| Oliver's
Cornwall |
The Saints
Way
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Padstow
to Fowey
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Padstow harbour
- start of the trail
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Helman Tor
- high and mid point of the trail
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Fowey waterfront
- finish of the trail
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The
Saints Way - Index of Descriptions and Images
REVIEWS INDEX and
SITE CONTENTS
The Saints
Way - a Trail from Padstow to Fowey
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In Cornish 'Forth
an Syns', in English 'The Saints Way', this trail was also known as the
'Mariners Way'. The 30 mile trail links two important harbour towns,
Padstow
on the north coast and Fowey on the south.
While there may be no evidence that this really was a route used by traders
and holy travellers between Ireland, Wales and Britanny in early Christian
and prehistoric times, it's a nice conceit and makes an enjoyable and different
coast-to-coast route. And it is fair to say that there are plenty
of Cornish crosses and standing
stones along the way, suggesting a possible ancient cross-country route.
Created in 1986 by a group of Cornish hikers and students of history, the
Saints Way has the support of the Cornwall County Council and is being
upgraded and improved in 2006.
Having completed the
Cornish
Coast Path in 2005, and Mark Camp's Bodmin Moor Copper
Trail in early 2006, the Saints Way was my May/June project.
It gets complicated at Helman Tor as there are then two routes to Fowey,
one by Luxulyan, the other by Lanlivery. As with the Copper Trail,
I have just posted a few images of each section, along with a short description.
It was good walking and mostly fairly easy. Waymarking is mostly
clear, using a black cross and yellow direction arrow, but is a little
lacking in places and confusing in some others. |
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Waymarked stile
above Petherick Creek near Padstow
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The Saints Way -
the Trail Guides
The original bible
of the trail is a hundred page booklet, prepared by Michael Gill and with
historical notes by Stephen Colwill. One way or another, many others
were involved - Cliff Townes and Alf Fooks, who had the original inspiration,
the Ramblers Association, the Institute of Cornish Studies, the CRS Community
Programme, even the Cornish Gorsedd of Bards. This guide, at over
100 pages, is not ideal to carry with you but is well worth reading through
for history and background. Its maps are indistinct.
The essential guide
now is the 2006 Saints Way Guide, published by North Cornwall District
Council. A folder with 8 trail cards (and 5 information cards), each
trail card covers about 5 miles, has a good map and an accurate description.
There are good small photographs and information on points of interest
along (and just off) the way. The folder and information cards cover
the saints, pilgrims, church features, man and the landscape, wildlife
and nature reserves. As the folder suggests, you would do well to
carry Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 106 and 107 with you. I have
three criticisms - too much road, occasionally unclear waymarking and too
few decent pubs along the way except in Lanivet, Lanlivery
and Golant. |
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| The guide layout
suggests a Padstow to Fowey direction. I concur. |
Trail waymark
above Tregustick on card 3
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Images
of the Saints Way
Padstow to St. Breock
Downs - around 7 miles (+ 3 back to Wadebridge)
| This was one of the
few sections on which I was able to use public transport, taking the bus
from Wadebridge to Padstow
to start the walk. Relatively easy walking with generally clear paths
and good waymarking. A gentle climb up to the Victoria Golden Jubilee
monument on Dennis Hill for views of Padstow and the Camel
Estuary. Easy descent to follow Petherick
Creek to Little Petherick, bluebells in the woods. Long easy
climb up through Melingey and Blable to cross the A39 to St.
Breock Downs - neolithic burial cairns, longstones and a wind farm.
A good start. |
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Padstow Harbour
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Ancient longstone
and modern turbines, St. Breock Downs
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St. Breock Downs
to Tremore Cross (5 miles) - and back by Ruthernbridge
(9 miles in all)
| With no public transport
to help with this section - I would have preferred to continue to Lanivet
- I parked by St. Breock Downs Farm, followed the Way as far as Tremore
Cross, and made my way back to St. Breock
Downs by the charming hamlet of Ruthernbridge. The Way took me
mostly cross-country down into Tregustick valley, up to Withiel village
then down and up to Tremore Cross. On a warm mid-May 2006 day, the
countryside looked lovely and wildflowers included pink and white campion,
bluebells, wild garlic and buttercups. |
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Footbridge
by the ford at Tregustick
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The handsome
bridge at Ruthernbridge
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Tremore Cross to Helman
Tor - 5 miles (10 miles including return by Lockengate)
| I have never seen
so many Cornish crosses in one day - very appropriate to the Saints Way
- 2 ancient ones in Lanivet churchyard,
the one below at Reperry crossroads, and others at Tremore crossroads,
St. Inunger Farm and in Fentonpits village. And fascinating direction
signs, too, at Reperry. You will find images of these and Cornish
crosses on my Miscellanea page. This section included rather
a lot of road but I was able to compensate with paths across Breney Common
and Innis Downs on my return route. |
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Reperry Cross
and old direction post
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Rocky summit
of Helman Tor, high point of the trail
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Helman Tor
to Lanlivery (2½ miles), on to Luxulyan (2½ miles) and back
to Helman Tor (4 miles)
| Here's where it gets
a bit complicated. At Helman Tor the way divides. An easterly
branch heads for Fowey by Lanlivery
and Golant. A westerly branch goes to Luxulyan and on by Tywardreath
to Fowey. I have done both routes but in bits and pieces.
I decided to do a bit of each route as a triangular walk from Helman Tor
to Lanlivery, cross-country to Luxulyan and back north to Helman Tor.
To Lanlivery, a charming small village, it was mostly on a high-banked
green lane with occasional long views. A detour to Srt. Brevita's
Well, then fields and lanes to Luxulyan, a village of no interest, except
for the church's lych-gate and Cornish cross. Helman Tor was reached
first through bluebell woods, then mostly by lane. |
Images
of Helman Tor to Lanlivery
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The ridgeway
to Lanlivery
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Lovely old
sign at Lower Pennant crossroads
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Images
of Lanlivery to Luxulyan
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St. Brevita's
well, Lanlivery
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Lanlivery from
above Roselath
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Images
of Luxulyan back to Helman Tor
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Lych gate and
Cornish cross at Luxulyan
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Bluebells in
Trenewth woods
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Luxulyan
to Polmear - 6 miles - total 12 miles out-and-back
| With (again) no buses
to help, I actually walked this as a 12 mile out and back - my own route
from Par Sands to Luxulyan, returning on the trail to Polmear and Par Sands.
The official trail may be more authentic but I would not, for the worlds,
have missed Prideaux, the road up Luxulyan Valley and
the great Treffry Viaduct. If you are sticking to the trail,
please do take the detour to the viaduct and adjacent woods; it is
well worth it. On the other hand, it is not worth bothering with
the trail's suggested Prideaux Fort detour. |
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Tregonning
Cross on the hedge behind the stile
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Colourful beeches
along the lane to Treffry viaduct
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Up the Luxulyan Valley and over
the Treffry Viaduct
| Joseph Thomas Treffry
of Place in Fowey - known as the 'King of
Mid-Cornwall' - owned tin mines, granite quarries and china clay quarries.
To serve his industrial sites he built a rail road from Par to Newquay
(where he built the harbour). Greatest feat among many was the completion
in 1842 of the Luxulyan Valley Viaduct - 10 arches, 700 feet long, 100
feet high - which carried a still-working aqueduct below the track bed.
The walk up the beech-wooded valley from St. Blazey is a delight, ironically
passing Prideaux, the then new and fashionable home of Treffry's arch-rivals
the Rashleighs. You can walk over the viaduct; the Par-Newquay
line now runs in a cutting below. |
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Prideaux House,
built by the Rashleighs
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The great Treffry
viaduct and aqueduct
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Polmear
to Fowey - 4 miles - and back by the coast path, total 10 miles
| I had walked this
section previously but in two parts during two different walks. So
I decided now to do it in one go, making a round walk by returning along
the coast path by way of the Gribbin and Polkerris.
After a gentle climb up past Kilmarth
to Tregaminion, the walk is largely level until descending through woods
to Readymoney Cove. Urban then to Fowey.
It was a dull day so the photos are a bit dull, too. |
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Cottages, perhaps
once almshouses, at Polmear
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St. Catherine's
Castle gun platform, high above the water
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Lanlivery
to Golant - 5 miles - out and back, total 11 miles including detours
| In fact, in June 2005,
I walked this first in the other direction, parking in Golant, on the banks
of the River Fowey. It proved to
be a far tougher walk than I had expected, with ascents of 300 and 400
feet (steep) and 500 feet (gradual) between Golant and Lanlivery.
Much easier in the trail direction, Lanlivery to Golant. Starting
from Lanlivery - the Crown is a good pub
- first interest is at Nomansland, site of Pelyn Cornish
Cross and a milestone in Roman numerals. Beware the busy 3-lane
main A390, traffic passes at 60 or more mph. I then avoided a farmyard
at Crewell, full of slurry and cows, by cutting across a corner by a field
to the lovely green lane down to Castle and Milltown with its attractive
cottages. Around here I made two detours, the first to find Milltown
Viaduct, the second to see historic Lantyan Farm. The farm was the
probable site of King Mark's palace;
The barns in the photo are ancient enough but the farmer told me another
may date from around 1200. From the top of the hill by Lantyan Woods
there is a view across the Fowey to St. Winnow.
I also stopped to look around St. Sampson's
Church, high on the hill above Golant. Golant has car parking
(high tide can flood it) and a nice pub, the
Fisherman's Arms. Dull day, dull photos. |
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Pelyn Cross
and Nomansland cottages
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Ancient barns
at Lantyan Farm
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Golant to
Fowey - 3 miles - walked out-and-back from Golant
| This was my very final
section of the Saints Way, walked at the end of June 2006 as a simple short
out-and-back from Golant. At the start I climbed gently to follow
woodland above the River Fowey (few views)
to Bodmin Pill, from which Bodmin merchants
exported goods to avoid harbour dues at Fowey. I then climbed fairly
steeply through beech woodland and across a meadow to around 350 feet before
following a gentle narrow lane down to Bodinnick ferry and
Fowey.
I enjoyed coffee in the sun on the terrace of the Galleon Inn, watching
the activity on the water, then back to Golant for more coffee (and cricket
on the TV) in the Fisherman's Arms,
where there is a promising seafood menu. |
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Looking to
Penpoll Creek
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The waterfront
at Fowey
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REVIEWS INDEX and SITE CONTENTS
