Sunday 19 May 2013

Cornwall Holiday - The Lizard Walk

After a dry but cold night, we were up enjoying coffee outside the tent in the morning sun before getting ready for the short drive to Kynance Cove.  There, the National Trust car park attendant welcomed us to "the most beautiful cove in all of Cornwall", and I don't think he was far wrong.

It was a beautiful day and a fantastic walk, and the best way to write this one up is with pictures. To see  the large versions, just click on the photo, and scroll through the selection below.

We started our walk at Kynance Cove

Our first views of Kynance Cove
Absolutely gorgeous, we couldn't stop taking photographs
Across the cove is a little cafe.  As we approached the tide was coming in.  The short way to get to the tea shop is to cross the cove before the tide gets too high, by walking underneath the bulk of rock you can see on the right hand side
Once we got across, we could investigate and admire the rocks and the waves.  Wonderful
We walked/climbed up the other side onto Tor Balk, and were able to look down on The Bellows.  How blue is that water?  Gorgeous
We easily spent an hour wandering around the cove, up this way and that, wearing the camera batteries out.  A really lovely place to be and I recommend it to everybody. But we were here to walk, so we set off East across Lizard Downs.
Lizard Downs are a National Nature Reserve.  The flowers everywhere we glorious, so pretty in the sun. 
We made our way towards Cadgwith, passing St Wynwallow Church on the way.  I wandered around the cemetery as Peter took more photographs.  I came across the grave of a man who died in 1909, aged 21.  Laid with him was his daughter, Phillipa, who died in 1918, aged 9.  And finally his wife, who died sometime in the 1960's, aged 81.  A poignant story carved in three matter of fact lines.
St Wynwallow Church near Cadgwith
From there we made our way to the coastline and followed the Coastal Path from just South of Cadgwith back to Kynance Cove.  A magical walk where stunning sights and views appeared around every bend.
We hadn't even started down the Coastal Path when we got to The Devil's Frying Pan

Looking South along the coastline.  This cove is Polgwidden.  In the top left corner of the picture you can just see a the lifeboat station. 
Polbarrow
Bass Point Lookout Station ahead.  It's manned by volunteers 24hrs a day
We walked to the end of Pen Olver  where we took masses of photo's.  This is one of my favourites
Looking back across Housel Bay
The Lion's Den.   A collapsed sea cave.  Deep and very scary to be on the edge of. 
Lizard Point ahead.  Well, the touristy bit of it anyway.  This is the most southernly point of England.  Of course, we stopped to enjoy a cup of tea and the views. 
Looking back to Lizard Point (the touristy bit).  You can just see an old disused pier, centre left, which used to be used by the RNLI.  It was from here that the greatest sea rescue in the history of the RNLI took place - You can read the amazing  story by clicking the link>> The SS Suevic,
And the coastline continues to delight us.
Approaching Kynance Cove and the end of our walk.  Lion Rock ahead, with Gull Rock and The Bishop behind.
Looking back across Pentreath Beach.  
Lion Rock from behind.  I'm just about to reach the viewpoint where the first picture of this blog entry was taken.
Kynance Cove, the tide is going out to reveal the sands.  Wonderful.
And then it was very sadly back to the car.  We'd had such a wonderful day, the deluge of splendid, amazing and beautiful views overwhelming the eyes and mind, I didn't want it to end.  

We walked nearly 9 miles and took all day about it.  Absolutely fantastic. 

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