Today in The Penwith Tour, we leave the narrow winding lanes of Mousehole behind and climb up towards Paul to journey back into the still beating ancient heart of Cornwall.
The tour will follow the winding road that skirts the sea, passed stone circles with ancient stones from the stone and bronze age, to discover isolated fishing coves seemingly untouched by time.
Part two of the Penwith tour around West Cornwall follows the sea to Land’s End
Index of destinations:- Paul to Porthgwarra
– The Penwith Tour part II
Paul
Paul takes its modern name from the patron saint of the church St Paul taken from Paulinius of Wales who also founded monasteries in Brittany – notably St Pol-de-Leon. Famously the church’s impressive tower was sighted on by the invading Spanish in 1595 and the church was largely burnt although a little of the original structure can still be seen.
There is a monument in the church wall to Dolly Pentreath of Mousehole who was claimed to be the last Cornish speaker. Fittingly it is inscribed in both English and Cornish for her stock words were “Me ne vidn kewsel Sowsnek!”” Meaning “I will not speak English!”
The alternative and older name for the churchtown is Breweny
Dolly Pentreath was a fish seller living in Mousehole sort out by an Englishman wanting to hear the last Cornish speaker and he later published a paper on the expiration of the Cornish language. Although I have heard that if the gentleman had travelled further out on to the wild Peninsular he would have heard more Cornish spoken with a slight variation between the isolated communities.
The road climbs on towards Sheffield and if you’ve a moment pause and look back down over the landscape and the the superb views across Mounts Bay to the Lizard far beyond Penwith.
The road twists and turns, flanked by gorse topped banks, occasionally dropping down through stands of mossy trees flanked by streams and it gives a real taste of the ancient character of Cornwall. Look out for Boleigh Farm that straddles the road where Samuel John Lamorna Birch lived and worked for a while and then decide whether to take the Lamorna turn off or continue on to the Merry Maidens
Lamorna
A tiny fishing village of Lamorna is backed by a quarry that supplied the granite for the Thames embankment. To this day a tumble of granite blocks can be seen on the hillside, as though the workers just walked away on day.
Just before you reach the village the pub known as the “Wink” is on the left – the Wink was a smuggling sign that contraband could be obtained.
The parking on the harbour below though is very strictly policed, so do buy a ticket and be careful of the ticket times if you use this as a base for walking from.
Back on the road and on the left the Merry Maidens are brown signed with a small lay-by to park in.
The Merry Maidens
One of the many stone circles surviving in this part of Cornwall, a county that hasn’t experienced such intensive agricultural practices as other parts of the country. Yet still many stone circles were lost through field clearances. The Merry Maidens was preserved on the express orders of Lord Falmouth to his tenants, when he forbade them to cultivate the ground. The Merry Maidens it is thought to be the finest surviving circle dating from the Late Stone age to Mid-bronze age, with a perfect circle of nineteen stones.
To continue the tour and back to the sea taking the sharp turn down to
Penberth Cove
A narrow lane follows a stream to Penberth Cove. Park beside the tinkling waters just before a sign saying “No vehicles beyond this point” and continue on foot through a beautiful hamlet of low thatched cottages.
Penberth cove, is a timelessfishing cove, headed by a huge Capstan, with a granite slipway and usually fishing boatshome from the sea. We often used to walk from here along to the bracken clad cliffs, stepping back through time, as winter revealed the bones of the old landscape. I often wondered as I passed the tiny fields once so vital to the local people – yet now long abandoned would they ever be used again?
A less difficult turn fro a car is just beside the Penberth, to Treen. There is a great pub, The Logan Rock Inn and good parking to walk across the fields to the famous rocking Logan Rock. Stand on the headland and look to the right for superb views further along the coast to Porthcurno and The Minack Theatre.
Porthcurno
A fabulous deep sandy beach sheltered on both side by low cliffs and the famous Minack Theatre of course. The first Transatlantic cable came ashore here and the Porthcurno Museum has an impressive presentation.
The Minack Theatre
The Minack is a real “must see” for our area, along with St Michael’s Mount. The theatre dramatically clings to the cliffs aboe Porthcurno Beach. It is the work of one woman originally – Rowena Cade (along with a posse of gardens!)
Allow time to wander the terraces of the theatre and admire the small gardens full of succulents, that thrive in the warmth of the granite crevices. Of course there is a super café for lunch with views to die for.
If you have time book a ticket to a performance and take a yummy picnic to enjoy. Do book well in advance – tickets are quite sort after in the height of summer.
Porthgwarra
A small fishing hamlet once again famous for its recent appearance in the new Poldark series.
This is a charming cove with a tunnel cut through the rocks to allow the fishing catch to be landed at high tide just below a quiet hamlet.
The narrow entance lane edged with a bright ribbon of yellow gorse flowers spectacularly reveals a braod heathland running down to the cliffs. Just how the BBC managed to get all of its vehicles and crew down there to film the recent scene in Poldark must have been a feat of engineering!
The tide was in when we arrived and the cove was already cast in shadow. We took the narrow tunnel cut by the miners in the last century down to the slipway. It held the very soul of the sea in its confines – the rich salty scent of so many holidays and gentle echo of the waves in it midst.
The road will finish very soon now at the world famous landmark of Lands End.
To Follow the Penwith Tour
The Penwith Tour follows the sea around the south west Peninsular. is a great way to begin to explore Cornwall
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