Gonamena and Caradon Hill Walk

Isn't that the way it goes? The hottest February since records have been kept and we choose to walk on the day the weather broke. But were we daunted? Of course not. A hardy band of us donned our waterproofs and did a 5 miler on the fringe of Bodmin Moor.

The route we followed is one that we've done a few times before and enjoyed. It starts and ends in the car park of the Crow's Nest Inn in the old mining settlement of Crow's Nest on the southern fringes of Bodmin Moor. We walked up the Gonamena Valley to Minions (at around 1000 ft, the highest village in Cornwall) and then circumperambulated Caradon Hill back to our starting point. It really is a very pleasant jaunt with lots to see - if you like mining history.

The first 1/2 mile or so was pretty steep and a good cardio-vascular work out. It was along a track that miners would have used to get to their places of work. Lots of granite steps to negotiate.

These mines in the Gonamena Valley enjoyed a boom and bust existence. Lodes of copper were discovered in 1837 but by the end of the century most had ceased operations. At one time, this area was the third largest producer of copper in Cornwall. All that are left now are the abandoned mine buildings and the spoilheaps. But these are only the most visible remnants, look closely and you can make out much, much more. There are tramways, reservoirs, leats cobbled dressing floors, buddles……………..

Looking eastwards with Jope's Shaft in the foreground and the engine house of Rule's Shaft on the horizon.

Looking southwards with the sea in the distance. Sharp eyes should be able to make out Rame Head where sky and sea meet.

Granite sleepers on the Gonamena Incline, a counterweight system constructed in the 1840s.

Just passed Minions and looking towards Kit Hill. Home, sweet home. But we can never make our place out from up here.

Mining took place all around Caradon Hill and these are the crumbling remains of the engine house and stack of Wheal Jenkin in Minions.

The tail end of a rainbow. It looks as if it is ending by the farm that makes Cornish Blue Cheese - a very tasty crock of gold.

The ivy-clad engine house and chimney stack of Jope's Shaft. It was sunk in 1864 and was later equipped with a man-engine, think vertical conveyor-belt, to carry miners up and down the shaft. 

It's a good year for Hazel catkins. You can see both the male catkins and the female flowers here.

A naked tree that took my eye.

And it did rain in quite heavy, but short, bursts.

The colourful buds of a willow of some variety.