An Easy Walk at Pentewan, Cornwall Taking In Trees, Sea, Sand, Cliffs and a Private Cove For Lunch

Tuesday was such a lovely sunshine day that we didn't want to miss, so we went for an easy walk to the small cove in the photo above. We started at the Pentewan Trail, Cornwall by the bridge. There is a pull-in nearby for a few cars.

The trail, or path is for walkers and cyclists and it winds it's way alongside a small river and then through the trees.

The trail ends at the small village of Pentewan. The harbour is now land locked. A hundred years ago it would have been a hive of activity - see photo from 1900 here.

There is a beach at Pentewan, but it wasn't too busy.

Behind the beach there is the popular Pentewan Sands Holiday Park. This has static caravans, and also lots of room for touring caravans, motor homes and camping. It gets very busy in the main summer season.

We walked through Par Sands to make our way to the coast path. It starts out quite steep as it meanders its way to Mevagissey. Looking back from the path are views of Pentewan and beyond - notice how the road from Pentewan climbs to the top of the hill!

The coastal path goes up and down ...

... as can be seen from the photo below ...

... and also the next photo.

We decided not to walk too far along the coastal path and made our way to a small cove.

The cove was perfect as there was no one else in sight! We sat on the rocks and had our lunch - a Cornish pasty for my wife and a vegetable pasty for me, plus a Danish pastry each - and tea, of course. Could life get any better!

We sat and watched the tide gradually going out.

We decided to walk back via the sand that was now visible. There were a few rocks to scramble over but then the sand was soft to walk.

Cliffs and rocks are always interesting.

We soon reached Pentewan Beach - much quicker than the ups and downs of the coastal path. From here it was retracing our steps until we reached the bridge (as in the 2nd photo) and our car.

It's days like this that make me realise how lucky I am to live in Cornwall.

Cottages, Green Fields, Coastal Views and Farm Animals at Poughill, Cornwall

A short while ago I mentioned that, for a change of scenery, we stayed in a cottage for a week at Poughill (pronounced puffil) on Cornwall's north coast. I've done several posts about the area recently and places we visited such as, Tintagel, Boscastle, Bude and so on. 

Often though, in the evenings, we would wander the lanes around Poughill - so here's a flavour of the area.  The thatched cottages above were in the heart of the village by St.Olaf's church - but the building below wasn't quite as idyllic!

Still in the main village, a row of cottages ...

... a house where jams are made and sold ...

... and then there is the Post Office and St, Olaf's church ...

... and, of course, a pub / inn -the Preston Gate Inn.

Once out of the village, and walking along the nearby lanes, there are distant views of the sea and headland. The photos were taken on different days and at different times.

Green fields in abundance ...

... with a few cottages and houses scattered about.

The hedgerows were full of wild flowers.

Ahhh, and then the farm animals.

More sheep with their markings.

Some of the animals have glorious views.

Most were friendly.

And finally the narrow lane leading to the cottage where we stayed - wild garlic everywhere. Was lovely to spend some time on Cornwall's north coast. We live on Cornwall's south coast.

Boscastle, Cornwall : Walking to the Old 1584 Harbour Wall - 16 Photos

This is Boscastle, Cornwall. The photo above shows the hazardous entrance to the harbour. 100 years ago this was the only place a harbour could be built on this stretch of Cornwall's intimidating north coast. 

It was an active port and harbour, until the railway reached Cornwall in 1893. Today there are just a few fishing boats and pleasure crafts in the harbour.

Boscastle is now very much a tourist destination. There is a large car park and from here it is a walk to the old harbour wall. You can't get lost - you just follow the small river, as shown in the photo below.

Along the valley there are a few cottages and buildings ...

... most constructed from local stone.

You'll also find a Witchcraft Museum! It is said to be the oldest and largest collection of items relating to witchcraft and the occult in England.

The river gradually widens. I snapped the photos when the tide was low.

There's somewhere to get a cuppa or lunch in Boscastle. Several of the old buildings now cater for tourists needs.

At last we get the first glimpse of the old harbour wall, only a couple of small boats to be seen.

A close up of the stonework of the harbour wall, said to have been built way back in 1584.

Another view of the entrance to Boscastle harbour.

The photo below was taken from the harbour wall looking inland.

There's somewhere to tie up your boat.

On our walk we now had to retrace our steps to a small bridge so we could get to the other side of the valley. The photo shows the main harbour wall from a different angle and also the smaller second wall.

There's a footpath on this side of the river so as to get a higher view from the cliff top.

The photo below is looking inland from the footpath.

After the walk we meandered back to the car, passing The Cobweb Inn ... but then we realised it's possible to also walk along the valley inland, which leads to St. Juliot church.

The church has a significance for any Thomas Hardy followers. He was the architect for the church restoration in 1870 - and it was here that he met his first wife. It is believed that their love affair was his inspiration for his novel A Pair of Blue Eyes. 

All very pleasant!

Also see: The Coincidence Meeting at Boscastle

Chapel Rock Watches Over The Unspoiled Bude Coastline The Unspoilt Bude Coastline

This is part of the harbour at Bude, Cornwall. The mound, in the photo above, is known as Chapel Rock. It is said that there was once a hermitage on top of the rock - but this may well be just one of 'those' stories.

The photo below was taken in the 1890s so not much has changed.

Chapel Rock is linked by a breakwater which gives some protection to the shoreline from the strong Atlantic winds.

The winds, though, are ideal for surfers and bodyboarders 

The RNLI lifeguards were on duty as the sea was beginning to get choppy.

The RNLI orange dinghy has a special bit of equipment to get the dinghy back to dry land.

Looking down from the clifftop on Chapel Rock, Bude. It was beginning to rain slightly.

And finally looking across the shoreline and cliffs from Bude.