The Land's End Trail runs from Land's End to Avebury. Its Cornish Section, as far as Tavistock in Devon, is being re-researched at present. You can follow the Land's End Trail Group's progress by clicking on the link below. As one of the group, I am giving quite a lot of my time to the Trail at present so I shall probably be posting fewer new reviews than usual. But there will still be some from time to time.
Now go to The Land's End Trail homepage
Geoff Rogers of Penryn put me on to thi one. Opened in 1812 and operating for a century, the works made gunpowder for Cornish mines. The location, now a nature reserve, is a delight - a steep sided wooded valley, a tumbling river, major industrial remains. It's a lovely and fascinating site but sunfiltering through the trees make photography difficult, hence one photo twice here.
Now go to Kennall Vale on my museums and industrial history page
It seemed a long time since I had beeen up on Bodmin Moor so, on a rare sunny day in early August, I did (for me) an extended walk on the moor. Starting at the Roughtor car park, I took in Showery Tor, Little Roughtor, Roughtor, Brown Willy, Butterstor, Garrow Tor, Alex Tor and Loudon Hill. Superb views, a vast collection of antiquities and around 3000 feet of ascent. A great (and for me tiring) walk.
Now go to my Eight Tor Walk and Garrow Tor on my Bodmin Moor page
Learning that the garden at Prideaux Place, under restoration, was now open, we walked from Harlyn Bay to make a visit; worth seeing for the formal garden and for the additional woodland walks. The following week we pais a visit to Northwood Farm Water Garden near St. Neot on Bodmin Moor; this was a delight with many pools, water lilies, shrubs, exotic plants and two small walled gardens inside former clay settling tanks.
Now go to Prideaux Place Garden and Northwood Water Garden
I parked in St. Levan village in West Penwith to take a good look at St. Levan church and to walk down to Porth Chapel for another look at St. Levan's holy well and baptistry on the cliffs above the beach; there is also a flight of stone steps that led to a chapel below. And, when visiting Prideaux Place garden (above) we saw the newly discovered well in the grounds; is this St. Petroc's holy well?
Now go to St. Levan church and St. Levan's holy well
We have known the National Trust's Cotehele for many years and review the house and the garden on their proper pages. It occurred to me that - with reports already on the estates at Lanhydrock, Godolphin, Penrose and Mount Edgcumbe - it was high time for an item about the Cotehele estate. While there you should visit the quay and the mill and walk to the Prospect Tower and perhaps a walk along the Tamar to Calstock village.
Now go to the Cotehele Estate on my Inland page
After a walk from the new Goss Moor Nature Reserve, I had time to spare so I headed to nearby clay country to take a look at St. Dennis church. While the locked church, rebuilt after a recent fire, seems to be of little interest, the site is remarkable. Thought to stand within a hill fort, the churchyard is surrounded by a massive stone wall and the church is obscured by trees.
Now go to St. Dennis church on my Churches page
A short walk on the Redruth and Chacewater Railway Trail - Lanner to Redruth and back - gave me time to explore some of Redruth. The derpressed place I remember from 1960 has changed beyond recognition. Pedestrian main street, fine Georgian and Victorian buildings and most of all Kresenn Kernow, the Cornwall Centre with its superb Tregellas Tapestry.
Now go to Redruth and the Cornwall Centre
This expedition, just a short one, was to seek out a cairn and standing stone on top of the hill, some mine remains and, if it still existed, a path to Carn Galver. I found the antiquities and mine remains but the path was clearly long gone. If you go up Watch Croft, be very wary of uncapped and unhedged ancient mine shafts.
Now go to Watch Croft on my Inland, West Penwith, page
I had delayed reporting on Boscastle since the dreadful floods of 2004. Now that restoration is more-or-less complete, I felt it was time. I'm glad I waited; Previously I hadn't liked Boscastle, now I do. I also walked up the lovely Valency Valley and visited St. Juliot church for its associations with author, poet and architect Thomas Hardy.
Now go to Boscastle, the Valency Valley and St. Juliot Church
I had walked through the delightful Luxulyan Valley on a detour off the Saints Way in 2006. It being high time to revisit, Jane and I tok a walk there, parking at Ponts Mill, in June 2008. We were there partly for the lush woodland, partly for the industrial legacy of Joseph Treffry - the magnificent Luxulyan Viaduct, the Carmears Leat and the Carmears Wheelpit.
Now go to Luxulyan Valley on my Inland page
We saw Lukesland on TV last year; later Mark Camp, the Copper Trail man, recommended it to us. So, when we visited Topsham to lunch with an old friend, we returned by way of Lukesland near Ivybridge. A delightful, semi-wild valley garden, filled with mature trees, spring shrubs and wild flowers. And a very good, great value tea to a guitar accompaniment.
Now go to Lukesland Garden on my Devon page
After my recent Penwith Round project, and other West Penwith walks, I have been using the planned new wet to east Land's End Trail as the basis for more walks in the area. These both start from Bosullow, one heading west, the other east. Before the first of these I also took the opportunity of a fine day to get some photos of Lanyon Quoit.
Now go to Bosullow westwards and Bosullow eastwards
We choose a fine warm sunny day to head down west for three gardens along the Lamorna Valley. Chygurno is a remarkable steep sub-tropical garden above Lamorna Cove. Trewoofe House and Trewoofe Orchard are at the head of the valley. Our favourite was Trewoofe Orchard for its charming colourful informality. We also visited nearby Trereife Park but our time there was wasted.
Now go to Chygurno, Trewoofe House and Trewoofe Orchard
An 8 mile round walk from the car park (free) below Chapel Carn Brea. I had to pick up some Jeff Thomas Cornish Earlies in St. Just, hence this walk. As with the Land's End walk below I set off using the next part of the W-E Land's End Trail as far as Lower Bostraze Farm. I then made a round walk of it, returning by Bostraze Stables, Botrea, Grumbla and Carn Euny.
Now go to a Chapel Carn Brea walk on my Inland page
