Blackbottle picnic walk
Take in stunning views of Gribbin Head and, on a clear day, the coast all the way down to the Lizard. The walk’s halfway point is a perfect place to sit and watch the boats come in and out of Fowey.
Map
Start:
Polruan public car park, grid ref: SX132507
1
Exit the car park via the left-hand gate and walk diagonally across the field until you meet the South West Coast Path. Turn left and follow the path through the small pedestrian gate.
South West Coast Path
From Minehead to Poole Harbour this National Trail is 630 miles (1014km) long. As Jenny Walters recently wrote in Country Walking, it really is of unparalled gorgeousness. There are 15 of these National Trails in England and Wales, and four in Scotland. They all provide continuous walking through fine scenery and are maintained to a high standard with their own special guidebooks. The South West Trail is especially beautiful and passes through five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; 17 Heritage Coasts, a National Park, two World Heritage sites, a UNESCO Geopark and Britain's first UNESCO Biosphere reserve.
2
Continue straight, through a gate. Then, where the path forks at the bench and money box, take the left-hand path.
Wildlife along the way
The walk takes you through fields that are reverting to wild flower meadows from farmland, as well as a section of scrubby cliff land. The tiny sand crocus grows on a rocky outcrop in the first field. This is a southern European species that was thought to be confined in Britain to Dawlish Warren in Devon, until it was found by botanists holidaying in this area a few years ago. Birds such as whitethroat, yellowhammer and stonechat nest in the scrubby cliff land. Skylark can be seen in the fields above and peregrine falcons, nesting on nearby Pencarrow Cliffs, may be hunting overhead.
3
Continue through another gate onto the plateau, a perfect spot for a picnic.
Archaeology: 2000 years on a cliff top
The cliff above Blackbottle Rock offers panoramic views from east to west. If you look carefully you'll see lots of low mounds. These are the remains of Bronze Age barrows (tombs), their elevated position possibly reflecting the importance attributed to ancestors. Over 2000 years later these prominent positions were used for a very different purpose - the cliff-top field holds the scattered remains of a Second World War radar station. All that survives of the main station are its earthwork platforms, but many of the concrete blocks have been re-used in neighbouring field hedges.
4
To continue your walk, you can either retrace your steps back along the coast or walk the circular route and follow the path inland, along the field margin, for views towards Caradon Hill.
5
At the gate, turn left to follow the road back to Polruan. Please be careful as this is a public road.
6
Finally, turn left into the car park.
End:
Polruan public car park, grid ref: SX132507
