It is early September, the tide is out, and Trevone Beach is a bare expanse of sand. On my previous visit in August the incoming tide had forced the crowds to huddle at the apex of the beach. But today I can only see a handful of people strung out along the water’s edge.
I look westwards, across to the Merope Rocks and the lifeboat station. It is always satisfying to scan the route of my last walk and so I spend a few minutes tracing my path across those distant cliffs. Continue reading
The bus from Newquay takes an hour and the route is tortuous with constant stops along the narrow lanes to negotiate rights-of-way with oncoming traffic. We pass by the tiny Newquay Airport. You might be lulled to sleep by the endless journey, and if you nod off you could easily miss the stop at Porthcothan.
I am hungry and looking forward to lunch as I walk down into Mawgan Porth.
Despite the bad start to the morning, it has turned into a beautiful day. Perhaps it’s the weather, or perhaps it’s because it is a Sunday, but I have met an unusual number of walkers along this section of the South West Coast Path.
I find a pub and sit outside, overlooking the beach. Unfortunately the fish cakes are ‘off’, but the cook kindly makes me a children’s size portion of fish and chips. Plenty big enough for me! Continue reading
I wake up to grey skies and drizzle. Having asked for an early breakfast (earning a disapproving grunt from the B&B landlord), I feel I must get up. My heart sinks. Another day of walking in the rain. I can barely face it.
But, by the time I’ve set off along the streets of Newquay, the sun is shining and my spirits lift. The weather forecast was right after all. It is going to be a glorious day.
One of the disadvantages of long distance walking is that you have to keep moving base. The BBC weather forecast warns me it will rain all day and so I have chosen today to move to a new B&B in Newquay.
As soon as I leave the Portreath Arms, pulling my suitcase behind me, it starts to rain. Luckily the bus stop is very close by and it has a canopy. In the shelter I set about texting every member of my family, telling them I am moving and it is raining. (What did we do before the days of smart phones?)
For the rest of the day it pours with rain. The downpour is relentless Continue reading
I catch the bus from Portreath, arriving in Perranporth at 11:00 am. A late start which gives me 5 hours of walking time to cover the 10 miles to Newquay, and a spare 20 minutes in which to find the bus station.
Perranporth Beach looks lovely. The sands have been manicured, flattened and swept clean by some sort of machine. There are chairs, windbreaks, beach volley ball, sandcastles.
The walk from St Agnes’ Head to Perranporth is spectacularly beautiful. As I set off along the cliffs, I could see the rocks below were pockmarked with caves. This is a wonderland for divers.
It is difficult to describe the drama of St Agnes. Continue reading
I set off early from Portreath. The beach is deserted and I can look back at the headland I walked over yesterday. It doesn’t seem as steep as I remembered.
I follow a road that winds as it climbs up the hill, losing the sea view. I am looking forward to branching off on the coast path, but I soon come across a common problem. Continue reading
The bus from Portreath to Hayle Towans is a double-decker today and I want to sit in the front seat at the top, to enjoy the views. Frustratingly a man and his child are in one seat and a couple are in the other. Damn. But then I recognise the woman in the couple: an old work colleague from Lincolnshire! Coincidence. We chat all the way to Hayle Towans and neither of us gets to see much of the view.
It has rained overnight and the morning is dull. Hayle Towans beach (3 miles of sand) stretches out in front of me, curving around to Godrevy Point and Godrevy Island with its lighthouse.
I am staying in Portreath and catch the Greyhound Express to St Ives. The ride is wonderful with extensive sea views most of the way. There are only three of us on the bus until we hit the holiday camp at Hayle Towans. After that, it is standing room only.
The tiny bus station at St Ives is perched on a hill and the bus requires careful manoeuvring to get in and out. There is a grand view of St Ives harbour.
I head down and eastwards, away from the harbour and towards the railway station. From Continue reading
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Report: 1243 Date: 14/5/26 Location: The incident happened on the Dales Way. In the field between the railway line on Lambrook Beck and the Beck houses. This field is in the Dales Way between Sedbergh and Burneside. Rajiv’s post: We were walking on a public footpath on the Dales Way when our path was blocked […]
We published a post recently about being careful while planning new walking routes for fear of meeting cattle Ensuring Safety on a Walking Holiday: Cattle Management – Cattle Safety . This fear is not unusual, and is well founded, we have hundreds of reports where walkers have been frightened or hurt. Below are three recent […]
Report number: 1244 Date: 15/5/26Location: Greywell Hill Estate. Nr Odiham Hampshire. ///reverses.motel.ambitions 1 person no dog Graham’s report: “I was following the bridleway on a bicycle. The cows were 50 yards away from me, I was moving away from them when they came running towards me. Aggressively charging me, pawing the ground with their hooves. […]
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 