Polzeath to Pentire Point Circular Walk

Short circular walk around the headland that fronts Pozeath

An awesome wander around Pentire Point from the village of Polzeath. This is a must for anyone who visits this classic piece of Cornish coastline. A few challenges but nothing that an average walker can muster

• Notes
• Directions

Polzeath to Pentire Point Circular - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

• Start location: Polzeath 
• Distance:   miles (  km)
• Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
• Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
• Min Height:   ft (  metre)
• Max Height:   ft (  metre)
• Walk Time:  
• Walk type: Circular
• Walk Grade: Moderate
• Terrain: Footpaths

Maps:

The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.

 

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map

OS Explorer 106 - Newquay & Padstow

GPX Route File

Accommodation:

Valley Camping and Caravan Park, PolzeathView in OS Map | View in Google Map

Website

http://www.valleycaravanpark.co.uk/

Description

A friendly and welcoming family owned camp and caravan site close to the beach at polzeath

Route Verification Details

• Date of Walk: 2016-06-30
• Walk Time: 10:30 to 13:00
• Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
• Weather Conditions: Blue skies with some fluffy clouds, warm

Walk Notes

During undertaking the challenge of the South West Coast Path, Griffmonster Walks used Polzeath as a base on two separate occasions. One circular walk was always a joy to amble along and was undertaken several times. This was the popular route out to The Rumps and Pentire Point, the headland that juts out from the bay where Polzeath nestles.

The headland is in fact two conjoined headlands known as the Rumps which is fronted by a small island named The Mouls. A narrow neck joins the headland to the mainland and it is this formation that made it a good defensive site in times gone by. Some 2000 years ago an iron age fort was established here. Little is left of the fortification these days and to the casual walker passing by there is little to giveaway the ancient structures that once adorned this granite promontory. To the more trained eye then there are telltale evidence of banks and ditches that defended attacks from the landward side. Archaeological investigations of the area in the 1960s revealed ramparts and indications of roundhouses as well as signs of domestic civilisation such as pottery, beads, weaving spindles and bones.

The Rumps

For the more adventurous there are paths that lead out to the tip of the headlands before making ones way back along the western side of the promontory towards Pentire Point. Looking back to the The Rumps will reveal the humped rocks of Rumps Point looking like a dragon rising up from the sea. There are probably myths and legends about this but I have yet to find them in published format.

As we reach Pentire Point where the coast turns to head back to Polzeath, there is a plaque set upon a stone on the cliff-top. Upon the plaque is an inscription that is entitled For the Fallen under which is a subtitle, Composed on these cliff, 1914 followed by the quoted stanza of poet Laurence Binyon's work commonly known as The Ode.

The plaque was put in place in 2001 to commemorate the fact that Binyon had written these words on this very headland. The words are in honour of the casualties of the British Expeditionary Force at the Battle of Mons and the Battle of the Marne in the opening phase of the war on the Western Front.

View back to Polzeath

The last part of this walk heads back down to Polzeath. If one times the walk right then access to the beach can be gained at Slipper Point, just before New Polzeath where the coast path leads around Pentireglaze Haven. This sandy bay accesses the vast beach in front of Polzeath. Be careful and only attempt this if it is around low tide.

View across the bay

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Directions

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Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-12-07

2020-07-21 : Initial Publication

2021-03-13 : Website map updates

2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance

2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

Related Walk Links

• Walks around Polzeath
• Walks along the South West Coast Path
• Walks for OS Map 106, Newquay & Padstow

Click to Read More about this Walk

St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick

Short walk to St Endocs Church, buried in the sands of the coastal area close to Polzeath

The church of St Endoc is located in the coastal area close to the coast path alongside the Camel estuary. The church was buried in the shifting sands for some 300 years, being unearthed in the 19th century. Whether walking the coast path or visiting this area, the church is well worth a visit

• Notes
• Directions

St Enodoc's Church, Trebetherick - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

• Start location: Road from Polzeath 
• End location: St Enodoc Church 
• Distance:   miles (  km)
• Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
• Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
• Min Height:   ft (  metre)
• Max Height:   ft (  metre)
• Walk Time:  
• Walk type: Linear
• Walk Grade: Easy
• Terrain: Footpaths, Road

Maps:

The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.

 

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map

OS Explorer 106 - Newquay & Padstow

GPX Route File

Accommodation:

Valley Camping and Caravan Park, PolzeathView in OS Map | View in Google Map

Website

http://www.valleycaravanpark.co.uk/

Description

A friendly and welcoming family owned camp and caravan site close to the beach at polzeath

Route Verification Details

• Date of Walk: 2015-07-02
• Walk Time: 11:00 to 11:30
• Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
• Weather Conditions: Overcast but warm

Walk Notes

This is not so much of a walk as a visit. Unlike most walks on this site which vary from simple 3 milers to major hikes, this is less than 1 mile to the church and only 1.2 miles for the total return distance. The main reason for including this to the Griffmonsters walk site is for the visit to St Endocs church which may be missed by walkers, hikers or visitors to the area. It has to be said that there is a way marker for the church on the South West Coast Path that points down a footpath across the golf course. However, such features are probably disregarded by most walkers when the intention is to get from A to B. In this case, it is worth the diversion and from the coast path which is less than half a mile there and back, and there is no need to plot the route as it is fairly obvious.

On the left is Sir John Betjeman's gravestone and on the right, the church hidden in the sand dunes

In this instance we plot a route from the nearest road, the unclassified road that links Polzeath and Rock. There is a lay-by opposite the Daymer Bay road, and there is also a bus stop close by at the Mowhay Cafe which is served by the buses between Rock and Polzeath. From this point it is a simple ramble down the lane, and then a footpath across to the sunken church for that is what it looks like on approaching it. A crooked spire poking out of the ground on the golf course. The site is said to have been the location of a cave that was the hermitage of St Enodoc, a 6th century Saint. Enodoc (aka St Guinedoc) is thought to have hailed from Wales, from the line of the chieftain Brychan of Brecknock. Virtually all the references I have thus far found have related that some historians suggest that Enodoc was a woman named Qendydd yet I can find no reference to a historian who has staked such a claim. Surely a different name would relate to a different person, but until I can find an academic source to verify this then it must be taken with a pinch of salt.

12th Century Font

The church is said to date from the 12th century with additions from the 13th and 15th centuries. An information board inside the church suggests there may well have been a wooden church predating both this construction and St Endocs cave, from the 3rd century. The board also states that an ancient oratory was discovered close by on Brea Hill in 1822 when the sands shifted after a severe gale. The unstable location of the church in these coastal dunes is reputed to have buried the church up to its eaves for some 300 years from the 16th to 19th century. This is believable considering its present situation which could almost be a deep bunker on the golf course. Approaching it from the road it does appear to still be buried with the crooked spire, curved and untrue, poking above the depression that hides most of the church.

On the left is the church interior, on the right is the Mably memorial

On entering the porch there is a large stone Celtic cross alongside an impressive inscribed memorial stone dedicated to John Mably who died in 1687. Inside is a 12th century granite font with lead lined bowl. Altogether this is a peaceful little secret hidden away from sight apart from the eyes of the golfers and those who dare to wander off of the regular trails. It is well worth the time to take out for a visit.

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Directions

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Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-12-12

2020-07-19 : Initial Publication

2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance

2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

Related Walk Links

• Walks around Polzeath
• Walks for OS Map 106, Newquay & Padstow

Click to Read More about this Walk

South West Coast Path - Rock To Polzeath

Short walk from Rock ferry to Polzeath along the Camel Estuary

A short section of the South West Coast Path that can be undertaken either as part of a more extensive hike or merely as a return ramble from Polzeath and across to Padstow. Fairly easy by SWCP standards and stunning scenery as is always the case with this Cornish coastline, and whilst taking all of this in one can contemplate the legendary Doom Bar that sits in the waters of the estuary.

• Notes
• Directions

Rock To Polzeath - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

• Start location: Rock Ferry 
• End location: Polzeath 
• Distance:   miles (  km)
• Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
• Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
• Min Height:   ft (  metre)
• Max Height:   ft (  metre)
• Walk Time:  
• Walk type: Linear
• Walk Grade: Moderate
• Terrain: Footpaths

Maps:

The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.

 

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map

OS Explorer 106 - Newquay & Padstow

GPX Route File

Accommodation:

Valley Camping and Caravan Park, PolzeathView in OS Map | View in Google Map

Website

http://www.valleycaravanpark.co.uk/

Description

A friendly and welcoming family owned camp and caravan site close to the beach at polzeath

Route Verification Details

• Date of Walk: 2015-06-28
• Walk Time: 14:30 to 16:00
• Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
• Weather Conditions: Warm and a little overcast

Walk Notes

This walk was initially undertaken as the final section of a walk from Porthcothan to Polzeath but was subsequently walked on other occasions as access to the ferry across to Padstow. It is a simple wander along the Camel Estuary and for anyone staying at Polzeath makes a great way to have a day out in Padstow. The first section from the hamlet of Rock is through the dunes along a well trodden path. Beyond Daymer Bay the path is surfaced to make an easy wander into Polzeath. The views along the route which borders the River Camel Estuary are a wonder to behold and it is well worth the wander just to witness the panorama.

Entrance to the Camel estuary

The wide estuary is the home of the infamous Doom Bar, the name glorified in the beer brewed by the local Rock Brewery and marketed nationally. This dangerous sandbank in the centre of the estuary has claimed the beaching and wreck as well as the lives of countless ships and vessels over the centuries. The number of wrecks since the early 19th century when records began is said to be more than 600 highlighting the danger this poses to shipping. Even today the Doom Bar still claims wreck and lives to unwary sailors.

As with many Cornish landmarks, the Doom Bar has a legend attached to it. The story is recorded in the 1906 book North Cornwall fairies and legends by Nellie Sloggett under the pseudonym of Enys Tregarthen. Born in Padstow in 1851 and being paralysed by a spinal condition at 17 years old, Nellie took to writing and recording details of the natural flora a wildlife of the Cornish coast that she observed from her bedroom window, eventually publishing book under the pseudonym of Nellie Cornwall. Later she devoted her life to recording the folklore, myths and legends of Cornwall under the name of Enys Tregarthen, from which this summary is taken.

The legend attached to the Doom Bar concerns a Padstow Mermaid. It was this Mermaid whom a tall and good looking young man named Tristram Bird encountered when out hunting seals with a newly purchased gun. He found her on a rock in Hawkers Cove, the location of the present day Lifeboat station on the Padstow side of the estuary. She was described as a beautiful young women casually sitting on the rock and brushing her hair as seems to be the case for many Cornish mermaids. That is what Cornish mermaids do, sit and brush their hair! Succumbed by her beauty Tristram offered to marry her, no bones about it, no lets go for a drink and see how we get on, he went straight for the blunt question of 'Will you marry me?' without even hesitating to determine that she was not a normal young girl but fully signed up and certified mermaid complete with fish tail. You would have thought this lack of human legs would have been a giveaway, but young Tristram was so entranced by the beauty of her upper body that the question was popped and she instantly refused his proposals. Despite much protestation and remonstration that he would be her best suitor, the blank refusals resulted in Tristram calmly pointing his gun and shooting her on the side. A bit drastic, one has to admit. It is at this point he became aware that he had shot a mermaid, the fish tail a bit of a giveaway once his eyes focused on her whole body.

As she lay there drawing her final breaths she pronounced a curse, from Hawker's Cove to Trebetherick Bay there would be a bar of sand which will be a bar of doom to many stately ship. Sure enough, that very night a terrific gale blew up, the like of which had never been seen in the living memory of the folk of Padstow. Once it had subsided the following morning, there in the middle of the estuary was a sandbank littered with wrecked ships and the bodies of drowned men. It is still said that whenever craft are wrecked on the Doom Bar, that the cry of the mermaid can be heard on the winds.

Daymer Bay

The details of this legend that were written by Nellie Sloggett are very much more an embroidered story to captivate the reader. Nonetheless the legend is part of the rich folklore of Cornwall and this story was probably handed down over the centuries by word of mouth across the generations of those who called Padstow home. Reiterated countless times by the fisherfolk of the town, told in the inns when storms were brewing. It could be said that modern science has a better explanation for the formation of the Doom Bar, being nothing more than coarse sediment deposited from the sea bed by the inflow of waters to the estuary and assisted by wave and tides. However such processes are still not fully understood, so maybe it was just the curse of a mermaid. It certainly makes a better story to tell on a dark stormy night than that of natural transportation of sediment.

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Directions

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Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-12-07

2020-07-19 : Initial Publication

2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance

2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

Related Walk Links

• Walks around Polzeath
• Walks along the South West Coast Path
• Walks for OS Map 106, Newquay & Padstow

Click to Read More about this Walk

Bodmin Steam Railway Walk

Route that connects the stations of Boscarne Junction and Bodmin General

A walk along the steam railway between Boscarne Junction and Bodmin General. Althoguh the path does not exclusively follow the railway it is nonetheless a pleasant walk for most of the distance with the attractions of the busy steam railway at Bodmin General station.

• Notes
• Directions

Bodmin Steam Railway Walk - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

• Start location: Boscarne Junction 
• End location: Bodmin General 
• Distance:   miles (  km)
• Total Gain:   ft (  metre)
• Total Descent:   ft (  metre)
• Min Height:   ft (  metre)
• Max Height:   ft (  metre)
• Walk Time:  
• Walk type: Linear
• Walk Grade: Easy
• Terrain: Footpaths, Country Lanes, Tracks, Permissive, Paths, Road

Maps:

The following maps and services can assist in navigating this route. There are links to printed maps and links to downloadable GPX route data for importing into navigational software and apps.

 

Ordnance Survey Explorer Map

OS Explorer 109 - Bodmin Moor

GPX Route File

Accommodation:

Valley Camping and Caravan Park, PolzeathView in OS Map | View in Google Map

Website

http://www.valleycaravanpark.co.uk/

Description

A friendly and welcoming family owned camp and caravan site close to the beach at polzeath

Route Verification Details

• Date of Walk: 2016-07-02
• Walk Time: 10:30 to 12:00
• Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
• Weather Conditions: Cloudy, some rain

Walk Notes

Heritage railways are always well worth seeking out and this is no exception with plenty of steam hauled rolling stock that chugs through the Cornish countryside. A plethora of former Great Western tank engines haul the trains intermixed with former British Rail diesels and multiple units.

Train departs Boscarne junction

This is a simple walk that connects the two stations of Boscarne Junction and Bodmin General on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. This section of line was originally part of the The Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway and dates from 1834 when it was opened to transport minerals and agricultural sea sand. The line closed as a passenger service in 1967 although freight operations continued until 1978. One section of the line to Wenfordbridge remained open for the china clay industry until 1983 and shortly after this closure The Bodmin Railway Preservation Society was set up to purchase the line and set up the heritage railway. Since then, the railway has grown in strength with the line reinstated between Bodmin Parkway and Bodmin General in 1990, and an extension to Boscarne Junction restored in 1996. Today a regular service links the 6½ miles between Bodmin Parkway and Boscarne Junction via Bodmin General.

Camel Trail way marker

For those arriving from afar, as Griffmonster Walks did on this occasion, there is a car park on the A389 east of Bodmin. This is next to the path down to Boscarne junction and is all part of the Camel Trail that continues down to Padstow. The trail from Boscarne is through picturesque woodland through to the town of Bodmin where a short walk connects to Bodmin General station. Altogether a great day of exploring trains and countryside and easy walking for all ages and abilities.

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Directions

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XXX

Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: 2021-12-07

2020-07-16 : Initial Publication

2021-03-17 : Update website improvements and removal of ViewRanger reliance

2021-12-01 : Removal of ViewRanger links due to its imminent demise

Related Walk Links

• Walks around Bodmin
• Walks along the Camel Trail
• Walks for OS Map 109, Bodmin Moor

Click to Read More about this Walk