Newquay, England

May 15, Porthcothan to Newquay (new-key). Day 3)

We followed the path along the coastline for about a mile. Today was cold, with on-off rain but little wind. We walked past mounds called barrows, bronze-age burial places.

Nature has created the most stunning coastline—the Atlantic, battering the coast, carving coves and inlets with jagged rocks, cliffs, and beautiful sandy beaches. I am privileged to see this wonder.

It is difficult for us to follow the path description that calls out the coves, inlets, etc, by name, which means nothing to us. This is where the PBS series Poldark was filmed, and I seem to recognize some of the areas, though, after a while, they all look similar.

Once we got to Trevone, a small coastal village, we lost the Path. Once we reached the road junction, we could go 1.5 miles back to Padstow or continue 3.5 miles to Newquay as planned. We chose to do as planned. We walked the narrow B3276 and arrived in time to meet our taxi in Newquay. It was harrowing. Though we walked facing traffic, we had to step off the road and into the briars/shrubbery to avoid getting hit. I am grateful for the attentive drivers. Like the Path, the road was undulating and did not save our legs from climbing.

Porthcothan England

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.