Cornwall

St Agnes Head circular walk

This coastal walk passes the remains of a Second World War training camp, a National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) lookout, and acres of windswept heathland.

Near to

St Agnes Head

Start point

Car park at St Agnes Head. Grid ref: SW702514.

Trail information

View route

Print trail

Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1 (km: 1.6)

Duration 30 mins to 40 mins

Dog friendly***

*This route features uneven ground, as well as some slopes. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Uneven terrain not suitable for people with limited mobility. For more details, please see Access section.
***Dogs are welcome – please keep them on a lead. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

Address
St Agnes Head, near St Agnes village, Cornwall TR5 0ST
Directions via Google Maps
By train
The nearest station is Redruth, 7 miles (11.3km) away. From there, take a bus to St Agnes.
By bus
Take the 85, 403 or 583 bus from Perranporth, or the 315 from Redruth.
By road
Follow the A30 to the Chiverton Cross roundabout, then take the B3277. At the next roundabout, instead of heading towards St Agnes village, turn left and continue around the beacon to the car park at St Agnes Head.
Total stages: 6
Total stages: 6
Start point
Car park at St Agnes Head. Grid ref: SW702514.
Stage 1
From the car park, head along the path that leads in a north-easterly direction. Follow it down to the coast path.
Cameron Camp ruins
During the Second World War, a light anti-aircraft training facility known as Cameron Camp was built on St Agnes Head. Named after a local landowner, it contained numerous buildings, some remains of which can still be seen today. The area is also covered by slit trenches, which are likely to have been made during training for the D-Day landings. After the war, the camp was used as a housing estate. However, by the early 1970s this had been bulldozed and the rubble used to backfill several old mineshafts.
Stage 2
When you reach the coast path, turn left and walk in a westerly direction.
The wind-pruned heath
The cliffs between St Agnes Head and Porthtowan form one of the largest remaining tracts of heathland in Cornwall, most of the rest having been lost to agricultural use. The heath survives because the soils have been contaminated by the mining that previously took place here. The combination of soil conditions and salty winds blowing off the Atlantic means that few plants other than heathers can survive. Even these grow very slowly in the most exposed areas, where they develop a distinctive wave-like form. Specially adapted invertebrates live within this patchy heath, including a remarkable diversity of spiders.
Stage 3
Continue along the coast path as it passes underneath the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) lookout.
National Coastwatch Institution lookout
The first lookout here was probably established at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The present building, which we rebuilt, opened in 2009 and is leased to the NCI. A registered charity founded in Cornwall in 1994, the NCI now maintains over 40 stations and has more than 1,700 volunteer watchkeepers. They keep a visual watch, monitor maritime radio and radar signals, and record sea and weather conditions.
Stage 4
After a slight incline, you'll reach a network of paths that lead back around to the car park. Looping back on yourself, take the path to the inland side of the one you've been on.
Stage 5
Head in an easterly direction along the path, through the car park and then past the NCI lookout on the left. This path then joins a tarmac road.
Stage 6
Continue along the tarmac road to the car park you set out from.
End point
Car park at St Agnes Head. Grid ref: SW702514.
Trail map
St Agnes Head Circular Walk trail map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
You made it
Share your experience

Trail

St Agnes Head Lookout Loop

A simple coastal stroll, with wide sea views, and an interesting stop off point at the National Coastwatch lookout.

Visitors walking a dog along the South West Coast Path at St Agnes Head, Cornwall

Trail

White Rocks to St Agnes Beacon loop

Follow this gentle stretch of South West Coast Path from St Agnes Head to the disused mine at Wheal Coates. Loop back inland and climb to the summit of St Agnes Beacon for far-reaching views over the North Cornwall coast before heading back to the starting point.