LIFETIME of WALKS by DEREK HARWOOD

We cycled the 11 miles from the Trevella Holiday Park Campsite, at 9:45am, near Crantock and Newquay, to the car park in Porthcothan Village. The bikes were locked to a fence in the car park. We never have had any trouble with the bikes being left for a long period, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Besides, the loss of one or both bikes would cut short our holidays walking the South West Coastal Path. We found over the years that cycling first, then walking, much better because the cycling after the walking always seemed much harder. Also, in this case it was so much better to leave the car alongside the tent rather than in a car park. The loss of the car would have been disastrous because we would have had a huge problem getting our equipment and bikes back home. The wind was from the north and fairly strong. So the cycle ride was hard in this case, whereas the wind was almost nonexistent while we were walking in the hot sunshine. The calmness of the wind meant that the corn on the top of the cliffs hardly moved, so we had no problems with our hats being blown off. On this section of the SWCP the coastline was very jagged, with many coves and headlands of varying heights of up to 100 metres (300ft). This made the walking very hard at times, but when we stopped for lunch at Berryl's Point, a good choice, the beauty of the coastline was enhanced even more. We had magnificent views of the coastline, the rocks, birds flying around the cliffs, besides the crashing waves. Wonderful if you enjoy scenery, as most walkers do. When we approached Newquay, we had a pint in the Mermaid at Porth. Note the word 'a', which is important because the mixing of alcohol and walking can lead to many problems. We continued through Newquay passing the shopping precincts but had trouble finding our way to the River Gannel and the footbridge across the river at 'The Gannel'. As always, the destination is eventually found but we still had the long walk from Newquay to Crantock Village and the Trevella Holiday Park Campsite. Yet another fantastic day's walking on the SWCP, recommended and not to be missed. It's just over 23 years since I actually walked this section of the SWCP. It has taken me this length of time until now, August 2024, to write the description, mainly because I have continued walking and kept adding to the number of walks requiring a description. So I am re-living the experience of enjoying the walk all over again. That must be good. Keep posted, there are many more descriptions of walks to follow.

Location Map: - www.streetmap.co.uk, -
Start: Portcothan, - Porthcothan Car Park, B3276, PL28 8LW
Finish: Newquay, - Trevella Holiday Park, Crantock, Newquay, TR8 5EW