Lerryn and St Winnow

This is a lovely winter 'quickie' walk - just 4½ miles long, in beautiful countryside. It includes a church with one of the most glorious settings in Cornwall.

The scene would, perhaps, have been still more beautiful had the tide been in, but then we would have missed seeing the abundant wildlife feeding on the mud banks. We paused on several occasions to watch egrets digging for food with their long, slender beaks.

The walk starts in the picturesque village of Lerryn, where the first challenge is to negotiate the stepping stones. They're actually far more secure than they look in the photo, and nothing to this seasoned walker and aspiring stunt girl.

From there, a woodland path follows the shore of the creek before turning north-west beside the River Fowey. This being winter, by the time we arrived at St Winnow our boots were more than a little muddy, so we didn't even check on whether the church was open but instead headed up across the fields, back towards Lerryn. That's when we found real mud - thick, deep and squelchy. "This is so much fun," I kept telling myself, only half believing it.

Before long, however, we were dropping down to a thickly wooded valley and a path that took us back to the creek and Lerryn. Despite the sticky stuff, I can highly recommend this walk. We will definitely return, perhaps linking it to some of the other footpaths in the area for a day's walking.

Godrevy: Walking down the Christmas Turkey

I promised myself that I was not going to over-eat this Christmas. My weight has been edging up over the past few months, leaving no margin for Yuletide indulgence without becoming clinically obese.

I've broken my promise! By yesterday all my fitted skirts seemed to have shrunk! There was only one remedy - eschew the boxes and tins of chocs from well-meaning friends, leave the Christmas Cake and plonk for another day, and get out in the fresh air.

One nice consequence of having the family visiting for Christmas is a surfeit of motor cars, so we left one in Tehidy Country Park, then drove over to Godrevy in another to start our walk.

I honestly feel that Godrevy is one of the most beautiful spots in Cornwall, even in the middle of winter. We made our way around the headland, taking in the view of St Ives and Trencrom Hill across the water, and Godrevy Light on it's little rocky island.

A small group of people up ahead, clustered above a cove on the north side of the headland and peering down to the pebble-strewn beach below, signalled that we would soon be in for a treat, and indeed we were! I counted about 30 seals down there - a few in the water, but most resting quietly on the foreshore. I presume that they are Grey Seals (rather than Common Seals) but I'm sure one of my readers will enlighten me.

From Godrevy, we walked along the North Cliffs before cutting down over the fields to Coombe and back into Tehidy Woods. There, set among the trees, is a delightful cafe that serves cappuccinos and delicious salmon-filled Bagels.

I'll start my diet tomorrow!

Out at last! The Hayle River

I've been missing our countryside walks. Whenever I have the time to get out it seems to be raining, and when I'm busy the skies clear.

Today, between shopping for granddaughter's Christmas present (failed), stocking up on cosmetics (succeeded) and sending off the last of the Christmas cards (succeeded... I think) we found the time for a relaxing walk beside the Hayle River between St Erth and Relubbus.

They were dredging tin out of the Hayle River as recently as 1944, but now all is at peace. When we were here about 18 months ago the reeds and tall grasses on the river banks were alive with wild life, but today our total wildlife count was one heron, one squirrel and two rabbits. Still, the place had an air of tranquil beauty. Nature rests, ready to spring to new life in a few month's time.

St Erth Church is worth a closer look. The first time we were here, back in 1992, we were shown round by an enthusiastic clergyman. Most of the floor in front of the altar had been removed for renovation, revealing the remains of an earlier - possibly Norman - church and an old grave too. Now, like the river bank, all is at peace again.

Wadebridge, Polbrock and Burlawn

Monday was a wonderfully sunny Autumn day and far too nice to stay at home, so we set off for Wadebridge and one of our favourite walks.

Wadebridge is on the Camel Trail - an old railway line that is now a very popular cycle path, linking Padstow with the foothills of Bodmin Moor. In the summer months it can be somewhat hazardous for walkers, but at this time of the year it's simply glorious.

For this walk we parked on the 'upstream' side of the town and followed the Camel Trail for about 2½ miles to Polbrock Bridge. The sun, low in the sky, glinted on the water of the River Camel, making it look even more beautiful, I felt, than I'd ever seen it before. I tried to capture the beauty on the camera, but my photographic skills weren't really up to it. A couple of footpaths offer the chance to escape the Trail (and the bicycles!) - one to the left through Bishop's Wood and another to the right beside the river, but this time we stuck with the old railway line, which we shared with three cyclists and a few fellow walkers.

At Polbrock, we bade farewell to the Trail, crossed the river and followed a deserted woodland path through Bishop's Wood, eventually emerging at Hustyn Mill. I remember coming here in my courting days. The car seemed to stand on its tail as we drove up the steep hill towards Bodmin and I felt sure we'd end up in a ditch! Now it looks quite tame, though I suspect that most of the bumps have been smoothed out with fresh tarmac. Our route lay in the opposite direction.

The road to Burlawn is almost as steep, though not as narrow. It seemed to go on for ever, but we contented ourselves with the knowledge that this was the only uphill stretch on the whole 6-mile walk. From Burlawn, a pleasant downhill track through farmland brought us back to Wadebridge. In this picture you can see the River Camel, the old Bridge on Wool, and beyond it the modern road bridge.

Incidentally, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway have plans to relay the track between Wadebridge and their present terminus at Boscarne. I hope they never succeed; sharing the Trail with cyclists is one thing, but making room for a full-sized railway as well is just too ghastly to contemplate.

St Hilary

It's strikes me as faintly amusing that there's a saint named Hilary. I associate Hilary with a motherly soul of my childhood who always had the kettle sizzling on the stove and served scones liberally coated in jam, and with enormous helpings of Cornish Clotted Cream. However, lest I run the risk of hate mail from every Hilary who perchance alights on this site, I should point out that today's particular Hilary was a bloke.

When we first visited St Hilary Church, in the early 1990's, there was a notice in the porch proclaiming that the Reformation had never happened here, or words to that effect. It's gone now, but this church has courted its fair share of controversy over the years - most famously in 1932 when "a coachload of hired labourers" (to quote the incumbent of the time) tore down and destroyed everything that they saw as tainted with Popery. Fortunately, they didn't get the lot as there had been prior warning of the attack, and much of the remainder has been lovingly restored. I'm not sure that I like that Rood over the sanctuary arch, though, but that's probably just my low-church bias showing through.

Our walk from St Hilary Church followed the route in Bob Acton's book A View from Trencrom, taking us through fields, over ancient stone cattle grids and down leafy lanes. It's only 4½ miles long - rather short for our regular summer jaunts, but ideal for an autumn 'quicky'.

Before descending to Goldsithney there's a surprise view of St Michael's Mount, and later on an Engine House that has been converted into a rather nice residence. I bet the view from their upstairs lounge is impressive!

Trelowarren

I'm a bit late with this one as the Trelowarren estate, near Helston, is only open to visitors from 1st April to 30th September. The woodlands are lovely, the history enthralling, and it's all free. There's an excellent restaurant that serves really tasty meals and afternoon snacks, but even when we don't spend money here I'm left with the feeling of being welcome. Moreover, the whole estate is mercifully unblighted by ridiculous notices, warning you that 'Paths are slippery when wet', 'Undergound chambers are dark', etc.

The Woodland Walk is a firm family favourite. First stop is The Mound, created from earth removed during the building of a drive on the estate, and now the highest point on the Lizard Peninsula. If you've eschewed the restaurant's fine food, this is an excellent spot for a picnic.

From The Mound, a short walk across a corn field and down a quiet lane brings you to Halliggye Fogou. Followers of this blog will know that I have a fascination for megalithic structures, and this one's the grand-daddy of them all. It's basically a stone-lined underground chamber with narrow passages leading off it, the precise purpose of which is shrouded in mystery. When we came here earlier in the year we were wise enough to be wearing old clothes and carrying a torch. On the return visit, as you see, I had to be rather more careful!

Our route next took us into the woodlands, past beautiful Time Share cottages, then down into the valley and to Ten Ton Bridge - a great place to play Pooh Sticks. From here it's possible to explore several paths, but eventually you should end up climbing back to that nice restaurant again. I recommend a glass of cool Elderflower Juice, followed by a leisurly stroll around the arts and crafts gallaries that border the courtyard.

Zennor Head, Trevail Mill and the Coffin Path

Zennor is a good starting point for several walks. One may climb Zennor Hill, taking in Zennor Quoit on the way, trek further inland and explore West Cornwall's long-defunct china clay industry (something we've yet to do) or take to the Coast Path.

My first picture is taken from Zennor Head, looking South West over Pendour Cove, with Gurnard's Head in the distance. Unfortunately, the Coast Path in this direction is closed, having been seriously damaged during torrential rain last April. We therefore headed in the opposite direction.

Progress was slow, not simply because of the inevitable rises and falls in the path (coastal walking is rarely flat for long) but because much of the path is strewn with boulders. We were joined by a friendly couple from Falmouth who remained our walking companions for the rest of the 5 mile trek. Sometimes we would stop to watch seals bobbing lazily in the almost still water, and they would press ahead; then they would stop to harvest blackberries and we would take the lead.

From River Cove our chosen route headed inland to pick up Church Road - not really a road at all, but an ancient packhorse route that linked St Ives with St Just before the 'new' road was built in the 17th Century. According to the Pathfinder Guide Cornwall Walks, locals call it Coffin Path. This section comes as a welcome relief after the exertions of the Coast Path as it picks its way over ancient stone cattle grids, past granite farmsteads and through grassy fields, back to Zennor.

The path enters the hamlet beside Zennor Church, wherein resides the famous Mermaid of Zennor - now just a 600 year-old carving on a bench end, but once a seductive creature who, attracted by the melodic singing of the squire's son, lured him to his death in Pendour Cove. The moral of the story, quite clearly, is that singing on the Coast Path is a dangerous pastime!