Perranporth to Gwithian, Hell's Mouth: August 2013

The Perranporth Sundial

This seventeen mile stretch was covered in one full day walk and two short(ish) half-day linear walks.  Our accommodation for the two nights was at the superb Portreath YHA Bunkhouse, where we treated ourselves to the luxury of a large three-bedded en-suite room.

 

Portreath YHA Bunkhouse

The designation of 'bunkhouse' does not really do justice to the facilities on offer: comfortable rooms (all en-suite), some with double beds, a games-room with television and kitchen. Portreath is nothing like the 'basic' hostel that might be suggested by it's title!

Perranporth to St Agnes
Monday 05 August 2013

The first part of the walk was from Perranporth to St Agnes: about 4 miles of the Coast Path.  We drove from home to St Agnes: some of the way through a horrendous rain storm which caused localised flooding.

From St Agnes we caught the Western Greyhound 547 bus to Perranporth for the start of the next leg of the walk.

The Path climbs up past the Youth Hostel and round Cligga Head, passing a great deal of evidence of mining activity of years gone by, with spoil heaps and capped mine shafts.

Evidence of old mine workings near Cligga Head

The Path drops down to Trevellas Porth, then over Blue Hills before descending to Trevaunance Cove, where there are all facilities.

Trevaunance Cove

Instead of walking up the road to St Agnes, we followed the lane opposite the Driftwood Spars Pub, left around the bend to the footpath where the road takes a right turn (SW720513).  This footpath leads past the ruins of an engine house to the residential Trevaunance Road which leads down to the centre St Agnes, by the church.

Despite the heavy rain earlier in the day, we only had to endure one - rather heavy - shower.  It was one of those occasions when the wet-weather gear was essential!

Flora and fauna noted along the way: ravens and kestrel; heather and gorse.

St Agnes to Portreath
Tuesday 06 August 2013

It had been our intention to walk from the hostel to the bus stop at Bridge, but we left it a bit late, so, instead, we drove the mile or so and parked the car in the layby near to the bus stop and caught the Western Greyhound 547 bus to St Agnes Church.

From there we retraced our steps up Trevaunance Road to the footpath down to Trevaunance Cove.  Before setting out on the Coast Path, though, we decided that a coffee at the Driftwood Spars Pub was in order to set us up for the day.

Trevaunance Cove

The waymarked path follows a metalled lane before taking a footpath forking off to the right.  Shortly there is a steep climb to the cliff top, where the high-level path rounds St Agnes Head with yet more evidence of mining.



Climbing out of Trevaunance Cove: heather beside the path

Within a short distance the path passes by the iconic engine house at Towanroath before descending to Chapel Porth; then up - and down again - to Porthtowan.



Engine House at Towanroath

Chapel Port

Porthtowan

For much of the rest of the way to Portreath the path follows alongside a fence next to Ministry of Defence land, passing yet more mine workings.

Portreath is a former industrial harbour town, with all facilities.  This is not, though, a picturesque Cornish harbour! The harbour-side is an area of modern housing that could be found anywhere in the country.

Portreath

We paused for liquid refreshment at the Portreath Arms while waiting for the bus to Bridge before the short drive back to the bunkhouse.

Flora and fauna noted along the way included razorbills, a juvenile kestrel and a peregrine falcon.  Heather and gorse in abundance on the cliff-tops.

The South West Coast Path distance walked had been just short of nine miles.

Portreath to Hell's Mouth
Wednesday 07 August 2013

 

Portreath

 

Another linear walk.  This time we drove to the layby near the Hell's Mouth Cafe in time for a cup of coffee in the cafe before catching the Western Greyhound 547 bus to Portreath for the walk back to Hell's Mouth and the drive home.

Above Hell's Mouth

Butterflies were in abundance including  red admirals, peacocks and tortoiseshells.  Also spotted a pair of linnets and a seal - but no porpoises!

The day's walk, was approximately 5 miles.  That means that the cumulative distance from Minehead is about 219 miles; if we add the East Devon and Dorset sections already walked, the total becomes 314 miles: just one short of half the total!