Day 27 - Porthleven to Mullion Cove – 7 miles

I left the campsite at about 9am this morning. I'd planned a shorter walk today because a) I was getting tired and b) Rory was coming down to walk with me tomorrow and I thought I'd get back for when he arrived at the campsite. I'd decided to walk down from Porthleven to Mullion Cove, then if the forecast horrendous weather had passed by or didn't materialise the walk with Rory would be pretty and cliffy down from Mullion Cove around the Lizard Peninsula.

I drove to Helston as usual and then took a new road out onto the Lizard Peninsula for the first time to drop the bike off at Mullion Cove. It seemed a long drive but eventually I made it down to the tiny harbour. I pulled the handbrake on and the cable snapped – Great!! Sigh! I chained the bike to a fence on the harbour and set off back up into the village. I pulled into the post office in the village to buy some stamps and post the cards I'd written. I asked in there about a garage in Helston where I could get the handbrake fixed. The cashier said there was an ATS. I had half remembered seeing one near the Tesco so, as I had to drive up through Helston to get back to Porthleven, I went to investigate. It was indeed where I'd thought, so I pulled in. The bloke said they couldn't repair it while I waited as they were busy and kept no spare parts in. He'd order me a cable for tomorrow and let me know if there were problems. He didn't look at the car so I hope it IS the cable that it needs when I do take it in tomorrow morning!

I continued to Porthleven and parked the car up in the carpark where I'd left the bike the previous morning. It was about 10.30pm when I set off with all the faffing so far this morning!

I bought a pasty from a shop for lunch and also bought a tuna pizza for breakfast, which I ate overlooking the harbour. I set off out along the far side of the harbour and around the clock tower building at the end. The path followed a lane between houses above the beach. It was quite cloudy and gloomy this morning, but began to clear as I walked along. I eventually made it to Loe Bar with its dammed up lake behind a shingle ridge. Rather than walk over the headland beyond the ridge, I decided to carry on walking along the beach, all the way down to Gunwalloe, though it was quite tough walking in the tiny pebbles. The skies decided to clear pretty well as I walked along here and so I decided to have a sunbathe for an hour or so about two thirds of the way along the beach.

Tide out in Porthleven Harbour this morning.

The beach at Porthleven with overcast skies from near the clocktower.

Looking back as I leave the last houses of Porthleven behind.

The ramp down to Loe Bar.

The dammed up lake behind Loe Bar.

Seagulls as I walk along the tiny pebble beach all the way to Gunwalloe.

Rocks just before my camera batteries run out and I have a sunbathe for an hour or so.

At the end of the beach I climbed up off the pebbles. It had been nice to be on the beach for a change but a bit hard work! I was really annoyed because the batteries in my camera had run out along the beach and the spares I had with me had discharged themselves too!!!

It was a gentle climb up from Gunwalloe up Baulk Head and then around the back of Halzephron Cove. The scenery was pretty of course, now that I couldn't take any photos of it!!

I met a lane briefly, one I would make use of on the cycle home, but after walking alongside it for a few yards I turned seawards out onto Halzephron Cliff, stopping briefly to talk to a couple that were out walking their 12 year old dog from Poldhu Cove.

I rounded the headland overlooking a predominantly rocky bay with sand between (Jange Ryn) and then descended to Church Cove with its church tucked in right behind a small headland. There was a shop on the lane running behind the bay, but alas they didn't sell batteries, so still no photos! I sat and had a white Magnum type Ice cream and then continued along the lane until it petered out and I cut across the back of the beach by the lifeguard hut. It was a short climb up by a golf course and around a headland to join a lane leading down into Poldhu Cove. There was another shop here, which sold very expensive batteries, but I bought two packets, being far too honest as usual about being given far too much change and then set off up a lane towards a hotel out on the far headland. I cut off the lane right before reaching the hotel and headed around the headland past the Marconi monument and then down for the last valley crossing at Polurrian Cove. As I climbed out it began to spit with rain, though the clouds didn't really look heavy enough. It was a short walk along the cliffs to emerge at a road above Mullion Cove by a hotel. I walked down the cliff path from there, which zig zagged down over the pretty and tiny harbour with Mullion Island out to sea in the harbour entrance.

My climb up out of Poldhu Cove resumes after buying batteries at the beach hut shop here.

Looking back at Poldhu Cove from Poldhu Point.

Looking back across to Halzephron Cliff from Poldhu Point.

Marconi Monument just around Men y Grib Point.

The cliffs ahead from the Marconi Monument with Mullion Island visible.

A long way down:)

Pollurian Cove.

Looking across Pollurian Cove and beyond as I walk along the cliffs towards Mullion Cove.

Almost at Mullion Cove with Mullion Island out to sea.

The climb down to the harbour at Mullion Cove.

The bike was still chained to the fence and I set off uphill all the way to Mullion village a little inland from the Cove. The inland roads would have meant a huge detour via Helston to get back to the car in Porthleven. From the drive earlier that route looked fairly hilly too, so I didn't fancy that. The problem with the coastal lanes was that they didn't all quite join up, so I would have to walk certain stretches over the coastal path that I'd taken earlier. It was preferable to do this though, so I took the Lane from Mullion village to Poldhu Cove and up around the lane to the headland there. From there I took to the coast path, which was rideable apart from the last bit back down into Church Cove. I could then take to the lane again, uphill from the Cove all the way to Gunwalloe. Here I took a smaller lane which became a track just about rideable with care all the way down to Loe Bar, which I had to walk across pushing the bike. I climbed off the bar up the steep ramp to the National Trust House on the headland there. From there I could cycle all the way to the lane heading out from Porthleven. It was then all down hill to the harbour and back to the car park.

I was actually quite late considering this was supposed to be a short day! I got back to the campsite at about 6pm and Rory was just finishing putting up his tent next to mine. I had a shower and by that time Rory had finished. The plan was to drive into the village to eat at the pub, but on arrival it wasn't open on Mondays – D'oh! We decided to drive to Porthleven, so Rory could see the sea at least this evening, if the forecast horrendous weather was so bad that we couldn't walk on the following day. We went for a drink in the Ship Inn, which was nice, but the food was a bit expensive so we walked around the harbour to the other pub for food which was less than exciting, but cheaper, though my scampi and chips was burnt! Boo!! We drove back to the campsite. It was raining heavily and had been ever since we'd driven to Porthleven. The wind was quite strong by now too!!

We went to sit in the barn for a short while to be 'sociable' though no one really seemed that up for it. There were more blokes in at the mo at least!

We went to bed and slept on and off all night with the wind buffeting and the heavy rain drumming on the tent!

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