Dodman Point to Gorran Haven - 2.3 miles

OS Explorer 105: grid reference SX003393 to SX0013416

Walk Duration 1 Hour 30 minutes  

Walked in reverse. Our route followed Walk 4 in Bob Acton's excellent guidebook From the Roseland to St. Austell Bay: 18 Round Walks from Portscatho to Par. Park your car at the Gorran Haven car park. Turn left and head for the harbour, using the toilets if required. Turn right up Fox Hole Lane, up steps following the coastpath as marked (also signed as a public footpath to Vault Beach ½ mile). Continue climbing crossing a stile into a field, this is the start of the NT property of Lamledra. Climb to a kissing gate - we found our sticks invaluable here! The path levels out now and drops slightly near a small rocky headland. Keep left taking the lower path where offered. Now about 15 minutes into the walk drop down the slaty steps to round Pen-a-Maen (or Maenease) Point. Ignore the rather indistinct 'fishing' path than runs off to the left here. Pass above Little Sand Cove and pause for photographs if you wish. Progress is good now as the path runs level for some way. As you round another corner keep right following the waymarker slightly uphill away from the coast. Below you lies Cadythew Rock. At the rise walk through a kissing gate and stop for a while at a well placed seat.

The beach below right is Vault (or Bow) Beach. The sand and fine shingle almost grey-yellow due to the slaty geology here. The headland is Dodman Point. Where the path splits bear slightly left by a stile. The fields give way to gorse and scrub as the path rises gradually to a stepped wooden stile and the exit NT omega of Lamledra. Now at the hour mark of the walk, cross another stile leaving the beach behind. Pass through yet another stile and drop down at first before a quick spurt uphill leads you to a wooden signpost. Ahead lies Dodman Point 1/2 mile, to your right lies Penare 1/3 mile and the signpost indicates you have travelled 1¾ miles from Gorran Haven. Follow the pointer to Dodman Point. Cross another stile into an open field for about 5 minutes before leaving by another stile. Notice how the headland shelters the sea on its eastern flank against the prevailing westerly winds. Catch your first glimpse of the coastline to the west around Nare Head and Zone Point and within seconds your first sighting of the large granite cross that marks your end point. Arrive at the cross some 90 minutes after setting out. Return to Gorran Haven via The Bulwark, Penare and Treveague. Duration: 2 hours 35 mins for the round trip

Previous walk: Caerhays (Porthluney) to Dodman Point
Next walk: Gorran Haven to Mevagissey