With miles of coastal footpaths, acres of moorland it’s no wonder Cornwall is renowned as a walkers paradise. Journalist Rick Barbery spends a weekend getting to grips with his hiking boots.
Friday Night: Arrived in Cornwall yesterday evening to meet up with an old friend who has booked us into a cosy cottage for two nights just outside Port Isaac where the welcoming log burner on my arrival and a glass of local wine cheered my soul no end. My friend knows the county like the back of her hand and insists the best way to see the landscape is on foot
Saturday Morning: It's about 8:30am and here I am trekking across the gorse filled landscape. The 150 square miles of Moorland are perfect for anything from a gentle stroll exploring the amazing amount of prehistoric monuments scattered around the area to the more adventurous who are up for a whole day’s hiking along the well-marked trails.
Saturday Afternoon: Standing in the middle of Bodmin Moor, Rough Tor looks pretty bleak and a little intimidating. At nearly 1,400 feet and Cornwall’s second highest peak, and as we’re half way up the sun comes out, the clouds break up and cast huge shadows over the countryside. As we approach the summit of my little Everest I can see both the North and South coast seas sparkling in the distance.
Saturday Evening: A quick stop off for a welcome cream tea at Rough Tor Farm gives us a real taste of county living and then it’s back to the cottage for a hot bath. On the way back we pick up some supplies at Trevathan Farm Shop at St Endellion and plan to replace calories lost today with lots of local cheese and scrumpy.
Sunday Morning: A little achy from trying to emulate a mountain goat yesterday my friend suggests a refreshing jaunt on the coast. She explains that Cornwall’s magnificent coastline stretches 258 miles around the county up soaring cliffs, along tranquil estuaries, past vast beaches and meanders through whitewashed fishing villages. And she believes it’s the best way to discover Cornwall’s heritage, culture and jaw dropping scenery. I expect she will make me walk most of it today.
Later That Morning: We start at Tintagel, legendary birthplace of the Cornish hero King Arthur, and climbing up the pathway due west, I feel a little heroic myself as I look out at the amazing sea views. It doesn’t take more than a couple of miles before we reach Trebarwith Strand, a tiny village squeezing down a narrow valley to the shore with a rocky island sitting just out to sea creating a lovely view to admire as we sit drinking coffee at the Port William pub.
Sunday Afternoon: The next section of coastline is like a roller coaster dropping down to beautiful beaches like Backways Cove where I felt a million miles from anywhere - just me the sea, the sand and my friend pushing to get on and up the next incline. Ten miles done and we reach Port Isaac, which I thought looked somewhat familiar- the village is also known by its alter ego Port Wenn in the Doc Martin TV series and we head straight for the Mote Bar and Restaurant where they serve fresh crab landed at the harbour. Aching legs yes, feeling of healthy well being certainly, crab salad delicious.
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