It was a gorgeous sunny day on 13th June for 12 members of the walking group to take in the beautiful views on the stretch from the National Trust car park at Coombe Farm on the outskirts of Fowey.

First stop was at Polridmouth (pronounced Pridmuth) cove between Fowey and Gribbin Head. You can see Gribbin Head daymark in the background of the photo.  Built by Trinity House in 1832 it was intended as a daylight navigation aid for shipping.  Now owned by the National Trust it is open to visitors some  Sundays in the summer. A flag is flown to show when it is open.


                         
In the absence of our usual walk leaders, Chris and Janet, and Annie, we relied on the knowledge of some of our group to tell us that during the Second World War, the lakes at Polridmouth formed a decoy site for nearby Fowey harbour. Decoy sites were a diverse group of structures, which were built all over the country under the direction of Colonel John Turner. Borrowing heavily from techniques developed at Shepperton film studios, Colonel Turner supervised the creation of more than 1100 imitation airfields, ports, and towns, each a few miles from the real thing. The aim was to fool enemy bombers into attacking the dummy site, thus protecting the genuine site.

The lakes had been built behind the beach in the late 1920s.  Dams were built around the lakes, and lighting set up, to imitate, as far as possible, Fowey harbour. The decoy site was considered especially important in 1944, when 2000 US Navy personnel were stationed in Fowey, in preparation for D-day.  At least one bomb is known to have been dropped near Polridmouth.
From here we continued along the South West Coast Path to Polkerris, a tiny hamlet, west of Fowey.  It is here that you find Kilmarth, the last home of Daphne du Maurier. It is also the next cove to Menabilly, the long time home of the author.  We stopped here for lunch in the sun, partaking of various beverages, food and ice creams at the beach shop.




After lunch it was up the hill onto the road, taking in part of the Saints Way which runs for 27 miles from Padstow on the north coast to Fowey on the south.               

Through Lankelly Farm and back to our cars at Coombe Farm.

UPDATE 4 JUNE 2017

  NOTICE OF WALK ON THE 13TH JUNE

            FROM FOWEY TO POLKERRIS AND BACK

Photo of Fowey Harbour by Lostwithiel U3A Member Lindsay Southgate All rights reserved

1) 5.5 MILE CIRCULAR WALK USING COAST PATH, SAINTS' WAY,FIELDS AND MINOR ROAD.

2) STRENUOUS COASTAL SECTIONS. 

3) BRING PICNIC OR FOOD AVAILABLE AT POLKERRIS TOGETHER WITH PERSONAL FACILITIES

4) WE WILL START AND FINISH FROM NATIONAL TRUST CAR PARK AT COOMBE FARM

WE WILL MEET AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AT 10.OOAM FOR 10.05AM DEPARTURE

IF YOU COULD LET US KNOW BY FRIDAY 9TH JUNE IF YOU CAN COME AND IF YOU CAN OFFER TRANSPORT

REGARDS,

CHRIS AND JANET

 

UPDATE 31 MAY 2017

REPORTOF WALK ON THE 30TH MAY

GORRANHAVEN AND NORTH EAST

Ona bright and calm day fourteen of us, including yet another newmember, set off from the Community Centre car park to drive the shortdistance to the large car park at Gorran Haven. Our first surprisewas that the car park fee was now at the summer rate of £4 anddespite aggressive negotiation no OAP discount was available whichleft us less to spend at the nearby café. This was our first stopafter walking about 100yds but it was 11.00am and we had a variety ofdrinks with cold and hot milk and buns from Chelsea buns, Ecclescakes(hot) and a mammoth doughnut which could have been used by theRNLI for rescue purposes.

Soat 11.45am with the sun beginning to brighten we began our walk onthe coast path up the hill past the chapel and with views past Littleand Great Perhaver Points and with the Jobbles Rock just out to sea.The views are stunning here not only the coast but also the rollinghills inland with sheep enjoying the lush grass.

PassingPabyer Point we see the white buildings on Chapel Point. Theprincipal house was designed by the renowned arts and craft architectin 1936 and featured in Daphne Du Maurier's The House on the Strandand is a Grade 11 listed building.

Agreat location for lunch as we look over the bay and the activitiesin the water.

Click on image above for larger view

Turninginland and along the valley westwards towards Old Walls a delightfulcottage with a pond in front and then up to Bodrugan Barton a familyhome and working farm with an assortment of self catering cottageconverted from stone farm buildings.

Withthe selected two dressed in reflective jackets we proceeded along theroad for about 0.5miles before we reach Trewollock and then footpathand across fields back to retrace our steps down into Gorran Havenand an ice cream for some.

Anotherexcellent walk that most people had not done before and as alwaysgood company.

UPDATE 17 MAY 2017

NOTICE OF WALK ON THE 30TH MAY

Photo of Gorran Haven by Lostwithiel U3A Member  Robert.Pittman
All rights reserved

This was the first U3A walk we did when 5 of us set off in one car from Lostwithiel in 2013.

1) 4.5 MILE CIRCULAR WALK ON COAST PATH, FIELDS AND MINOR ROADS

2) REASONABLY STRENUOUS WITH UPS AND DOWNS AND STILES

3) FACILITIES IN GORRAN HAVEN INCLUDING TOILETS AND CAFES

4) WE INTEND TO HAVE PICNIC LUNCH OVERLOOKING THE SEA AND 11 O'CLOCK DRINK IN CAFE

5) £1 CAR PARK IN CENTRE OF GORRAN HAVEN

WE WILL MEET AT COMMUNITY CENTRE AT 10.10AM FOR 10.15AM START

PLEASE LET US KNOW BY FRIDAY 26TH MAY IF YOU WISH TO COME AND IF YOU CAN OFFER LIFT.

REGARDS,

CHRIS AND JANET

UPDATE 11 MAY 2017

UPDATE 12 APRIL 2017

REPORTOF WALK ON THE 11TH APRIL  STNEOT TWO VALLEYS WALK

Thiswas a repeat of a walk undertaken on May 12^th2015 when 6 walkers managed the 5.5 mile reasonably strenuous walk.This time 16 walkers met at the car park at StNeot on a beautiful April morning with the sun shining and verylittle breeze to cool us off.

Manyof the historical information given in that documented report willnot be repeated here but can be archived from the web site ifrequired.

TheLondon Inn was passed as we left St Neot, a public house that is nowopen again.

Upthe rickety stairs and gate and through two fields with about a dozenbullocks keeping an eye out for us we crossed onto a lane and pastTremaddock Farm onto the moors. We deviated slightly across the moorto see a stone hut circle, one of three in this area and close to aprehistoric enclosure known as Berry Castle containing the circularremains of a further 9 huts. 

Off the moor and into two wooded areas; Bowden Woods and Periok Woods both full of blue bell plants still to flower in the shaded woodland. Time for lunch along side the gently flowing River Fowey and our usual photograph both formal and informal River Fowey and our usual photograph both formal and informal.

Aftera bit more walking on the quiet lanes we reach Wenmouth Cross and astroll down past Higher Newton and back to the car park.

Athank you to all the drivers who make sure we all get to ourdestinations and back again!

UPDATE 3 APRIL 2017

*************************************

UPDATE 29 MARCH 2017

REPORTOF WALK OF THE 28TH MARCH - AROUND LADOCK WOODS

Havingjust missed out on the really hot days prior to the 28^ththe weather forecast was reasonable as we set off towards Ladock onthe A30. Sixteen of us were on the walk which was a good numberbearing in mind the predicted mud and the gate that had to beclimbed.

Ladockwoods are owned by the Duchy of Cornwall and have seen their historygo from 19^th century coppicing of oak and ash to 20^thcentury conifer planting and from the mid 1980's the introduction ofbroadleaf species including cherry, chestnut, beech and lime. Aninteresting statistic mentioned in the walk information is that only13% of Duchy land is in Cornwall, the rest dotted over 23 othercounties with over half on Dartmoor.

Encounteringthe first stretch of muddy paths, although not as bad as when we didthe preliminary walk, we proceeded through the woods until we cameout onto the narrow road to Mitchell and that gate which we allmanaged to get over, albeit with somewhat differing styles some moreflashy than others!

Turningright we then walked on the north side of St Enoder Wood and towardsthe settlement of Trendeal which was first recorded in 1201 with thename Dintel.

Trelassickthe other settlement passed was also recorded in mediaeval times ,spelt Treoysech in 1279.

Turningsouth again and following the signs to Bessigga we again meet somemud and water on the path as can be seen on the photograph-is thatwhy the leader wore his shorts!

Througha field now -very quickly and quietly- with signs warning of the“Bull in the Field” into the woods again and along side fields ofspring cabbages we reach what is left of the old stone and cobcottage settlement of Bessigga which is reported to have beenabandoned in the 1960's and has since fallen into ruin. We now crossthe River Ladock and the B3275 to follow a footpath sign to LadockChurch. In 1802, the largest gold nugget at the time found inCornwall was discovered in the tin streamworks on the River Ladock.It was made into a gold necklace and is in Truro Museum.

LadockChurch our next landmark was originally built in the 13^thcentury and extended in the 15^th and had a majorrefurbishment in Victorian times.

Stoppingat the local shop/post office we had our lunch on the provided picnicbenches but not before the owner of the shop was quizzed about theirpost office and the running of it and made us envious when she namedthe other two post offices within 2 miles of Ladock.

Withsome food and drink inside of us we headed uphill and along side thewoodland again to reach the car park. An excellent 5 mile walk ingood walking conditions

*************************************

UPDATE 22 MARCH 2017

 NOTICE OF WALK ON THE 28TH MARCH -  LADOCK WOODS

   (WE WILL TRY AND DO THIS WALK AGAIN AFTER JANUARY POSTPONEMENT)

 

UPDATE 17 MARCH

REPORT OF WALK OF 14^THMARCH AROUND ST GERMANS

Seventeen walkerstook part in the morning walk with fifteen taking up the offer ofthe afternoon guided tour of Port Eliot House.  A leaflet produced by St Germans Rail User Group with financial assistance from Devon and Cornwall RailPartnership and First Great Western was used as our guide. 

The morning walk

The village of St Germans grew on the bank of the river Tiddy.  There appears to have been a church there fromthe 5^th century and, for a short time, 926-1050, it wasthe seat of the Bishop of Cornwall.  AnAugustinian priory was founded in the 12^th century and in medieval times the area wasdivided in two manors, one leased to the Prior and Canons at St Germans andthe other, with lands along towards the present-day Polbathic, theManor of Cuddenbeake.

Our walk took usthrough the village of St Germans and the buildings worthy of note include: 

• Memorial Cottage, built in memory of the Eliot son andmen of the Scots Grey who were killed in the First World War

• The Almhouses known as The Gallery

• The Old Police Houses

• St Germans Church

We walked alongNewport, which was the industrial part of the town in medievaldays when pots and tiles were made in the kilns.  We saw the old tannery and forge and the Stable Yard, belonging to the Port Eliot Estateat the end of the Newport,  is a fine example of the work of John Soane as partof his redesign of Port Eliot.   We walked along a tiny lane calledWell Lane, then turned into Bag Lane. We then made our way steeply up under a railway and then into LongField.  As the track rose towards the end of the field, we wereable to see fine views towards Dartmoorahead of us, Bodmin Moorand Kit Hill to our left and behind us.  Wealso had great views of the estuary.  

We followed the footpath down to the village and then turned rightinto Quay Lane.  We walked along the quay and hadgreat views of the viaduct. The current viaduct was built in1908 to replace the old, largely wooden construction which had been a Brunel construction in 1859 and which the Earl had insisted should be paintedwhite in order to “harmonize with the scenery in its vicinity”.   We walked along the old quay and saw the old cannons in thegardens of Battery Cottage. 

It was then time to walk backtowards the Church where we spent about 15mns.  An earlier building on the site was thecathedral for Cornwall between 926 and 1030, before the area was absorbed intothe Diocese of Exeter just before the Norman Conquest. The Normans then built aPriory on the site of the old cathedral, and the present church building datesto the 13^th century. St Germanus ofAuxerre visited Britain in 429 AD. There is no evidence that he visited the village, but the church andvillage were associated with him by the 10th century.  There are other churches dedicated to StGermanus in Brittany, Wales and the Isle of Man.

Here are some statistics for today's walk:  2.96 miles, excluding time in Port Eliot gardens. Duration 1hour 40minutes. Average speed 1.8mph.  Height gain 366ft. Max altitude 250ft.

The afternoon visit

Our afternoon visit to PortEliot started with lunch served in the dining room with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” as background music.  The homemade pasties and scones were delicious (sorry you missed this treat, Chris!)

We then had a guided tour for the house. The Houseis called Port Eliot because it was formally known as Port Priory. In theMiddle Ages it was a flourishing monastic port. For many centuries the housewas approached by water across what is now the park. The building is a multitudeof different ages. The foundations in places are 9th century, there are10th-century walls set with 13th-century lancet windows.  The House received a major refit in the 18thcentury by Sir John Soane. The treasures in the house include a collectionof portraits and a rare landscape painting by Joshua Reynolds.  We will all have many lovely memories of our visit including of some quirky features. The most striking one has to be Robert Oscar Lenkiewicz’ Riddle Mural in the RoundRoom.  Lenkiewicz workedon his masterpiece on and off for nearly 30 years but died before itscompletion.  Half of the mural, in the40-foot-diameter (12 m) room, shows death, destruction, insanity,unrequited love, and the apocalyptic end of the world. The other half reflectslove and affection, friendships, harmony, proportion and consensus.  Hidden in the work are various references tofamily skeletons, art history and cabalistic mysteries, hence the name – theRiddle Mural.

We finished our visit with a stroll in thePark and Gardens.  What atreat on such a mild spring day!  The walk beside the RiverLynher was very picturesque and we also enjoyed the “Camelia Walk”.

*************************************

 

UPDATE 3 MARCH 2017

NOTICE OF WALK ON THE 14TH MARCH 

A CIRCULAR WALK AROUND ST GERMANS

WITH THE EXCLUSIVE OPTION FO A GUIDED TOUR OF PORT ELIOT HOUSE

Chris and Janet are away and we have agreed that we would swap the short and long walks. So let us have another attempt at walking around St Germans – please note the later start and the optional afternoon visit:

A)    A 3 MILE WALK AROUND ST GERMANS USING MINOR ROADS AND MADE UP TRACKS.  SOME MUD POSSIBLE ON ONE FOOTPATH ACROSS A FIELD AND ALONG THE QUAY

B)   AN EASY WALK IF IT WERE NOT FOR ONE SHORT STEEP HILL.  ONLY ONE STILE! IT SHOULD LAST 2 HRS PLUS BREAKS (E.G TO VISIT THE CHURCH)    

C)    PERSONAL FACILITIES ARE AVAILABLE IN ST GERMANS

Port Eliot House and Gardens will re-open on Sunday 12^th March and I have negotiated the following optional deal for our group.  Providing that there is a minimum of 10 people interested, for £15 they will provide:

• A pasty lunch and cream tea (at 1.00pm)
• A 1.5 hour guided tour of the house at 2.00pm. It will not be the basic tour that you get as an ordinary visitor for £8.00. We will get to see parts of the house that visitors do not get to see any more including the basement and the wine cellar as well as the Victorian kitchen.

PLEASE LET ME KNOW BY FRIDAY 10^th MARCH AT THE LATEST AS I NEED TO INFORM PORT ELIOT OF THE CATERING REQUIREMENTS WHETHER:

• YOU ARE ABLE TO COME
• YOU CAN OFFER TRANSPORT
• YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP THE £15.00 LUNCH AND TOUR OFFER

WE WILL MEET AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AT 10.15AM FOR A 10.30 AM START

Regards

Annie

UPDATE 1  MARCH 2017

REPORTOF WALK ON 28TH FEBRUARY

CHARLESTOWNTO PORTHPEAN AND BACK

On asunny day 15 walkers set off from Charlestown to walk south westerlyon the coast path towards Porthpean. The weather forecast had changedfrom the previous day to give us a window until 1.00pm when it wouldbe dry and bright-enough time to do this short 3 mile walk and maybetime for a drink at the end.

Settingoff past the docks at Charlestown with Polmear Island just off thecoast and the area now known as Duporth inland. Duporth also know asDuporth Holiday Village was a holiday resort for over 50 years untilits closure in 2006. The site was then sold to private developers andnow contains new houses many in the traditional Cornish cottagestyle. The Holiday Village was built on the site of the old Duportestate and manor which was owned by Charles Rashleigh who developedCharlestown. After selling the site in 1933 to Seaside Holiday Campsit was requisitioned during the second world war for American andIndian forces before returning to a holiday camp after and then beingsold in 1972 to Butlins.

PassingCarrickowel Point we walk down the many steps to Porthpean beachwhere we were able to take our first photo which shows the wonderfulblue sky and sandy beach with only a few other walkers and two metaldetectors for company.

Withthe conveniences closed until Easter we pressed on uphill takinggreat care of the very muddy surface to turn right off the coast paththrough an equally muddy field to reach Higher Porthpean and somewelcome tarmac. We had one faller in the mud but many whose balancewas severely tested. After about 200yds we again face the muddy pathwhich runs along side but the other side of the hedge to thewonderful green fairways of the Porthpean golf club. After a goodclean up of our boots, after an assurance from the leaders that wewere past the mud, we turned left and the right to walk down thepavement with the hospital to our left to be able to then turn rightand back to Charlestown in time for that drink and for some a toastedtea cake and for one, who has missed the last few walks but who hasjust got his bus pass, a slice of pancake surprise-layers of pancakessandwiched together with all sorts of treats, see below. Well it was Shrove Tuesday. All that and the sun stillshone until on the way home that rain promised did come.

Wehave some excellent walks planned for the spring and Annie has verykindly offered to take the next walk, more information to come.

******************

    Relatively easy 3 mile circular walk on coast path, pavements and inland track

    Muddy in places and a few minor hills.  Parking on road or car parks at Charlestown

    This is a morning only walk and we intend to be back in Lostwithiel by 12.30

    Various establishments in Charlestown for that drink and morning cake

 
We will meet in Community Centre Car Park at 9.40am for 9.45am start to

Charlestown. If you could let us know by Saturday 25th February if you can

come and if you are able and willing to offer transport.


Regards,

Chris and Janet

 

REPORT ON CIRCULAR WALK AROUND GRAMPOUND OF TUESDAY 14FEBRUARY

Twenty walkers put their faith into the weather forecast andset off for Grampound.   Our optimism wasrewarded:  it had stopped raining by the timewe reached the car park behind the school and the weather became sunnier andwarmer as the day progressed.

Although fairly close, this walk was new to everybody and weenjoyed discovering a few little gems on the way.  The walk was in 4 parts:

• We walked up the main road until, half way up the hill, we turned right towards Creed.  We followed the minor road for about a mile and reached Creed Church.  The Church is worth a visit and you can still see the remains of the original stained glass windows.  Of particular interest is the fact that in 1791 the vicar of Creed Church, William Gregor, discovered a new metal which he isolated from a sample of magnetic sand.  He named it menachite after Mannachan, where it was found. In 1795, a Prussian chemist “discovered” the same element and named it titanium.  His impressive name involving Greek mythology was more favoured by the scientific community!  The Christening Bowl in the Church is made of titanium to commemorate its discovery by William Gregor.

• From Creed Church to the little hamlet ofGolden, we did not use the short cut through the fields even though theshooting season was over, as the fields would have been too muddy.  Instead, we continued on the minor road from theChurch until we reached a farm track on the right near the top of thehill.  We followed that track, going throughseveral gates until we walked over a bridge over the River Fal.  The hamlet of Golden was full of surprises.  The settlement was first recorded as Wolvedonin 1329 and it is thought that this might be an old English name meaning “WolfHill”.  Expectations were raised when wereached the “Vicar and Spaniel” but the sign stated that it was licensed toserve drinks to persons of quality only so this ruled us out, well most of us...

 

• The Vicar and Spaniel is in fact owned privately by the Trewithen Estate and is used during their shoots.  The building is an old mill which was used for grinding animal feed and fulling (beating cloth) and was in operation until the early 20^th Century.  Of interest too was the building further up the hill with a sundial, now used as a barn, which is known locally as “The Chapel”.   It is thought to have been the medieval manor house of the Wolvedon family.   On the other side of the road, we saw the new manor which was built in 1538
• From Golden, we walked on a busy road before turning left into the Trewithen Gardens entrance and the daffodils made for a very pretty and cheerful sight.  We found some picnic tables and old tree stumps to sit on and have our lunch and we could not believe how glorious the weather was.  Not a drop of wind!  The grounds of Trewithen, now owned by the Galsworthy, have been described as a “masterpiece of landscape gardening” and consist of 30 acres of woodland gardens and 200 acres of parkland.
• For the final stage of our walk, we walked on the bridleway from the Trewithen Estate to Grampound.  The bridleway is the old coach road from Truro to St Austell which, until 1834, was the main road.  It is thought to have been built by the romans.  Fifteen Roman coins have been found along the road.

After our five mile walk, most of us decided to treat ourselvesto tea/coffee and cake in the community coffee shop run by volunteers.  It was excellent value for money.

UPDATE 10th JANUARY 2017

REPORT OF WALK OF THE 10TH JANUARY

PLAN B AGAIN

Inview of the weather forecast for most of Cornwall with heavy rainpredicted from 11 till 3 and with heavy rain on Monday making LadockWoods even more muddy and wet we decided to repeat a walk we lastcompleted on November 26^th 2013.

Thiswas the first walk that Janet and I had the pleasure of leading afterour arrival in Lostwithiel in the August of that year.

Itis interesting to compare the photographs as the number of walkers isthe same -ten but all the people in the photograph except one isdifferent-can you spot the person? can you believe that he or she isthree years older?

------

Thewalk takes you up Tanhouse Road to the footpath on your left up thehill and turn right at the top to walk to cross Tanhouse Road andBodmin Hill before joining the footpath down past Restormel Castleand onto Restormel Road. We would have normally walked back over theriver and railway bridge to the Duchy Nursery -and maybe even a drinkor cake-but with the bridge closed from 9^th for repairs wewalked back along Restormel Road and to Lostwithiel where we alldecided to stop for drinks and two of us -can you name thosepeople?-had a fruit scone.

Norain had fallen during our walk so we can consider ourselves lucky.

Wewill do the Ladock walk, weather permitting, on March 14^th.

• Tuesday 31st January-short walk
  
• Tuesday 14th February -long walk

UPDATE 2ND JANUARY 2017

    
NOTICE OF WALK ON 10TH JANUARY - LADOCK WOODS

REPORTS FROM THE SECOND HALF OF 2016 AVAILABLE HERE

***************