The Cornish coast is one of the most beautiful coastal areas in Great Britain. Fantastic cliffs, hidden bays and sandy beaches are just waiting to be discovered.
The Cornish coast is a stunning and diverse landscape that encompasses the most south-westerly point of England. Renowned for its rugged beauty, it attracts visitors from all over the world every year. The South West Coast Path, the longest signposted walking route in England, runs along the Cornish coast and offers walkers spectacular views.
We didn’t have much time, our visit to Cornwall was unfortunately far too short, but we simply had to take the time to hike. And a small section of the path was even the famous South West Coast Path.
You can follow our little tour quite well on the map.
We set off from a vacation apartment in the municipality of St. Austell. The route initially took us downhill to Charlestown.
Charlestown
Charlestown is a village with a harbor on the south coast. There was once only a small fishing village here called West Polmear. Around 1790, 9 fishermen and their families lived there, and there was no permanent harbor. Incoming merchant ships landed on the beach.
Construction of the harbor and a landing stage began around 1791. The first section was completed just 8 years later. With the help of gates, it was possible to keep the water level in the harbor basin constant at high and low tide.
Charles Rashleigh was one of the most influential people in the region. For example, he planned the village around the harbor and gave the place its name.
The new port made it possible to ship copper from the nearby copper mines. Later, after the mines were exhausted, clay was exported from the quarries. This was a raw material for porcelain production. Even though new ports were built in the surrounding area, the port of Charlestown was able to consolidate its economic position until the First World War. It was only when newer and larger ships were built that they were unable to dock, or only with great difficulty, despite modifications to the port facilities. More modern port facilities were quickly preferred by the shipping companies and now only sailing ships and small fishing boats docked there. This was not economically viable and the city tried to tap into additional sources of income by using the port as a film location.
In 2008, for example, Tim Burton filmed part of Alice in Wonderland in the port. An episode of the Doctor Who series was also filmed there.
Today, tourists come to the region mainly because of the beautiful architecture and the coziness that this place exudes. And I can understand that. The harbor area is beautiful. There are small restaurants and stores, you can go swimming on the beach and hiking trails lead along the coast.
We follow a path that runs between some houses and the cliffs. I have no idea how many times I stopped and mumbled something about “what a view”. Good thing my companion felt the same way…
Visit to the coast guard
The South West Coast Path we were walking on here took us past a coastguard watchtower. A small path led to the tower and as nothing was cordoned off, I took the opportunity to get a little further to the edge of the cliff.
There was a bench in front of the tower, the spring sun was shining and we were able to take a break there. The sun glistened on the water and a ship sailed past in the distance…
The door to the coastguard tower was open. A friendly gentleman invited me to climb the steps. He was one of several employees working on this tower. There was a lot of equipment there and he used binoculars to follow the path of the ship in the bay. There is no radar equipment there, they still work with maps and binoculars and operate the radio.
The view was fantastic – but we were still drawn on our hike.
Coastal walk
Cornwall has a maritime history that tells of pirates, smugglers and seafarers. If you walk along the coast, you will discover one or two coves that are seemingly only accessible from the sea. Rocky outcrops and areas hollowed out by the water naturally provide a wonderful backdrop for these stories. Who can’t imagine how smugglers landed there in their boats and hid their booty.
After a while, the path led us directly across a golf course. While older men in golf attire tried to hit their shots towards the green, we walked past them and watched everything very closely. Some golfers didn’t let themselves be disturbed, others were distracted, didn’t hit the ball properly and looked gruffly in our direction. Or were we just the “excuse” for their bad shots? In any case, I found it very interesting to watch the players. I would have loved to try out my newly acquired knowledge from Bulgaria (where I had a trial lesson on the simulator with a golf pro)….
The coastal path finally ended in front of a large industrial complex. We had to walk around the complex to reach the end of our tour.
Par Sand Beach
Our destination, a large, wide and sandy beach – Par Sands Beach. This is located behind small dunes and is a popular excursion destination in the region in summer.
There is a large parking lot for “non-walkers” (for a fee). There are also toilets right next to the parking lot. I think I also saw a café, but it was closed.
In summer, it is mainly families who come to this beach. Even though there is no lifeguard on site, it seems to be ideal for children to swim and splash around. At low tide, no pools form between the rocks, which are particularly popular.
For us, the hike ended here with a small picnic before we continued our discovery tour of the region by car.
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