Rock formation and cave entrance on the cliff edge

of the South West Coastal Path, near Treyarnon Bay, on the North Cornish coast

Off the beaten track

A short pause on the Coastal Path

Looking towards the Plymouth Waterfront, from the eastern shore of Plymouth Sound, 

where the long distance Coastal Path takes walkers to the ferry at Mount Batten,

for the short crossing of the River Plym to the historic Barbican Quarter

In Salutem Omnium

These large plaques are found at certain points along the South West Coastal Path.

The plaques commemorate the issue of a  rare medal which protected the bearer from being sent to serve at sea by Royal Navy press gangs

 .

 Only a small number of the solid silver medals were made and they were given to men working on the new lighthouse as a sign that they were doing important and skilled work and were to be left alone by the press gangs.

 At the time Britain was fighting the French in North America.

Serious walkers

The South West Coastal Footpath follows the shore of Plymouth Sound along the City Waterfront.

It attracts saunterers, strollers, walkers, runners and those who simply like to sit and look out to sea.

In Peril on the Sea

 

These stone benches provide a useful resting place on the South West Coastal Path as it passes along the bank of River Plym, at Mt. Batten, on its way to the Plymouth Waterfront.

Each bench bears a vital message that a vessel is in difficulties  and requires assistance. 

This two flag message uses the international flag system.



The message is shortened to the two letter code DX,
(displayed on the end of the bench)

 

The code for this message is IX.
 

You can work out the two flags you would need from the alphabet above

Looking beyond Drake's Island.

to the Cornish shore of Plymouth Sound.

 The South West Coastal path follows the shoreline,

 through the beautiful Mount Edgecumbe Country park,

to charming villages of Cawsand and Kingsand,
which can also be reached by a little red ferry across Plyouth Sound 

The city viewed from the Coastal path (2)

The 630 mile South West Coastal Path closely follows the entire shore line of Plymouth Sound.

 Here we are looking out from Jennycliff on the Devon shore, across the Sound
 towards Drake's Island and the mouth of the River Tamar on the Cornish shoreline.

Plymouth's Waterfront Walkway makes up 9.3 miles of the South West Coast Path's 630. 
as it follows the City's  shoreline. 
 A guide to Plymouth's Waterfront Walkway [PDF, 9.1MB]

The City viewed from the South West Coastal Path.(1)

The River Plym flows into the picture from the right, 

passes under the watchful gaze of the Tower on the Mount Batten promontory,  

along the Cattewater Breakwater and into Plymouth Sound.

A resting place with a view.

Along the 630 mile length of the South West Coastal Path there must hundreds of  such seats,

but this one, at Constantine Beach on the North Cornwall coast, is a little unusual.

 Carved out of this enormous tree trunk is a very comfortable 'settee'.

Like most of the seats along the path it bears a commemoration plaque  

Follow The Leader

By Land

And Sea 

 

A seat with a view on the South West Coastal Path

between Constantine Beach and Treyarnon.

Coasteering

As I was walking along the cliffs on the South West Coastal Path,

I spotted this group of intrepid local youngsters working their way 

along the rugged Atlantic coast of North Cornwall at sea level.

Stage 1

This cleft in the high cliffs provided a spot for them to enter the water.

Stage 2

From the "lagoon", above, they swam out around the headland and entered this high-sided gulley.

Look carefully and you can see their heads as they swam in along the narrowing gulley.










Stage 3

Clambering ashore at the end of the gulley, their tiny figures give a sense of the scale of the cliff faces.

Stage 4

Once they were all ashore, off they marched in single file into this enormous cave.

That was the last I saw of them.

The Birth of a Volcano?

Localised turbulence on an otherwise placid sea.

Looking down from the cliff, on the South West Coastal Path, 

near Constantine Beach on the North Cornish coast.

The South West Coastal Path.

Not every mile of the 600 mile Coastal Path takes you along the rugged cliff tops of the region.

This section at Mount Batten, where the River Plym enters Plymouth Sound, 

offers some wonderful "watering holes" like this one, The Bridge .

Looking both ways in Plymouth Sound.

Looking West,

past Drake's Island towards Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, on the Cornish shore.

Looking East,

into Jennycliff Bay, on the Devon shore.

The 600 mile long South West Coastal Path follows both shores, 

and provides outstanding views of the many events which take place in Plymouth Sound.

The Beaches at Newquay, North Cornwall.

After crossing Fistral Beach and rounding the headland, see yesterday's post, 

the South West Coastal Path enters the town of Newquay.

Whilst the town has a well deserved reputation for brashness,

the bay and its beaches have a justified reputation for beauty.

Fistral Beach, Newquay, North Cornwall.

Just a short stroll around  the headland at Pentire, from the location of yesterday's post,

the South West Coastal Path brings you to Lewinnick Lodge. 

 A great bar/restaurant/hotel with magnificent views from its terraces across Fistral Bay.

Even the British Prime Minister and his wife have been there recently.

Crantock Beach, North Cornwall

Looking down onto Crantock beach from the South West Coastal Path at Pentire.

June is a very popular time with the local people of Cornwall.

The roads are not too crowded, 

you can usually park when you arrive where you are going, 

and you have the wonderful beaches all to yourself.

Far fom the madding crowd

The view from the South West Coastal Footpath near Watergate Bay,

on the North Cornish coast, about fifty miles from Plymouth.

Even on a busy public holiday weekend.