As we dive headfirst through January and speedily towards February when, thankfully, our 2023 rambles will begin again, I wanted to share a few more of our 2022 adventures. There were many that, when looking back, always put a smile on my face. I find it cathartic to look back at the times we have spent together out there on the Cornish paths and trails so if you fancy seeing what we got up to throughout 2022, please keep reading.
You can also read more in the first blog of this series here: Snapshot- Part One
Part three will follow soon as there are lots of adventures we've had over the past months and I have also written a few specific blogs on our rambles way back in January 2022 which you can find on the Cornish Ramblings website here: blogs and more
But for now, sit back and enjoy just a few more of our rambles throughout 2022...
Land's End
4-miles, easy to moderate
On a scale from 1 to 100, with one being utter pants, this 4-mile ramble around the blustery and rugged coastline of Land’s End would have to be up around the gazillion mark for how sublime it truly was!!
With the sea glinting at us like a sheet of glass, the lichen-strewn boulders stacked precariously along the headland, the surprise heat from the sun prickling our skin, and the flipping awesome group of ramblers who joined me, this ramble was quite frankly one of my favourite days spent in Cornwall so far.
This 4-mile iWalk Cornwall circular route really is the best way to see Land’s End so, if you’re after a scenic hike with the following perks, be sure to check it out…
🌸 Pretty wildflowers
⛴ HMS Mulheim shipwreck
🏰 The remains of Maen Castle…and by remains it’s pretty much the entrance to the castle, but it’s still freaking impressive
🗿 Rugged carved-out coastlines and luminous granite boulders
💎 Glacier waters as far as the eye can see
💡 Longships Lighthouse - an active 19th-century lighthouse about 1.25 miles off the coast of Land's End
🪧 The Cornish Way - a 180-mile cycle route that forms part of the National Cycle Network.
🕊 Choughs (we saw several and they were beautiful)
👀 Pedn-men-du coastguard lookout
Bodmin Moor and Roughtor
5.2-miles, moderate to strenuous
Twenty absolute legends - myself included because I got us there and back in one piece - clambered to the top of each tor via a lot of Wuthering Heights-esque misty fog and a downpour that soaked us to the skin. Using the ever-faithful iWalk Cornwall route, we headed up from the car park towards Little Roughtor and the Holy Well before traipsing across the boulder-ridden moorland to Showery Tor, where we helped a group of Bodmin College students locate where they were!
We then headed down and around to the river, which would be the start of our climb to the highest point in Cornwall, Brown Willy.
After looking out at the non-existent view from the summit and getting soggy from the rain and battered from the wind, we popped across to the Brown Willy stone circle before heading back the way we came toward the trig point. As we meandered back through the rocks and reeds, everyone gasped as suddenly, the fog rolled away to reveal the view we had all hoped to see.
For a brief half an hour, we were able to head back down to the river and make our way around the base of Roughtor, through clumps of sheep and their waggy-tailed lambs, with only a wisp of fog lingering over the tors.
Coverack to St Keverne
5.7-miles, moderate
Another weekend, another ramble - this time with 35 fabulous folks joining me on a delightful six-miler from Coverack to St Keverne. A pleasantly warm, sometimes blustery, circular ramble along a spectacular stretch of the Cornish coastline.
The highlight of this ramble was definitely when a lovely groundsman invited us into the church for our snack break and basically, let us invade the entire church whilst we refuelled - thank you to St Keverne Church for letting us ramblers through the door, out of the wind, to use your facilities, and to have some comfy pews to sit upon as we ate our sarnies. Even the dogs were allowed in 🐶
I’m not religious, but there’s something very peaceful about being inside a church, I find it very comforting - especially when you have got a group of lovely ramblers to share it with.
This particular coastline was a bit rough and ready with lots of boulders to navigate over and bogs to dodge, but with only a handful of stiles that, thankfully, weren’t too athletically challenging. Another beautiful corner of Cornwall ticked off the rambling list, with plenty of golden gorse to make me smile, and ferocious waves to keep us occupied as we hiked our way around.
Carn Marth and Gwennap Pit
6.2-miles, easy to moderate
What a spectacular way to spend St Pirans Day - rambling 6-miles from Gwennap Pit to Carn Marth with a bunch of wonderful folks, in the sunshine - perfection.
📍 If you’ve yet to explore this neck of the woods, I absolutely recommend it. Not only was it my stomping ground throughout the first two lockdowns and kept me sane at such an uncertain time, it is also a place where I’ve created many wonderful memories with friends over the years. It was lovely to share it with my ramblers.
One of the most exciting sections of this route is Gwennap Pit. As you make your way up the grassy steps, get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor as it opens up to a 12-tiered amphitheater. This historical site is the spot in which English cleric, theologian, and evangelist, John Wesley, once described as “the most magnificent spectacle this side of heaven.”
The amphitheater can fit up to 1500 people and it is said if you were to walk around every single ring from top to bottom and back up again, you will walk an exact mile – have you tried it yet?
Once you have spent enough time racing each other around the Pit, the next leg of the walk will take you up to one of my favourite places to sit and think; Carn Marth (Karn Margh).
Carn Marth is essentially a really big hill. Standing at approximately 771ft high, it is known for its large quarry at the top which is popular with fishermen and those who choose to go for a dip (I wouldn’t recommend it though as quarries can be dangerous).
On a clear day like this particular one, you will be treated to panoramic shots of St. Agnes Beacon, Falmouth, the reservoir at Stithians, and even Roughtor and Brown Willy; the highest hill in Cornwall all the way over on Bodmin Moor. Impressive right?
Helston and Cober Valley
5.1-miles, easy to moderate
Not all rambles go as planned. This ramble was originally meant to be a 6-mile coastal adventure from Mullion to Predannack but, thanks to Storm Eunice causing disruption, I made the decision to change the route to one with less potential of being hurled off a cliff by a gust of wind!
So, rather than a coastal hike, we ended up on a wonderful 5-mile inland stroll around Helston and the Cober Valley, which included;
🗿 Balancing precariously across stepping stones whilst the river flashed by so freaking quickly.
🌳 Slipping and sliding around on tree roots, mud, and leaves whilst overgrown branches slapped us in the face - it was hilarious.
🏠 Losing a quarter of the group in a housing estate (they were found safe and sound by the way!).
🍎 Taking a halfway mark break by the idyllic river whilst the trees swayed above our heads.
💛 Finding fields filled with beautiful happy daffodils that made us all smile.
It was certainly an eventful morning, but this is why I love Cornish Ramblings; there’s always a hand to grab when tackling stepping stones.
Gorran Haven to Dodman Point
4.9-miles, moderate
Dodman Point (Penn Den Varow) is the highest headland on the south coast, measuring 374 feet. You’ll stumble across this impressive headland if you walk approximately 3-miles along the coast from Gorran Haven, and it’s roughly a 15-minute drive from the fishing port of Mevagissey.
Dodman Point is also known by its earlier names the Deadman and Deadman's Point, and hosts the remains of an Iron Age promontory fort.
Walk towards the sea and you’ll find this large granite cross which is named the "Parson Martin's Cross" – apparently, back in 1896, it was put there to encourage those involved in Christian service, but it also aids navigation around the headland.
Gorran Haven (Cornish: Porthust) is a fishing village on the south coast of Cornwall, about 2-miles south of Mevagissey, and lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). There are two small sandy beaches; Gorran Haven beach and Little Perhaver beach, which you can walk across to from the main beach at low tide. They are also dog friendly all year round.
This ramble was another corker, with plenty of views to keep us all entertained.
Port Gaverne to Barratt's Zawn
7-miles, moderate to strenuous
This seven-mile ramble from Port Gaverne to Barrett’s Zawn quite literally had us on our hands and knees. Was it flipping fantastic? Absolutely. Was the entire coastline jaw-dropping? Hell yes. Did everyone have a wonderful time? Of course! But was the three-mile coastal stretch of this route basically a slip and slide that left us all tentatively creeping along just to make sure we stayed upright?! Uuuh, YES!
At one point, we were actually scaling up the side of a cliff crouched on all fours - apologies to anyone who had my butt in their face! But we all made it without too much mud splattered up our trousers AND without any mega falls so, yippee to that! As we crawled uphill to the car park, the last part of this seven miler, I was truly relieved to see everyone with smiles still plastered across their weary faces, and with plenty of friendly waves and “see you next times” as they parted ways to their various corners of Cornwall. What a day!
I have included two pictures from this ramble - a before and after shot. Can you tell which one is which?
Pendeen to Portheras
4-miles, moderate
Holy flipping moly, what a magnificent ramble this one was. I took my wonderful walking group for a four-mile adventure down west to Pendeen, and although it was only a short walk, it was packed with so much to see and with plenty of variety, it felt more like a glorious ten-mile ramble.
It was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday and to also see so many new faces, mixed with plenty of familiar ones of course. everyone chatting and laughing. And to my brave ramblers who joined me for a swim down at Boat Cove at the end of this walk…what a perfect way to end the day.
If you do this walk (and I recommend you do) you can expect...
Rugged coastline ✅
Crystal clear mermaid pools ✅
Sparkling azure sea ✅
Mining history ✅
Boggy adventures ✅
Working beam engine ✅
Cute Lighthouse ✅
This second ramble of 2022 really did have it all...
Penrose, Loe Bar, and Porthleven
6-miles, easy to moderate
The first ramble of 2022 and it was an absolute flipping belter.
Twenty-six delightful folks turned up to join me for a 6-mile ramble from Penrose to Porthleven. It was wonderful to see lots of new faces - in fact, the majority of the group was brand spanking new to Cornish Ramblings, which was incredible.
We started at Penrose and rambled our way around to Porthleven via sheltered woodland and views of The Loe - the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall. As we descended into Porthleven I made the decision to stop for a 20-minute snack break on the beach, before heading into the heart of Porthleven where we treated ourselves to a hot drink at Nauti But Ice, and a divine cinnamon bun.
The great thing about this iWalk Cornwall circular route is that the inland return stretch still gives you incredible views of the sweeping coastline, before immersing you along a few (muddy!) pathways between fields and trees. A picturesque ramble filled with endless chatter and plenty of laughter - what a perfect way to kick off the rambling season!
That's all for now...
There are a gazillion more adventures to be shared with you which I will share in part three over the coming months. But here is another little snapshot to whet your whistle of where our boots have traversed throughout the last year, and where you could explore too if you joined us.
Instagram and Facebook are also where I share our adventures so if you aren't already following us there, please pop across today and give us a follow. I tend to share something most days!
Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of our rambling snapshots and until then, I will maybe see some of you out there on the trails.
Comments