Tuesday 2 June 2026

Day 38 of walking
Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe
Distance: 20.46km
Total distance: 757.50km
Climbing: 726m
Total climb: 25,300m

Today was another taxi transfer day. The same guy who picked us up yesterday in Bigbury-on-Sea and brought us to Salcombe did the reverse trip this morning. He didn’t quite take us to Bigbury, he took us to Bantham. About a kilometre out of Bigbury we were to take a ferry across the River Avon. Not that River Avon, there are about 4 in England. This is a seasonal ferry that runs from Cockleridge Ham about 200 metres across to Bantham. It only operates between 10 and 11am, and 3 and 4 pm. The guy lives on the Bantham side and when you turn up at Cockleridge Ham you just shout and wave until you attract his attention. It was a windy morning and rain was forecast so we thought the ferry might not even run today. We would have been at the ferry by 9.20 and didn’t fancy waiting around in the wind until 10 for a ferry that might never arrive. The taxi driver offered to drop us off on the Bantham side, we accepted, so no ferry for us today.

It was windy all day but not cold and we had a few showers mid-morning but it cleared up to be mainly sunny. The early walking was straight forward, past a golf course with Burgh Island out to sea. It was a high tide and so the sand spit was underwater and their tall tractors were operating between the island and the mainland. Also out at sea was the holed Thurlestone Rock, battered by the sea, but standing proud. This part of the day was not remote, civilisation was always evident. The first villages were Outer Hope and Inner Hope, Siamese twin villages as although they are in different coves they are close enough to join up.

From here the walk became more remote with two major headlands, Bolt Tail at the Inner Hope end and Bolt Head at the Salcombe end. There were no villages or refreshments along this stretch. There were a few vigorous climbs but nothing like some of the ones we have done. Bolt Tail had great views up and down the coast and Bolt Head had dramatic rocky pinnacles. After Bolt Head came the most spectacular part of the day. At Starehole Bay the path seem to climb a cliff face to Sharp Tor. There doesn’t seem to be a way through but as you get closer a narrow path has been cut into the rock face with a tube and mesh fence stopping you from falling over the edge. Around the corner Salcombe can be seen at the mouth of the Kingsbridge estuary.

Although it seems so close it takes an age to get to Salcombe. The path meanders around several pretty little coves and beaches, including the two ‘millionaire’ hamlets of South Sands and North Sands. South Sands has a ferry service operating from the beach to Salcombe. The ferry is moored out in the bay, and to get to it there is a sea tractor that drives out into the water. Salcombe is a sophisticated little town with a 150 year old yacht club, upmarket housing and high end fashion shops.

We arrived at 3pm and although we had eaten some food up on Bolt Head, we were looking for an early dinner as we had no appetite for walking all the way down the hill from the B & B and all the way back up again after we had showered etc. Most pubs serve meals from noon until 2 or 3pm and again from 6 to 8pm. The first pub Barbara tried had just stopped meals at 3, but the next, the Victoria Inn, was serving meals right through. Barbara had a Mediterranean Bowl: cherry tomatoes, chick peas, avocado, cucumber, spinach, red onion, seeds, olives and a secret ingredient. I had Malaysian Laksa: red peppers, mangetout, spinach, cauliflower, rice noodles, coriander, spicy coconut curry broth and pan seared chicken breast. Both hit the spot.

Except for the weather Barbara thought this was one of the best walks of the trip. The path surface was good, signage was good, lots of variety and interesting, not too strenuous, not too long a day and finished off with a delicious meal.

Monday 1 June 2026

Day 37 of walking
Wembury to Bigbury-on-Sea
Distance: 21.32kms
Total distance: 737.04kms
Climbing: 747m
Total climb: 24, 574m

We knew today would be an interesting day and it turned out that way. We woke to low level mist and a forecast of rain in the afternoon. The swimming togs were packed away and instead the rain coats came out. This was scheduled to be a 24.5 kilometre day which is getting a bit long for us at this stage. We already had to add another kilometre to this to get from the B & B back to the Coast Path. There were also critical times involving two river crossings. We researched and devised an alternative route to shave a few kilometres off this.

After getting back on the path it was only 2 kilometres to Warren Point on the bank of the River Yealm. Here there was a seasonal ferry across to Noss Mayo. The first sailing was not until 10am and we arrived about 9.30. Another couple had been waiting since 8.45. Another 3 people turned up before 10. This ferry was interesting in that it was electric – an e-water taxi. It glided silently through the water like a sail boat. A 10 minute ride for £5 each.

At the Noss Mayo landing the Coast Path goes to the right and a walk around the coast and two headlands. Our new route went to the left on a road through the village of Noss Mayo, inland on a narrow road, over a hill on a public path through a wood to emerge on another narrow road which twisted and turned and eventually rejoined the Coast Path at Revelstoke. Our inland route was 2.8 kilometres and the coastal route was about 7 kilometres so we saved a bit there. I had made a little hand drawn map with notes, as it was not straight forward with other public paths and roads criss-crossing it and we didn’t want to get lost. We were pretty pleased as it worked a treat.

Another obstacle we hadn’t planned on was in a farm field. We were to enter the field through a corner gate and walk diagonally across and exit by another gate. Between the gates were about 50 steers. As soon as they noticed us, they all ran over and crowded us into the corner of the field. They came right up until they were bumping into us. It was a bit unnerving for two city slickers. We held our ground and started pushing back against them. We were able to push our way through the herd and hastily made our way out the other gate. They were not fully grown, we were taller than them, and they were not as big and bulky as some of the cows we have pushed around.

The mist enveloped everything and we hardly saw anything of the coast. It was easy walking though. The next obstacle was crossing the River Erme. There is no ferry or bridge here so you have to ford the river. Otherwise you have a very, very long walk around the estuary, or a very expensive taxi ride via the first road bridge. The Erme has a wide estuary and you can easily walk across the sand and wade through the shallow water an hour each side of low tide. Timing was on our side as today low tide was at 1.30pm and we arrived at 1.20pm. The shoes and socks came off (Barbara left her socks on) and we were across in a few minutes. The water was a bit cold and the river bed a bit stony but not a problem. The mist was starting to become more like drizzle so we sat in a recess under a cliff to dry our feet and have lunch.

The last 8 kilometres from the river to Bigbury-on-Sea were the hardest of the day. The only big climbs of the day were in this section and for the last 3 kilometres it rained heavily. Occaisonally we could see the coast, a beach or holiday park. At the very end out of the rain and mist Burgh Island suddenly appeared. This island is close to the shore and at low tide you can walk out there on a sand bar. At high tide they have very high tractors and trailers that go to and from the island. It has an upmarket 1920s art deco hotel which has appeared in many films and novels.

We arrived in Bigbury-on-Sea cold and wet at 4pm. Today was another taxi transfer day. At 5pm we were to be picked up and driven half an hour to Salcombe to our B & B. The meeting point was in a bus shelter on a beach front road. In Salcombe the B & B was again in suburbia, a long way from the town and no places nearby to get an evening meal. At the end of the day we didn’t fancy having to walk into town to find a pub. We hadn’t seen anywhere in Bigbury-on-Sea to eat but a kind gentleman directed us to the Venus café, hidden behind a sand dune on the beach. We ordered some wraps and a hot drink and sat in the warm café until just before 5 when we went back to the cold bus shelter.

The taxi arrived at 5pm and the driver was quite chatty so the drive to Salcombe passed quickly, and it was warm and dry. Tomorrow morning the taxi will take us back to Bigbury-on-Sea and we walk here to Salcombe. We have two nights here at the Fo’c’sle B & B, a standard bland suburban house. The owners don’t live here, they reside nearby. There is one other guest and his dog here tonight.

Quite a day. White out, an electric water taxi, frisky steers, wading across a river, cold and wet. Just another day on the Coast Path.

Sunday 31 May 2926

Day 36 of walking
Plymouth to Wembury
Distance: 16.11
Total distance: 715.72
Climbing: 525 m
Total climb: 23,827 m

Another relatively gentle and short day from Royal William Yard in Plymouth to Wembury Village. Breakfast in Bistrot Pierre where we ate dinner last night. Breakfast was slightly different in that you could have a hot drink (tea, coffee), cold drink (juice) and one item from the Menu Complet. Barbara chose Eggs Benedict: the usual poached eggs with ham and hollandaise sauce on a toasted muffin.  I had a Garden Breakfast: grilled tomato, avocado, field mushroom, spinach, potatoes, baked beans, poached eggs on a very thin granary toast. Without the mushrooms.

The official Coast Path route goes through Royal William Yard so we were able to step out the door and join it. It is a 5 kilometre walk from there to the Plymouth/Mount Batten Ferry, through the Yard and an older heritage part of Plymouth, past the vast vehicle ferry terminal where the ferries go to France among other places, and then up over The Hoe.

The Hoe is a green expanse on a hill separating the modern-day city of Plymouth from the sea. it is best known for a game of bowls played by Francis Drake in 1588. There is also the red and white striped lighthouse, Smeaton’s Tower.  Originally this was the third lighthouse to be put on Eddystone Rocks near Rame Head. It was dismantled in 1882 and just the top portion erected on The Hoe. Today, Sunday, The Hoe was host to a Ferris wheel and a major running event. The ‘Race for Life’ a fund raising event for Cancer Research UK, with 5k and 10k events. It is over a hilly (over 600m of climbing) course on and around the Hoe. It seemed a big event with most people decked out in pink and ages from about 5 to 85. Music, merchandise and much more.

Below The Hoe is the lovely Tinside Lido, a saltwater pool built out over the rocks. Alas for us it was too early in the day for a swim. In the same area as our ferry are The Mayflower Steps. Every American and most other tourists know this is where The Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620 to settle in Massachusetts America. The steps are not original and it is not known exactly where they cast off but there are steps, a portico and a platform hanging out over the water, built in 1934. Of more interest to us was a plaque in the pavement commemorating ‘The Tory 1839’. This is where The New Zealand Company barque set sail for Port Nicholson, now Te Whanganui-a-Tara, also known as Wellington, to start the settlement of New Zealand. Barbara has been to Plymouth 3 times, and I twice, so we didn’t go the The Barbican or the gin factory or any of the other attractions.

A ferry was waiting for us at the quay and we were the only passengers for the 5 minute, £3 each, trip across the River Plym. There were two crewmen on board, one a young Kiwi guy in the UK on a 3 year work permit. He picked our accents immediately. Once out of Plymouth and Mount Batten the rest of the day is a gentle rustic ramble through the countryside. Plymouth is always looming out over the water on your right but eventually gets left behind. Apart from a couple of holiday parks it is a quiet stretch through woods and meadows. There were a couple of small beaches at Bovisand and Heybrook but they were rocky, exposed to the wind and few people were swimming.

The distances on the signage are generally believable but not today. Not far out of Mount Batten was a large blue marker saying it was 175½ miles to Poole. We walked a further 9 kilometres and a standard timber sign said it was now 206 miles to Poole. Go figure!

By about 1pm we had reached Wembury and stopped at the beach to have our lunch. There is a church, café, toilets, bus stop and marine centre at the beach. It was protected from the wind and though there were a fair number on the beach, only about 6 were in the water, all in wet suits and playing on boogie boards in the surf. I decide to have a swim and it wasn’t too bad. A bit boisterous in the surf but not freezing cold.

Our accommodation is a B & B in Wembury Village, about a kilometre inland and up a hill of course. It is a standard family house in the middle of suburbia converted to a B & B. The only place to get an evening meal was ‘The Odd Wheel’, a pub a further kilometre inland up a hill. Barbara rang them to see it we could get a table for tonight but they were fully booked. It was after 3.30 and the café at the beach closed at 4 and we didn’t fancy rushing back down to the beach and then all the way up again. The very kind man who runs the B & B said he would drive us to the small general store a bit further inland than the pub, and if we got a pizza or something he would heat it for us. We accepted the ride up and said we would just buy something cold and walk back. So some simple food in our room tonight. No pics.

Tomorrow will be a much more interesting day.

Saturday 30 May 2026

Day 35 of walking
Portwrinkle to Plymouth
Distance: 22.15 km
Total distance; 699.51 km
Climbing: 661 m
Total climbing: 24,057 m

The Tamar River (at Plymouth) is the border between Cornwall and Devon. When we reached the Cremyll Ferry at Mount Edgcumbe today we were crossing over into South Devon. So long Cornwall, it’s been good to know you. We have loved all 30 days of our relationship. Cornwall has a magnificent and varied coastline, The wild, remote, barren cliffs of the north with the weather coming in off the Atlantic, a surfer’s delight, with the gems of Padstow and St Ives. Once you turn the corner at Land’s End and the Lizard, the lush, warmer, protected beaches of the south, with its own gems, Mousehole, St Michael’s Mount, Mevagissey, Polpero.  There are reportedly 49 fishing villages in Cornwall and we have walked through them all, although I forgot to count.

When we left The Liscawn this morning the lovely lady of the manor, Fiona, showed us how to get back on the Coast Path by crossing a couple of fields and hence not having to retrace our steps to Portwrinkle along the busy roads. Almost immediately we came to the massive fortress of Tregantle Fort. This is one of a series of forts built along the south coast to protect Royal Navy ports from attacks by the French. This one was built in the 1850s and is still a military fort and firing range today, It is fenced off and has only a few entry points. The Coast Path normally runs through the fort but if there is firing underway the gates are locked,  red flags are flown and an alternative route along the road must be used. This is what happened to us in 2018 so we had not seen the fort. Today the gates were unlocked and the red flags were furled and we walked right through the firing range, but not actually into the fort.

For the next 10 kilometres there was a lot of walking on a narrow road high above the sea, populated each side by a line of small holiday cottages. This road is a bus route and service road for farms and very busy with people going to the seaside on a sunny Saturday. At one point we came to a tight narrow corner where a double decker bus confronted a combine harvester with a line of cars behind each. There was no way they could pass and there was a lot of shouting and cursing as cars and the harvester had to back up a considerable distance to a wider section of road. The bus driver just sat there. He was the biggest and bulkiest and everyone else had to move for him. It is amazing the number of people who can drive forward competently but are absolutely hopeless at reversing any distance.

At last we got off the road and onto a nice path through woodland to Rame Head. This is a prominent, but not very high headland with a lovely old 14^th century chapel at the top. It is dedicated to St Michael and a priest would stay there and keep a beacon burning for passing ships. From Rame Head to Plymouth was the easiest and gentlest 10 kilometres we have walked so far. A smooth dirt path, slightly downhill, often through woodland with views down to the sea. Near the end we passed through the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand. Each with a sheltered little beach, narrow streets and alleyways and a surprising number of pubs, all busy today.

The last section of walking was through the Mount Edgecumbe Park, a large area with lakes, grottos, follies, statues, chapels, ruins and a large old mansion on a hill. The highlight was the formal gardens with conservatories and an orangery (1775). An orangery is like a conservatory but with solid masonry walls and a glass dome in the middle, originally used to protect citrus fruit. The orangery today was being used for a wedding and garden visitors were asked ‘to be respectful’ so we spent our time in the wonderful gardens.

The Tamar River is crossed on a little passenger ferry, £3 per adult and takes about 7 minutes to get to Royal William Yard. These are former Royal Navy dock buildings built in the 1800s when Britain’s Imperial maritime power ruled the world. It was a major victualing depot for the navy and supplied food and drink with butchers, bakers, brewers, slaughterhouses, grain mills and stock piled rum, beer and vinegar as well as storing clothing, small arms and naval spares. Today it is a bustling, award winning destination with apartments, hotels, cafes, restaurants, pubs, boutique shops, galleries and a marina. Tonight we are staying in a hotel which was once The Admiral’s House. A beautiful house regenerated into 11 unique and individual rooms. In front of the hotel is a large grass quadrangle surrounded by galleries and cafes. Tonight we ate at the Bistrot Pierre and we will have breakfast there tomorrow. Part of staying at The Admiral’s House was a complimentary glass of wine at the Bistrot Pierre and so for the very first time on this walking trip we had some alcohol.

For those of you who want to know, Barbara had honey glazed pork medallions, seasonal greens, dauphinoise potatoes, caramelised apple and onion chutney, red wine jus. I had Chicken Normandy, chicken breast, Toulouse sausage, apples, dauphinoise potatoes, Calvados jus.

We have been to Royal William Yard before and will have another look around tomorrow morning before we leave Plymouth on yet another ferry, crossing over the River Plym from the Mayflower Steps Memorial to Mount Batten.

Friday 29 May 2026

Day 34 of walking
Polpero to Portwrinkle
Distance: 23.70 km
Total distance: 677.46 km
Climbing: 835 m
Total climb: 22,641 m

Today was a disjointed sort of day from a mental perspective, with a surprising twist at the end. It seemed odd to be going back to where we were two days ago in Polpero and walking to where we were this morning in Looe. It is much more satisfactory each day if you just keep going forward.

Our 9am taxi arrived 10 minutes early, it was a quick trip to Polpero and we were ready to walk at 9.05. Polpero was a different place. Almost deserted, just a few people checking out of their accommodation. Other than in winter, Polpero is a very popular tourist destination. Coach loads of visitors are dropped off at a car park further up the valley and streams of people walk down to the harbour. The village does not disappoint, it is just so picturesque and provides, cafes, inns, shops and a Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing.

We didn’t hang around in Polpero, we were on a mission. After a climb up out of the harbour it was easy walking to the first beach of the day Talland Beach. This was once dubbed the ‘Playground of Plymouth’ in the 19^th century due to its popularity with day tripping Victorian city dwellers. It had a few beach huts for day hire and there was a church high on a hill above the beach where you could learn bell ringing. A further easy walk and St George’s Island (aka Looe Island) came into view. About twice a year at very low tide you can walk across to the island. Then it is Hannafore Point and we are walking past the hotel we left about 2½ hours ago. In Looe we stopped to buy a cold Green Energise Super Smoothie. This stuff is magic, contains kiwi fruit, and is very refreshing.

It was now nearly midday and Looe was filling up so we moved on. This really was an easy walking day. The path was good, no steep climbs, walking across fields, a lot of lush vegetation, about 20° with a slight cooling sea breeze. The down side was that there was quite a lot of walking along public roads. They were all narrow, with no footpath or shoulder, but thankfully little traffic. We passed through Seaton which has a nice beach but no protection from the sun and ate our lunch in the only shade we could find – the bus shelter. At the next beach Downderry we were able to get off the road and walk for a couple of kilometres along the beach. A last climb up a headland beside farmland and we reached our destination, Portwrinkle. It has a tiny beach, a grand hotel, a golf course, a good café, a bus stop and a telephone booth.

Portwrinkle was not to be quite our destination. Our hotel was The Liscawn which was 1½ kilometres up Finnygook Road to Crafthole and then a further ½ kilometre along the B3427, both busy uphill roads with no shoulder. We eventually got to the address about 4.30pm and as we walked down the long drive way we began to recognise the place. We had stayed here in 2018 when it was called ‘The Little Fox’. It is a lovely old manor house, set in a large landscaped estate, parts dating from 1310, and we are in a separate beautiful barn building. We were met by a young man and when we said we had stayed here before, we learned something of the back story. The property, The Liscawn, was owned by his mother who ran it for many years but about 10 years ago decided to lease it out to tenants who called it The Little Fox. There were many problems between the owners and the tenants and after lengthy and expensive court cases the tenants were evicted. It is now run by mother and son again, both delightful people.

When we book our accommodation through Macs we ask for a twin room as a preference but a double is perfectly okay too. At The Liscawn we have a large room with double bed, ensuite, couch and desk, and an upstairs room in the attic with three single beds. A bit of overkill for two people. They have a bar and evening meals. We both had Keralan cauliflower and red pepper curry with white rice, poppadom and chutney. Divine, and nice sized servings. There are only 3 of us staying tonight, us and the young European lady we have met and talked with over the last four days. She finishes her walk in Plymouth tomorrow.

After our rest day in Looe we both felt great today, helped by the cooler temperatures, smooth surface of the path and the relatively easy terrain. Long may it continue.

Thursday 28 May 2026

Rest day number 5 Looe

Not a lot happened today. A very quiet day in Looe. We had a late breakfast in the restaurant. They had a buffet with all the standard fare but also a menu. As we were not walking we gave the usual eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, hash brown etc a miss. I had Cornish Pancakes with Vanilla Infused Rhubarb and Natural Greek Yoghurt. Barbara had Cinnamon Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Bacon, except Barbara didn’t want the bacon (I ate it) and chopped up a banana and added Natural Greek Yoghurt instead. Not a breakfast for walking on but at least a change.

After doing some washing we walked about a kilometre into Looe. This is a medium sized Cornish coastal town divided in half by the Looe River, into West Looe and East Looe. The two halves are united by an old stone Victorian bridge. Looe was prosperous in the 14^th century as a boatbuilding town but only grew in the 19^th century with the Victorians insatiable appetite for seaside holidays. It still has some fishing industry and is known as the national centre for shark angling. It has a large safe beach which was busy today. The weather was cooler, only getting up to about 21° and cloudy in the morning but clear and sunny in the afternoon. There was even a very brief light shower of rain about 6am.

We bought some supplies for lunches and were looking to buy some cotton. After passing what seemed like hundreds of fudge shops, pastie shops, ice cream parlours, cafes, souvenir shops and art shops we found a tiny little hardware store about the size of a bathroom. He didn’t sell cotton but directed us to the Guildhall Market a store under the clock tower in the centre of town. What a gem this was, a real Alladin’s Cave. They sold all the practical stuff: kitchenware, stationary, cleaning agents, batteries, light bulbs, gardening tools, underwear and socks, shoe polish, etc. They sold cotton, and in a variety of colours, as well as needles, scissors and all the sewing essentials.

Our long sleeve walking tops are slowly falling apart. They are old and perished and get snagged on bracken and seem to melt anywhere near the mildest heat. Barbara has been diligently mending the holes but only has blue cotton from the patchwork supplies she brought with her from home. This is okay on my blue top but her orange top is developing a random polka dot pattern and so the search was on for orange cotton. Small touristy villages just don’t have any of this sort of stuff. There will be bigger stores serving the local population about 10 kilometres inland. The Guildhall Market came to the rescue.

This afternoon Barbara was busy with needle and thread while I dozed. I checked out the indoor pool and spa in the hotel but it was crowded and the atmosphere was oppressively hot and humid and decidedly unrefreshing.

We went back to the bistro bar for dinner and after last nights experience decided to keep away from the mountainous mains. The starters menu was more our size. Barbara: Baked camembert with apple, watercress and candied walnut salad, red onion marmalade and toasted sourdough. Me: Heritage tomato salad with Burrata cheese, focaccia croutons, strawberries and basil and mint oil. Just the right portion size for us and very delicious.

Tomorrow morning the red and black taxi will collect us at 9am and take us back to Polpero and we will walk here to Looe and go on to Portwrinkle. These transfers back and forth make the journey a bit disjointed and we have more of them to come.

Wednesday 27 May 2026

Day 33 of walking
Fowey to Polpero
Distance: 14.23 km
Total distance: 653.76 km
Climbing: 591 m
Total climb: 21,806 m

This morning started with a delicious breakfast in the glass house of Boscundle Manor. Back to all the trimmings with good coffee, fruit juice, fresh fruit, muesli, plain yoghurt, toast, croissants etc. Barbara had 2 poached eggs on avocado and I had eggs benedict. The Manor was booked out over the holiday weekend but there were only two of us couples today. There are 11 rooms and each is named after a female writer. Ours was Emily Manor after Emily Bronte, others were Carlotte, Enid etc. Our taxi transfer arrived on time at 9am and as discussed with the driver yesterday he drove us to Fowey not just back to Par. We paid the £10 additional fare from Par to Fowey.

Fowey (pronounced ‘Foy’) is another incredibly quaint and laid back Cornish fishing village. Its traditional purpose as a port for exporting tin and china clay have long since gone and now it is a large boat marina and depends on tourism. There are over 7000 visits by pleasure craft in the summer season. It has all the usual steep, narrow, winding streets and a literary tradition tied to Daphne du Maurier. The taxi driver dropped us off at the top of town as it is almost impossible to drive through the streets of the old town by the river. We had to get a ferry over the Fowey River to Polruan and he gave us some directions to get down to the river and to the ferry. His directions didn’t seem quite right from our research so we asked a local sign writer working in the street and he gave us directions similar to the taxi guy. After walking for a while it became obvious they were sending us to the vehicle ferry which crossed the river miles away from where we wanted to go. It was then a 1½ kilometre walk back through town to get the passenger only ferry to Polruan.

This is a regular year round ferry. On the ferry quay we read all the usual signs, time table, fares etc and also saw a whiteboard with a scrawled message written in purple “No sailing today Wednesday due to easterly winds next sailing Thursday”. This knocked us back a bit as the alternative was the vehicle ferry and about an extra 12 km of walking around the estuary, or a bus that did a 25km route inland. Or swim over I guess. As we were mulling this over a little ferry showed up at the quay and unloaded passengers. The Pelruan service was running as usual. The message referred to a ferry that ran from Fowey out in the open sea to Mevagissey. The easterly wind is known as “The Beast from the East” and disrupts the sailing of any small vessels leaving the shelter of the estuary and going out into the open sea.

Pelruan is an even quainter little village, much smaller than Fowey on the other side of the Fowey River Estuary and the start of our walking today. This section is quiet and remote (ie no refreshments or services all day), with beautiful sandy bays, smaller coves and impressive headlands (ie lots of climbing and descending). It was forecast to be 25° today but there was that easterly wind, a warm wind, to keep you a bit cooler than yesterday. The first beach we came to was Lantic Bay and although it was tempting and almost empty, it was a long steep walk down, and a long steep walk back up,  from the Coast Path. We climbed to the top of the biggest headland of the day, Pencarrow Head, and had our coffee under the shade of a tree looking down on the beach. Not too further on we came to a lovely little sandy cove, Lansallos Beach,  with the most amazing turquoise water and only a few people on it. The cove was almost right on the Coast Path, very sheltered and surrounded by steep rock cliffs so we decided to stop there, have a swim and eat lunch in the shade of the rocks.

After lunch it was another hour of ‘up and down, up and down’ until you turn a corner and almost step off the cliff into the village of Polpero. This village leaves even Fowey and Polruan dead for quaintness. It has a tiny harbour wedged into a steep sided valley and basically two streets that run for a mile up the valley. Crowded around the harbour are pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops, churches etc. This was the end of our walking for today and we had a taxi transfer forward to Looe booked for 5pm. It was only 3pm so we grabbed a cool lemonade, watched the world go by as we drank it, and then phoned the taxi company to see if they could pick us up early. No problem and they were there in ten minutes.

Tonight we are in the Hannafore Point Hotel and Spa on the western approach to Looe. This is a large, older style, hotel with restaurant, bistro bar, and leisure facilities – a swimming pool, hydro pool, heated beds, gymnasium, sauna and steam room, and a Spa Therapist offering a large range of professional treatments using natural products. They can supply secretarial assistance and shoe cleaning. I think we may stay here a week. Our room is on the first floor, large and has a bay window alcove big enough for a sofa and table. It looks out over the water and fading into the distance we can see all the headlands we will walk for the next week. We also have our own large deck with table and chairs and two sun loungers.

We ate in the bistro bar and had a Hannafore Hamburger. One of those ridiculous burgers that stand about 250mm high and have a 6oz beef patty, bacon, smoked cheese, egg, caramalised onion, tomato, lettuce, gherkin, onion rings and large chunky chips. You look at it and think how on earth am I going to tackle this? It is impossible to pick up so do you deconstruct it and eat it bit by bit? If we had seen one before we ordered we would have got just one and shared it.

It was another 25 degree plus day. The wind made it a bit more bearable and we are so glad we shortened the day by about 10km by getting the taxi. These are the highest temperatures they have had in May for over a century but we think this mini heatwave is dying out from tomorrow. It has been fantastic for all the kids off school for mid term break and we still prefer it to sloshing through the rain on a muddy track in a freezing wind.

We can stay here another day as tomorrow, Thursday, is a rest day. We need it. On Friday the taxi will take us back to Polpero and we will continue our walk coming through Looe and going on to Portwrinkle.

Tuesday 26 May 2026

Day 32 of walking
Mevagissey to Par
Distance: 18.77 km
Total distance: 639.54
Climbing: 742 m
Total climb: 21,215 m

The forecast was for another hot day today, 25° feels like ? There was a young European lady at breakfast and we met her on the path a couple of times. She said her forecast had the temperature going up to feeling like 31°. We were sceptical of this but we were already perspiring after an hour in what should have been the cool of the morning. Last night at the Mandalay our room was easily 30° + until about midnight.

The Mandalay isn’t getting a good rap. It was sold to us as bed and breakfast. Breakfast turned out to be a meagre continental: coffee, packet cereal, flavoured pottle of yoghurt, toast and one croissant each. We were having breakfast with some continental couples and one man asked if there was any cheese. No, there was no cheese available.

On our way out Barbara mentioned to Tina that our room was very hot. She said we were lucky to be enjoying such good weather, it’s not always like this you know, and she couldn’t do anything about the weather. Apparently our room was the best in the hotel and she always gave it to Coast Path walkers. Tina wasn’t having a good day or maybe she was tired of being in the hotel industry.

Mevagissey was looking fantastic as we walked out this morning. Once again the water was like glass. It is interesting to see these little harbours when the tide is in or out. Sometimes the boats are floating and bobbing about and other times they are sitting on their keels in the sand. We bought some bread and Hobnobs at a tiny grocer and then a banana and two mandarins at a green grocer. When I tried to pay by card the green grocer asked if we could pay by cash. It was only £0.99. He only likes to have a card used on big transactions, due to the fees taken out I suppose. Our lowest note was £5 so Barbara had to use two of her public conveniences slot machine 50 pence coins.

It was a walk of two different characters today. The first section quite remote with some quite serious climbs and some attractive cliffs and headlands. The second half was more urban with houses, some walking on roads, busy beaches, a golf course a railway line and a large clay works.

Our first stop was at Pentewan Sands. This is a lovely little village but it is squashed up at one end of the bay and totally dominated by the huge Pentewan Sands Holiday Park. Hundreds of chalets, camper vans and tents. We wondered why everyone hadn’t gone home after Bank Holiday Weekend but learnt it is now half term break for the schools so all the children are still on holiday. At Pentewan Sands we stopped at a nice little café and bakery called Little Bay. They did breakfasts and baps and ciabattas and had a cabinet full of their own delicious cakes. We resisted the cakes and they provided us a refreshing drink of Cornish lemonade and ice. The lemonade was perfect, not too fizzy and with a hint of ginger to it.

From Pentewan it was a huge steep climb to the top of Black Head and we were suffering a bit out in the hot sun. We stopped in some woodland in the shade to have our coffee and get our breath back. Some easy cliff walking then a couple of steep up and downs. We came across a family retreating up a grassy slope who advised us that the path at the bottom was narrow between bracken and gorse hedges and the path was completely blocked by about 30 cows that wouldn’t let them through. They were going back to find a different way to get out of this field. There was another lady further down the track also frightened to go ahead. We said we would go ahead and have a look. Our old cow hand Barbara just waded into the cows, yelling at them to move and waving her walking poles. Reluctant at first the cows did turn tail and retreat down the path jumping into the gorse when they had a chance. The lady followed us through and probably thinks all Kiwis are farmers and know all about this stuff.

We were pretty hot and bothered now so at the next beach, Porthpean Beach, went for a swim. There is something about a swim in these circumstances. Not only does it cool the body and wash all the sweat from our bodies, it seems to revitalise the legs and feet, and refreshes and clears the mind. We ate our lunch in the shade of the trees away from the beach. The beach was packed and had absolutely no shelter.

A short walk over a hill and we reached Charlestown, an unspoilt harbour village, one of the loveliest in Cornwall. It has a dock built when there was a thriving clay exporting industry here. There are often old tall ships in the dock but nothing special today. We stayed here 2 nights last time and know it quite well. From here we had taken a bus inland to the Eden Project. From Charlestown it was an easy walk to Par but not without walking along the edge of a golf course, a railway line and around a huge industrial complex, part of a china clay plant with its own dock.

Today was another of our transfer days. At the Par Inn we were to be picked up by a Taxi at 5 pm and driven inland to our hotel in St Austell. We were at the Inn by 4 so ordered two large ice cold lemonades, rang the taxi company and waited in the cool of the beer garden. The taxi arrived in about 15 minutes and drove us about another 15 minutes inland to Boscundle Manor.

The contrast between last night and tonight could not be more stark. This is an eighteenth century manor set in a large estate of gardens and woodland. Our host is extremely friendly and obliging and calls Barbara ‘Madam’ and me ‘Sir’. There is a restaurant with inside and outside seating, a sun terrace, a 45 metre indoor pool heated to 28°, and it is extremely comfortable and beautifully furnished and decorated, with a special interest in zebras! For dinner Barbara had Katsu Leek and Feta Cake: leek & feta polenta cake, maple sweet potato with Katsu curry sauce. I had Vegetable Tangine: chickpea, apricot and sultana, shredded halloumi, maple siracha carrots.

Barbara looked up the temperature when we got to the manor and sure enough it was 29°, feels like 31°. This is 13 degrees above the average for this time in May. Tomorrow more of the same is forecast and it is a 24 kilometre section. This will be too much for us and we have concocted a new plan. The taxi is to pick us up at 9am and transfer us back to Par. Instead we will pay the taxi company the extra and they will deliver us further on to Fowey. This will take about 10 kilometres out of the day and make it a more comfortable walk.

Maggie records our exact distance walked and we compare this to the South West Coast Path Association Official Guide. They say the distance to Par is 594.9 kilometres. We have walked 639.54 kilometres. So we are ahead 44.6 kilometres. We treat this like credit in the bank. We can spend this credit as and when we like. So tomorrow we can spend 10 kilometres and get a taxi. On no account are we allowed to go into overdraft!

Monday 25 May 2026

Day 31 of walking
Portloe to Mevagissey
Distance: 21.48 km
Total distance: 620.76 km
Climbing: 866 m
Total climb: 20, 473 m

Today was another hot day, ‘23°feels like 24°’. We handled the whole day a lot better than yesterday. Energiser bunny Shane obviously knew Coast Path walkers. She had breakfast ready at 7.30am and us delivered back down to the coast by 8.10am. A nice early start compared to 10am yesterday. It helped that today all the steep climbs on uneven boulder strewn paths were in the morning and the path got flatter and easier all day. I had my water better organised and got through 2½ bottles today compared to 1 yesterday. We also spaced out our stops more evenly and made sure they were in the shade.

Two other better things today. At Gorran Haven for lunch, we bought ham sandwiches, more water and large smoothies (Barbara: green vigour, Paul: berry crush). We sat in the shade of a very  crowded beach. The tide was coming in and the beach was getting smaller and smaller as the beach goer numbers got larger and larger. The smoothies absolutely hit the spot for two hot sweaty walkers. We had our swimming togs with us today and had been looking for a place to swim. Gorran Haven was just too busy.

We had seen many beaches today and in the afternoon were looking for one not too crowded. At Chapel Cove we found our beach. No public vehicle access so almost empty. A sheltered little cove, a bit stoney getting in and out of the water but sandy further out. The water temperature was okay and it was so refreshing, kept us cool for the last 5 kilometres into Mevagissey.

The first two hamlets today were the tiny West and East Portholland. We were hoping to buy a cold drink but neither had a café. The next hamlet Porthluney Cove did have a café but it didn’t open

until 11am. We did make use of their tables and shade to have our Kleen Kanteen and some bananas Shane had given us for the day. Portluney Cove has the estate of Caerhays Castle which is supposed to be gorgeous with fabulous gardens and daily guided tours. It was designed by architect John Nash who designed Buckingham Palace and much of Regency London. There was then the biggest and hottest climb of the day to Dodman Point which has a large stone cross erected in 1896 as a navigation aid.

After our swim as we neared Mevagissey the walk was on sealed roads. Mevagissey is the archetypal Cornish fishing village. It is a bustling working harbour and is named after two saints, Meva and Issey. It is one of the highlights of the whole Cornish Coast and today being a bank holiday was teaming with people. It is a very sheltered harbour but thank goodness cruise ships can’t get anywhere near the place.

Our accommodation tonight is The Mandalay Hotel. You know it’s going to be a tiring end to the day when the hotel is located 1 to 2 kilometres from the centre of the village and the directions are to go up Church Hill Road and then up School Hill Road. Be wary of any address with Hill or Cliff in it! This hotel gets the award so far, for being the least charming we have stayed at. No one in reception, just a sign to phone Tina at such and such a number. Tina will say: you are in room 11, your bags are in the foyer, breakfast is at 8am. Our room would normally be quite nice with a large glazed curved bay window, but it faces the afternoon sun, has only two small opening sashes, soaks up all the sun’s heat and is unbearably hot. A call to Tina elicited the information that there was a fan in the corridor we could use. In fact the fan was under the stairs in the foyer but at least it is now making the room almost liveable.

Sunday 24 May 2026

Day 30 of walking
Falmouth to Portloe
Distance: 20.62 km
Total distance: 599.28 km
Climbing: 807 m
Total climb: 19,607 m

English summer arrived today. A cloudless, windless, sunny day. The forecast said it would get up to 22° but it felt hotter than that in the afternoon. The easy walking was in the morning and the harder walking was after 3pm in the afternoon with two up and down headlands to get over before Portloe. We were getting tired by then, ran out of water for the last half hour or so and were wilting in the sun but we are experienced enough to know we are strong enough mentally and physically to keep going.

The day started with an early breakfast at the Membly Hotel and then a 2km walk through the town to the ferry to take us to St Mawes. Falmouth was deserted with hardly a person or dog in sight. Such a contrast to the chaos of yesterday. The ferry was £11 each for the 25 minute crossing to St Mawes and there were about a dozen on the first sailing. The ferry can take up to 100. It chugged along slowly, about the pace I used to kayak! The water was like a mirror. The ferry ticket collector told us yesterday was the annual Castle to Castle ocean swim from Pendennis Castle to St Mawes Castle, a direct line swim of a mile, and the conditions had been ideal. I don’t know how they get on with boat traffic as the Carrick Roads are a very busy sea lane.

Coming into St Mawes you pass the matching Henry VIII Castle to the Pendennis Castle on the Falmouth side. At St Mawes you don’t even get off the quay. There is another little seasonal ferry service that takes you from St Mawes across the mouth of the Fal’s tributary, the Percuil River, to a place called Place. £6.55 each for a fast, short crossing. As we got off the first ferry we were hustled onto the second ferry that was just about to depart. Place has a large manor house with its own church. It was Sunday so we poked our noses into the church, unusual in that it has a cruciform plan.

After leaving the church it was now 10 o’clock and we were just starting the day’s walk. It was easy walking along an undulating grass path passing a succession of small beaches. Porthbeor, Towan, Portscatho, Porthbean, Pendower. The ones with car parking were very popular and even the ones without, had plenty of users who were prepared to walk to their favourite, private spot. There were long lines at ice cream vans and cafes that sold cold drinks. A lot of people were in swimming and we took our shoes and socks off at Portbean Beach to cool our hot feet in the sea. We were wishing we had our swimming togs with us as the water was warm enough for us to have a dip. From now on they, and a small towel, will go into the day pack, along with the rain coats.

The last part of the day was hard because of the sun. There were short sections of woodland but mostly out in the open crossing fields. Nare Head and Manare Point were both hot, steep climbs, and just as you think you will never get there, Portloe appears, tucked into a tiny little cove. It has a narrow slipway, The Lugger, a very nice hotel we stayed at last time, a very nice pub, The Ship Inn, we ate at last time, a church and about 3 dozen houses. We are not staying in Portloe tonight, this is another one of our transfers. We were to meet Shane (female) at 5pm and she would collect us and take us inland to her Jago Cottages B & B, about a 10 minute drive away. We arrived in Portloe  a bit after 4pm, Barbara rang her, and she immediately came and picked us up. It is very comfortable and attached to her farm house. It has a fridge, toaster etc, things we don’t normally get. If it had a microwave it would be fully self-contained. It is not near any place for dinner and Shane offered to drive us back to the Ship Inn but we were too done to think about going out again. We knew about the dinner situation and bought a vegetable pastie earlier in the day in Portscatho to have for dinner. Sorry folks a pastie is just not worth photographing as dinner. When we arrived there was a slab of home made fruit cake waiting for us. It was woofed down before I remembered to get a photo of it.

Tomorrow morning Shane will drive us back down to the coast at Portloe where we continue our walking. This weekend is a bank holiday weekend and the weather forecast is for more of today, so we can expect the path and the beaches to be busy again.