Day: 95 3/6/93 Malpas to Ruan Lanihorne

Weather: Fine

Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)    Total Distance:  1250 miles

This was a fascinating day's walking.  From Malpas to St Clement was over a hill, along a well marked footpath.  The path then went up he bank of the Tresillian River which was empty. There were some herons and shelduck to watch. The first sign of human life was close to Pencalenick when I passed a woman but she wasn't in the mood to to say good morning.  There was then a fairly short road section up as far as Tresillian. 

I was disappointed to find that there was no access into Lord Falmouth's estate because I am sure that the track marked on the map as following the river would have offered great views. Instead, I had to go along quiet country roads and paths.  All the farms along this section belonged to the estate.  I met one farmer whist walking through his farm. He was well into his 80's and looked well on it.  He told me the correct way to negotiate the footpath through his farm - a few more signposts would have helped.

The minor road from Merther to Ruin Lanihorne was beautiful, through ancient woodland allowed to grow as it wanted, wild flowers in amongst the trees. I met up with Margaret and drove Margaret back that way on the way home to show her the beauty of the place.

I finished the walk earlier than planned so waited outside the pub having a beer.  It was as idyllic as the countryside I had just walked through!  Only two cars passed by on the road outside in the hour I was waiting outside in the sun.   

Ruan River at Ruan Lanihorne
Photo: Rod Allday, Geograph)

Margaret had taken Sean on his first visit to the beach.  He had had a good time playing with his first bucket and spade.  On the way back home we stopped off in the supermarket in Truro for some provisions.

Day: 94 2/6/93 Trelissick to Malpas

Weather: Fine

Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)    Total Distance:  1240 miles

This was a much shorter days walk than yesterday’s miscalculation!  There was not a great deal in the way of views of the sea or estuary but it was never the less pleasant.  From being dropped off at the entrance to Trelissick I strolled down a muddy track to Cowlands and then down Coombe, a hamlet over-looking over a minor creek.  After turning north the walk took to minor roads and then along past a sewage works and into an industrial estate road into Truro.

There was not much to see from my route through Truro, passing a supermarket, past the local radio station offices and then along a much more pleasant road on the banks of the Truro River.  I thought how convenient this radio station would have been if I had been doing a sponsored walk around Britain and was dropping off doing interviews at radio stations.  No doubt I would have tried to sell them a Cornish clock I'd made too.  Margaret passed by in the car and we agreed to keep to our original plan of meeting in the pub at Malpas where we had lunch. 

Margaret had spent the morning in Truro visiting the shops and the Cathedral. 

After lunch we returned to the village of Coombe which I had walked through in the morning.  Whilst Sean had his sleep, Margaret and I sat in the car and watched the comings and going on the beach.

View over the Fal
 (Photo: Trevor on Flickr)

Day: 93 1/6/93 Falmouth to Trelissick

Weather: Fine

Distance: 30 km (18.6 miles)    Total Distance:  1231 miles

This day can be described as nothing else but a miscalculation.  I was not using my distance wheel to calculate my walks.  The section appeared fairly reasonable on the map but was in practise a long day.

The first section was through Falmouth.  It as early and the town was just waking up.  I do like towns at this time of day, the odd delivery van arriving at shops, the street cleaners busy and the only shops open are newsagents.

By the time I reached Penryn it was a lot busier with cars making their way to work.  Penryn was also a ship building and maintenance town and none too attractive.

Once past Penryn it was a day of walking the creeks, along paths and village lanes.  The villages I passed mostly had small harbours and packed with yachts.  The path down to Flushing was somewhat tricky in parts as it made its way through fields.  The headland around Flushing was dominated by the sight of a drilling rig parked in the water just off the headland.  In fact it was dominant from Falmouth and much of the rest of the estuary slightly spoiling the overall atmosphere of the place.

I stopped for a drink in Restronguet Passageone and sat outside in the sun.  These villages along side the estuaries make a real contrast to the harbour towns on the coast and this should not be missed by any coastal path walker.

Perranarworth on the main road was where the fun stopped.  This was a busy road and a miserable section.  By the time I cut off the main road again I realised a I was way behind time and had to step on the gas.  The remainder of the walk was thus a rush more than an enjoyable amble through the villages.

I got to the finish of the days walk and then turned off to go down to the National Trust gardens at Trellisk.  I rested on the ground for a while once I got there waiting for Margaret and Sean to find me.  I was even too whacked to enjoy the gardens much but the tea room was well worth a visit.

Day: 92 31/5/93 Helford Passage to Falmouth

 Weather: Fine

Distance: 15 km (9.3 miles)    Total Distance:   1212 miles

Margaret dropped me at the road junction by Trebah Farm and I strolled down to Helford River.  It was good to get back to the coast again and the weather was a lot better today.  The view out to the river was of oyster beds and small craft whilst inland the path passed at the foot of private and National Trust gardens.

I stopped at a cafe at Maenporth.  The beach was starting to get busy. It was not long then until I entered the outskirts of Falmouth.  The front was starting to get crowded with tourists.  I walked around the outskirts of Pendennis Castle but not into it.  We had visited the castle itself a number of years previously. 

The town side of this route was a little more tricky to find and went through a railway siding inland from the docks.  There was a couple of sizeable craft being worked on in the boatyards.

Day: 91 30/5/93 Mawgan to Helford Passage

Weather: Drizzle

Distance: 12.5 km (7.8 miles)    Total Distance:  1203 miles

We travelled down from Coventry on the Saturday but unfortunately had a poor journey.  We got badly held up all the way down, especially near Bristol where a group of travellers were protesting about freedom of movement and had blocked the road.  We took a number of detours off the motorway, the first of which involved going through the outskirts of Bristol and.  During the the second detour we had tea at Glastonbury.  By this stage we knew we were going to be badly delayed so found a phone box and contacted our accommodation in Falmouth to tell then we would be late.

The flat we were staying in turned to be part of a fairly new three story block, constructed in the garden of a hotel on the seafront.  We were relatively pleased with it, the drawback being that it was on the first floor and thus carting a toddler in his pushchair up and down was a bit of a problem.

Margaret dropped me off at Mawgan near the Post Office.  It was a day of light rain and drizzle though I never got too badly wet.  It cleared up later. She took Sean to the Seal Sanctuary but had to wait some time for him to wake up.  It was rather expensive and hilly, but he enjoyed it.

Much of the day’s walk was along minor roads. The first part was a lane and this led to a road in woods down the village of Gweek and a couple of bridges over the rivers.

I stopped at a pub for a drink at lunchtime, the Trengilly Wartha. The Good Beer Guide says it is famous for its food and beers - how about its unusual name - beats the Red Lion any day.  It was a fairly well to do pub, judging by both the decor and the clientele, some of who were assembling to go off to a cricket match and trying to decide if it would be called off or not.

The bit of road after that offered the challenge of the day - a series of ups and downs.  Once across Porthnavis Creek I attempted to cut off down to the coast but the road turned out to be well private and there was no access to anywhere at the end.  I backtracked and as I was still early I called in on an art exhibition that was being held at the turn off for Helford Passage.

I had arranged to meet Margaret at the entrance to Glendurgan gardens but unfortunately it was closed.  When she arrived we thus went back to Falmouth calling in for a cup of tea at a church hall in Mawnan Smith. Sean crawled around on the floor for a while and I signed the visitor’s book.