Great South West Walk

Monday August 27

Section 44. FALMOUTH TO PORTLOE. Miles: 13.7. Grading: Easy

Start time and location
Could you please report for registration at St. Mawes Castle, Falmouth at 12.30pm.
The walk will commence at 1pm.

Parking
Plenty of parking avaialble at start points.

Bus Services
The latter section of the coast path is very difficult to reach by public transport due to a lack of it! The First 50 service runs from Truro bus station to St Mawes, and the First 51 service runs to Portloe. At present, both services run every 2 hours. Services occasionally stop in Portscatho. Confirmation of any bus service should always be confirmed by contacting Traveline on 0870 608 2608 www.traveline.org.uk

Trains
The start of this section can be reached directly by train, by taking the Falmouth branch line from Truro, which is on the main Plymouth to Penzance railway line. Alight at Falmouth Docks station. (National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950.)

Maps
Ordnance Survey Landranger series (scale 1:50 000) Number 204 Truro and Falmouth.
Ordnance Survey Explorer series (scale 1:25 000) Number 105, Falmouth and Mevagissey.

General Information
Falmouth: accommodation, shops (including a chemist), pubs, cafés, toilets, car parks and public telephones.
St Mawes: accommodation, shops, pubs, cafés, toilets, car parks and public telephones.
St Anthony Head: car park and toilets.
Portscatho: limited accommodation, shops, pub, café and public telephone.
Porthcurnick Beach: seasonal refreshments, seasonal toilets.
Pendower Beach: seasonal refreshments, seasonal toilets.
Portloe: limited accommodation, pub, licensed tea room, post office, car park and public telephone.

FERRIES
Falmouth to St Mawes (no Sunday service in winter): St Mawes Ferry Co, 01326 313201
St Mawes to Place House (seasonal): Gary S Cairns, 01326 372703, mobile 07790 647169
Ocean Aqua Cab: Alec Jordan, 07970 242258. Please telephone the day before you require a crossing. This service may be operating between Falmouth, St Mawes and Place, and may do a direct service between Falmouth and Place.
When planning your walk, please check your ferry details thoroughly. Full details of the ferry operating times for the year are to be found in the South West Coast Path Association’s current Annual Guide, and we always recommend that you confirm the times with the operator direct.

Taxis
Gerrans Bay Taxi operates around the Portscatho area. The number is 01872 580673. Roseland Taxis operate around the Portloe area, and their number is 01872 501001.
Taxis are not easy to obtain in the Roseland area, so do make a firm booking if you require one – I won’t bore you with the tale of how I discovered this piece of information the hard way!

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
28, Killigrew Street, Falmouth, TR11 3PN telephone 01326 312300.

The Route
Your journey starts with at least one water trip, then the path to Portloe, while no part of Cornwall's southern coastline can be said to be off the tourist track any more, must be the closest approximation in this age of mass mobility. The scenery lacks the grandeur of the north coast but is of a more pastoral character with headlands giving superb views across bays sheltering fishing villages that have changed less than most in the county. During the whole route there is very little to affront the senses and diversions from the cliffs are only minor.

The principal landowner along here is the National Trust, and it is to this body that much of the credit must go for the fact that the paths are now in better condition than for over half a century. A special mention must go to the Trust’s Coast of Cornwall leaflet number 20, which covers Nare Head and the Dodman – it is superb and gives some fascinating information about Nare Head and its role as a WWII decoy site (complete with sound effects from Elstree Studios!) and a nuclear post during the Cold War. See the Bibliography for further details.

When planning your walk, please check your ferry details thoroughly. Full details of the ferry operating times for the year are to be found in the South West Coast Path Association’s current Annual Guide, and we always recommend that you confirm the times with the operator direct.

FALMOUTH

Falmouth is a major town with all facilities, and the opening of the National Maritime Museum in 2003 has enhanced its role within the tourism industry. There is usually something of interest to see in the Docks, and it is still the only place where there is actually a Marks and Spencer on the coast path itself!

FALMOUTH TO PLACE HOUSE

Annual Guide Section 43 (0 miles – 0 km) Grading: None
This section is undertaken by ferry—see page 16 for details.

ST MAWES

A pleasant place to pass the time if you have a wait between ferries. The most spectacular building is the castle just west of the town. This castle and Pendennis at Falmouth are both Henry VIII's artillery castles. At the end of the Civil War St Mawes surrendered after a brief siege, but Falmouth proved a harder nut to crack and stood out for nearly six months.

One of the hotels in St Mawes used to promise you a free holiday if it snowed whilst you were staying. There is no record of anyone being that lucky! However in common with less favoured places it does rain here!

St Mawes Castle by Eric Wallis

PLACE

The large building at Place was the one time manor house of the Spry family built in 1840 on the site of the former priory which was founded by Athelstan. For some years it was a hotel but at the time of writing it is closed and is again a private house.
The lawn in front of the building resulted from the filling in of the pond of a tide mill about the middle of the 19th century. The mill was first noticed by John Leland, Henry VIII's librarian, and thus served this isolated community for over 300 years.

PLACE HOUSE TO PORTSCATHO

Annual Guide Section 44 (6.2 miles – 10.0 km) Grading: Easy

The path at Place starts up the lane but soon turns off right. It passes through the churchyard of St Anthony in Roseland. By following the waymarks along shady paths you regain the foreshore, which is followed for a few hundred yards before climbing to pass inland of the Cellars Plantation on Amsterdam Point (the name 'cellars' comes from a one time pilchard processing works hereabouts).

Although this might feel like an inauspicious start, this route is quite attractive, as is the quiet churchyard: I found camellias in January here.

(There is a definitive right of way along the foreshore but this can only be used at very low tide and if you do not mind muddy boots.)

At the stile on the top behind Amsterdam Point begins the wonderful series of views across the Carrick Roads. The two main points of interest are the castles of St Mawes and Pendennis at Falmouth.

This is a delightful walk above the beaches and through the pine trees on Carricknath Point before dropping down to a stream.
ST ANTHONY HEAD

The coast path actually crosses the top of an old dam built to make a reservoir for the battery on the head above. It also goes by a one-time fuel store from where oil had to be carried to the lighthouse.

The lighthouse, besides its main light, has unusual features. There is a red filter which warns ships near the Manacles; innocent as they may look in bright weather these are lethal rocks which have wrecked a hundred ships and claimed a thousand lives. Also noteworthy is the black screen which prevents the light from disturbing the sleep of the residents of St Mawes!

Just before the lighthouse there is a sharp turn left to ascend the steep steps to the one-time batteries - some of the old cottages are now National Trust holiday accommodation.

On the top there is a topograph indicating the wide ranging view. This is certainly a place to stand and stare and, if you should be that late, a marvellous point from which to watch a sunset. It is also a good place from which to see the satellite dishes of Goonhilly Earth Station on the Lizard peninsula.

The path now goes round to Zone Point, once the site of a brick built coastguard building. The direction changes to north-east and the splendid easy walking now follows along low cliffs, passing Porthbeor Beach, where you ignore a beach path on your right.

The path continues around Porthmellin and Killigerran Heads, before dropping to the sand dunes behind Towan Beach.

Once Greeb Point has been rounded the whole sweep of Gerrans Bay bounded by Nare Head, with Gull Rock offshore, should be visible while the massive Dodman Point forms the horizon. A class of frigates developed late in the Second World War were called Bay Class and HMS Gerrans Bay was one of them.

Soon the needle spire of Gerrans church can be seen through the trees on the left. Such spires are unusual in Cornwall and this was probably built as a day mark for shipping.

It seems to take forever to reach Portscatho, but you arrive in the village very suddenly.

PORTSCATHO

The name means a harbour of boats. Once it was a fishing village but now just a quiet holiday resort. The old coastguard row is called Admiralty Terrace which indicates that it was built between 1856 and 1913, the years that the Admiralty maintained the foot patrol around the West Country coasts that became the basis for the wonderful National Trail that we walk today.

PORTSCATHO TO PORTLOE

Annual Guide Section 45 (7.5 miles – 12.0 km) Grading: Strenuous

This section, although graded strenuous, has an easy start to warm you up for some hard work later on!

To leave Portscatho, turn right before the Plume of Feathers as signed to pass a couple of shops and some houses. The path goes around to the left of the seasonal National Trust café and toilets at Porthcurnick Beach, but at low tide you can cross beach. The path then rounds Pednvadan with its old coastguard lookout giving a good view back to the village of Portscatho.

After 0.5 mile (800 m) you descend briefly to Porthbean Beach. In the spring you may see daffodils planted alongside the path they are beautiful and a thoughtful addition to this lovely area.

After approximately 0.75 mile (800 m) from Creek Stephen Point, the path goes inland at a property called Pendower Cottage, where the coast path formerly went in front of it.

This can be an irritant particularly at the height of the season when on the lane down to the beach one has to avoid cars parked, coming and going, and there isn't much room to manoeuvre. There is one compensation on the turn inland as the shady path
has one of the most profuse patches of pink purslane anywhere on the coast in Cornwall: this lovely flower came originally from North America and apparently also came to Cornwall from the boots of Irish labourers. It has five leaves and is often found in damp conditions, but not in many concise wild flower books!

Turn right out of the lane at a one-armed signpost to follow the road in front of Pendower Cottage.

The pink Pendower Beach Hotel serves refreshments in season. There are toilets on the other side of the beach, and these are usually open from Easter until the end of September. Pendower Beach is noted for its safe bathing.

If the tide is low, it is better to walk along Pendower Beach to Carne. If not, the path starts off across the sand, then towards the NT Pendower Beach sign to join the road, then you follow the sign on the right, signposted Carne 0.33 mile. Once again the path diverts inland around the Nare Hotel (open to non-residents). Turn right down the road towards Carne Beach, where there are partially hidden Second World War blockhouses.

After a brief stretch of tarmac the path turns right off the road. For the next few miles the path is well maintained but it is steep and in places tortuous, and hence all but exceptional walkers expect to average less than two miles an hour. The climb up Nare Head is particularly steep because you go down to nearly sea level across the stream at Paradoe (pronounced Pradda) Cove with its ruined fisherman's cottage before the 250 feet (76.25 m) climb to Nare Head itself.

As with so many headlands on the coast path, the route out onto Nare Head itself is not on the official path, but you may like to go out onto the Head for the views.

The view westward back over the route traversed is superb, reaching as far as Black Head on The Lizard. As you return from the cul-de-sac path out to Nare Head itself watch right, if you look carefully you will see a small path going into the gorse. This path gives the best views of Gull Rock offshore and winds back to join the track you would have joined anyway. Those who have a fancy for such things may amuse themselves by trying to imagine Gull Rock resembling some creature or other. More sobering is the thought that in Veryan Churchyard is a mass grave of 19 men drowned from a German ship wrecked on there in 1914.

Leaving the Nare Head area keep well to seaward. You eventually go through a hedge above Kiberick Cove, and the path goes more or less straight on to the bottom of the valley and then back up again – at the time of writing, there is a misleading sign advising you that the path goes to the head of the valley, but this sign must be ignored. After a stile with a directional arrow on you descend close to an old hedge: when you get to the bottom you may notice a stile on your right – this is just a beach path, and yes, you
have gone the right way!

A well-graded zigzag path from sea level leads you to Broom Parc.

BROOM PARC

The mansion at the top, shaded by its belt of Scots Pine, is owned by the National Trust and is open for bed and breakfast, or as a holiday let ‘for boisterous parties’!! but is not open to the public. Even if you have not been here before you may think the place looks familiar - this is because Mary Wesley's ‘The Camomile Lawn’ was filmed for television here. At the time of writing, it is listed in the Association’s Annual Guide as a bed and breakfast establishment.

The path goes in front of the house out into a field and then proceeds along and down
The Jacka to the fishing village of Portloe.

You then follow the path down to the Jacka, then take the inland path which passes beside some toilets. (You will notice a more seaward route, but it is unsafe at present so don’t use it. If you wish to see the views from on top of the Jacka, having reached the toliets, you may like to turn right to see the view, taking note of the warning notices.)

Once upon the harbour there are now beautiful new signs directing you up the road towards the Post Office.

PORTLOE

Hidden away by larger resorts such as Falmouth and Portscatho, Portloe is a favourite for its seclusion – I particularly love the montbretia framing the coast path and the lovely gardens. It has a magical atmosphere for coast path walkers, as it is invisible from the path once you have left it! It remains unspoilt and such is its isolation that one finds it easier here than anywhere else to visualise the struggle just to survive of the people of Cornwall in the 19th century.

The church passed on the way up to the pub is worth a second glance since it was originally built as the lifeboat house in 1870. The difficulties of launching a ten-oared boat from such a position can well be imagined, and in 1877 she slipped out of control during a practice launch, damaging a shop. A new boathouse was then built on the beach, but the difficulties of launching in bad weather were such that, when after a further ten years the boat had still not performed its first rescue, the decision was taken to close down. The second boathouse became the village school and when that closed it served briefly as the village institute and is now the staff quarters of the Lugger Hotel.

The post office is worthy of mention because it serves cream teas! A world away perhaps from the usual post office in which you have unhappily queued, with nothing more to feast on than stamp adhesive! The post office stays open all year, with the exception of January, and serves refreshments throughout this period. The post office also sells general items, such as milk and water, and will provide packed lunches.

Portloe is also the village where the controversial television programme ‘Wild West’ starring Dawn French was filmed.

Fully revised by Liz Woollard, February 2004

(Original text by A G Collins 1976. Revised August 1994 by Phillip Carter and Brian Panton.)

ESTUARINE ROUTE AROUND THE PERCUIL RIVER

When the St Mawes to Place Ferry is not running it is necessary to walk around the Percuil River. In contrast to so many other estuarine routes nearly half of it is of high scenic quality and you can actually enjoy the walking! There is too a choice of routes, 8 miles is the shorter and the alternative longer one is about 9 miles. The longer has even more riverside walking but it does mean you get an extra mile of walking on a minor road. The choice is yours, both are described below.

On leaving the ferry from Falmouth turn left along the road. As you approach the castle, take a minor road going left, the most prominent sign being ‘St Mawes Castle car park’. If you look carefully there is also a small footpath sign amongst the clutter.

St Mawes Castle, like Pendennis at Falmouth was one of King Henry VIII’s artillery castles. It was besieged towards the end of the Civil War in 1646 but unlike Pendennis, which resisted for five months, the Royalist garrison here surrendered without firing a shot.

Follow this minor road until you come to the NT land ‘Newton Cliff’ which you enter. The route follows a very scenic path along Carrick Roads with superb views across to Falmouth and the far shore. Ignore two minor stiles on the left which lead down to small coves. You come out on a minor tarmac road to turn right. Continue along this road bearing left at the junction to pass in front of a boatyard. Immediately after passing the boatyard buildings the path veers a few yards to the right to proceed along the bank above the shore.

St Just Church is deservedly much photographed. As a church leaflet truly says ‘Wild and cultivated flowers grow in happy association together throughout the seasons of the year’. In fact part of the churchyard was at one time a nursery for semi-tropical plants which accounts for the wide range of plants to be seen there The church itself is light and airy with granite columns dating from the 13th century and was sensitively restored in the 19th. This is possibly the most photographed churchyard in Cornwall and at least some compensation for your long diversion.

You come to the gate leading to the churchyard with a large sign ‘Dogs on Leads Please Consecrated Ground’. Go through this gate keeping left all the way to pass the church on your right Ignore the turning right marked ‘Way Out’ but instead keep left through a lych gate noting the inset Cornish stile. You come to a house called ‘Lanzeague’, after its second gate the path bears right up the hill You go through a metal gate where there is a public footpath sign ‘St Just Lane’ and continue uphill with views of the creek to your left. You go through another gate into a lane, in parts muddy, in parts green, to finally exit on to the road.

Turn left and walk along the road for about 150 yards (135 m), ignore the first footpath on the right immediately past a house, but take the second on the right shortly afterwards. For the first field you have the hedge on the right. For the second and third it is on your left, then for the fourth it is again on your right. Take care in this fourth field, there is a temptation as you enter to turn right, do not do this but go straight ahead to continue with the hedge on the right Look for the sharp right turn through the hedge a little before you come to the end of the field. Descend the bank to the road, here turn right and proceed down to meet the main A 3078 at Trethem Mill.

Turn left, this is on a bridge crossing the creek, and immediately turn right up some stone steps and ascend the footpath through a wood. Coming out of the wood, cross field on a bearing of 110. In the next field bear right on 140 and leave by a wooded track. At the top there is a stile, cross it and bear 137 diagonally across field to a hedge and follow this to the road. Turn right down the road.

At the next junction follow the road curving round to the right past Polhendra Cottage. Here almost immediately turn left through the second gate, a metal one. There is a footpath sign if you look for it, but it is not readily apparent. Aim across on 123 to descend to the bottom of the hedge which you can see on the opposite side of the valley. Here you will find a bridge, cross it and proceed up, with the hedge on your left. At the top ascend some stone steps and cross the next two fields on 125. On reaching the road turn right into Gerrans and walk down to the church.

Gerrans Church is decision time where there is a choice of routes. The shorter route will be described first. The longer one is much more scenic but is a mile longer and will involve an extra mile of road walking. For this longer route see ‘Alternative route via Percuil itself’ below.

The name Gerrans is said to derive from Geraint, grandson of the legendary King Marc of Cornwall. The large octagonal spire, these are none too common in the county, was erected in 1450 as a daymark for fishermen.

At the church take the left fork (not left turn) into ‘Treloan Lane’ You walk via Treloan and Rosteague, at each junction keeping straight ahead. At the house just beyond Rosteague you pass through a pedestrian gate and the path unexpectedly goes right, through a hedge gap, before continuing in the same direction but with the hedge on your left. You cross an open field to enter an enclosed lane eventually coming to the road at Porth Farm about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) from Gerrans.

The slightly quicker way is then to turn right along the road and left where there is a sign ‘Footpath to Place by Percuil River’ to cross a wooden bridge. The pleasanter alternative, a few yards longer is to go ahead on the road to turn right through the gates of N.T. ‘Porth Farm’ then turn right to come to the same bridge.

Froe was at one time a small port and, like Polingey and Place, once had a tidal mill. These mills made use of a barrier across a creek. They allowed the tide to come in but had sluice gates to impound the water and then let it out steadily to power the mill. Although it sounds an efficient use of natural sources of energy there were only about five hours they could work on each tide, and then often at unsocial hours so they were replaced by more modern methods.

Over the bridge the path turns right to follow Porth Creek and then the Percuil River, down to the low tide landing point for the ferry and soon on to Place itself. This last stretch of walking is very scenic.

Alternative route via Percuil itself

A yard or so before the church turn right down ‘Well Lane’ At the waymark post turn sharp left to continue down the lane, which deteriorates, and comes down to Polingey Creek. Then apart from a few minor diversions away from the creek it continues down towards Percuil.

Watch closely near the head of Polingey Creek; unless it is a very high tide you will be able to see the remains of a causeway which was associated with a one time tidal mill. (For further information on tidal mills see under Froe above.)

Just before you reach Percuil the path bears slightly inland along a field edge to exit into a car park. If you want to see the ‘city’ go to the road and turn right for only a very few yards.

Percuil, the emphasis is, as so often in Cornwall on the second syllable. There are variant spellings of Porthcuel and Portcuil. In Tudor times there were fish cellars. It continued as a port well into this century, having a channel with 6 feet of water at low tide and 24 at high. Guano fertilizer from South America was brought in as well as coal, much of which was taken up to Gerrans. Until 1939 a steam ferry linked with Falmouth. There was once a pub the Passage Inn, passage in this case being a reference to the ferry.

However those proceeding take care here. Just above the top exit of the car park is a house entrance on the right. About 5 yards (4.6 m) past this is a narrow gap in the hedge bank, this is the footpath you require but it is easy to miss it. It goes down through a wood to come out again above the creek. Soon there is a spectacular view point and the path continues, to come out on the beach itself at Pelyn Creek. Here a waymark post indicates the route going inland and uphill. At the top of the field it goes over a stile into a lane but in a very few yards turns right to go up the side of a wood.

At the top it comes into another field and you continue up with the hedge on your right. Go through a big opening, close to Trewince Farm and turn left along the track to the road. Go across opposite to descend the road for about a mile via Froe, shortly after which, look for a footpath turning right signed ‘Footpath to Place by Percuil River’ to reach a wooden footbridge.

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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