35. Portloe to Place

It’s a lovely calm and sunny day as I continue on my journey towards Falmouth. I will be walking out onto the Roseland Peninsula that ends at The Carrick Roads, the large flooded ria that gives Falmouth its unique position. Getting to and from Place is difficult using public transport, so I make use of my moped by dropping it off there and then driving around to Portloe.

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Underground water reservoir or WW2 buildings?
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Nare Point from Pendower Beach

The first couple of miles of the path is done on high cliffs with slumped highly overgrown slopes. The path follows the inundated coastline around Manare Point, Blouth Point and Nare Point. Nare point used to be known as Penare Point for some reason the “Pe” was dropped. Most of this coastline is owned by the National Trust, which include a number of tenanted farms. I pass some strange underground ventilation structures which I suspect may be World War 2 underground buildings.

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Portscatho
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The route ahead towards Greeb Point

After a few steep up and downs I finally descend to Pendower and Carne Beach. There are few people about and I more or less have the beach to myself. After a couple of fairly easy miles of walking I pass a look-out station and get my first good sight of the fishing village of Portscatho. Just before I reach the beach, I find a wooden bench and eat my sandwiches. The weather has held and I have made good time. I climb out of Portscatho and am rewarded with a view all the way to Falmouth, I can see the path falling and rising gently which looks very inviting.

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St. Anthony’s Battery
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Place House, St Anthony
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St Mawrs Ferry

I round Greeb Point, Killigerran and Porthmellin Head before continuing onto Zone Point. From Zone Point I walk a few hundred metres to St Anthony’s Head and enter the Coast artillery fort of St Anthony Battery. Although long since used as a military base, the National Trust has made preserved the defensive structures of the Battery as well as converting some of the buildings into holiday lets. This battery was one of a numberf which guarded the entrance to the Carrick Roads and the port of Falmouth. The battery has a number of visitors and I explore the remnant artillery structures on show. I pass the squat little lighthouse built-in 1834 and head off towards Carricknath Point, passing small tiny coves with people simply paddling, sunbathing or exploring rock pools. I have passed the tip of the Roseland peninsula and am now walking eastwards before dropping down into Place. I can see St. Mawrs just across the water. I pass the 12th century church of St. Anthony and the striking Place House with it large sweeping lawn all the way down to the shoreline. A few hundred metres further on I reach the small jetty for the St Mawrs ferry. It has taken me almost 5 hours to get here.

Distance today = 13.5 miles
Total distance =   535.5 miles

 

 

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