Walk - Porthleven to The Lizard

Highlights

• The Loe: the largest body of fresh water in Cornwall at the estuary of the River Cober is separated from the salty sea by the mixture of fine gravel and sand called the Loe Bar. Possibly created by storms, the Bar had formed by the 13th century and consequently cut Helston off from the sea. It is thought that Alfred Lord Tennyson was describing the Loe as the place where Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur into the water: "On one side lay the ocean, and on one lay a great water" (Idylls of the King, The Passing of Arthur).
• Gunwalloe Church of St. Winwaloe in its extraordinary setting at the foot of the dunes of Church Cove. By the porch is a figure of St. Winwaloe, there is a Norman bell tower and it is worth looking for the Celtic cross in the churchyard.
• Halzephron Cove: Halzephron is Cornish for ‘Cliff of Hell’ and on a windy day you can see why. Ships have been wrecked along this stretch of storm-battered coast and local myth warns of a freak wave which claims a life every seven years from Porthleven Sands.
• Poldhu Point and the remains of Marconi’s wireless station: on 12 December 1901 Italian Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first transatlantic radio signals from Poldhu Head to Newfoundland. Learn more about this in The Marconi Centre which is open to visitors. For details see Poldhu Amateur Radio Club’s website or phone 01326 241656.
• Views of the pretty harbour of Mullion Cove and the village of Mullion above.
• Watching the breeding colonies of kittiwakes, cormorants and guillemots on Mullion Island.
• Keeping a lookout for the famous Cornish Choughs. These acrobatic birds are members of the crow family and have a red beak and red legs. They are England’s rarest breeding variety, but thanks to careful farmers and landowners who work alongside initiatives like The Cornish Chough Project these beautiful birds are gradually returning to the Cornish Coast.
• Spotting the grazing Soay sheep and Shetland ponies.
• The rocky stacks and arches of the exceptionally beautiful Kynance Cove: the largest outcrop of serpentine rock in Britain. Owned by The National Trust, the cove is tucked out of view by the towering cliffs either side, so it is quite a dramatic view as you approach. The cove became a popular destination in early Victorian times, which is when the stacks of Asparagus Island, Gull Rock and Steeple Rock received their names. Alfred Lord Tennyson is said to have visited this part of the Lizard on a number of occasions, and the beauty of the cove was also experienced by the playwright George Bernard Shaw, Charles Kingsley and a rather seasick Prince Albert!
• Standing at the most southerly point in Britain: Lizard Point. This is a particularly hazardous stretch of coast and there has been a Trinity House Lighthouse here since 1751. Apparently, there was a certain amount of resistance to the building of a lighthouse as it was seen to damage the wrecking industry! The lighthouse has recently been refurbished as a Heritage Centre where you can discover more about its history and take a guided tour up the tower.

Shorter option

Mullion Cove (7.1 miles, 11.5 km).

Longer option

Cadgwith (an additional 3.5 miles, 5.6 km).

Public transport

From Penzance, which has a mainline train station, you can take one of the very regular bus services to Porthleven. Buses also run from Porthleven to Flambards, which is outside Helston, where you can then catch a bus tp The Lizard, via Cury, Poldhu and Mullion. 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

Porthleven (Postcode for Sat Navs: TR13 9JS), Porthleven Sands, Halzephron Cliff, above Church Cove, Poldhu Cove, Mullion, Mullion Cove, Predannack, Kynance Cove and The Lizard.