The most important details in this text are the locations of Pentire Point and Rumps Point on a Cornish Walk. The walk starts in New Polzeath and is ideal for reading a newspaper and watching the surfers in the water before heading to the Doom Bar of the Atlantic Hotel for a pre-walk coffee. After sitting inside and staring out the window, the walk follows the coast path to Pentireglaze Haven, where the soft sand underfoot is ideal for a spot of beach rambling.
The walk then climbs the hillside and discovers a small pebbly cove, before returning to beach level and passing through Pentire Farm on the way back. The walk is a great way to spend the weekend relaxing in Cornwall's holiday cottages and wrap up warm before venturing out into the cold.
The path levels out to provide expansive seaward views, including Stepper Point and the Trevose Head lighthouse. Harbour Cove is a deserted stretch of sand to the south of Stepper Point, and the lush green of the fields contrasts with the grey and uninviting ocean. The Tumuli, a prehistoric burial ground, is hidden beneath a thicket of heather. Pentire Point is barren volcanic rock formed 350 million years ago, and Rumps Point is an Iron-Age cliff castle with a massive triple rampart and ditch system. The views become more spectacular the higher you climb.
We explored the stone circles within the enclosure, imagining those who had stood where we now stood and admired the views. The Mouls, a large offshore rock behind the eastern headland, is a breeding site for puffins, gannets, and kittiwakes. A helpful information board reveals that the peninsula is part of a working farm that produces beef, corn, and sheep. We pass Mowhay Café and Gallery on our way to Trebetherick, where we eat a delicious lunch before returning home and curling up in front of the fire. If you want to visit this area and need a place to stay, go to http://www.cornwalltoday.co.uk, where you can find a wide range of self-catering cottages and farmhouses.
There's nothing quite like a brisk winter walk. Summer may be more appealing because you can stop for numerous ice creams en route and meander in shorts and t-shirts as the sun warms your skin; however, it's hot and clammy, you're frequently jostling for position on the busy coast path, and parking at the start of the route can be somewhat problematic. Today, there is no such issue. We find one of the many free seaside spaces in New Polzeath, and our location is ideal for reading a newspaper and watching the surfers in the water before heading a few steps away to the Doom Bar of the Atlantic Hotel for a pre-walk coffee.
Cornwall has a fantastic selection of walks that are ideal for a winter getaway. Why not spend the weekend relaxing in one of Cornwall's holiday cottages (http://www.cornwalltoday.co.uk/Accommodation/CottageInCornwall.aspx) before your walk, and wrap up warm before venturing out into the cold?
This is one walk where a woolly hat will come in handy to keep your ears warm and to keep your hair from blowing in your eyes and obscuring the views. Furthermore, because any conversation is stolen by the wind, it doesn't matter if you can't hear anything; it's actually quite pleasant to be engrossed in your own world for a while. After sitting inside and staring out the window, it's great to be leaving Polzeath and following the coast path to Pentireglaze Haven, where the soft sand underfoot is ideal for a spot of beach rambling, though we find little aside from small mussels, plenty of kelp, and a cottage nestled at the back of the beach, which we enviously spy through the windows.
We leave the beach and climb the hillside, saying goodbye to our sleepy starting point, before returning to beach level and discovering a small pebbly cove. Tempted as we are to take the grassy turn to Pentire Farm, we resist because we will be passing through the farm on our way back.
The increased puffing is worth it as the path levels out to provide expansive seaward views, including the day mark of Stepper Point and the Trevose Head lighthouse in the distance. Harbour Cove is a deserted stretch of sand to the south of Stepper Point that is usually populated with bodies during the summer months. Looking inland, the lush green of the fields contrasts with the grey and somewhat uninviting ocean. With our eyes down, we spot a large hairy caterpillar in the undergrowth, and once we've seen one, it's a game of spot the caterpillar; they're out in force today. We pass a National Trust sign directing us uphill to the Tumuli, a prehistoric burial ground hidden beneath a thicket of heather.
Continue on the windy path to Pentire Point, where barren volcanic rock forms the headland; look closely and you'll see gas bubbles in the rocks formed when the lava cooled rapidly in the ancient seas 350 million years ago. Newland Rock can be seen offshore, and Rumps Point can be seen in the distance, with sporadic triangular rocks rearing out of the grass headland like a stegosaurus. As you explore Rumps, you will find areas of wind shelter, though you won't want to stay too long in these quiet pockets because the views become far more spectacular the higher you climb.
The remains of an Iron-Age cliff castle can be found on the Rumps' unusually shaped double headland, where a massive triple rampart and ditch system protected an area of around six acres at the tip of the headland. We explored the stone circles within the enclosure, imagining those who had stood where we now stood and admired the views. If the hills could talk, they'd have a lot to say; excavations in the same area have unearthed first-century BC pottery, indicating trade with the Mediterranean region. The Mouls, a large offshore rock behind the eastern headland, is a breeding site for puffins, gannets, and kittiwakes.
When you're ready to move on, I dare you not to want to roll down the hills you've just puffed your way up. Continue on your circular path, following the stone wall until you reach a junction, then turn right to begin your inward loop.
A helpful information board reveals that the entire peninsula is part of a working farm that produces beef, corn, and sheep, the latter of which we saw plenty of during our walk. Though there is no one around when we pass through the farmyard, cream teas are available in season. As you return to your starting point, you'll be able to appreciate the shelter, peace, and quiet before a final uphill stretch to your car. We hungry walkers pass Mowhay Café and Gallery on our way to Trebetherick, where the atmosphere is warm and welcoming - it's like walking into someone's front room. We eat what can only be described as a delicious lunch before returning home and curling up in front of the fire - with that lovely feeling that only fresh air exertion can bring on.
If you want to visit this area and need a place to stay, go to http://www.cornwalltoday.co.uk, where you will find a wide range of self-catering cottages and farmhouses as well as bed and breakfasts to suit your needs.
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