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Landscape
Celtic Cornwall
Ancient Sites
Where to Go
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Gorran Haven to Mevagissey - 3.5 milesOS Explorer 105: grid reference SX013416 to SX015448 View Map Walk Duration About 1 Hour
Park your car in the large car park at Gorran Haven. Head down through the narrow streets to the beach. Turn left here to head up Church Street passing beside Beach Corner Cottage. Pass the turning to Little Perhaver Beach continuing up the hill. Turn right where waymarked up Cliff Road following it as it steepens. Bear right where signed 'The Coastpath'. Climb a pair of stiles into fields passing through a kissing gate and onto a boardwalk above an old landslip. The beach below is the totally inaccessible Great Perhaver Beach. Continue through the fields passing stiles where present. Drop down the slope to cross a stream by means of a boardwalk. Proceed up the other side noting that the path is fenced on your left, that is, keeping you to seaward..... Note: As we neared Pabyer Point [grid ref. SX021428] we began to feel disheartened. Offshore gusts and showers along with the fenced path made our minds up. We were also feeling quite tired as we had already done the 4 mile round trip from Gorran Haven to Dodman and back. We decided to return to the car...We will try to compete this 'missing mile' later.
The previous week, in far better weather conditions, we had driven to Mevagissey. We walked up the left hand side of the harbour to Pentewan via Polstreath and Penare Point [grid ref. SX020458] before returning to the harbour for lunch. We sat near the harbour light at Stuckumb Point and considered our afternoon walk. We would walk as far as we could towards Gorran Haven.....Leave the harbour and head into the town. Head left up the hill passing Polkirt House. Continue climbing heading past seats to reach the Nare Court Hotel on the crest of the hill. The coastpath runs along the road here so take care especially in full summer. Pass above Polkirt Beach and drop down by Treloen Apartments into the small seaside village of Portmellon [grid ref. SX015439]. A pavement has been thoughtfully provided for the last few metres! Pass a strange roadsign stating 'Beware of waves' - the reason becoming clear when you notice that the lowest point of the village beside the 'Rising Sun Inn' is below sea level and under water at high tides. To confirm this, look to your right as you pass Mitchells Boatyard - there is sand and seaweed strewn inland of you on the road! Climb out of Portmellon and follow the sign left onto the coastpath. There is now a very pleasant walk to Chapel Point along a well marked path or a tarmac route some metres higher up the slope. Take a few moments out here for a drink or photos as you near the Spanish style whitewashed buildings nestling among the trees on the tip of Chapel Point. Look across the small valley to see the fenced path above Colona Beach and Turbot Point that leads ultimately to Gorran Haven via Pabyer Point.
'Few people know that the residents of Mevagissey hung a monkey in 1805 fearing it was a spy for Napoleonic France....' Previous walk: Dodman Point to Gorran Haven |
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