Created by 3GoExploring.
One of our favourite walks we completed a while ago, wasn't the best day but as they say ‘there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing’. This walk took us from Porthcothan to Padstow following the Coastal Path. We were dropped off at the start point and arranged a pick-up from Padstow, however, Local buses do service this area.
This part of the South West Coast Path is stunning, from long stretches of sandy beaches to steep rugged cliffs just make sure you keep your camera at hand. If you are accompanied with your fur baby please keep them on a lead whilst on the cliffs, the Coastguard are regularly called out to incidents of dogs going over the cliffs and sadly the outcome is not always good. Porthcothan is where Cathy grew up, a beautiful sandy beach with a tidal horseshoe pool, playgrounds don't get much better than this. From Porthcothan you cross over the bridge and make your way up the hill following the Southwest Coast Path signs, your next stop is Treyarnon Bay. Another idyllic sandy beach which was very quiet today, the dreaded Cornish mizzle is probably the reason why! Continuing along the path it doesn't take long to reach Constantine Bay, this beach offers soft sand and during low tide an abundance of rock pools to explore.
Following the sweeping beach Booby’s Bay is next on your agenda, don’t get confused by the name, no it’s not a topless beach! In fact, the bay gets its name from the booby, a seabird related to the gannet. Following the path you soon enter the Trevose Headland with its iconic lighthouse, built by Trinity House in 1847 to guide vessels in the Bristol Channel.
The next beach along is Mother Ivy’s Bay, an interesting name, originally known as Polventon Bay (the cove with a spring) during the 19th century it is believed the name was changed. Mother Ivey, a local whose legend retells was a white witch, who back in the 16th century cursed a wealthy pilchard processing family from Harlyn Bay for their selfish attitude to the poor and local people.
As the mizzle was getting a little harder we quickly made our way across Harlyn Bay and onwards to Trevone Bay. A favourite with the family, Trevone has two beaches, one with its rocky side full of large rock pools and ‘Tinker Bunny’s Bathing Pool’ one of the largest tidal pools in Cornwall. Around a small headland is the extremely popular sandy beach of Trevone with its amenities and an ideal spot for a coffee and jam sandwich! Yes, that's right, a jam sandwich, we just love them on a long walk, the squished-up sandwich found at the bottom of your rucksack what could be better!
Not wanting to stop for too long we made our way up from the beach passing the round hole of Trevone and onwards to Tregudda Gorge with its steep cliffs. Following the coastal path with the thundering crashing waves below reminded us how unforgiving the sea can be. With this in mind, we were soon at NCI Stepper Point Lookout, originally built in 1920 to keep watch on the approach to Padstow and its notorious Doom Bar, a large sandbank and hazard to shipping navigating the Camel Estuary. The Coastguard kept regular watches up until 1994 when due to financial constraints and advances in communications it was abandoned, the building soon became the target for vandals.
In Apr 2000 Derek Lindsey, Station Manager at the time and Cathy's father, was approached by the Coastguard on a proposal to reopen the lookout. With hard work and plenty of fundraising and support from the local community, the lookout was reopened in 2002 and continues to keep watch.
Making our way down from Stepper Point we arrived at Hawkers Cove, located at the mouth of the River Camel, at low tide the beach stretches out for over one and a half miles. The best thing about this beach, during the summer it doesn't get overcrowded like others in the area due to the limited availability of parking.
The final cove before reaching Padstow and the closest beach is St George's Cove, the beach gets its name from the ancient holy well located nearby. With views across the estuary to Rock and Daymar Bay, you can sit and watch the fishing vessels make their way up and down, due to the proximity to Padstow this beach can become busy during the summer.
Our final mile, we arrived at the fishing port of Padstow, an extremely busy town but always high on the list for visitors. After a long walk, you won't be spoilt for locations to satisfy you appetite or quench your thirst.
Although the weather wasn't the best we still loved this walk, the ever-changing views as you make your way along the coast path and the multitude of beaches, all with a different tale to tell will reward you over and over again.
So if you are in the area, lace up your boots and follow in our steps.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our blog, to see more of our adventures follow us on Facebook.
Comments