Day 23 - As high as you can be on the South Coast path.

It's Monday, which means the longest walk of the week (as usual)!

Today I wandered my way from Portmellon to Porthluney Cove, a return trip of 15.8 miles.

Leaving the house at 08:10hrs with everyone still asleep (I am happy to report that Mags is not entirely broken after yesterday's walk), the drive down to Portmellon took me fifty minutes.

Portmellon is a tiny hamlet joined to the western edge of Mevagissey, that has a pub and a small beach (only at low tide though!)

The weather looked a little threatening, but I placed my trust in my weather Apps (which promised no rain) and set off.

Less than one mile into the walk, I came to a small cove and the western edge has a cliff named "Bodrugan's Leap" where, in 1485, Henry Bodrugan made a dramatic escape from Richard Edgcumbe and William Trevanion by leaping from the cliff, still on his horse, into the sea to a waiting boat. Bodrugan was a colourful character by all accounts, you can read more here: https://www.cornwallforever.co.uk/people/sir-henry-bodrugan

Carrying on along Bodrugan's leap, the path winds round Turbot point and Pabyer point before rising through some farmland and then dropping down into Gorran Haven.

A small harbour and beach are surrounded by tightly packed cottages and narrow winding lanes. The further away you get from the harbour, the grander the houses get and, you'll never guess, many appear to be holiday let properties!

Climbing steeply out of Gorran Haven, the path heads towards Dodman Point (also known by it's earlier names 'The Deadman' and 'Deadman's Point'), the highest point on the Southern stretch of the coast path at 114 meters.

First though, the path runs along the cliff tops around the three quarter of a mile stretch of sand known as Vault Beach. The beach can be reached from the path at the Gorran Haven end (about half a mile outside the village, the picture below is taken from the start of Dodman headland).

From the headland, you can see from Rame Head to Lizard Point (virtually the whole South Cornwall coast path). There is a large granite cross at the highest point, built by Reverend G. Martin (rector of Caerhays) in 1896 as a daytime navigational aid for ships.

Leaving the Headland you start down towards Hemmick Beach, before climbing out the other side and start a series of small climbs and descents for about a mile and a half until you reach Porthluney Cove and the impressive Caerhays Castle and it's grounds.

The castle's history can be discovered here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caerhays_Castle

and here: https://visit.caerhays.co.uk/the-estate/castle-and-family/

The Castle and gardens can be visited for a short time each spring.

I spent a brief twenty minutes on the beach, before scurrying off back the way I'd came...23 days walking has seen me complete 265.5 miles. I still have another 28 days walking and 312.2 miles to complete!

Remember, despite my wife's belief that I am doing this as some bizarre method of self - flagellation, I am actually doing it to raise money for the Dartmoor Branch of The Royal British Legion. The Branch committee have pledged that all of the money I raise will go to the Amenities fund at Dunkirk House.

Read about it here: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-support/care-and-independent-living/our-care-homes/dunkirk-memorial-house

Please donate if you can by contacting me at:

pjuckett@btinternet.com

or via Messenger and I'll give you the details.

The weather for the rest of the week does not look kind, so walking will not be nice and, across certain stretches of coast path will be plain dangerous, so your generous donations will spur me on, Thank You.