Tuesday 12th June 2001 - Day four, Porthleven, Mullion, Vellan Head Prev Next

I woke up just before six O'clock, lay in until six and then got moving. I was underway by 6:35 which was better. I checked with the other walker how open the path was going up to Helford and he confirmed that it was open and the detour around the quarry that I had seen on the Internet was there. By ten to seven I was back on the path and finding my way out of Porthleven.

It's really just a case of following the road all the way, although there are no helpful signs to act as confirmation that you are on the right road. The land changes to National Trust and climbs up a made up path to The Loe, a lake behind a bar of sand called, not suprisingly, Loe Bar. After slowly crossing the sand I climbed and walked along the top. Eventually in the distance I could see the wind farm and dishes of Goonhilly. It was such a still day that the windmills were not turning.

Around Gunwalloe I missed a turning for the path and detoured briefly inland. Up the hill the path became a real track going around coves and headlands, and at Hayzphron Cliff I had breakfast proper. Just as I packed up a young woman came running around the headland, obviously part of some usual brutal training. I wish I was 1/10th as fit. 'Morning', 'Morning', and she was gone.

Helicopters seemed to be the order of the day for making noise. They kept flying round in the distance and drowning out the sound of birdsong and the sea. At Church Cove golfers were out in force getting a round in and a little further on at Poldu Point an impressive array of amateur radio masts were being attended to by a couple of club members. Standing here on the cliffs is a monument to the first and subsequent radio transmissions across the Atalantic Ocean to Marconi in St John, Newfoundland on 12th December 1901.

Polurrian Cove was the next major obstacle that required a long drop and an even bigger climb out. One comment about this stretch of coast is the lack of signs that show where the coast path goes and confirmation that you are on it. However after climbing the steps and up the track was a sign pointing down the adjoining road saying 'Free range children and dogs on coastal foot path'.

Shortly after came Mullion Cove, a small fishing community judging by the stacked lobster pots nestling behind large harbour walls. In the bay was Mullion Island sticking out of the sea and covered in gulls. This must also provide some shelter for the harbour. People walked about taking pictures and buying ice creams from the small shop. It also appears to be a place where walkers started up the far slope.

Back on the high headland were several keen walkers and a group of people taking photos of flowers and the landscape. A couple followed me as we were then intercepted by a herd of bullocks. These were a bit more lively than I have seen before and they ran towards us. The couple caught up with me and we walked through feeling a bit better with safety in numbers. We clapped our hands and did a lot of 'shoo'ing but one still made a dummy charge. I really don't like going through fields of bullocks at all.

Out on the other side, safely behind the stile, the look across to Vellan Head was very rugged - the stuff I like to see. On the pathway here I saw a slow worm, the first time I have seen a live one as it blinked at me. At this point I headed inland to find the campsite and have a shorter day. I found it up a track but I was the only one there. By now the sun had come out after being mostly overcast and I set up the tent on one edge of the empty field to dry out and get some rest. Although a sign pointed to a caravan saying 'Reception', there was on-one in. Eventually the owner appeared in his Land Rover Discovery and woke me up from a nap. He charged my £3-00 for the night.

I wrote my log up in a blaze of evening sunshine as bees buzzed about their business and a couple of swifts performed daring manoevers close to the ground, and pigeons pecked the grass. By now the helicopter flights had stopped and all was peaceful except for the occasional crash of traffic over the nearby cattle grid. And a model aircraft roaring about. And a tractor.

Next page, Day five, 13th June 01, Vellan Head to Coverack.

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

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