Walking the South West Coast Path

Liz and I have just finished our first six days of walking the South West Coast Path.  Phew!  We have ended up in Plymouth where we have had a rest day ... and a well deserved rest day, even if I say so myself.  And I've been very pleased with the various bits and pieces of Anthea that don't work quite as well as they used to ... they have held together and held me up and I'm now ready and raring to go on the next section of this amazing walk!

We have been incredibly lucky with the weather - warm, beautiful days with a lovely cool sea breeze - the best possible walking weather!  It is about to change but ... this is England!  I almost expect the rain and wind and cold - anything else is a bonus.  So instead of waffling on and trying to think of ten different ways to describe the Cornish coastline, let's just look at where I have been.

On Day 1, Porthluney to Mevagissey (9 miles), we felt like this was a bit of a warm up.  Some ups and downs but nothing too dramatic ... and the scenery was lovely.  Even better, we were returning to Mevagissey for a second night in a VERY comfortable B&B.  After this, everywhere will be compared to Fran's place and definitely Fran's breakfasts.

Aaahh! How lovely!

We watched a sea rescue practice ... we worked out that they were practising because they kept dropping the poor guy back into the water and then rescuing him again.  So either it was an exercise or they were really bad at it or they didn't like him very much.

Me posing in front of a cross reading "In the firm hope of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the encouragement of those who strive to serve him, this cross is erected AD 1856".

Down, down, down.

The beautiful fishing port of Mevagissey

Day 2 Mevagissey to Charlestown (7.5 miles) - a lovely day's walk ... they said it was one of the hardest days but I think they were fibbing.  Either that or I am fitter than I thought!  So let's talk about something totally different ... dogs.  Dogs are everywhere.  And I mean everywhere ... cafes, pubs, bakeries, butchers, supermarkets, beaches, buses ... in fact dogs are just expected to be wherever a human is.  It's quite bizarre to me.   

We have quickly got into the habit of finishing off a day's walk at the pub ... pretty easy to do in this land of pubs.  I've become quite fond of Proper Job (from the St Austell brewery) but am not to keen on Doom Bar (sorry Strike ... for those who know the books).  Liz and I like to try a taste of any new real ale and have yet to be really disappointed.

Chute for delivering the china clay onto the boats at Charlestown.

Day 3 Charlestown to Fowey (11.5 miles) - pretty much a stroll in the park

Rook with a book, in Fowey - just one of the MANY references to Daphne du Maurier (amazing how many houses she owned, lived in or visited!)

See the little stick on the point ...

... this is the stick!  A tower on Gribbon Point

Every little village had a small harbour, curling around to protect the fishing boats (and smugglers) from the seas

Day 4 Fowey to Polperro (7.5 miles) - Our path was quite good – although not always obvious.  The cliffs were tall and every so often there would be a grey sandy beach tucked amongst the sharp rocks.  We walked down to one of the beaches and watched a brave man swimming in the cold water of the bay.  The walk was very pleasant and I was thinking that it would be ok when the path deteriorated.  Seriously!  Our whipper snipper man had decided to give up for the final 3.5 miles to Polperro.  So instead of a path, we were walking though nettles and gorse and brambles, unable to see our feet …  the last stretch was not much fun at all.  Finally into Polperro which is gorgeous!  There’s a little harbour and the village stretches up the valley, evidently for about a mile.  

Day 5 Polperro to Crafthole (15 miles) - This was our longest day yet with a 22 km track.  But it really wasn’t that bad, with some steep ups and downs but also some very gentle gradients.  We had started with a fabulous breakfast (the smoked haddock with poached egg was lovely but is quite possibly the last cooked breakfast I’m having - breakfast really isn't my thing!).  We walked along beautiful headlands and past private, tiny beaches.  Through Looe, with the rather lovely island, and on to Seaton.  A bit of road walking (also not my most favourite thing) before back on the track next to the Duchy of Cornwall land.  There were farmers baling hay and a few other walkers around, soaking up the glorious sun.  Then down, down, down to Portwrinkle and then up, up, up to Crafthole.  I said “pub” so we went for a pint at the Finnygook Inn before taking our lives in our hands and walking along the road to the Liscawn Hotel.  This was possibly the creepiest, strangest and worst place I've stayed ... it made Fawlty Towers look like a 5 star hotel.  

Nelson, the one-eyed seal in Looe

More crosses.

Day 6 Crafthole to Plymouth (13 miles) - There was quite a bit of road walking today and we started off walking along quite a busy road that had no verges.  However, the drivers seemed to be unphased by two walkers on the road and they usually slow down and swerve around you.  Usually.  We had to walk along the road because the red flags were up on the firing range … the military were going to be shooting guns and so we couldn’t walk on the path.  Road.  More road.  Through little holiday villages with cabins cascading down the cliffs.  We wondered how they were built since there were only walking tracks down to each dwelling.  Where were the roads?  How did you transport all the materials?  On and on to Rame Head and then out to the tip where there was an old chapel.  And a howling wind.  We sat out of the wind for a break and then onward to Cawsand and then Plymouth.

The chapel on Rame Head