Great South West Walk

Saturday August 25

Section 39. PENZANCE TO PORTHLEVEN. Miles: 14 Grading: Easy

Start time and location
Could you please report for registration at the carpark beside the Tourist Information
Office in Penzance at 8am.
The walk will commence at 8.30am.

Parking
Plenty of parking avaialble at start points.

BUS SERVICE
There is a bus service which serves Penzance, Long Rock, Marazion, Praa Sands and Porthleven, which runs all year round, including winter Sundays. There is also a service to Perranuthnoe. For details of these First Western National services, please telephone 01209 719988.

TRAIN SERVICE
Penzance station is easily reached from the Coast Path, and is a main line station, so you can reach the rest of the country from here. For more information, please telephone National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.

MAPS
Ordnance Survey Landranger series (scale 1:50 000) Number 203, Land's End, The Lizard and the Isles of Scilly.
Ordnance Survey Explorer series (scale 1:25 000) Numbers 102 Penzance and St Ives, and 103, The Lizard.

GENERAL
Penzance: accommodation, shops, pubs, restaurants, cafés, car parks and toilets.
Long Rock: accommodation, shops, pubs, car parks and toilets.
Marazion: accommodation, shops, pubs, cafés, car parks and toilets.
Perranuthnoe: accommodation, pub, refreshments, car park and toilets.
Praa Sands: accommodation, refreshments, car park and toilets.
Porthleven: accommodation, shops, pubs, car park and toilets.

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
Station Road, Penzance, TR18 2NF. Tel: 01736 362207.

YOUTH HOSTEL
Castle Horneck (1 mile/1.5 km north west of the town centre).

The Route
PENZANCE TO MARAZION

Annual Guide Section 35 (3.4 miles: 5.4 km) Grading: Easy

Leave Penzance from the Tourist Information Centre, seaward of the railway station, walking towards the sea, picking up a road heading east. This will take you onto a new waterfront walkway past a footbridge over the railway tracks. This is a cycle route but a vast improvement on the old route along a dangerous road.

The path is easy to follow with the beach on your right and the railway on your left. If you have plenty of time and do not mind pebble beach walking, an exploration along the beach could be rewarding; it is a well known stretch for discovering rounded agate pebbles and other semi-precious stones. Further along where the railway veers away from the beach you will come upon Marazion Bridge, which has a large car park and a café known as The Station. There are toilets and it is a popular venue for windsurfers. (The café is open in the summer; for information telephone 01736 710507.) Rather than pavement walking it is preferable to keep to the beach now towards Marazion.

On the left is an entrance to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ Marazion Marsh. It is a breeding site for the rare Cetti’s warbler and many species of bird spend the winter here.
You will have to cross the Red River either by the road bridge or a footbridge to bring you to a grass car park known locally as Folly Field. Follow the edge of the field past the sailing dinghy compound, across a car park and into historic Marazion, behind the new sea defence wall.

MARAZION TO PRUSSIA COVE (BESSY’S COVE)
Annual Guide Section 36 (4.2 miles: 6.8 km) Grading: Moderate
Unfortunately, there is no safe footpath out of Marazion. The walker has to pass along the main street, but, as mentioned already, it is not as bad as it used to be. You follow the street uphill along winding Fore Street and Turnpike Hill. When the road levels out and the Fire Engine public house is reached, there is the Dolan viewing point from where the Mount and harbour are seen from the best vantage point.

Resuming your walk, carry on up the main road for a further 200 yards (183 m) to Henfor Terrace, and the Coast Path can be joined on your right. The path follows the coast to Venton Farm which is now a holiday let, although the fields and outbuildings are used for farming. Follow the path down to the shoreline. Walk along the beach and ascend some hideous metal steps. Due to continual coastal erosion at Trenow Cove and the collapse of an old mine shaft, follow the diverted track for 274 yards (250 metres) and look out for a low yellow arrow pointing you back to the coast.
The South West Coast Path Association has asked several times for the Coast Path to remain on top of these low cliffs. Having passed Basore Point and Maen-du Point the path will lead you into Perranuthnoe, onto a tarmac road by a car park, where there is now a seasonal tea hut and garden well worth a stop, as is the Victoria Inn in the village centre.

PERRANUTHNOE

Perranuthnoe has all services and stands above a fine expanse of Perran Sands. The church of St Piran commands a view from St Michael's Mount around to Cudden Point. The exact age of the village is not known but local names and relics suggest the Bronze Age (2000 - 800 BC). Perranuthnoe is certainly mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The combination of St Piran and the local name of the manor ‘Uthnoe’ (Odenol) is the derivation of the name of the village. Numerous vessels have been wrecked along this section of the coast.

To continue where you joined the tarmac road walk on into the tarmac lane immediately opposite and to seaward of the car park. The lane is named Greenburrow and leads to Trebarvah. However, you will not go that far because within 150 yards (137 m) you take a track on your right towards the sea. A waymark and stile are met just before the path descends to the beach.

The path now follows the coast closely along Trebarvah Cliff, past Trevean Cove on to Stackhouse Cliffs and the secluded but popular Stackhouse Cove. Inland you will get a sight of the impressive Acton Castle, once a country hotel and now luxury apartments.

You have now returned to decent Coast Path walking which takes you to the National Trust owned Cudden Point. A pause here is recommended to take in the views in both directions. You can go out onto the point, but the Coast Path continues on across the headland to bring you to Prussia Cove.

PRUSSIA COVE

Prussia Cove takes its name from the former King of Prussia Inn, once kept by the famous, or infamous, Carter family whose smuggling activities were well known in the 18th century. Nearby Bessy’s Cove is named after Bessy Bussow who once kept an alehouse on the cliffs, and smuggled brandy was landed here at one time.

PRUSSIA COVE TO PORTHLEVEN

Annual Guide Section 37 (6.4 miles: 10.3 km) Grading: Moderate
Follow the track up, then turn right onto another which will take you down to Bessy's Cove. The Coast Path now joins a driveable lane where you turn right and continue on passing through the courtyard of a large house, now used for music festivals and seminars. You will also pass a row of old coastguard cottages on your left now used as holiday lets. The path passes above the beach around Hoe Point and into Praa Sands with its long and sandy beach.

The Coast Path enters this popular holiday area by a small car park. The official route is along the road but it is preferable to continue on near the sea, so turn right down onto the beach onto a slipway between the Welloe Rock public house and the car park. Walk along the front of the pub and the beach shop, then take the steps off the beach beside the shop/café.

The trail then continues across the top of sand dunes along the whole length of the beach. It is possible to leave the dunes halfway along, to visit, via a made-up road, a post office/general stores. To regain the Coast Path, retrace your steps or follow an unmade track eastwards from the post office.

The Coast Path at Praa Sands takes you along the beach to Lesceave Rocks at the eastern end of the beach. The path now takes you across Rinsey Head. You have entered another area that was once worked for copper and the ruins of an old engine house remain. You will pass Wheal Prosper and further on Wheal Trewavas, east of Trewavas Head.

The path is well marked and a true coastal route which changes often due to

constant erosion. It is well to be cautious and always take the newest track even if the old does appear to be intact. You will see evidence of recent landslides, the last being in 1988 when a large section of cliff fell. The advice is keep well away from the edge.

Just east of Tregear Point you will come upon a cross erected in 1949 in memory of sailors drowned on this coast because of wrecks.
On entering Porthleven take the first road down to the right which will lead you down into the town and harbour.

If you have any question on any of the above please do not hesitate to contact one the event organisers found on the Contact us page click here

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