1 to 5 October 2026 - A Trip to Cornwall

I've taken a short break from composing this on-line diary. After 19 years and over 5000 postings it was welcome. Some 25 of us had excellent accommodation at Boswinger Youth Hostel (approx £100 per person for five nights), but it soon became clear that the sparse WiFi and lack of a phone signal would provide a good excuse for this break.

I now find  myself with a backlog of several entries, as well as over 500 photos that I have indexed but which are far too many to replicate here. So I've edited them down to about 100 images, to be displayed in this and the next four postings.

The weather in Cornwall, and later in Devon, was superb. The youth hostel, pictured below, has been sold by the YHA and is now YHA affiliated accommodation with room for 40 guests. That meant with only 25 of us all the couples were able to enjoy private rooms.

On arrival, after we had unloaded lots of communal milk, butter, etc, Sue found Jenny and went for a swim in the nearby, allegedly warm, sea.

Later, another Jenny celebrated her 60th birthday with some fizz and a chocolate cake made by Sue. There were lots of candles, but the matches didn't work and nobody had as much as a lighter. However, the cake was delicious.

Friday 2 October 2026

20 of us set off from the youth hostel on a walk around Dodman Point, returning via Gorran Haven, Portmellon and Gorran Churchtown. Just a 16 km circuit with 450 metres ascent.

We soon reached the local beach, where an assembly was held before we stretched our legs on the ascent towards the large stone cross at Dodman Point.

Near the cross, a Watch Shed must have provided protection from the weather for 'off shift' members of the watch team.

We made our way steadily over easy ground past clumps of Hogweed, eventually dropping back to sea level at Gorran Haven, where Sue and Jenny stripped off.

Lunch was taken on the beach.

More lovely cliff top walking took most of us (a few turned for home at Gorran Haven) to Portmellon, where there was more stripping off, and beers outside the Rising Sun.

After a very long break, our walk resumed by way of pleasant woodland paths that took us inland to Gorran Churchtown, most of the height being gained on a very short section of path that some people took ages to by-pass via some zigzags.

Here we are, waiting for those trapped by the zigzags.

A little further on, part of the group missed the fact of a stile that crossed to the other side of a hedge, which meant that when they finally made it back to Boswinger the teapot had just been re-filled.

Here's our 16 km route with 450 metres ascent. We were out for five and a half hours.

Then a communal meal to the usual high standard:

Sue: garlic mushrooms, lentil and aubergine moussaka.

Pete: bruschetta.

Sue W: paté.
Keith: chicken korma.

Richard: fish curry.

Julie: beef chilli

Plenty for all 25 of us.

Saturday 3 October 2026

Half the group started with either the Eden Project parkrun or the Lost Gardens of Heligan parkrun. These are covered on a separate posting. So we skip to the lovely meal all 25 of us enjoyed at our local hostelry, the Barley Sheaf, in Gorran Churchtown (near the church, as is everything in Gorran Churchtown).

 

Service was a bit slow; food was tasty when it arrived; portions could have been greater; duck was perfectly cooked; fish and chips was a good option.

Sunday 4 October 2026

Several of us drove to Carne Beach and walked back from there. Others walked in the opposite direction and brought the car back.

The seaweed on Carne Beach didn't seem to put off the swimming contingent.

It was another day of fine clifftop walking, with occasional drastic ascents and descents.

Arriving at Nare Head, we admired the bunker that played a part in protecting the port of Falmouth during WW2. Special effects systems, scattered strategically across the headland, were controlled from here by four Royal Navy crewmen. German air crew were fooled, with special effects designed by British film studios giving them the impression of success.

Beyond Nare Head, we passed above Kiberick Cove on our way to a lunch stop at the pretty village of Portloe.

Here we met the other group, heading for Carne Beach and a squashed ride back to Boswinger.

More good coastal walking took us to Porthlune Cove, near Caerhays Castle, where pheasants, live and dead, were scattered along the road.

Sea Campion and Bell Heather adorned the path, which was apparently in an area of fearsome sheer drops.

 

Porthlune Cove would later be utilised for some paddleboarding.

We passed through a nice wooded section on our way back to Hemmick Beach, soon followed by refreshments at Boswinger.

Here's our 16 km route, with 700 metres of ascent. We spent a leisurely 7 hours over this gentle stroll.

Later, we were joined for dinner at the youth hostel by Sue's nephew Jacob, his dad Alex, and his girlfriend Ellie.

Monday 5 October 2026

Some of the group went for a ride on a ferry.

Others went to a National Trust car park at Porth, for a circuit around the St Anthony peninsula.

Various artifacts at St Anthony held the group's attention for some time.

An elevenses break was taken.

The cormorants were not so good at sharing their perches.

The houses of Falmouth caught the sun across the bay, and seals and dolphins frolicked close to shore.

Place House was a very private spot, apart from the church, which was open to visitors, who would no doubt admire the stained glass windows.

The church spire is the one on the left, as we look back to Place House.

A good spot for lunch was found by the small ferry from near Place House to St Mawes.

After returning to Porth along pleasant cliff top paths, some of the group ended their walk whilst others took an inland track towards Gerrans, returning to Porth along a lovely well worn path.

Some found the last bit of the walk through seaweed and rock pools a little challenging. I went ahead and grabbed a comfy chair.

Here's our route - 16 km with 370 metres ascent, taking five and a half hours.

Meanwhile, Sue, Jenny and Richard had returned to Porthlune Cove with their paddleboards.

That's it for now from Cornwall. Some of us enjoyed Richard's excellent chefing before packing up in readiness for moving to Devon on Tuesday morning