Moor

with its expanse of golden sand. complete surprise, and I loved it. Day 11: Pendeen to Porthcurno Soon I descended into . I struggled across the (16 miles 7 hours) beach in the whistling wind and made my way to Lowland Headed down past Geevor tin mine in the wind and rain to Point, a rugged, boulder strewn area with boggy paths made Levant where I was meeting a group of friends from Nordic worse by the free range ponies the National Trust use to Walking group Walk Kernow. We set off towards Botallack, control the grazing. Alongside the The Manacles reef, the walking along, craggy cliffs strewn with boulders and wind was driving the swell onshore and waves were crashing enjoying views over glorious turquoise sea. This is real Poldark on the rocks. It was easy to imagine a ship floundering out country, and I often feel the presence of these bygone folk there - how incredibly brave the lifeboat crews must be to go and wonder about their daily lives. out in such conditions. Time for a coffee and cake at Sennen, where I had a brief Finally, I stopped at the Fat Apples Café at Porthallow for a meeting with the guys from RNLI. We all walked on to Land’s hot chocolate, before seeking out my B&B for the night. Short A CORNISH WALK End where I was greeted by Rosie, the Newfoundland from on miles but tough on the legs in this wind - I had to dig deep Dog Friendly and a clapping crowd of German today. tourists. I had my photo taken at the famous signpost – it’s T H E ENTIRE 10 years since I cycled in from John O’ Groats with my friend Day 18: Portloe to Janie, after raising money for a head scanner for the Royal (13 miles, 7.5 hours, limping!) Cornwall Hospital. It was a steep climb out of the little I left the others here and carried on, feeling a bit lonely. fishing village. Just round the corner, At Porthcurno, hips and knees aching from the relentless we came upon David Dingle busying pounding, I find my energy crashes around 4pm and I am away with his digger next to the path, COAST dragging myself along by sheer willpower. making ready a spot for a memorial bench for his brother who died last IN APRIL, PAT SMITH, 67, OF , AKA Day 12: Porthcurno to year. I have enjoyed sitting on ACTION NAN, WALKED 300 MILES AROUND I wasn’t feeling great last night. I have been finding it difficult and reading the inscriptions THE CORNISH TO to eat and I know I need protein to feed my muscles. on the many seats on the Set off this morning accompanied by a new friend - a path; certain spots are very RAISE FUNDS FOR THE RNLI IN CORNWALL. photo-taking drone! Penlee lifeboat volunteer Mark arrived on meaningful to people, HERE ARE EXTRACTS FROM HER DIARY. my doorstep at 9am and asked if he could film me on my way and it is comfort to along the coast to Penlee - yes please! relatives (and walkers) to Photographs by Viki Wilson and Elaine Trethowan I wandered down to the stunning beach at Porthcurno sit awhile and feel their ROUGH POPPY; A SIX-SPOT BURNET MOTH, RECENTLY EMERGED FROM ITS and started up the cliff towards Treen. I met my friend Sue presence. My favourite Day 1: April 6, 2016 - Setting off who walked with me along the most spectacular coast past inscription to date is “Appreciate nature, The first part of my journey from the Devon border, away Boscawen Point and Tater Du lighthouse to just outside without nature, there is from the towns, was wild and remote. It felt untouched Cove where a group of Penlee Lifeboat volunteers nothing.” and being difficult to access, was unspoilt, elemental and were waiting to walk with me. At beautiful peaceful. It certainly was a beautiful day to arrive in . The welcome I received at Penlee Lifeboat Station was Porthluney beach, I met Day 6: to Mawgan Porth my friend Lorna from our (16 miles 7 hours) overwhelming – lots of Penlee supporters came down to greet Lay awake last night listening to the torrential rain and me and I enjoyed a lovely cream tea and a brew with the counting my blessings that I finished walking before it crew....perfect! started! Had a good night at the Golden Lion at Padstow and left with a hearty breakfast inside me. The sky was Day 15: The Lizard to Porthallow brilliant blue, sun shining. I know this stretch of coast well (12 miles 6 hours) and think it has some of the best beaches in the West The hardest day began before I left my guest house. The Country, sweeping curves of sand and majestic rollers howling wind had already woken me in the night, so I pounding in from the Atlantic. wrapped up warm and parked myself in the bus shelter at A warm welcome awaited me from the crew at 6.30am, the better to get a phone signal for a radio interview Padstow lifeboat station. We spotted our first seal as we with Pirate FM. walked over the beach at Constantine Bay, and ended The advice was to start at Kennack Sands, away from the up paddling across a stream before meeting my family at full brunt of the wind on the cliffs. I walked up to the cliffs the funky coffee van. I passed our favourite family beach, at Treleaver and on to the coastguard lookout at Black Head, Porthcothan (no shirtless Aidan Turner today, sadly), then site of many a shipwreck with its jagged rocks below; then skirted a series of coves with jagged rocks and islands continued across Chynhalls cliff and soon found myself in before reaching the famous Bedruthan Steps. It was a Terence Coventry’s sculpture garden, three fields featuring FROM TOP: PAT WITH THE PENLEE LIFEBOAT CREW; APPROACHING LAND’S END level walk along the cliff tops down to Mawgan Porth birds, horses and humans in steel and concrete. It was a

116 | CORNWALL TODAY www.cornwalltoday.co.uk | 117 sponsor The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and enjoyed a delicious soon appeared, and the final stretch was along a well-worn vanilla ice cream from the beach café. gravelled path through the woods until the Cremyll ferry One of my toes was becoming really sore today; every step came into view - journey’s end! was painful, so I called my chiropodist who volunteered to An ITV cameraman was the only person there to greet me find me at Gorran Haven. We commandeered a bench above until Kate from the RNLI arrived with a flag. Soon after the harbour and Claire treated my toes, bandaged me up and my husband arrived to ferry us home. A welcome bubble bath hey presto, I was off again. and fish and chips on Mevagissey quay were in order. It was Many thanks to Steve and Anna Flavell, who waited for me incredible to think that I had set off from here last Sunday to arrive in Gorran having followed my journey on Facebook. morning, and had walked to Plymouth in four days. They get my utter respect for going out of their way to make me feel special. It was just 2.5 miles to our destination, Final thoughts Mevagissey, so I declined a lift and set off, gingerly. One of the abiding memories I have is what I learned about myself. If you believe you can do something, you will do it - Day 22: My final day: Portwrinkle to Cremyll self-doubt opens the door to failure. On the difficult days, I (13 miles 5 hours) drove myself on by counting steps, even though my body was Emotions were running high as I swung from the relief of aching and racked with tiredness. nearly reaching my goal to the disappointment of giving up I’ve had difficulty readjusting to the real world, with its the freedom to wander in one of the most beautiful places on demand for you to be available at all times via phone and earth, unfettered from the shackles of everyday life. online, or being blasted with mostly bad news from around I walked with my son Paul, and shortly after joining the the globe. I find myself longing to be back on the trail, coast path, we came to Tregantle Fort, built in the mid-1800s fascinated by a couple of ladybirds and accompanied by the to defend Plymouth and still used by the military for training sounds of the sea. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity purposes. It is a stark, prison-like building, and today they had to journey around the beautiful coastline of Cornwall, a place the red flags flying, meaning target practice and, for us, a I am lucky enough to call home. mile detour inland. At Freathy Cliff, a strange assortment of wooden cabins Information cling tenuously to the cliff side with glorious views over . Further on, in the twin villlages of Kingsand ► See all of Pat’s detailed daily posts and photographs at and Cawsand, we passed an old cottage with a sign on the Facebook.co.uk/ActionNan So far, she has raised over £8,000; to donate, visit front: Devon/Corn, indicating the original county boundary ► uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ActionNan used to run right through the house. Mount Edgcumbe

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