It's been a while since I shared a blog of some of our recent rambles in Cornwall so, you will be pleased to find that this blog in fact includes five of our glorious rambles from the past couple of months. And what absolute belters they were!
From The Roseland to St Ives, and Falmouth to Newquay, we have rambled our way across the width and breadth of our beloved Cornwall. And we still have a few adventures left to go this side of the new year! I am so excited.
Please read on for a little snapshot of some of our latest rambles. I will share more with you soon so please do make sure you've signed up to the mailing list to get these straight to your inbox. Oh, and of course, details of our upcoming rambles!!
Enjoy...
St Ives to Carn Naun - Saturday 18 November 2023
7-miles
On this striking section of the Cornish coast, I took 23 gorgeous ramblers for a 7-mile hike of rugged terrain between St Ives and Carn Naun where we…
🪜 Clambered over a whopping 26 stiles of varying kinds.
🪨 Stumbled over slippery boulders and stones.
🥾 Waded through rivers and flowing coastal path water.
🌊 Stared in awe at the rugged landscape and atmospheric views.
🛝 Slid our way along muddy fields and slippery slopes.
🌿 Enjoyed the colours of the coast and the blue hues of the ocean below.
🥪 Munched on sarnies and snacks in a stone circle overlooking the sea.
⛏️ Found the remains of Hor Engine House along Hor Point.
💡 Squinted at Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance.
🤗 Chatted and giggled with one another, even when scrambling over stiles, rocks, and muddy paths.
It was simply *chefs kiss*
As always, this route can be found on the iWalk Cornwall app and has been added to my list of favourite walks in Cornwall because it was absolutely spellbinding. Of course, walking with so many incredible ramblers makes every ramble sublime BUT, this ramble was particularly wonderful and another section of the coast path I can tick off my map.
Maenporth to Budock Water - Sunday 12 November 2023
8-miles
On this soggy ramble, we slipped and slid our way across approximately twelve different types of mud! From sticky and craggy to landslide and sinky, our 8-mile ramble from Maenporth to Budock Water certainly gave my 17 ramblers an entertaining time.
Using the route on my beloved iWalk Cornwall app, we started at Maenporth in the rain and trudged our way across fields and stiles for around five miles until eventually, we hit tarmac and made our way around the lake and onto the beach of Swanpool.
We were fortunate with the weather and although it started out very wet, within an hour we were rambling in clear weather and spent the rest of the time enjoying a dry and (sometimes) sunny walk.
Our midday stop and sarnie break was at my favourite church in Cornwall - mainly because they have the brightest pink doors which always make me smile; St Budock Church. Here we stopped awhile before heading to Swanpool.
After relieving ourselves at Swanpool and taking in the glorious views, we took the coast path to the end of our ramble, the sandy beach of Maenporth, where a hot chocolate treat awaited us thanks to Maenporth Cafe.
I have never heard a group of ramblers so excited to see a stretch of tarmac or be so motivated by a hot chocolate…it was certainly a giggle! Huge thank you to everyone who braved the weather and joined me in Falmouth. I think we were super lucky with the weather AND only two ramblers succumbed to the mud.
Bedruthan Steps - Sunday 22 October 2023
5-miles
Holy moly, what a fantastic turnout for this spectacular ramble to Bedruthan Steps!! I took 32 gorgeous ramblers for a stomp around the North Coast and it truly did not disappoint. Using the iWalk Cornwall route, this 5-mile walk really does pack a punch.
We started out with a slight drizzle as we left the car park, but none of us complained, especially when the rainbows started popping out and we actually found the end of one…sadly, the pot of gold was missing. But after a few brief showers, we had nothing but sunshine, blue skies, and fluffy clouds keeping us company as we rambled our way along the coastline towards the iconic view we were all waiting for…Bedruthan Steps.
🗿 “There's a legend about a giant called Bedruthan using the beach stacks as stepping stone as a short across the bay. However, this seems to be a late 19th-century invention. Sadly, no early reference to the story has been found. The first recorded evidence of ‘Bedruthan Steps’ is in The West Briton of February 1847 and is likely to refer to the original cliff staircase. It's been suggested that the name ‘Bedruthan Steps’ was originally given to the staircase, but has since been applied to the whole beach and particularly the distinctive stacks.” National Trust
Our halfway stop was at the gorgeous Carnewas National Trust cafe where everyone was grateful for a sit down in the sunshine with a cuppa and cake. Our final stint of the ramble took us along tracks and over a couple of exciting stiles (thanks to electric fences!!) before bringing us back to our starting point.
A gorgeous few hours with a group of absolutely fantastic people in a freaking divine part of Cornwall. It felt very autumnal, my favourite type of weather to ramble in!
Fowey to Polridmouth - Saturday 14 October 2023
5-miles
It’s spelt Polridmouth but us Cornish folks and locals pronounce it “Pridmouth”…regardless of how you say it, this 5-mile ramble from Readymoney Cove to Polridmouth was flipping gorgeous.
Polridmouth is set east of Gribbin Head and west of the popular town of Fowey. Much of the south-facing beach is reclaimed by the sea at high tide, which divides the beach into two distinct, small beaches.
Known to many as “Daphne Du Maurier’s Cornwall,” the hill above Polridmouth is Menabilly, with a large hidden house where Du Maurier lived for many years. It was also the inspiration for the Manderley of Rebecca and Polridmouth is where Du Maurier set the scene for the “accident” - I don’t want to ruin it too much if you’ve yet to read the book. The cottage behind Polridmouth Beach is thought to be the inspiration for the boathouse in the novel. The ornamental lakes by the cottage were created in the 1920s by the building of a dam. It was used as the basis of a decoy airfield in the Second World War to emulate Fowey harbour. You will also meet the local residents of the lake, two swans who seemed unperturbed to see us rambling along on our merry way.
All in all, a pretty wonderful ramble with a group of lovely ramblers with some gorgeous views, magical history, and spectacular weather. Again, the route can be found on iWalk Cornwall by searching Fowey to Polridmouth.
St Anthony Head - Sunday 10 September 2023
6-miles
When you’re prepared to dive into the sea fully clothed, hiking boots and all, you know it’s been a hot and sweaty kinda ramble!
This magical 6-mile ramble took us from Porth on the Roseland, along the creeks opposite St Mawes, past the preserved fort and onto Fraggle Rock lighthouse on St Anthony Head and the golden sandy beaches of Molunan.
⚓️ St Anthony's Lighthouse (Cornish: Golowji Entenin) is the lighthouse at St Anthony Head, on the eastern side of the entrance to Falmouth harbour, on The Roseland Peninsula. The lighthouse was designed by James Walker and built in 1835 by Olver of Falmouth, for Trinity House. The original light came from eight Argand oil lamps mounted on a revolving frame where the light was seen to flash once every twenty seconds. In 1865 an additional lamp and reflector were installed 'in the living room of the principal keeper' which shone a fixed light through a square window in the direction of a dangerous cluster of rocks known as The Manacles. Today the light is automated, flashing every 15 seconds, with a red sector for The Manacles. The fog horn blasts once every 30 seconds.
St. Anthony's lighthouse was featured in the intro of the UK version of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock, as "The Fraggle Rock Lighthouse". The lighthouse is totally private with no public access. However, should you fancy staying in a lighthouse, Sally Port Cottage beside St Anthony Lighthouse is available to rent out. The stunning location of Sally Port Cottage, a single dwelling, is reached via a 300-metre path leading down to the rocks from the headland above where the car park is situated. There is an observation room which has a large picture window where you can be snug whilst watching the worst of any storms.
After St Anthony Lighthouse and Amsterdam Point, we found a quiet spot on Cellars Beach to stop for our lunch in the sunshine, and it was flipping glorious.
Every single one of us glistened with sweat - even my fingertips were perspiring - but every single one of us returned to the car park with a grin on our faces, feeling fantastic after a hearty ramble, with some of the most spectacular views and company to boot. The icing on a very sticky and moist cake was a dip in the sea at Towan Beach (with lots of jellies) followed by a chinwag on the sand to finish of the most perfect Sunday ramble.
Until next time...
There are many MANY more rambling adventures to share with you all, and I will endeavour to get as many of these into blogs for you to enjoy. But for now, I hope you had fun looking back at some of our most recent rambles in Cornwall. They have been pretty epic and I cannot wait to get out again soon for more adventures on foot.
Please do follow along on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date with our rambles - I will see some of you soon and to those I won't see for rambles in 2023, I look forward to 2024 where we will create even more incredible memories.
Jody x