Day 36 - Pentewan to Polkerris - 11 Miles

I was up early on the campsite after getting an early night, though I'd not had a great sleep as I was a bit chilly. At least the gale force winds had dropped to a strong gusty breeze as the weather had forecast.

I was up and showered and had eaten a bowl of cereals and made some sarnies for lunch by 8am and so set off straight away, as the forecast had promised a band of rain passing through today. So the earlier I got started the more likely I'd have at least some of the walk being dry.

I dropped off the bike at Polkerris down by the harbour. The hill down was huge, so I wasn't looking forward to the ride out already even before having walked anywhere!

I was back at Pentewan village at about 9am so not too bad travel wise. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the car park was free. Yay! It was a steep climb up out of the village and in fact the walk all the way to Black Head turned out to be much more upsy downsy than I'd imagined. Maybe I should check the map in more detail before planning longish first days in future! For all its up and down it was also more beautiful than I'd expected too.

The Ship Inn in Pentewan, by the car park. I'd had a weary drink in here at the end of the last section

A very narrow property sandwiched between two lanes as I begin the climb up out of Pentewan village itself

Pentewan village main square before I start the climb up the lane to join the coast path.

Terrace of interesting cottages and church, built in 1821, as I walk from the lane out of Pentewan out towards Gamas Point.

Looking out over Pentewan Sands from the cliff path proper. Penare Point is the far side of Pentewan Sands and behind is Chapel Point, beyond Mevagissey.

The way ahead from Gamas Point. Black Head close at hand, with Gribbin Head behind, right across St Austell Bay.

The steep ups and downs of the path to Black Head, taken from above Polrudden Cove

Looking back along the coast to Point of Well, Pentewan now hidden in its inlet, but Mevagissey becoming visible beyond Penare Point now.

Small beach before yet another climb over a headland to reach Hallane.

Drennick and, peeping out beyond, Black Head taken from above the small beach before Hallane.

There was a lovely little walk down through woodlands with the sound of a rushing stream at the bottom of the valley as I approached Hallane. There was a house set on its own at the bottom of the valley above the beach. There were some sculptures carved from fallen tree trunks in its upper garden before I got to the house itself. Looking back as I climbed up out of the valley towards Black Head you could see there were other houses dotted about the valley in the trees higher up the valley.

The clouds got progressively thicker as I walked along and I got the first spits and spots as I got to Black Head. I didn't walk out to the head itself and cut across the neck of the headland at a large memorial stone to a Cornish poet.

The woodland on the descent down to the valley bottom at Hallane.

One of the carvings out of a dead tree trunk in the gardens of the house by the beach in Hallane.

And...the other one.

Footpath down to beach cottage at Hallane

Looking back towards Pentewan from the climb up over Drennick after Hallane.

Memorial stone to Cornish poet on the 'neck' of Black Head

Looking back at Black head as I walk along above The Bite towards Gerrans Point

The way ahead after Gerrans Point and beyond, St Austell.

At Ropehaven cliffs the path entered more woodland, which was actually quite pleasant for a change even though it hid the views of the sea. I figure there are enough views of the sea on this path and not much woodland.. certainly not in Cornwall stretches anyway! The rain by this point was more persistent... light drizzle or heavy sea mist.. not sure which. Whichever it was quite annoying as I'd decided to bring along an umbrella.. an inspired idea... but it was so light and fine that it seemed to blow under the umbrella and wet me anyway.

I descended to Porthpean beach which was quite pleasant, and not very busy with the drizzle. I bought a packet of cheese and onion Hula Hoops and a can of Diet Coke at the cafe down there and sat under my umbrella to eat them and one of the sandwiches I'd made along with a nectarine. I was finding the ups quite tough.... I'd not been expecting any so big and certainly not as many of them, though in reality apart from one very big one they'd diminished since Black Head.

Porthpean beach closer at hand after emerging from the wooded section of Ropehaven Cliffs.

Phoebe's Point

Fishing boat out in the rain near Porthpean

Having stocked up on a bit of energy I set off up steps at the end of the concrete prom/sea defenses. At the top I found the path was diverted because of cliff erosion, as I'd been told by the cafe owner down on the beach. It was rather annoying as I had to take to the roads to get around to Charlestown. It was also a longer route than the cliffs would have been. Oh well! I arrived at the harbour in Charlestown, which was quite interesting and there was a nice masted ship docked and lots of old workings from when the harbour was in use. I decided to walk down to one of the pubs near the end and had a pint of Carling.. extra energy of course... not for alcoholic reasons!

While I was in there it rained quite heavily again and it was still drizzling, but less so, when I set off again, around the far side of the harbour. It was fairly easy going for the next stretch. The views back the way I'd come to Black Head and ahead to tomorrow's walk were nicely softened and greyed by the drizzle and I wasn't getting too wet undercover of my trusty umbrella.

Porthpean beach as I climb up the steps before the diversion around roads to get to Charlestown.

The harbour in Charlestown

Ship in Charlestown Harbour and the pub I had a drink in behind it

Looking back over Charlestown harbour as I climb my way up above Appletree Point.

Pretty flower beds opposite a hotel near Landrion Point before turning back onto the cliff path and passing an open to the public coastguard lookout station

I got to the eyesore of Carlyon Bay with its old factory workings. The bay has supposedly been up for redevelopment for years, but it doesn't seem to have got far. They have seemingly put in the beginnings of sea defenses, but not got any further and I think I read somewhere that they had been turned down permission? Who knows?

I walked along the cliffs at the back of the beach below and then emerged on a golf course which I followed the edge of for quite a way, gradually descending all the way. The greens were steaming as the drizzle subsided and a very weak sun, which you could feel the heat of, shone through the low clouds. At the far side of the golf course was the railway line and an express went by as I neared the end of the course.

The more beautiful unspoilt end of Carlyon Bay with Gribbin Head across St Austell Bay.

Looking back from the edge of the golf course at a drizzly Black Head

I descend gradually walking alongside the golf course.Spit Head and, across the bay, my day's goal of Polkerris, now closer at hand.

I had a sit on a sea defense at Spit Point as it was by this point finally dry and I had a nice view out across the Bay at Polkerris, which now seemed quite close at hand. Since the big ups and downs had dwindled I'd been less tired and feeling more capable of getting there in fairly good time. I had my other sandwich and a kiwi fruit before setting off on the next stretch which I knew wasn't going to be the most pleasant section as I weaved my way through factory workings to then join the road to Par. Half way along the main road I turned right following a coast path waymarker, but then lost the route and emerged in a static home site behind Par Sands. I asked a lady there and made my way to the back of the beach under her direction. I walked along the back of the beach to the far end before having to head inland to cross a small stream at the far end of the bay.

Looking back along towards Fishing Point from the beach at Spit Point, near Par Sands.

Looking across to Polkerris from Spit Point

The eyesore of industry on the walk to Par from Spit Point

I walked out along low cliffs all the way to Polkerris, which I'd been to as well as Par Sands with Rob many years before. Polkerris is a Cornish gem of a little harbour and village, but pretty much ruined by all the factory workings across the bay from it. Oh well. As I descended the cliffs and looked down at the village it seemed pretty enough if you did't look across the bay.

Looking back out across Par Sands and the factories behind as I rejoin the cliff path out to Polkerris.

Little Hell, a small inlet out from Par Sands on the walk out to Polkerris.

Looking back across the bay to Spit Point as I near Polkerris.

The way ahead, out to Gribbin Head beyond Polkerris.

Above the tiny harbour of Polkerris at last

I got to Polkerris at about 3.30pm, so had made good time on the whole considering the hilly nature of the beginning of the day. I sat outside the Polkadot Cafe with a well earned bottle of Diet Coke and really just putting off the cycle ride back to Pentewan, especially the first huge climb out of Polkerris itself! I'd decided on the walk around that I wouldn't even attempt to cycle it, but actually as I'd got the beginnings of sore feet the cycle would just wear out different bits of me, so I set off up the hill on the bike. I probably would have forced my way up the whole way, but there was a bit of a car jam towards the top and so I got off and walked up the rest of the way.

I sheltered under trees at the top as another heavyish drizzle shower blew across. I thought it had eased off but as I joined the A3082 and started going down hill to Polmear it started in earnest again, so I got pretty drenched. I decided to shelter as the worst went by again at the bottom under a railway bridge.

The cycle all the way back was pretty grotty... busy traffic all the way and fumes, but it was the lesser of two evils as the lanes that I could have taken were much hillier and less direct. I really should have gone along The Pentewan Valley cycle path after St Austell though, but I'd not checked the map to see where it went and didn't want to get lost, so I stayed on the road. At least this section hadn't been as busy with traffic as the Par to St Austell stretch had been anyway.

I got back to the car in Pentewan at about 5pm and put the bike on the rack and set off back to the campsite. I had a shower and had some ratatouille that I'd bought for tea and then typed up the diary and had an early night again!

Map of the day's walk:(click to enlarge)