Online Mapping - Cornwall Council's Mapping Website

The recently introduced 'Right to Roam' legislation - long agitated for by the Ramblers Association, and initially opposed by many landowners - has resulted in vast areas of land all over England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall being opened up to the general public.  Essentially these rights are for walkers only - suits me.  I used to find the Countryside Agency's Open Access website an immense help in my Cornwall moorland walking, not just on Bodmin Moor but also in West Penwith.  Unfortunately the site has been messed around with.  Maximum scale is now much smaller and navigation is quite awkward.   As a result, it is no longer worth, as a walker, using it in its current CRoW Access form.   .  Fortunately, Cornwall Council has an excellent mapping web site, which I find better than the Open Access site ever was.  It is easy to use, shows Open Access land, rights of way, path numbers should you wish to report problems, and is zoomable up to large scale.  A word of warning on Open Access land..  I soon discovered that this  may not be quite as straightforward as that.  I have encountered barbed wire fences, locked gates and even one gate on Bodmin Moor, leading to access land, that has a 'no walkers' sign on it.  And, in West Penwith, where moorland is lower, I have found impenetrable furze and bramble.  So don't expect it to be easy.

Ramblers heading down from Carn Galver in West Penwith

Ordnance Survey Explorer maps now show Open Access land as yellow

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Ordnance Survey Maps - The 1:25000 Landranger Series

My earliest walking was done with Jane with the Independent Ramblers, based in Ealing.  With them we learned to love the Chilterns and the Cotswolds.  But we soon graduated to our own independent walks, first from walk books, later of our own devising.  The Ordnance Survey 1:25000 series became our bible.  The current 2005 Explorer series still is my bible (to a degree) particularly as it now shows Open Access land.  But, as with the Bible, you learn not to believe every word.  I use OS maps, GPS and compass on most walks, especially on Bodmin Moor and on the moors of West Penwith.  But I have lost some trust in OS.  Since completing Mark Camp's Copper Trail during winter 2006, I have been walking routes of my own devising on Bodmin Moor and have been horrified to discover just how unreliable the Ordnance Survey can be.  A couple of walks in December 2006 proved that.  A path shown from Butterstor to Garrow simply does not exist yet OS quite fails to show a well waymarked path from Brown Willy to Garrow (and on to King Arthur's Hall).  Below Garrow the OS fails to mark a footbridge over the De Lank River.  It also fails to show a footbridge and clapper bridge that cross the river at the southern foot of Garrow Tor.  Elsewhere I have found marsh that isn't shown, probably because it is not low-lying.  So be advised, take your map, take your compass and expect the unexpected.

The area covered by OS Landranger 109

Don't expect all antiquities to be marked either

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Walking Trail Books - Our Preferred Guides

CIRCULAR WALK GUIDES Jarrold Pathfinder Cornwall Walks:   28 walks, most include coast, distances 4 to 11 miles.  Good large scale Ordnance Survey maps, good descriptions and information. AA 50 Walks in Cornwall:   Mostly coast but includes about 10 inland, 3 to 8 miles.  Good descriptions and information, sketch maps could be much better, good on severity.  Classic Walks in Cornwall:   2 volumes, each of 60 walks, all but 5 include coast, 3 to 6 miles.  Good descriptions and information, poor sketch maps, good on severity. Circular Coast Walks Cornwall:  by Moor, Dale and Mountain Press.  36 walks, 3 to 10 miles.  Good information, routes not too clear, sketch maps.  Ramblers Association:   14 volumes, each of 6 or so walks.  See their web site Bodmin Moor Walks: Best of Bodmin Moor by Mark Camp;  18 short walks in three volumes. TRAIL GUIDES The Cornish Coast Path:  There are too many of these to recommend one.  Saints Way:  30 miles, Coast to Coast, Padstow to Fowey.  The original guide, very informative, was written by Michael Gill.  A more recent guide, published by Cornwall Council has excellent walk cards.  National Trust Leaflets:   Series of 25 + trails (8 to 16 pages) on NT coast and inland property.  Camel Trail: Follows  old rail tracks 18 miles inland from Padstow, brief guide from TICs. Mining Trails (formerly Mineral Tramways):  Download the official leaflet Smugglers Way:  Coast-to-Coast route from Boscastle to Looe, devised by Frank Squibb.  Copper Trail:  by Mark Camp - 60 mile circuit round BodminMoor.   Official Copper Trail web site

Modern cross, Dodman Head

Guided Walks

WALKABOUT WEST   Mark Camp offers guided walks generally in Cornwall and especially on Bodmin Moor.  Mark is one of the experts on Bodmin Moor:  its history, its antiquities and its industries - tin and copper mining, granite quarrying aned china clay production.  Mark has also published a number of books about Bodmin Moor - three books of Short Walks, a new (March 2009) Introductory Guide and a guide to the trail that he devised, the 60 mile Copper Trail around the moor.. Links:  The Best of Bodmin Moor Books  -  The Copper Trail  -  Mark's WalkaboutWest ENCOUNTER CORNWALL This was new to me when I spotted it in April 2009.  I had a good browse of their web site and think it well worth bringing to your attention.  Encounter Cornwall organises walking tours - self-guided and supported - and has a recommended  accommodation list.   Tours, varying from 2 to 10 days, include the Coast Path, The Copper Trail, three Coast-to-Coast trails (Saints  Way, St. Michaels Way and Smugglers Way) and some one centre breaks.  Their programme also covers supported cycle tours with bike hire and guided kayaking trips on the Fowey River.  Web site Encounter Cornwall

I am sure there are many others but I don't know them

St. Ives - Porthminster Beach and The Island from Man's Head

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The Camel Trail

Until the 1970s a branch railroad in the Camel Valley linked Padstow and Wadebridge with the main line at Bodmin.  Now it is an 18-mile hiking, horse riding and cycling trail, extended to Wenford Bridge on a former quarry tramway, again alongside the river.  For the cyclist it then effectively continues as the Camelford Way as far as the town of Camelford, making a total trail of some 26 miles.  If you are visiting Bodmin, an short extension to the trail follows what was once a packhorse route as far as Bodmin Jail.  You can get refreshments in Padstow and Wadebridge, at a tea garden near Dunmere, at the excellent Borough Arms at Dunmere and at a tea room off the trail in Tresarret.  Walkers, beware summer vacation time when there can often be far too many cyclists for comfort, particularly between the towns of Padstow and Wadebridge.  Horses and walkers are supposed to take precedence over cyclists but not many cyclists choose to behave as if they know that.  Bikes can be hired in Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin.  For walkers the level firm terrain could not be easier - but can be extremely boring compared with the Coast Path or Bodmin Moor.  The most interesting section to walk is that between Padstow and Wadebridge which follows the delightful estuary of the River Camel.

Padstow Harbour, start of the Camel Trail

Trail leaflet from TICs.  Go to my Camel Trail page

TheClay Trails - Cyclists, Horse Riders and Walkers

We were delighted when in June 2005 the new Cornwall Clay Trails opened, in conjunction with improvements at the Wheal Martyn Museum of China Clay.  It took a lot of co-operation and clearly a vast amount of money to complete the project.  The bodies involved included Cornwall County Council, the Eden Project, the National Cycle Network people Sustrans, the Lottery Fund and Imerys, the company that operates the vast clay fields. The Clay Trails are essentially Cycle Trails.  Paths are wide, firm and well drained, the few gradients are relatively gentle and their clear purpose is to encourage people to arrive at the Eden Project (so many go there) by bike.  There are effectively four Clay Trails.  Wheal Martyn to Eden, with a detour towards Carthew, definitely the scenic trail and the best for walkers.  Bugle (where you can rent bikes) to Eden, not very scenic, except for a detour on foot round Treskilling Pit.  Par Beach (near Imerys clay exporting harbour) to St. Blazey, with a footpath extension to Eden. And Wheal Martyn to St. Austell, which can continue south to link with the Pentewan Valley Trail.  Simple waymarking is good and explanatory displays are being installed at some points of interest.  Occasional shelters have domed grassy roofs.

Massive spoil heap on Hensbarrow Down

NOW go to my Clay Trails page   Trails website

The Copper Trail - circular trail round Bodmin Moor

Mark Camp is known as an authority on Bodmin Moor.  In 2005, he excelled himself with a continuous 60 mile trail around the moor, which he calls the Copper Trail, appropriately since Minions and Caradon Hill were once the centre of a great copper mining boom.  The Trail begins at Minions village and goes by way of  St. Neot, Bodmin, St. Breward, Camelford, Five Lanes (near Altarnun) and back to Minions.  After completing the Cornish Coast Path, this was my next project.  But, unlike Mark's route, I did it in a series of short out-and-backs or circulars.  In winter 2006 it proved very wet and muddy - but none the worse for that - with an enormous amount of interest, with high moorland (I love it), remote farms, ancient monuments, clapper bridges, Cornish crosses, boundary stones and mine ruins along the way.  Thanks to Mark, I have now devised and enjoyed many of my own walks on the moor.  Recommended pubs along the trail are the Crows Nest, the London Inn at St. Neot and the Old Inn at St. Breward.  I have had many good lunches at all these and also enjoyed the King's Head at Five Lanes and Racehorse at North Hill.  For a description of the route you can't better Mark's booklet;  I have just added a selection of photos taken along the way, some on-trail, some off - and a few comments. It's all on OS109.

Visitor Centre in an engine house at Minions

NOW go to my Copper Trail page  Official Copper Trail Web Site

The Land's End Trail - Land's End to Avebury - 328 miles

The Land's End Trail was conceived by Hugh Miners and researched  by Cornish Ramblers Robert Wicks, Robert Preston and Robin Menneer.   It runs from Land's End to Avebury in Wiltshire, a distance of over 300 miles.   It was Robin Menneer of the Guild of Cornish Hedgers who told me about it in 2007.   I found the route, in an east-west direction, in The Celtic Way by Val Saunders Evans (Sigma Leisure 1998).   I made it my project for 2007 and published to the web the route and my experiences on it.   Much as I enjoyed the exercise, I was puzzled that the directions took me only to St. Michael's Mount, with a subsequent loop - the Penwith Round - from Mousehole via Cape Cornwall to Penzance.   It was not until 2008 that I learned from Robin that the original west-east research notes still existed.   It transpired that Robert was re-walking the trail in that direction, doing clearance and restoring chevron waymarks.   My 2008 project beckoned and, accompanied by Richard Lowe, I walked the trail from Land's End to Tavistock.   I continued to Belstone in Devon where Robert took over in 2009.  With the encouragement of the original LET Group I have expanded the route notes and have compiled web pages.  These consist of a Home Page, PDF files with sketch maps and directions, a page of Commentary and a page of Interest along the way.

The signpost at Land's End - oddly not on the original trail

NOW go to THE LAND'S END TRAIL HOME PAGE

UPDATE APRIL 2011 The web pages are divided into two sections:  Land's End to Tavistock and Tavistock to Avebury.  Land's End to Tavistock is complete.  Tavistock to Avebury has a complete PDF file of route directions;  Robert's Commentary appears on the appropriate web page as far as Wiveliscombe;  thereafter, for the time being, it continues in the PDF file of route directions.  The Interest page runs out of steam at Exmoor;  it may be some while before we complete them.  In due course we intend that the Land's End Trail web pages will have their own site.  Please note that the route directions in the PDF file may be subject to minor amendments from time to time.  Please note also that the maps in the PDF route file are temporary.  We have plans to improve them greatly.  In the meantime, we hope they will suffice as a useful adjunct to the route directions and, of course, the essential use of the appropriate Ordnance Survey Explorer maps.

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TheMining Trails

In 2006 UNESCO World Heritage status was granted to large areas of the mining landscape of Cornwall and West Devon.  While much of the credit for this achievement must go to organisations like the Trevithick Truat and the National Trust, and to many concerned individuals, Cornwall County Council acted as a major driver.  Indeed their Mineral Tramways Project has, in its way, underpinned the whole business by opening up access to many of the important sites in the Camborne/Redruth area.  We first discoverd about the existence of mineral tramways when walking around Minions on Bodmin Moor and finding double lines of granite setts.  When we learned about the opening of the first Mining Trails - the Great Flat Lode and the Coast to Coast - we walked those and loved them.  In 2006 work began to open up another 20 miles - the Redruth and Chacewater Railway Trail , the Portreath Branchline, the Tolgus Trail, the Tresavean Trail and a Tehidy Trail through Tehidy Park from Portreath.  Opening of these was originally planned for 2008.  As so often with grand publicly funded projects, the timetable slipped and it took until 2010 for all except one to be completed.  Tolgus Trail was never started but I have devised my own walkers route.

Carn Brea Mine, at the start of the Great Flat Lode Trail

NOW go to my Mining Trails page

UPDATE AUGUST 2010:   Despite a grand launch of the new trails, held at the Elm Farm Cycle Centre at Cambrose on 26 September 2009, the new trails didn't open until 2010.  The Redruth and Chacewater is complete, linking the Coast-to-Coast at Twelveheads with the Great Flat Lode and Redruth Church Town.  The Portreath Branchline was the last one finished and now links Portreath to the Great Flat Lode at Brea Village, thus completing a new longer, and more interesting, route from Portreath to Devoran.  Sadly it looks like the Portreath Incline will not after all be the crowning glory of this trail but, at least, there is an alternative route down to Portreath from Gwel-an-Mor.  The 2 mile Tresavean Trail, off the Redruth and Chacewater, was completed some while ago. The Tehidy Trail is also complete but is not really a Mining Trail.  My own Tolgus Trail runs from the Coast-to-Coast at Scorrier and links Wheal Peevor and Tolgus Tin with the Coast-to-Coast at Bridge.

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The Penwith Round - 38 miles Mousehole to Penzance, 51 from Trencrom Hill

Unlike the Land's End Trail which, until I got my hands on it, eschewed mention of anything of real significance along the way in its hurry to get there, the Penwith Round, an extension of the Land's End Trail, seems to have another purpose entirely.  The purpose is not so much to get you from A to B as to educate and entertain you along the way.  There is a full route description but there is also a great deal of antiquarian and historical description as the Round leads you meanderingly from one prehistoric site to another.  The Penwith Round route description begins with a stage from Trencrom Hill to St. Michael's Mount.  It then omits a few miles of obvious Coast Path and takes up again at Mousehole.  Stage 2 is Mousehole to Treen, 3 is Treen to Crows-an-Wra, 4 is Crows-an-Wra to Cape Cornwall and 5 Cape Cornwall to Penzance.   Ancient highlights along the way include the Merry Maidens and Pipers, Treryn Dinas cliff castle, Boscawen-ûn circle, the crosses and holy well at Sancreed, Carn Euny iron age village, Chapel Carn Brea, Bollowal Barrow, Chun Castle and Quoit, Bodrifty iron age village and Mulfra Quoit.  Buses were useful but I had to split the Treen to Crows-an-Wra section in two.   My reports do not include route directions - only comments on them - but you can access the full directions below.

Cape Cornwall seen from Boswedden Cliff

Go to my Penwith Round Page - Download PDF Penwith Round description

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The Saints Way - a Trail from Padstow to Fowey

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 Council and was 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 2006 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 may be a little confusing in some others.

Waymarked stile above Petherick Creek near Padstow

NOW go to my Saint's Way page,  but first click for Trail Guides

The Saints Way - the Trail Guides

The original bible of the trail is a hundred page book, 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 of the route from Padstow to Fowey.  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 for my taste, occasionally unclear waymarking and too few decent pubs along the way except in Lanivet, Lanlivery and Golant.

NOW go to my Saint's Way page

Trail waymark above Tregustick on card 3

St. Michael's Way - for walkers only

	Like the Saints Way, St. Michael's Way has been around for some time and claims to be a logical route for ancient travellers heading from Ireland and Wales to avoid the perils of Land's End and the Scilly Isles.  It begins at St. Uny Church at Lelant on the north coast and ends 12 miles later at Marazion on the south coast, opposite St. Michael's Mount.  In fact travellers would have sailed up the Hayle estuary to St. Erth and had only five miles to Marazion - but that would hardly have qualified as a trail!  To make it a worthwhile distance, the trail first follows the coast path to Carbis Bay, then heads inland to Trencrom Hill, the halfway point.  Do climb the hill for views. Then it's downhill all the way to Marazion.  Easily walked in one go, using the 300 bus between Lelant and Marazion, but I chose to do is as two round walks.  As with the Saints Way, it is waymarked with its own sign, in this case a scallop shall.  And as with the Saints Way, the route is not always entirely clear, so best take Ordnance Survey Explorer sheet 102.
Trencrom Hill has views of  both coasts	NOW go to my St. Michael's Way page	Waymark

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The Smugglers Way - 37 miles from Boscastle harbour to Looe harbour

This was my winter 2009 project, which I had hoped to walk with friend and neighbour Richard.  Unfortunately Richard got an injury and I ended up doing the walk solo.  The Smugglers Way is the creation of Frank Squibb of Falmouth, who walked it in 1994 and has published three editions of his guide booklet (see below), the latest version in 2002.  If you are competive (I'm not) you could go for Richard Harvey's record of 6 hours and 48 minutes one way (was he running?)  or Dave and Anne Carrivick's there-and-back time of 21 hours and 37 minutes.  Frank's booklet describes the route in both directions with sketch maps.  Route descriptions are clear and easy to follow, maps are detailed enough.  Frank divides the route into 8 short stages, the longest 7.2 miles.  From north to south - the way I walked it - the trail runs from Boscastle harbour to Davidstow Moor,  over the summit of Brown Willy, on to Jamaica Inn, by Dozmary Pool and over Brown Gelly to Dobwalls, on to Herodsfoot, and along the West Looe River to the Banjo Pier at Looe.   There is  camping at New Park Farm on the edge of Davidstow Moor and at Lower Trenant near Draynes.  I divided my walk into four sections averaging around nine miles each.   I used Ordnance Survey Explorer maps 111, 109 and 107 to supplement Frank's directions and maps.

Now go to my Smugglers Way reports  page

The River Valency in Boscastle

More information on Frank's Smugglers Way web site, including the occasional update to take account of things like the opening of the Dobwalls bypass.  The booklet is available from Frank Squibb, 4 Basset Place, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 2SS, price £2.50 including postage.

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Zennor Churchway and Tinners Way - 31 mile round trail

I had known of the Zennor Churchway, by that name and also as the Coffin Path, for some while before I started this project.  I also knew of the Tinners Way or Old St. Ives Road.  I had walked some of both while doing round walks and helping re-research the Land's End Trail.   However, I didn't know the full details of either until I searched on the web and found an article in The Ley Hunter by Craig Weatherhill - Cornishman, historian, novelist, artist, antiquarian, horseman, Cornish language expert and nationalist - about the Zennor Churchway, and another on Save Penwith Moors about the antiquity of the Tinners Way.  I searched further and found Men-anTol Studio artist Ian Cooke's detailed Tinners Way guide, based on research by Hugh Miners and Craig Weatherhill.  Craig's Zennor Churchway identified innumerable crosses, cross bases, field and place names, and prehistoric settlements that all lie on a clear right of way  between St. Ives and Pendeen.  However he cncludes that it is a route for the spirits of the dead, or follows natural lines of force, or relates to witchery.  The Tinners Way may not have followed the published route.  Its main track may have finished in Penzance not St. Ives.  I have devised a trail which uses the Churchway to Pendeen, added my own familiar route to Cape Cornwall, returning to St. Ives on the Tinners Way.  Before walking this trail, do look at the links below.

Cape Cornwall, the turnaround point of the trail which starts in  St. Ives, runs to Cape Cornwall and returns over the moors

Craig's Zennor Churchway article with map  -  Ian Cooke's Tinners Way guide with maps -  Craig's Tinners Way article on Save Penwith Moors

Go to Zennor Churchway and Tinners Way Trail page
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CORNWALLREVIEWS INDEX and SITE CONTENTS