SWCP Day 16 – 25 April 2017

Newquay to Perranporth

Looks like a beautiful day, doesn’t it? But, looks can be deceiving.

It all started with sleet…

…and continued on with freezing Arctic winds that made placid waters froth and surge and rip right through me.

I could have crossed The Gannell via the Penpol – a footbridge that’s only revealed at very low tide. I’d been looking forward to navigating the crossing. But one foot outside put that plan to rest. Low tide was fast approaching and the skies looked even more ominous than they were already dishing out (not complaining here, I’ve had amazingly good weather on this trip).

So I got the bus around the bay to Holywell where I figured I could walk south down Perran Sands. The wind would be behind me, so me and the beast could practically float along. Right?

Wrong.

Ever been scoured by sand? Yeah. Not a good plan.

After waiting it out in Holywell for a bit, I got the bus down to the seemingly booming town of Perranporth and took myself out to the beach – just to prove I’d been there – before finding a cafe to wait it out (enjoying a fabulous carrot and ginger juice and a goat’s cheese and watercress ciabatta – just one hint that my body was craving vitamins)…

The wind didn’t die down, but the day was getting away from me. So I hitched up my big girl pants and set out for St. Georges Country House – the B&B a few km south of town I’d booked in place of a camp site.

Getting there proved to me that clifftops and gales don’t combine well. Particularly when you’re carrying a beast that likes to double as a sail.

The coast path first leads you path this massive compass, which overlooks Castle Rock and a natural arch that looks like it’s about to drop…

…then up around the headland, where dropping a walking stick to take a picture was a risk I only took a few times…

…I found the right public footpath and turned inland with relief, then followed the B3285 road up to the St. George, where glass protected me from the amazing-looking, but deadly-cold day while I put in a few happy hours compiling some of these blogs.