Pentewan Valley Trail

Explore a beautiful wooded valley in south Cornwall

The trail follows the route of the former Pentewan railway between St Austell and Pentewan. Built in the 1829, the line brought China Clay down from the hills above St Austell to the harbour at Pentewan, a rival to Charlestown. The line closed in 1918.

Today the trail provides a pleasant, mainly flat, 3½ mile route through the valley. Much of it is wooded and stretches of it run close to the riverbank. There are several places along the route where you can join or leave to visit other points of interest including the villages of London Apprentice and Polgooth.

From St Austell you can carry on through the town to the China Clay museum at Wheal Martyn using the Green Corridor Trail. This also links up with the Wheal Martyn to Eden Project Trail and other Clay Trails.

From Pentewan it is possible to follow The Cornish Way cycle route to the Lost Gardens of Heligan or onto Mevagissey.