Coverack to Gillan - Monday 2nd September 2013
Path Facts - Length: 7.5 miles, Ascent: 1750 feet
Very short day today due to logistical difficulties in finding accommodation in or around Helford. So short one today followed by epic ventures tomorrow and the next day.
Awesome light first thing in the morning. Apparently Coverack is popular with painters for this reason. Had breakfast in the Paris surrounded by the sea. Set off about 9 am. Not much open in Coverack at this time. We were hoping to mooch about for a bit due to the short day walking.
Lowland Point looking back at Coverack:
The path goes through the edge of the disused Dean Quarries.
More woodland.
These are the Giant's Quoits which were moved from their original site in the 1960's because of mining operations.
This is Porthoustock. There is still a working quarry here and a nearby MOD outpost hence some stretches of the path today were inland. Porthoustock is allegedly pronounced Prowstock by the locals. I'm beginning to get the rules of local pronunciation. They go like this:
- transpose "or" as "ro" (except when you don't)
- lose a syllable occasionally
After Prowstock is Porthallow (Prowlow?) which is.. trumpets, dancing girls, fireworks... the official halfway point of the SWCP. So we just need to do all of the aforementioned... again!
Stopped at The Five Pilchards in Porthallow for a rather good sandwich.
Good views today extending right out toward the next few days walking and allegedly to Rame Head just before Plymouth and hence almost at the border of Devon again. By the end of the next trip we would have completed the Cornish stretch of the path.
In the background is Pendennis Point and Castle which look pretty near but there's the Helford River to do before this and hence quite a detour.
This is Nare Point where there is a Coast Watch station which we were invited into to have a browse and a chat. There is some info and a video interview with one of the staff here which explains better than I could what they do.
Got to Gillan before 3pm even after taking it very easy and slowly today. Very different sort of scenery around Gillan and Helford.
Having had an easy day, we dropped our packs off at the B&B, washed up and walked inland across to Helford for food in the evening (approx. 3 miles). The only nearer pub in Manaccan wasn't doing food. The B&B kindly offered a taxi service to bring us back in the evening.
Info
Accommodation - Porth Vean B&B
The room is in a detached building with en-suite. Basic but perfectly fine.
Location ****
Room ***
Facilities ***
Noise *****
Food ****
Ambience ***
Price **** £50 for the room
Food - Shipwrights Arms, Helston
Quality ***** Goat's cheese
Price ***
Beer ***** Doom Bar
Walkers Strategy Section
Coverack to Gillan elevation:
