The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Set out on a sublime stroll by the sea
With hidden coves, dramatic cliffs and dazzling views, west Cornwall’s coast is spectacular. Richard Madden picks 10 favourite walks that begin and end at a pub
Keen walkers like me know just how quickly the crowds evaporate – even during the peak of the summer holidays – whenever we explore the countryside on a so-called “public” footpath. Often the sensation is of a uniquely private experience – and an enriching one, as apparently familiar landscapes reveal their many different faces. And few places in the world can match the far west of Cornwall for the beauty and variety of its coastline, with hidden coves, dramatic sea cliffs, wheeling birds and picture-perfect fishing villages to be discovered around every headland.
The 10 circular walks described below centre upon some of the best pubs in west Cornwall and combine the highlights of a national treasure, the South West Coast Path, with some of the many prehistoric sites that make the Lizard and the West Penwith peninsula so valuable.
The routes also include two of the locations where the BBC television series Poldark was shot (Church Cove, Gunwalloe, and Porthgwarra), underlining how little these elemental landscapes have changed since the 18th century, the period in which the books were set.
Helford River and Gillan Creek 6 miles
Community-owned New Inn with its thatched roof and idyllic back garden has just been relaunched and is a perfect base for exploring both Gillan Creek and the Helford River away from the crowds. From the pub, head up the hill out of the village and take the footpath across the fields and down into the wooded Helford valley. Once in Helford (often busy, but still beautiful), follow the coast path all the way to Dennis Head, with its superb views over Falmouth Bay, before following the lane through romantic Gillan Creek and back to the pub.
Start/finish: New Inn, Manaccan (01326 231301)
Explorer Map 103: OS grid reference SW764248