The remaining part of Section 38 in the SWCPA handbook
7.7 km along the coast and 2.7 km inland
We liked staying at Lime Kiln at Portholland in the autumn, and discovered that not only do they give a discount to returning visitors, but also for a short time in the spring, when the Camellias are at their best, the castle gardens are open to the public and free to those renting properties. So it seemed a good time to come back.
From Portholland it is only a short drive (though slow on the windy narrow roads) back to the National Trust car-park at Porth, and the tearoom. Then just a short walk down to Towan Beach. Although there was a cold East wind, the sun was shining on the waves on this almost empty long beach. I’m sure it would be very different on a warm day in the summer.
Then a fairly easy, just a few small up and downs and eventually to St Anthony’s head. Here there are a number of old military installations managed by the National Trust. We met a man in an old VW with a sign saying “Solar Coffee”, and so had a chat. Unfortunately during the weather there is not enough solar power for him to make coffee to sell – he needs it all for himself.
From there is a fairly steep path down before we cam ro a solid white building with a sign saying that it was a former paraffin store for the lighthouse, but we could see no sign of the lighthouse. A little further along we could see the lighthouse, which nestles below the cliff below the military establishments. No doubt very visible from the sea if not the land.
There are views across to St Mawes and a fairly easy path close to isolated beaches that then becomes a track which rises to go behind the sweeping lawn and buildings of Place House. This drops down to the church, St Anthony in Roseland which is almost attached to Place House.
After passing a few estate cottages we reached the small quay and a little further on a pontoon where in the summer the ferry runs to St Mawes, which is the official route of the coastal path.
As the ferry was not running, and our car was parked at Porth, we continued along the creek and followed a very useful Nation Trust permissive path that follows the edge of Porth Creek back to the car-park and the Thirstea café. Here we mat two brave (or maybe crazy) ladies who we had seen swimming from Porholland beach early this morning.
