Fowey and Tywardreath

We walked on Saturday this week as I am going to Torpoint this evening to sing Evensong with the Washaway West Gallery Choir. As it happened, yesterday was also foreast to be the better weather - despite this there was a little drizzle in the air as we parked at Par Beach and set off along a coastal stretch of the Saints Way to Polkerris. Dropping down into the harbour, we found a cafe for a late morning coffee.





Afterwards, we walked back up a wooded valley to the spinal road, emerging close to Tregaminion, a chapel-of-ease belonging to Tywardreath parish and originally founded by William Rashleigh in memory of his wife.


Still following the Saints Way we arrived at Readymoney beach - ready for our lunch. We found some seats (which Christine recalled from the last time walked the Saints Way about three years ago! or it might have been when doing the coastal path, only two years ago) As we sat with a good view of the mnay yachts in the river mouth, a china clay ship left port, escorted by the pilot boat.





We continued through the town, calling at the church of Finbarrus before passing the Bodinnick ferry landing and then inland, still following the waymarked Saints Way, until we arrived at the isolated village of Golant.





The railway line, still used to carry china clay to Fowey, separates the village from the river. The church is up a very steep hill from the centre of the village.





Now, it was a straightforward run to Tywardreath, once at the top of the hill at Castledore it was a good downhill. The House on the Strand is the interpretation of the name, reflecting the fact that once boats could come upriver to the village, but no longer. Although rather a backwater today, this was formerly quite an important place, shown by the substantial size of the church.

From here it was not far, although up and down a sharp hill, back to Par beach where, alas, the cafe had already closed!

Lanteglos-by-Camelford

This is one of the churches we visited before setting up the blog. I am adding it at this time as a test of Blogging directly from Picasa

Lansallos and Lanteglos-By-Fowey

This week's walk was shortened as a result of having Andrew as a visitor for the weekend and there was a priority on fixing the communications facilities for the upcoming canal journey! On the other hand, his speed of walking led us to a longer distance in the time than might have been the case left to ourselves!

Having parked at the National Trust car park not far from Pont, we wlked along lanes and across fields to Lansallos church. This building is still undergoing restoration following an arson attack. The roof now appears to be complete (about half of it had to be fully replaced) but the rest of the inside is still a working site! Meanwhile, services are held in the adjoining Sunday School.

Next, we walked the short distance down to the coastline and continued in the westerley direction, stopping shortly afterwards for our lunch picnic.

This is a very beautiful stretch of coast, but you are always either steeply ascending or steeply descending. There is little time on the level to recover!

With time catching up on us we headed back across a three fields to the spinal road that leads to Polruan, but took the narrow lane to Lanteglos church. (Known in slightly wider circles as Lanteglos-By-Fowey to avoid confusion with the Lanteglos near Camelford)

From there is was a simple task to follow the old track down to the road near Pont and back along the road to the car park.

Lanlivery and Luxulyan

Today's walk included the two 'clay' parishes of Lanlivey and Luxulyan - although Lanlivery aligns more to Lostwithiel and the clay towns of St Blazey and St Austell.

We parked in the Luxulyan Valley, close to the Treffrey Viaduct and walked for about an hour to Lanlivery - mostly uphill. However, it was perfect walking weather: sunny with a slight breeze and enough haze to take the burning quality out of the sun - although this did mean the longer views were not as good as they might have been.

Spurning the opportunity for a drink at the pub (which Christine knew from a recent visit for lunch with a friend) we continued to Luxulyan where, after a look inside the church, we sat on one of the benches outside for lunch. (The pub turned out to be a little distance from the church - odd in many ways but it is alonside the small station on the Newquay branch line)

In fact, by the time we had had our lunch and then walked down to the pub Christine no longer fancied a drink of cider preferring instead to aim for tea at the Eden project.

After a short distance along a side road we saw a sign for the new(ish) Clay Trail - suitable for horses, cycles and walkers. Signpost suggested about 1.75 miles - although this turned out to be to the entrance to the long drive to the Visitor Centre. The trail took us through an area once a clay pit but which finished extracting china clay in 1971 and has now been landscaped for community use.

Once we arrived at the entrance to the Eden Project, the path for walkers and cyclists (not pushbikes as Christine told me off for saying!) the first sign said that it was another mile to the Visitor Centre!

Eventually we arrived and settled down to a welcome cup of tea (or in my case two cups) plus a small slice of cake. Refreshed we set off back up the hill to continue along the route of the Cornish Way No3 (cycle route) and then down to Tywardreath Highway, where to Newquay Branch Line sets off up the Luxulyan Valley.

Therw had been an indication on the Cornwall County Council rights of way map that there was a footpath (with no right of way) alongside the railway line and indeed we were able to locate it and walk up to Ponts Mill without having to take the longer route along the A road. The railway line followed the route of both a canal and a tramway that Treffrey built (at different stages) as part of his amazing complex network of leats, tramways and other haulage routes, maily to access granite from neat Luxulyan.

After climbing most of the steeply sloping former tram route (still marked with the granite sleepers) we struck off along a lower path, pleasantly level which eventually broght us back to the car park, shortly after passing under the huge Treffrey Viaduct (which was built both as an aqueduct (which still is) and a tranway.