Erica is still recovering from a broken leg, so here is an essay she wrote last spring:
Having waited for what feels like an eternity to get out and have a good coastal walk the opportunity finally arrived during the cold and dry period in the middle of April. I always wake early and listen to what’s going on outside, whether it’s the birdsong or the wind and rain. It’s so lovely to have the lighter mornings and the return of the dawn chorus, especially the beautiful song of the blackbird. I’m awaiting the distinct call of the cuckoo although I have been told that he has already been heard locally which is good to know.
This particular day, with a good weather forecast, I had sandwiches and a flask packed along with a Bonio for Eddie and set out to brace myself for the tortuous drive down the A30 to Chiverton roundabout where we headed for St Agnes and Chapel Porth. There were several people surfing and two early dog walkers but the downside to starting early is that the public toilets don’t get unlocked until the National Trust staff turn up to open the cafe at 10am. At least there’s a lot of bracken and brambles everywhere!
We crossed the footbridge and followed the path up the valley and away from the coast, passing an old mine building on the right. The steep-sided valley was covered in dead bracken with the occasional path going away from the valley floor which I felt would be an ideal sunbathing spot for adders when the sun got higher in the morning – beware. Before long we came to a fork in the path where we went left into the trees beside a stream. There are plenty of waymarkers all around but I always carry a map just to double-check my route, Eddie doesn’t care where we go as long as we keep going somewhere but if he goes too far ahead it’s only a minute or two before he comes back to take the lead again. There are some lovely old cottages tucked away up this lane with the stream running at the edge and passing by the front gates. Follow the lane uphill until it meets with another track where I turn left before shortly turning left again and coming up to the tarmac road. More or less directly opposite is a track that passes between properties and then beside a wire fence for a short way before coming out on another council road, turn left and a short way along on the opposite side is a lane with a sign at the end which says something like Trampsend? but I can’t be precise about that. Go up the lane to the first corner and a path goes through the brambles on the left hand side and comes out on the downs.
Up until now the walk had been fairly enclosed and cool amongst the trees in the shady lane but coming out into the open and bright sunshine was wonderful with the view getting better as I went higher. Eddie was now at either a flat out gallop or stopped altogether, sniffing where other dogs had been. It was quite a climb up to the summit of St Agnes beacon but worth every scrap of effort on such a beautiful morning, the views were far reaching and clear, I could see the clay burrows to the east and Brown Willy and Roughtor even further away. Godrevy lighthouse and St Ives to the west and nearly every dwelling in between it seemed, it felt so exhilarating to be up there and back outdoors with all this again after such a long spell of splashing around in all the winter rain.
It wasn’t too long before other dog walkers started to appear and a pointer ran up to say hello to Eddie, who promptly shot off, playing tag while trailing his lead, and left me to recover the stopper to my flask which had been catapulted down the slope into the brambles. With both dogs panting hard and back on leads again, I set off again and headed for the coast path which is easy to find with so many well-walked paths all around. Once at the cliff edge I could hear the distinctive call of the choughs as they were flying around, they are paired up by now and probably nesting to raise another brood to further increase the numbers of these iconic birds who became so rare until fairly recently.
Taking the path closest to the cliff edge (which isn’t actually that close) we came along to the much photographed former tin mine Wheal Coates, after which the path soon brings us back above Chapel Porth and then down to the car park. So both Eddie and myself are extremely happy again and looking forward to our next day out.
Erica
