Mevagissey or Gorran Haven to Charlestown

8 miles, strenuous - what this grade means

You will arrive the day before the walk starts in the tiny port of Charlestown with its tall ships and historic stone harbour, to stay in one of two St Austell Brewery hotels. Beloved by film directors, down in the narrow harbour amongst the tall ships you can feel yourself back in the realms of Poldark and Treasure Island, both of which have been shot here.

The Rashleigh Arms is an award-winning inn with a sunny beer garden situated within two minutes from the coast path, with some of its 18 comfortable and stylish rooms including T’gallants - an annexe that looks directly over the historic harbour and out to sea.

Alternatively, you can stay at The Pier House Hotel and Restaurant, a charming Brewery Hotel with the ultimate position in Charlestown - right on the coast path and at the seaward end of the Georgian harbour, just a few steps from the beach and harbour lock gates. Many of the rooms here directly overlook the sea and, as well as the restaurant, the Pier House has a popular bar and sunny terrace which is perfect for dining alfresco – as well as just sitting over a pint to watch the comings and goings into the harbour itself.

Click here to read more about Charlestown and overnight stays in its historic harbour.

Charlestown will be your home for two or three nights, but the adventure on Day 1, having been transferred by road, starts in Mevagissey on one of the tougher sections of the South Coast walking back to Charlestown

Click here to read more about the delights of the enchanting little harbour at Mevagissey. 

Once you have explored it you will start you walk from amongst the piles of lobster pots at the back of its impressive stone harbour climbing up above its bobbing fishing boats and screeching gulls.

Your first section on the coast path takes you high above Polstreath Beach a well hidden and protected set of sands below huge cliffs – no car parks here but instead sturdy metal ladders allow you to zig zag down to the beach. Penare Point

With fine views opening up over St Austell Bay as you climb you quickly pass the overgrown ruins of the old quay and pilchard cellars -  all that is left of the abandoned hamlet at Portgiskey before dropping to the long stretch of golden sands at Pentewan.

The village of Pentewan is the only place with facilities on today's walk so make use of  The Ship Inn, one of St Austell’s traditional pubs offering a warm welcome and good food and ale there is also the Pixie Cove Cream Tea Shop. The village makes for an interesting distraction from the coastline rather ghostly at times with its inland harbour built in the 18C but now marooned from the sea after shifting sands blocked the channel.

Your route now climbs steeply and enters very dramatic, cliff and cove walking as you start classic coast path climbs and descents on route to the rugged Black Head Promontory which stretches out ahead of you.  The little beach at Halane below an ancient Coastal Wooded Valley makes an excellent lunch stop backed by its youthful waterfall crashing to the rocks and sands behind a rock arch window.

After another brisk climb you find yourself passing the impressive lonely monument to Cornish Writer A L Rowse. Make sure you walk out on the narrow point to the end of Black Head for stunning views across the Bay towards Fowey a good days walk away.

You are now heading inland towards the back of wide St Austell Bay and the walking takes you through the dense woodland at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve above Ropehaven cliffs. What follows is a memorably dramatic descent and climb back to Silvermine Point before passing the natural rock arch at Phoebe's Point.  Inland you can see the huge china clay mountains known locally as the “St Austell Alps” for the white dusting and dramatic pyramid shapes.

An accessible beach arrives at Porthpean “little harbour” where there are seasonal refreshments and a safe spot for a swim or paddle from the sands. A new section of coast path here re-opened in 2011 to end the 2 mile trudge inland to Penrice and keeping you right on the coastline all the way back to the Georgian Harbour at Charlestown.

The day ends with an easy walk above the cliffs passing an old Second World War Lookout before descending back to Charlestown and your accommodation entering to the left of the sturdy lock gated harbour a legacy of the harbours past as major China Clay loading point.