May 14, 2024, Padstow to Porthcothan. (Day 2)
What a wonderful spread of fruit, yogurt, cereal, porridge, or warm breakfast! After filling up, we started our 13.5-mile walk to Porthcothan Bay from Padstow with a steep climb. It was a clear, chilly day, and the vistas were spectacular—just what we had come to see.
We could see a stone tower on Stepper Point, built in the 1830s as a day marker for navigational purposes. Today, it is known as the Stepper Point Daymark.
We walked through sheep fields, passed many coves and inlets, a few quarries, climbed down steep ravines, and back up the other side.
Today was cold, rainy, and windy (40-45 mph). At times, I turned my back to the wind, planted my hiking poles firmly into the ground, and leaned on them to keep from being blown off the cliffs. It was a bit scary at times, but we managed to arrive safely.
Porthcoton is a coastal village known for its sandy beaches and surfing. It has legends of smuggling where fishermen claimed goods from shipwrecks and sold them to augment their income.
Porthcothan Beach and the clifftop fields nearby were used to film Poldark, especially the shots of Ross riding his horse.
After a tiring walk, we returned to the B&B in Padstow via taxi.
I can feel that cold and wind as I look at the photos. And I feel the trepidation as you neared some of those eroded pathways near the sea. Glad you made it safe and sound back to your cozy B&B!
Does the area around Padstow have the huge tidal changes anything like the Bay of Fundy does?
Bay of fundy has the largest tidal range in the world because of its shape. It has a narrow and elongated passage, which forms a funnel shape.
The biggest amplitudes along the English coast are at the end of narrow funnels, like the Bristol Channel between Cornwall and Wales, which experiences tides of 13m (43 feet).