Another fantastic coastal path walk today. The weather was perfect, sunny and a bit of a breeze. Yes it was a little hazy but it didn’t detract at all. This walk is a brilliant one, the coastal path is rolling, more gently up and down, than other places. Only once you get past Hemmick Beach is there anything you would call steep on the coastal path, then the route back isn’t too bad either. The roads are fairly gentle in the rise, although the odd descent is quite steep. At this time of year parts of the coastal path, and the return via the woods, are a little slippy and muddy so care is needed. But its such a rewarding walk, coves, cliffs, rocky outcrops and views across bays are all here. Other than Mevagissey that is, this is a place that I just can’t get on with, I don’t know how many times I’ve been here, maybe 50 or more. But its a place I was dragged to when I was a little lad, every evening. We used to stay at Pentewan at least twice a year (down from St Helens at Easter, Whit Bank Holiday and always Summer) so we came to Meva, every night, so probably 15-20 nights every year to walk around the harbour, the only respite was the ice cream!! The good news however is that it is a great base for this walk!!
Start – Mevagissey
Route –South West Coast Path – Portmellon – Chapel Haven – Gorran Haven Dodman Point – Hemmick Beach – Greeb Point – Porthluney Cove – Treveor – Gorran Churchtown – Castle Hill – Penwarne – Mevagissey
Distance – 12 miles Start time – 9.50am Time taken – 6hrs Highest Point – Dodman Point 114metres
Weather – Sunshine, through the cloud, warmer as the day went on
Portmellon, a classic little Cornish hamlet by the sea. I grabbed a coffee from here
£2.50 for a thimble full of coffee, not what I wantedLooking back to Portmellon as I walk towards Chapel PointThat’s Chapel Point over there, famous for the Daphne Du Maurier novel “The House on the Strand”. However more importantly than that there are two black blobs in the water this side of the house, which are surfacing and disappearing from sightHello there. A seal. Now this one had come across from the other side of the bay to have a look at me. Stayed a while then headed off for fish. The smiling sealInto the sun to Gwineas, an island off Gorran HavanChapel Haven and looking across to Gribben Head and the coast towards PolperroI think its a parasol mushroom (correct me if wrong), lots of these around todayGreat Perhaver Beach, a fantastic bay which leads to Gorran Haven at the far endA seat with a viewInto Gorran Haven now and the church of St JustGorran Haven windy lane. there was a Morrisons driver reversing up here, hats off to himLeaving Gorran Haven, the people on the beach had just had a gig boat racing session, all socially distanced otherwise the big brother would have flagged the whole place as Tier 3, unless of course the right amount of money had not been paid. Its all about health, not money don’t you know.The harbour wall of Gorran Haven, safe for another dayStill a fair few of these around at the moment on the tropical Cornish Coast. A Speckled WoodAs you leave Gorran Haven the path gets interesting. A short section to make the heart race as you look across to Gwineas. Just don’t slip left as you will be wetSilhouetted outcrops into the sun at Maenease PointBow beach ahead as I head for Dodman Point which is over there. Above there were two paragliders, effortlessly floating aroundLooking back at Bow Beach, there is plenty of autumnal colour around the coast without the treesBow beach, aptly namedI’m at Dodman Point now and I stop here for a lunch break. The cross is different from the markers at Gribben Head and the Daymarks further east, thus marking this point uniquelyRounding Dodman Point seemed like a milestone, I’d looked at this point probably more than The Lizard, as it was closer. And I’m finally around it. This is Veryan Bay and the terrain changed here a bit, a bit more rock and a bit more up and downAll tranquil out to sea as I eat my lunchVeryan Bay and Gull Rock off to the leftHemmick Beach with lots of rock on it, a fine and underused beachAnd the other side looking back to Dodman PointRounding Greeb Point and looking over to Gull Rock and Nare HeadAfter a walk which to this point had been fairly open, this was a short downhill section, through woodland, to Porthluney CoveHello!! Now that’s a good view. Caerhays Castle, a gorgeous beach on the left and lake to the right. A fine spotPorthluney Cove beach leading out across Veryan Bay. Terrible isn’t it!!Caerhays Castle between the trees. At this point I’m heading inland to pick up the lanes back towards MevagisseyCaerhays Castle back down below and Veryan Bay as I rise inland up the lanesAcross the cricket pitch to Gorran Churchtown towards the church and the village, to the left of the church is parts of Bodmin MoorLooking back along the valley towards Castle Hill, a tiny hamlet of two or three houses in the dip down there. Now I’d walked steeply (very steeply) downhill from the left of this picture into the dip. The path was grassy, and as with parts of this walk, sticky with mud. The path was about 2 metres wide and 200 metres long, and I was sticking to the sides to get purchase, every step you slide a few inches (we know what I mean). The angle of descent was 20% or more. As I walked I heard a noise (more of a thump), past me came a ginger and green blur. For some reason, a man (guessing at 30 or more) ran past me, arms flailing and out of control, he clipped me as he went which caused him to tumble in a heap 20 metres beyond me. I was near the bottom so the path was levelling a bit. I stood there unable to speak as the ginger man stood up, brushed the mud and grass from him and walked past me up the hill. Even now I haven’t a clue what he was doing. Is this a new sport of running out of control down a hill?!! Anyone!As I reach the edges of Meva I get the views across St Austell BayMevagissey in sight with Black Head across the bayMevagissey harbour to finish a fine walk, a lovely mix and some up and down (but not too much), villages and cliffs. Plus a fine seal to make the walk a special one.
Its a good walk, most of the coastal path part is fairly gentle, some ups and downs, but not too bad really, the views were very very good though, especially at Dodman Point
Its a good spot, not the easiest to get to though, in fact that whole Roseland Peninsula part is a bit of a forgotten gen really. People tend to flock to Eden Project, Falmouth or Meva, but the part to the south is quiet really
I think we took a day trip to Mevagissey when I was a kid. We queued for ages to get, couldn’t find a parking spot and queued to get out again! A walk along the coast looks a much better option.
The seal was brilliant, especially as it swam over to have a good look at me!! As for the runner/acrobat, I’ve never seen or heard about anything like it, I was in shock first at how he didn’t do some serious hurt to himself and then that he could have taken me with him
treksandtors 
That looks a good walk. I like Mevagissey and have stayed there a couple of times. Not done this walk though.
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Its a good walk, most of the coastal path part is fairly gentle, some ups and downs, but not too bad really, the views were very very good though, especially at Dodman Point
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Terrific pics as always. Such a long time since I’ve walked that area.
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Its a good spot, not the easiest to get to though, in fact that whole Roseland Peninsula part is a bit of a forgotten gen really. People tend to flock to Eden Project, Falmouth or Meva, but the part to the south is quiet really
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I think we took a day trip to Mevagissey when I was a kid. We queued for ages to get, couldn’t find a parking spot and queued to get out again! A walk along the coast looks a much better option.
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It was a great walk, some great views around Dodman Point. As for Meva, I’ve lost count how many times I will have been, over 50 easily if not 100!!
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Sounds an interesting walk, what with the seal and being crashed into….
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The seal was brilliant, especially as it swam over to have a good look at me!! As for the runner/acrobat, I’ve never seen or heard about anything like it, I was in shock first at how he didn’t do some serious hurt to himself and then that he could have taken me with him
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Hey there great to read about this walk I m planning to do it myself this spring … Thanks !
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