January at Poldhu Cove: Part 7

Abysmal overnight weather lead us to adopt Plan B for our walk today as we didn't think it would be a good idea to go too near any cliffs. Instead we drove to Marazion, caught a bus to Mousehole (pronounce Mowzel, not Mouse Hole or Muzzel) via Penzance and then walked back to our starting point. I'll admit that it was not a stretch of the Coastal Footpath that I was looking forward to completing as it is almost totally on tarmac and passes through the towns of Newlyn and Penzance. In the event, it was another delightful day - lots to see on the way and glorious weather. We clocked up just under 8 miles, which came as a pleasant surprise as we didn't think it would be quite that far. And, unlike our last walk, I managed to complete this one wearing my thermal tights the correct way around. Wearing them back-to-front was both uncomfortable and inconvenient!

And the walk started in a café on the harbourside at Mousehole. We needed to get our energy levels up before we got going.

This the RNLI flag flying above the old lifeboat station at Penlee. The Penlee lifeboat disaster occurred on 19th December 1981 when the Penlee Lifeboat Solomon Browne went to the aid of the coaster Union Star after its engines failed in heavy seas. After the lifeboat had rescued four people, both vessels were lost with all hands; in all, sixteen people died including eight volunteer lifeboat men.

Perhaps not as romantic as a 'typical' Cornish fishing village nestling in a picturesque cove, Newlyn Harbour is the modern face of the Cornish fishing industry. It's one of the biggest and busiest ports in the UK and operates 24/7 because of its deep water berthing.

In the corner of the 'new' harbour lies the 'old' harbour, dating from the 1400s. It is still in use for landing fish apparently.

Affixed to a wall of a house on the edge of the 'old' harbour is this plaque contesting Plymouth's claim to be the last port in the UK that the Mayflower sailed from. I met Bill Best Harris several times and I'm quite prepared to believe the veracity of his researches. A case for renaming Plymouth, Massachusetts to Newlyn, Massachusetts? And this is a good example of the unusual things you can see if you keep your eyes open on a walk of this type. Lift your head, look up and be amazed.

The Scillonian III, the only ferry between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly. It has been nicknamed 'the great white stomach pump' which gives you an idea of how smooth the crossing generally is.

Once we came around the headland just outside of Mousehole, the Mount came into view and remained there for the major part of our walk. These two surfers seemed to be of a 'certain age' and we thought 'good on them'.

I've mentioned the fate of HMS Warspite in a previous blog and it was pleasing to tie up the loose end of where exactly it was broken up.

Sod's Law dictated that all the birds I was interested in were just at the limit of my lens. However, for what they are worth, here's a selection: clockwise from the top left - redshank, grey wagtail (OK, I know it's yellow but that's the way it is), oyster catcher, pied wagtail and rock pipit. Nothing rare but a change from the ubiquitous vermin of the seashore - gulls.

Looking quite fit after 7 miles.