Sunday 10th June 2001 - Day two, Gribba Head to MarizonPrev Next

The day started early enough. I had set up the tent next to the path and didn't expect to see anyone until well into the morning. At about half past two someone marched by sounding like a steam train with a head light on. Bang, bang, bang, bang with the swishing sound of angry nylon rubbing. I listened as the footsteps faded then got out of the tent in disbelief to have a look.

It was a bright night with a nearly full moon up but I couldn't see anything except the lighthouses and lights of the boats at sea. These footsteps spooked me a bit and I made a note that if I ever have to camp wild again, I will hide away from the path a bit. I was a bit uneasy for the rest of the night and by half seven I was underway again after a snickers bar for breakfast.

The days journey began with a descent down into Penberth, a small working fishing cove, and was followed by an even longer ascent out. At the top the grass was overgrowing the track before I dropped deeply down and up again. Because of the foot and mouth crisis the local authorities have not been able to clear most of the paths after they re-opened them and whilst the gaiters helped I still got wet legs where the grass was growing long, sometimes to chest height and making the path difficult to see. The low but bright sun was not helping so I put a cap on as well.

The path mostly undulated with the occasional slightly more severe fall and rise. One of the coast path posts had a foot and mouth information notice nailed to it and I missed the turn which cost me about a quarter of an hour. Only when the track went inland and petered out did I twig what had happened. A rock near the post had said Lamorna where I was heading, but had pointed slightly backward so I ignored it.

I followed down to St Loy's cove and the path went behind some houses then down to the beach made of large boulders. On the way down it ducked into some woodland and alongside a stream. These are my favourite bits of the walks on hot days. After a hundred yards or so of hopping from rock to rock on the beach the path leaves on the left and is very overgrown as it ascends. It could be called 'challenging' and it certainly slowed me down.

It was hot and very humid from the damp overgrown vegetation, and where I stepped over water tracking down the hillside clouds of flies buzzed up. Finally I passed by the Tater-du lighthouse that I saw the previous evening and have read about in the books by Derek Tangy, a local author who moved to Cornwall in the 1950's. I have read most of his books about his life in the area and enjoyed them. He and his wife Jeannie lived in a cottage not much further on.

I continued and came to a gate marked 'Derek and Jeannies Trust'. I stopped for sustainance and a little time to reflect on what I had read about their lives here. Their land is now a nature reserve and someday I must return to explore it.

I continued to Lamorna Cove. Here the granite caused the path to be difficult in places as boulders formed part of the path. Granite makes for good scenery but lousy walking. At Lamorna cove I took the opportunity to stock up on drink and have a sausage and chips for early lunch. Actually it was three sausages and loads of chips; just what I needed.

I covered my exposed skin with suncream and left Lamorna. The path out of Lamorna was fairly easy going with a few granite boulders to negotiate. Around the headland it climbed with steps at one point. Halfway up a solitary tree provided shelter from the sun and I used it for a five minute rest and drink. The path to Mousehole went into one of those little wooded bits where a thousand projected suns dappled the floor. As I came out of the top a young man passed me with a violin and a bow in a rucksack. Unusual things to walk the path with, but, each unto their own.

A little further on a couple of dad's and three youngsters were trying to negotiate the path on mountain bikes. Aside from the legality they were having to spend more time carrying them than riding them.

This stretch of the path was busy. I spoke briefly to a japanese lady who was thinking of walking to Lamorna and wondered how far it would be. It was here that I noticed that the granite on the path had turned to slate.

I followed the road out and walked to Newlyn on the Pedestrian/cycle pavement which made for efficient walking, but was not particularly interesting. At Newlyn I saw a plaque on a house telling how a local historian had deduced how the Mayflower ship transported cholera to London in 1620. It's amazing what you can pick up.

Through Penzance I followed the road past the railway station that I arrived at the previous day, then out and back over the railway bridge where the coast path was indicated. This was more walking on the flat which continued to be easy but uninspiring. By now I was getting a bit tired and my feet were beginning to hurt. I wanted to get to my destination camp site opposite St. Michaels Mount, but as much as I contined to walk, I seemed to be walking around the mount rather than towards it.

At last I got to Marizon, paid a call in some more spotless toilets, then with a bit of navigating found the campsite up a side road with a purple house on the corner, although the camp site was not signposted.

At the Wheal Ronde Campsite I found the owner and paid £2-50 for the night in loose change. I pitched the tent and hung the sleeping bag out to air, then after some food went for a shower. Unfortunately I had given the owner my last 20p and I had to change it back. Still the hot water lasted for ages and afterwards I felt a bit cleaner again.

I did a bit more planning for the next stages so that I was prepared for what was coming, particularly as I had developed a blister on the ball of my right foot and both sides of my heels hurt. It was going to be a balance between distance but not pushing too far. As I climbed into the tent I had one of those surreal moments, as I glanced across at a chap obviously on a cycling holiday I noticed that he had a fine pair of blue slippers on. They were the last things that I saw outside that night.

Next page, Day three, 11th June 01, Marizon to Porthleven.

Previous page, Day one, 9th June 01, Newbury, Penzance, Land's End, Porthcurno, Gribba Head.

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