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Magazine Summer 2011 Plan Your Walk

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Magazine Summer 2011 Plan Your Walk magazine summer 2011 magazine summer 2011 Southern England Southern England 09 Land’s End Peninsula, Cornwall 10 Avebury, Wiltshire 12/05/2011 16:30 l Distance 22½km/14 miles l Time 7hrs l Type Coast l Distance 18km/11 miles l Time 6½hrs l Type Countryside NAVIGATION FITNESS NAVIGATION FITNESS 1 LEVEL 1 2/3 LEVEL 2/3 2 LEVEL 2 2 LEVEL 2 feature p61 Plan your walk Plan your walk SEE Newquay l Cheltenham Redruth Gloucester Oxford St Ives l l CORNWALL Swindon l Penzance P Bristol Reading Falmouth N l TRO L Bath AVEBURY ORGA AR LAND’S END B A PENINSULA N EVE M O Landewednack T Salisbury HY: S HY: HY: FI HY: P P WHERE: Linear walk from WHERE: Circular walk from Gurnard’s Head to Sennen To find great accommodation, visit Avebury, Wiltshire. Cove via Cape Cornwall. www.ramblers.org.uk/accommodation START/END: The Red Lion, PHOTOGRA PHOTOGRA START: Gurnard’s Head Avebury (SU103699). (SW436376). Of all Cornwall’s wonderful sides of the peninsula, taking in TERRAIN: Unmarked but Taking in the first section of the cloak optional). At the end of END: Sennen Cove coastline, stretches of the north rugged cliffs, mining relics, splendid straightforward footpaths Great Stones Way, this ‘taster’ the field, cross two stiles and (SW355263). coast and the Land’s End headlands and beautiful coves. over open, chalky farmland route starts and ends inside continue beside the road, TERRAIN: Rugged coastal Peninsula must share first prize with plenty of historic the prehistoric stone circle at keeping to the L of the field. path throughout on a for the most dramatic cliff scenery 1. START Alight from the bus monuments for easy Avebury and follows the Things become a bit unclear well-signed National Trail. on the South West Coast Path. at the Gurnard’s Head inn navigation. proposed trail as far south as as you approach the farm, so MAPS: Explorer 102; The latter especially, with its great (SW436376) and follow the access MAPS: the Neolithic long barrow you can play it safe by walking Landranger 203. OS Explorer 157; cliffs of golden granite, offers drive beside it that heads north, Landranger 173. known as Adam’s Grave. It then alongside the B4003, R along a GETTING THERE: First 300 some of the most stimulating and continuing on a footpath signed joins part of a possible diversion brief section of the A4 and then GETTING THERE: Nearest bus service (Penzance to memorable miles of any UK coast for Gurnard’s Head, which leads on the Great Stones Way to pass L down Gunsite Road, before mainline train station is in Land’s End via St Ives, path. The most westerly point of down the grass towards the coast one of Wiltshire’s eight famous joining the White Horse Trail. Swindon (✆ 08457 484950, Gurnard’s Head, St Just and mainland England is a magnet for and the distinctive headland of white horses, before heading www.nationalrail.co.uk). Sennen Cove), May to Oct visitors; but no matter how vast that name. When you reach the back towards Avebury via other 2. Head east (L) on the From there, bus number 49 (✆ 0845 600 1420, www. the summer crowds, there’s no Coast Path, navigation is quite prehistoric sites like the West signposted trail for half a mile, runs from Swindon to firstgroup.com); Western denying the superb scenery. simple: turn L and follow the Kennet Long Barrow and Silbury then take the first L until you Avebury hourly Monday to Greyhound bus service 507 Nearby Cape Cornwall is a Coast Path signs (the ones with Hill. Along the way, you’ll get a come to the road heading into Saturday and every two (St Just to Gurnard’s Head) beautiful spot, spared the the National Trail acorn symbol), taste of the landscape and chalk East Kennet. At this point you hours on Sundays and has connections with excessive attentions lavished on keeping the sea on your R all the escarpment that characterises may wish to divert to see the Bank Holidays service 504 from Land’s End its neighbour. Given a long way. The excellent South West much of the full 61km/38-mile Sanctuary, a stone circle believed (✆ 0871 200 2233, and 508 to Penzance and St weekend, you could walk around Coast Path Association grades the Way, but with a much more to be older than Avebury’s. www.traveline.org.uk). Ives (✆ 01637 871871, www. the peninsula, starting at St Ives section from St Ives to Pendeen peaceful grand finale in Avebury westerngreyhound.com). and finishing at Penzance, with a Watch – of which the stretch from EATING & DRINKING: than at crowded Stonehenge. 3. In either case, pass through EATING & DRINKING: couple of nights en route – an Gurnard’s Head is the last few The Red Lion, Avebury East Kennet and keep R when the ✆ The Gurnard’s Head excellent expedition. To whet miles – as ‘severe’, on account of ( 01672 539266, 1. START After taking in the road splits. After passing through (✆ 01736 796928, www. your appetite, this route samples the rough and rocky terrain. But, www.red-lion-pub-avebury. Avebury stone circle, make your a farm gate, keep your eye out gurnardshead.co.uk); The one very fine and varied stretch in fact, the last couple of miles are co.uk) – a beautiful way south down the ceremonial for the trail leading off and up to ▼ Count House Café – Geevor ▼ of coast on the north and west considerably easier going. Having thatched pub within West Kennet Avenue (druid’s the L. You’re now on the ancient ▼ ▼ 57-58 SOUTHERN ROUTEMASTER.indd 1 57-58 SOUTHERN ROUTEMASTER.rev1.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymap Ordnance Surveymap Continued... Continued... 1 Avebury’s stone circle. Tin Mine (✆ 01736 788662, START SLEEPING: The Lodge, a www.geevor.com); The Old ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 1 ping ©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 vegetarian B&B, Avebury Success Inn, Sennen Cove START ✆ (✆ 01672 539 023, FINISH ( 01736 871232, www. www.aveburylodge.co.uk). staustellbrewery.co.uk/ 2 VISITOR INFORMATION: old-success-inn). Other cafés Avebury TIC, Green Street at Sennen Cove. (✆ 01672 539179, SLEEPING: The Gurnard’s Head (see previous page); www.visitwiltshire.co.uk). 8 GUIDEBOOKS: Avebury: Land’s End Vineries – self- catering holiday bungalows Biography of a Landscape by about 5km/3 miles from Joshua Pollard and Andrew 2 Sennen Cove, with bus stop Reynolds (£19, The History 7 outside (✆ 01736 871437, Press, ISBN 0752419579). www.thelandsendvineries. LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP: co.uk). For other Wiltshire Ramblers 3 accommodation in the area, (✆ 01793 740450, visit www.visitcornwall.com. 3 www.ramblers-wilts.org.uk). 6 VISITOR INFORMATION: Penzance TIC (✆ 01736 362207, Ridgeway and will soon climb 5 www.visitcornwall.com). above the countryside, with a GUIDEBOOKS: The South beautiful valley on your R. Look West Coast Path: 2011 Guide back at Avebury’s stones and (£9.95, South West Coast Silbury Hill in the distance. Path Association, ISBN 9780907055174); The South 4. After passing through a West Coast Path by Paddy wooded way you’ll emerge at Dillon (£12.95, Cicerone, the top of Wansdyke. Carry on ISBN 9781852843793). straight down, pass the parking LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUP: lot on your L and then head West Cornwall (Penwith & Map not to scale. Kerrier) Ramblers (✆ 01736 Representation of uphill towards the Adam’s Grave OS Landranger MAP 203 4 740542, www.ramblers.org. Long Barrow. Though there FINISH 1:50,000 is a path to the top, resist the uk/localgroups). www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk urge to walk upon this ancient monument – a stroll around the passed the very scenic area to Cape Cornwall were once the cliff edge. Further on, descend perimeter reveals the same view. Map not to scale. around Porthmeor Cove you’ll scene of intense mining activity from the headland of Kenidjack Representation of come to Bosigran Cliff, the only (tin and copper), as you’ll see Castle to cross the valley and 5. From here, the proposed Great OS Explorer MAP 157 point where the exact route might from the many visible reminders reach Cape Cornwall. Its shapely Stones Way heads south into the 1:25,000 be confusing. You head slightly of these bygone days. The headland, surmounted by a Vale of Pewsey, but the route’s www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk inland and up to the rocky ridge, combination of the raw beauty of chimney, is well worth a detour. planners have also proposed a on the other side of which the the Atlantic coast and the mining circular sidetrack that heads ongoing route should be clear landscape makes this an 3. There now follow several west past the White Horse hill back towards East Kennet. Keep described by English Heritage again. This is a favourite spot with atmospheric stretch to walk. Tall glorious miles of coast to figure. So carry on along the an eye out for burial mounds as ‘one of the largest and most climbers. Further on you’ll reach chimneys of former mines still Whitesand Bay and Sennen Cove. escarpment, following the and the East Kennet Long impressive Neolithic chambered Portheras Cove – a good beach for pierce the skies, while the last of Having crossed the Cot Valley, the White Horse Trail, and take a Barrow, on your R. tombs in Britain’. a swim in summer – and from the working mines – Geevor – is path heads due south to the sandy L at the second footpath until there it’s an easy walk to the now a visitor centre where you beaches of Whitesand Bay, which you come to the three-way 7.
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