View Day 1 Pothgrawa to Pendeen in a larger map
Why Porthgwarra for the start, well lots of reasons, prominently: it’s not actually the commercial center of lands end, I could camp there with no hassle and I can be past with Land End by Breakfast time.
I got up at 6AM, let’s not think about Jetlag, and discovered to my great pleasure that I was already dressed for the day! Over dressed if anything. I broke camp and hit the trail. By 8:30 or 9:00 I had covered the 3.7 miles to Lands End, holding my breath as I passed the small cluster of buildings that passes for a petting zoo, and was first in line for a Coffee and a Cornish Pasty. I shed half my clothes before I got to Lands end, and once there changed into shorts and a Tee as the warmth of the day kicked in. The bathrooms (OK Toilets!) were closed at that early hour, and I was not unobserved doing a quick change.
Hey, you know, the Lands End Coffee shop does a decent Cornish pasty, one of the better ones I found on my trail. Although, having lived in the USA for the past 30 years, I will refrain from discussing their coffee; I did however get a second cup.
I thought there was a pub at the end, but it’s a tea shop, well times change (or my memory does) I walked on just over a mile to Sennen Cove, with its fishing harbour, and as the time was approaching noon I popped into the “Old Success Inn” for a traditional beverage, well two actually, and walked along the beach.
The next six miles took me past Aire Point, Cape Cornwall and on to Botallack where I saw what I think is one of the biggest highlights of today walk, The Crowns. The Crowns, as far as I can tell is the collective name for half a dozen or so abandoned tin mines, One out on a narrow ledge, the others around the rim of the cliff. What I find amazing, and hard to imagine on a beautiful sunny day like today, is the hostility of Living your life in this environment, a mine shaft only feet from the sea, accessible only from a long ledge halfway down the cliff, with the full force of North Atlantic Gales.
From the Crowns, the path continues over to Pendeen which has a magnificently restored steam “Beam” engine at the Levant mine.
My path for today continued through the mine slag piles and then turned abruptly right, away from the coast and into the village of Pendeen, wherein lies the North Inn, a small B&B with a large campsite.
Traditional English Pub Food, Campsite, Full English Breakfast, hot showers, what more can you ever need? Oh Yes, beer… It’s got that too.
Distance hiked today 15.1 Miles
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