Pencarrow Head to Lansallos Cove - 1.5 miles

OS Explorer 107: grid reference SX150505 to SX166512

Walk Duration: 1 hour 10 mins  

Park your car at the small car park behind the church or do as we did, that is add this walk to the previous walk from Polruan to Pencarrow Head and walk to Lansallos Cove before returning inland via West Combe, Trevarder, Frogmore and Triggabrowne. Our route can be followed in Bob Acton's guidebook Around the River Fowey - Landfall Walks Book No.7. Follow the path as it heads out towards the tip of Pencarrow Head. Bear left where a slightly overgrown path leads through the bracken. The path runs quite steeply down through the ferns and may be slippery in wet weather. Pause a while on your descent to look at the fingerlike rocks stretching out seaward at Watch House Cove, grid reference SX156508. Climb rock cut steps to a stile, the route soon becoming fenced to seaward.

Now about 15 minutes after leaving Pencarrow Head cross an unusual stile with wooden railings next to a large wooden gate. Look right to see a couple of bench seats and directly ahead to see the tower of Lansallos Church. This area is known as Sandingway. Rest at the 'Mary Jocelyn 1907-1976' bench seat for a photograph. Continue eastward crossing a footbridge-stile-footbridge combination into a field above Palace Cove. Pass a further two bench seats and climb another railed stile. Walk above Sandheap Point on the relatively level grassy path. Drop steeply down, passing a wooden 2-finger signpost, a stile and a footbridge above a small shingle beach.

This is Lansallos Cove grid reference SX166512. Stop here for a picnic if you wish before continuing on to Polperro or returning inland to Polruan. The waterfall tumbling to the left of the cove is known as the Reed Water and is the site of an old water mill. The path may be traced back up a leafy lane through West Coombe to Lansallos Church for those returning westwards.

Previous walk: Fowey to Pencarrow Head
Next walk: Lansallos Cove to Polperro