myerscooper's posterous

Myers Cooper

South West Coast Path, Part 2

I have reached my next objective on my walk around the tip of Cornwall on the South West Coast Path.

Leaving the first and last refreshment house in England at Land's End,

P1010001

 

I hastened away from the crowds at the Land's End 'attractions' and took a last look at the Longships lighthouse

P1010003

 

before turning towards the south-east.

I passed smugglers' caves

P1010006

 


and strange rock formations, like this one near Gwennap Head,

P1010009

 

which reminded me of a madonna and child, fishing coves,

0p1010001

 

and John Le Carre's ("I live on a Cornish cliff and hate cities") enviable cliff-top home.

0p1010009

 

I sustained my only injury on the approach to Lamorna Cove,

P1010004

 

a wasp sting in the muscle at the base of my thumb. I considered this to be sufficient justification to indulge in a coffee and a piece of millionaires' shortbread in the café there.

After covering the section between Lamorna Cove and Marazion via Mousehole

1p1010009

 

I then embarked on the next main section in distinctly autumnal weather.

Bidding farewell to St Michael's Mount,

P1010002

 

I headed through rather less spectacular scenery than so far to Praa Sands and Porhtleven. There followed a trudge across Loe Bar, a shingle beach with the sea on one side and Loe Pool on the other.

P1010005

 

Then it was on past St Winvaloe Church ('The Church of the Storms) with its tower embedded in the headland

P1010012

 

and numerous small coves

0p1010003

 

until, on the approach to Kynance Cove,

0p1010005

 

my objective came in sight. Just a couple of miles more, then, having started this stage at the most westerly point of mainland England, I concluded it at the most southerly point. The Lizard.

2p1010009

 

South West Coast Path, Part One

One of my intentions on moving to Cornwall was to walk part of the South West Coast Path (in short stages).

Starting from St Ives,

P1010014

I trod the narrow cliff-top path past Zennor Head and Gurnard's Head, observing striking rock formations,

P1010003

passed the lighthouse at Pendeen Watch (glad not to be standing next to the fog horns when in operation),

P1010009

noting how even the tall chimneys of abandoned tin mines are dwarfed by the Atlantic coastal scenery,

P1010010

scrambled over rocks at Aire Point that barred my way,

P1010006

until I arrived at Land's End.

P1010017

Was it really only 24.1 miles (38.7 km) from St Ives?

Having reached the most westerly point of mainland England, I shall now turn the corner and start heading south-east, then east.

Gurnard's Head

Removal completed, furniture arranged, boxes unpacked, some semblance of order in the flat, cleaning 80% completed, so it is time for some respite: a walk to Gurnard's Head.

One of my objectives while living here is to find as many locations as I can where I can see the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean from the same point (Land's End does not count). After doing battle with a Jack Russell Terrier ("He barks a lot but he doesn't bite." So did the saliva and teeth marks on my trousers come from the barking?) and ploughing through bracken, heather and gorse, I reach the ill-defined summit of Mulfra Hill. Yes, I can indeed see the English Channel to the south

Mulfra1

and the Atlantic Ocean to the north

Mulfra2

On to the Gurnard's Head Hotel with two representations of a gurnard on its wall

Ghh

and its ground-level post box

Pobox

before descending to the head.

Gh

So which bit of rock is supposed to be gurnard-shaped?

Rocks