Lamorna to Marazion - Walk - South West Coast Path

9.2 miles (14.8 km)

Lamorna Marazion

Challenging - Strenuous to easy

Beginning in the sub-tropical cove of Lamorna and passing through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Path changes quite dramatically as it crosses rugged cliffs, with some difficult ascents and descents, and then turns to easy walking on tarmac through Newlyn to Penzance. Mousehole, known for its tiny harbour and narrow streets of granite cottages, is a good place for a relatively quiet refreshment stop before you begin the more bustling stretch around Mount’s Bay.

Newlyn is not just the third largest fishing harbour in Britain - here you may even find the house with the smallest window in the UK! Following part of the National Cycle Network route round the edge of Mount’s Bay allows you to concentrate more on the facilities and sights of Penzance, rather than watching for uneven ground as you may well have been doing earlier on in the day.

The majestic sight of St Michael’s Mount dominates as you continue on to the ancient town of Marazion, passing Marazion Marsh with its rich wildlife.

Highlights

Kemyel Crease Nature Reserve: Monterey pines grow here as well as Monterey cypress trees which have a beautiful lemon scent. The Reserve is rich in fungi and if you are walking in the summer or autumn months, you may see the unusual earth star fungus.
Point Spaniard: said to be where the Spaniards landed before ransacking Mousehole, Newlyn and Paul in 1595.
Mousehole: a traditional fishing village described by Dylan Thomas as the prettiest village in England. Mousehole is actually thought to be Llareggub in his play Under Milk Wood. Many artists come here striving to capture the natural beauty of the area in their work and there are some galleries worth exploring. Often battered by winter storms, the villagers of Mousehole were once unable to put out their fishing boats due to the terrific gales. The villagers were close to starving when one man called Tom Bawcock braved the storm and brought back a massive haul of seven different types of fish. His heroic acts are celebrated every 23rd December when all of Mousehole gather to eat ‘Starry Gazy Pie’ (a fish pie with assorted fish heads poking out through the crust).
Art and fishing in Newlyn: home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the UK, Newlyn is also remembered for its cultural history due to the group of post-impressionist painters who set up in Newlyn and later established a school of painting.
Penzance: there is much to see here, but if you prefer to stay on the Path and pass straight through you will still be able to get a feel for what Penzance has to offer, especially along the promenade where you will see the Jubilee Pool and Trinity House National Lighthouse Centre. The open-air Art Deco grade II listed Jubilee swimming pool is one of the oldest remaining Art Deco pools in the country.
Stunning views of the majestic St Michael’s Mount. Once a Benedictine Priory, a fortress and tin mining port, it can be accessed by a causeway at low tide or by ferry.
Birds of Marazion Marsh: this important breeding and overwintering site has Cornwall’s largest reedbed and is used by the rare Cetti’s warbler, bitterns, chiffchaffs, starlings and little egrets. The Reserve has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and there are regular guided walks in the summer months.
The ancient market town of Marazion, with its very active community of painters and potters. There has been a settlement here since 308BC and the town claims to be the oldest in Britain, and could be the settlement known to the Romans as Ictis.

Places of interest

The Merry Maidens and Pipers west of Lamorna near the B3315. According to legend the stones, which form a perfect circle, were once 19 maidens who were dancing in the fields to the tunes played by two pipers (the nearby standing stones). They should have been attending vespers and so were turned to stone for their sins.
Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange Gallery in Penzance. Entrance to both sites is free.
Polgoon Farm, Rosehill, Penzance. A Taste of the West gold medal winner, this Cornish vineyard and orchard produces wine, cider and apple juice.

Shorter option

Newlyn (4.1 miles, 6.6 km).

Longer option

Perranuthnoe (an additional 2.3 miles, 3.8 km).

Nearby refreshments

There are plenty of opportunities to find refreshments along this section. Lamorna, Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance and Marazion all have shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes. There are also shops and a restaurant on St Michael’s Mount. Establishments that serve local produce include Taste of the West members: The Old Coastguard Hotel, in Mousehole, and The Deli, 27 Market Place, Penzance, which sells gourmet cheeses and meats, pastas, chocolates and handmade dairy specials, and for a real treat, the Michelin starred Abbey Restaurant, Abbey Street, Penzance..

Public transport

Penzance is the last stop on the famous Great Western Railway buidt by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. From here you can catch a bus to Lamorna, Mousehole and Marazion. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the train station and bus stop symbols, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.

Parking

Lamorna (Postcode for Sat Navs: TR19 6XQ), Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance and Marazion. If parking in Lamorna Cove, please ensure that you have enough change for parking, and put enough time on your ticket as we have had several reports of parking tickets being issued for minor overstays in the car park.