Great South West Walk

Thursday August 31

Section 51. PORTWRINKLE TO PLYMOUTH. Miles: 13.3. Grading: Moderate

Start time and location
Could you please report for registration at the Whitsand Bay Hotel in Portwrinkle at 8am.
The walk will commence at 8.30am.

Parking
Plenty of parking avaialble at start points.

Bus Services
First Western National runs an all year service, the 81a, which links Crafthole and Portwrinkle (not all services stop in Portwrinkle) to Plymouth. The 81b links Whitsand Bay Holiday Camp (near Freathy) to Cawsand and Cremyll. We recommend that you always confirm that a service is running—contact Traveline for details on 0870 608 2608 or www.traveline.org.uk.

Trains
Plymouth is a main line station; for information on train services, contact 08457 484950.

Maps
Ordnance Survey Landranger Series (scale 1:50 000) - Number 201, Plymouth & Launceston area.
Ordnance Survey Explorer Series (scale 1:25 000) - Number 108, Lower Tamar Valley & Plymouth.

General Information
Crafthole (0.5 mile/800 m inland): pub, post office/general shop and public telephone.
Portwrinkle: some accommodation, seasonal café, parking, public telephone and toilets.
Cawsand: some accommodation, pub, cafés, general shop (seasonal), parking, public telephone and toilets.
Kingsand: some accommodation, pubs, cafés, a few shops, post office, parking, public telephone and toilets.
Cremyll: pub, parking, public telephone and toilets.

TAXIS
A reliable firm covering the area is Cremyll Cars on 01752 822196. Otherwise you can ring the National Taxi Hotline on 0800 654321, and you will be put through to the nearest participating cab firm.

FERRY
The Cremyll Ferry runs all year between Cremyll and Stonehouse, Plymouth. For details of their timetable, contact 01752 822105, or check the details in the Association’s current Annual Guide.

The Route
The path starts from the road through Portwrinkle, and the path begins to climb. On the right you pass Seaview Cottage after which you turn right at the signpost for Tregantle Fort.

Go over a stile, then take a long slog uphill. As you level out by a bench, you'll notice that you are on the Whitsand Bay Hotel golf course, so do keep a look out. Head straight on, watching for signposts. At the second signpost, follow the acorn sign straight on. Although it is never ideal walking through a golf course, this stretch is not unpleasant, and better than walking on a road any day of the week! You walk behind a little outcrop, then bear right to walk landward of an earth bank, then aim for a gate up ahead, and go through it onto the National Trust Trethill property.

The large beach on your right is part of Whitsand Bay. This area was in the news in 1996 because four unexploded World War II mines were discovered here.

Ignore a faint path which bears right and continue straight on. Ahead is Tregantle Fort, and, if visibility is reasonable, you'll see the settlement of Freathy on the right, and Rame Head on the far right.

Approach a gate and go straight on (a notice on the gate advises that this is a conservation walk provided by MAFF (now DEFRA). Do not be concerned about access ending in 2007 - the coast path will not be affected). After the gate, head for the second of two navigation poles.

Permissive Path through the Tregantle Ranges— We are delighted to be able to advise you that you can now take a fascinating coastal walk through the Tregantle Ranges, thanks to the work of the MOD. The views of Whitsand Bay are breathtaking.

Having passed the second navigational beacon, you will see a new gate on your right, which you take if the gate is unlocked. The path is well marked and omits 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of dangerous road walking. When you leave the Range path through a high gate, turn right to walk along the road to rejoin the official coast path; take care of traffic.

Official Coast Path—keep to the field edge. Go through the gate and follow the field edge to end up at the gate diagonally opposite. Go through this gate, and over a stone stile on your right. You are now on the path which runs between the road and the firing range.

Continue until you reach a sign for Torpoint (left) and Millbrook (straight on); the path comes to an end opposite the turning for Torpoint. The path drops to the road, then you turn left to go down some steps. The sign here points you immediate right, but the grass verge on this side of the road does end suddenly, so you will probably find it easier to cross over the road here as you'll have a lot more grass to walk on. Care is required here as it is a very busy road. On your left is a lay-by, which gives excellent views of the city of Plymouth (look inland to the north east and you'll be able to see the Tamar and Albert Bridges), and there is an ice cream van here at many unusual times of the year!

Continue on a faint path on the verge, past the entrance of Tregantle Fort on your right. Pass another lay-by, then cross the road and take the right turn to follow the sign for Whitsand Bay, Freathy Cliff and Tregonhawke Cliff – this is the Military Road.

Coast Path Continues
To continue on the Official path, you are now on a fast road, so extreme care is needed, especially at the very sharp bend. A right hand turn brings you out onto the National Trust’s Tregantle path, a great improvement to walking on the road.

When you come to a large car park on your left, you may like to consider a visit to the National Trust Sharrow property. If the weather is good and it is not too windy, it is definitely worth a stop here, either on Sharrow Point or the lovely beach (lifeguard service in summer), which is a wonderful place to stop if you are carrying your lunch. The Point and beach are reached by turning right after the car park, but you should only go down to the beach if you are fairly sure-footed, as the steps are steep in places, and there is a rocky slope at the end; it is very much worth it though.

SHARROW GROTTO

This cave was excavated in 1784 by an ex-Naval purser called James Lugger, believe it or not, as a cure for gout! He inscribed lines of verse on the ceiling, some of which are still visible, and the cure was successful. You can no longer get inside the grotto as it is sealed off by railings, but you can still get the general idea, and it is a fabulous place to sit and take in the scenery. On summer Sundays in August 2003, the National Trust has been reliving Lugger’s tales in the Grotto itself. If you wish to visit this lovely place, the best way to reach it is not from the beach, but to take the rocky path out to Sharrow Point. As rocky steps lead you downwards, the arch, in which the grotto is to be found, will be seen in the wall adjoining the steps.

Having passed the car park, don't be tempted to take a right turn over a rocky area, but continue along the road for some distance, again with caution, as this is quite a fast road. You come to Freathy, which marks the start of chalet-land.

The chalet area continues, and you keep on the road until you come to signs for Whitsand Bay Holiday Park on your left and a post box by
a bus stop on your right. In season, you may wish to visit the Cliff Top Café on your right, or follow the sign ‘Rame View Café 400 yards’ (although you can stay on the coast path and visit it later on). Here, you turn right to follow the signpost to Rame Head.

The path is generally well signposted here, leaving you to concentrate on those gradients: the path goes steeply down then back up.

Turn right by a bench to go through another chalet settlement, unless you wish to visit the seasonal Rame View Café; this area is well signposted. Ignore all subsidiary paths, simply keeping to the main one. As the chalets end, the path widens to a track used for access by cars. Turn right at the sign for Rame Head, and, as you walk down some steps, you'll get a lovely retrospect of what you've just covered.

You come to a sign warning of dangerous cliffs and paths. This sign actually refers to the path leading to the beach which you ignore, but it is a reminder that you should always take care on the coast path. On the left, you pass a white stone building, which is the delightfully named Wiggle Hut, used by the Plymouth YMCA, then go through a gate. This is the first of four gates donated by the South East Cornwall Tourism Association to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the coast path in 2003. The path is now wide and grassy, and you need to aim for the white coastguard cottages just to your right. The building on the right of these cottages is Polhawn Fort, which is now used for functions – it is possible to hire the fort for a weekend and actually get married there!

Turn right at the gate, which takes you onto a track, then you follow the marker slightly to your left to go behind the cottages. Go up some steps, then cross a single track road to go straight across and up more steps. Turn right as the path joins another path, then go through another gate.

After about 170 yards (155 m) go through the fourth SECTA gate. After a further 400 yards (365 m) you climb up onto a rocky area, and Rame Head rises majestically before you. Climb a stile then go across a few stones over a boggy area, and if you're there in the spring, look to your left, as there are often multitudes of toads in the water here. Follow the marker in front of you, then look straight ahead for the next one, passing the Coastwatch building on your right.

RAME HEAD

The Official path does not go out onto Rame Head, but it really is worth a visit. The climb up to the chapel is nowhere near as bad as it looks, and it will only take you 5 minutes to get up there if time is of the essence. The views are fantastic, from Bolt Tail in Devon to Lizard Point in Cornwall. Go on, you've come all this way, so what difference will a few extra minutes make!! To visit the chapel, which has been restored in recent years, go straight on at the marker. You may be able to see the Eddystone Lighthouse, and it is interesting to note that, from up here, it is not now on the horizon! Also of note is the fact that Rame Head is the closest piece of land to the Lighthouse, although it is surprisingly not considered to be a Cornish lighthouse. If you are continuing to Plymouth, you will see the former Eddystone Lighthouse designed and built by John Smeaton, which is now situated on Plymouth Hoe.

To continue, turn left to a well established, level path. As you turn the corner, you'll see the last few miles of Cornwall, and the start of the west Devon coast. Go over a stile. (There is a path off left to Rame Church, where services are still held by candlelight.) After about 0.5 mile (800 m) you climb another stile, and you come to a U-shaped rough road, where you veer to the right to continue straight on.

Ignore a track off right and keep straight ahead as signposted. On the right, as the path bears left, there are some steps down to a grotto, Queen Adelaide’s Chapel. Do make the most of the cliff path here, as you won't encounter any more cliff tops until you are the other side of Plymouth. Turn the corner and you will see Plymouth Sound and the City, with the tors of Dartmoor behind. Keep on a tarmac road until you come to a marker to take a right hand fork to descend. Having passed some lock-up garages on the left, join a tarmac path by a house with leaded windows on your left. After about 100 yards (91 m) take the right hand fork to continue on a small level path. The path forks again by a terrace of white houses, and you go straight on as indicated, ignoring the left and right paths. As you start to descend into the village, you come to a road, where you turn right to bring you out into Cawsand Square.

CAWSAND/KINGSAND

These two villages offer terrific hospitality, and are always a great pleasure to visit. Kingsand was actually part of Devon until 1844, and you will soon pass the old boundary sign on the wall on the right. Both villages have a history of smuggling, and, at the end of the 18th century, 52 boats were operating to Roscoff from tiny Cawsand!

Pass the (seasonal) village shop on your left, and continue straight on into Garrett Street, passing the Cross Keys Inn on your left. (The beach is on your right just before this, and there are toilets, a café and a hotel and restaurant.) You can now see Plymouth Sound and the breakwater. Continue along this narrow street, past a couple of bed and breakfast establishments. As you come to a castellated building, you pass, on your right, what must be one of the best public
telephones on the entire path! You can now see Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, and Picklecombe Fort ahead. As you descend, you will see a Post Office in front of you: Cornwall is enigmatic to the last, as this shop is actually in the village of Kingsand!

Having passed Boundary House on your right, you will see the mark of the old Devon and Cornwall border on the wall of the house next door. Pass the Halfway House Inn, then bear right by the post office. Kingsand beach is on your right, and the path also takes you past the Maker with Rame Institute, a lovely building, which may strike a chord if you have walked the start of the Lizard section, as it is not unlike the Institute at Porthleven. Pass the men's toilets, and bear left at Westcroft B & B, unless you wish to visit the sea front, where there is a pub, restaurant, bar and a café. Having passed the Market House on your left, turn immediate right into Heavitree Road, although you won't actually see the appropriate road sign until you walk past Annie Dawe's cottage! As you climb, you'll see a sign for Lower Row. When you reach this sign, turn first right by a house called Minnadhu. (If you wish to visit the justly popular Rising Sun pub, from this point turn left then left again, and the pub is to be found on the green.)

The entrance to the Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is now in front of you. Go through the gate, and enjoy your last stretch of Cornwall.

There are superb views across Plymouth Sound, where there is always something of interest going on, whether it is the immense ferries travelling to and from Roscoff in France or Santander in Spain, warships, yachts or other marine craft. This particular stretch is very popular with people of all ages as it is flat and easily accessible to parking areas.

Simply keep to the main path on this section of red earth, reminding you that the Devon boundary is not far away. The path goes through attractive woods until you come to a gate opposite a very large house, after which you turn right onto a road. Having passed the Mount Edgcumbe Scouts' camping site on your right (noting the obelisk in the field; this is a navigational beacon), follow the post left to go up a couple of steps and through a gate to return to the Country Park. Ignore the path down some steps to your right, but follow the yellow marker post straight on. Go through a wire-fortified wooden gate, then a rusty metal gate. At the fork, go straight on as signposted. There are lots of chestnut trees here, and many locals come out to collect chestnuts in the Autumn. The path now winds, and rhododendron bushes are in abundance. On your left you pass an old stone grotto. Through the trees on your right is Picklecombe Fort and, shortly after, an old breakwater.

Due to a serious landslip, there is now a major diversion in place, which is permanent. This new path has been very well constructed, although it will surprise you by the effort you’ll need, having got used to a relatively gentle walk through the Park. Simply follow the waymarks until the path goes through a gate and goes down, where you turn right to take a switchback and rejoin the original path.

Follow the marker to go down to the left, and this part is better signposted as the path twists and turns. Follow the markers and keep to the left of the landslip. Where the path forks to the left, keep to the right on a well established path, which leads you down to the foreshore, and Plymouth is suddenly much closer. This part of the path used to be awful, but, thanks to the excellent work of the Country Park, you now go over a wooden walkway instead of walking over boggy and litter-strewn ground. Follow the foreshore round to an uphill path. Keep to this wide path, and, when you are in line with the wonderful stone folly on your left, follow the path down to your right, as directed by the marker, to go through the deer gate. (If you are travelling in the opposite direction, after the gate, take the second left turn to follow the marker.) Keep to the main path to descend to the shore. You are now by a lovely ornamental lake and a summerhouse, known as Milton's Temple (if you are travelling in the opposite direction, ignore the right hand turn marked by a green arrow). Take the walkway at the back of the beach, then join a concrete drive.

Go up the tree-lined path, which opens out to various grassy areas. Keep straight on and follow signs for Formal Gardens and the Orangery Restaurant. Go through a gate to the Historic Gardens. Opposite a castellated building, on the right is a viewing platform. This has three cannons, and gives views to the City of Plymouth, Mountbatten Island and, to your right, the continuation of the path in Devon. Keep seaward, and soon the buildings of Cremyll come into view. Keep to the wall and when it ends, keep the hedge on your right and you come to the Orangery Restaurant set in beautiful gardens. There are toilets on your right as you pass the Orangery.

Go through the arch then turn right. If you are not going to visit the house which can now be seen on your left, turn right at the gatehouse to join a road. If you are that way inclined you have a chance to take a photograph of the county sign for Cornwall / Kernow, and this sign is to be found by going through the blue gates to the ferry, and it is on your left after the gate. The ferry leaves from here to Stonehouse, to take you into Devon.

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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