board; or if you have ever knitted a jersey but never quite got around to finishing off the cuffs, then you know what I am talking about. If I don't do it now then I know I never will.
On the other hand, if I fill in this gap I will have walked from Minehead to Penzance this summer, a distance of 273 miles or so. Not earth shattering, I know, but as my first experience of long distance walking/backpacking, I feel quite pleased with myself.
My friend Frank and I are in Cornwall already visiting friends, so Frank has decided to join me for the walk. It has been a full-on couple of days - a long canoe trip on Saturday and a sixteen mile walk over Bodmin on Sunday - and so on Monday morning we are later away than we had hoped. It is gone midday by the time we finally reach Perranporth and park the car. We are too late for breakfast at the Green Parrot so I opt for a panini instead. Frank asked me what I would like to drink and I ask for a coffee. He looks at me in astonishment. 'Oh, that threw me,' he exclaimed, 'I was expecting you to chose a real ale!'
Being a weak and easily led soul I swiftly changed my order and followed Frank in ordering a pint of Schiehallion from
Harviestoun Brewery - it's lager Jim, but not as we know it, a refreshing pint to drink before setting off.
'After all, reasoned Frank, we are not going far today.' This was true - we were aiming to get somewhere near St Agnes - a mere five miles or so along the path. One beer wouldn't hurt.
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| Towards Cligga Head |
Eventually, however, we could put it off no longer and we heaved our rucksacks on our backs and set off up the hill, the path taking us next to the youth hostel perched on the hill. This section took us past old mine workings amidst piles of stones - remnants from the days when this area was a major tin and tungsten producer.
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| Crocosmia growing wild |
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| Cligga Head |
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| Cligga Head |
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| Trevaunance Cove |
We soon reached Trevaunance Cove. This place has been on my 'must visit' list for some time - not for the beach - though it looked fine - but for the brewpub,
Driftwood Spars. Beer bloggers
Boak and Bailey rate it and it was also in the Good Beer Guide (I had torn out the Cornwall pages and had them handy in the top of my rucksack). 'After all,' I said to Frank, 'we are not going far today.' Just as well really. We both liked the pub - and I was relieved to find it had not been 'boutiqued' but remained a proper traditional pub. After a couple of tasters Frank went for the
DEK while I plumped for Montol, a mid-range pale coppery beer.
If I had been alone I would have got no farther along the path that day; I would happily have settled in for a good session. But Frank is in possession of more common sense and self-control than I and said that we should stick to the one pint and carry on. He was right. I know he was right. But even so, to leave after just one beer was painful...
After a relatively easy climb out of the cove the path stayed along the top of the cliff through heathland of heather and gorse, last remnants of a once mighty heathland that covered much of Cornwall. Rounding the headland we were treated to magnificent views of the beach around Chapel Porth above which perched the
Towanroath engine house, another relic of the mining industry which once dominated the area here.
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| Bawden Rocks or Man and his man |
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| Towards Chapel Porth |
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 Towanroath engine house |
At Chapel Porth we detoured inland along a pleasant woodland path. Climbing gently we soon reached Towan Cross and the
Victory Inn. The landlady was welcoming and said we could camp in the field behind the pub, kindly leaving the door open to the toilets for our use in the night. We set up our tents and then repaired to the pub for an evening meal and imbibed a couple of fine pints of Lushingtons from
Skinner's Brewery. This proved to be a straw gold ale with a powerful hoppy flavour - using American hops - which I liked very much and which washed the calamari down a treat.
Tomorrow we would have to make up for our somewhat lackadaisical effort of today but tomorrow - as they say - is another day.
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| Our camp |
Distance: 6 miles
Total Distance Walked So Far: 248.5 miles
Accommodation ranking: 7/10
Accommodation cost: £5.00
After a relatively easy climb out of the cove the path stayed along the top of the cliff through heathland of heather and gorse, last remnants of a once mighty heathland that covered much of Cornwall. Rounding the headland we were treated to magnificent views of the beach around Chapel Porth above which perched the Towanroath engine house, another relic of the mining industry which once dominated the area here.
Towanroath engine house
Hey! What's going on? What about an update?
ReplyDeleteYes, sorry - have not had time to update it - hopefully should be up by tomorrow evening!
ReplyDelete