Two walks based on Mevagissey

To Mevagissey for a belated birthday treat: a night in a rather swish B & B (Pebble House - highly recommended if you are in the area and looking for a place to stay). This gave us the chance to complete a little more of the Cornish Coastal Footpath. Hooray! And hooray for our free bus passes.

The walk on our first afternoon was a 5 miler from Gorran Haven, to which we caught a bus (with a very pleasant Scottish driver) and then back to Mevagissey along the coast. Glorious sunshine and a rather undulating trek.

The second day was not so good weatherwise (showers, wind etc) when we started but it did improve as we moved into the afternoon. We took the bus from Mevagissey to Charlestown and then followed the Coastal Footpath back to our starting point. We clocked 7.5 miles and these were 7.5 muddy, strenuous miles. Take a look at the elevation profile above and this will give you a good idea of the ups and downs.

On the way to Mevagissey we made a slight detour to visit St Mary the Virgin church at Braddock as Mrs P has family connections with it. Her 4x great grandmother, Dorothy Parsons (no relation to my line) was baptised there in 1791 (daughter of William and Anne) and married there in 1811 to Charles Jay. Unfortunately it was not open so we'll have to go again when it is.

The interior of St Just church at Gorran Haven. The building dates from the early 15th Century although its site has been associated with worship for some 1400 years. Originally it is thought to have been an oratory and over the years has had many secular uses, including a fish store. Extensively and sympathetically restored in the late Victorian era, it is small but perfectly formed and with a very calming atmosphere. And for the ecclesiastical pedants amongst my readers, I know it is more correctly a 'chapel of ease' rather than a church.

If you've got £3 million or thereabouts you can buy the main house at Chapel Point, just outside of Mevagissey. As an inducement it comes with its own private cove which, I'm glad to say, seems to be open access to the general public, albeit after a fairly long walk.

The late afternoon sunshine picking out part of Mevagissey, the quintessential Cornish fishing village. It is still a working harbour, with an excellent fresh fish counter selling fish straight off the boats.

Just one of the many fishing boats in the harbour. Very calm waters and some nice reflections.

Not many fungi around but this was a nice specimen of a Honey Waxcap we came across. We don't pick them but this one was already detached and gave us the opportunity to take a close look at its gills. Intricate and beautiful in its own way.

Looking due west with Dodman Point in the middle distance. Those with keen eyes might be able to make out the Lizard as a faint line on the horizon. The gloom gives a good feel for the way it was as we set off from Charlestown.

With the better weather by early afternoon, the more iconic vistas of the coastal footpath came to the fore. Here we are looking across to Black Head. This cove was inaccessible to all but the brave - or those with a boat. Very little sand but it looked a good place for rock pooling.

Looking across the sands at Pentewan. Would you believe that this is a private beach, with access restricted to those using the adjacent holiday camp. Grrrr! Because of this, a 1/2 mile detour was necessary. Double grrrr.

On the Parsons Mud Scale, this walk definitely approached a 10.

Just a Robin but a very cooperative Robin who posed long enough for me to get a few decent close-ups. And the breast? Red, orange or brown? What do you think?

And back to Mevagissey harbour in the late afternoon sunshine - again. Is there any better way to spend a day than walking along the coast?