26. Leg 7  - SW Coastal Path 26: Portreath to Godrevy Point and back

27 May 2019 

As buses weren't running on Mondays for our next stretch of coastal walking we jumped a bit and did a circular from Portreath to Godrevy Point. We caught a glimpse of the other St.Ives and had lunch in Hell's Mouth which we had visited back in 2015.

'After leaving Portreath the Coast Path follows the cliffs with some beautiful views of rocky coves, such as the wonderfully named Ralph’s Cupboard, apparently a favoured smugglers spot for stashing loot. After just a couple of steep climbs the Path soon levels and walking becomes fairly straightforward. As you follow the sheer cliffs, surrounded by brightly coloured spring and summertime flowers, such as blue sheep’s bit, primroses and yellow rattle, look down to the contrastingly raw, jagged reefs below.

Seals are a common sight around the waters of Godrevy and Gwithian and sunfish and basking sharks have been spotted from the North Cliffs. '

1. The route

2. Portreath and Gull Rock

3. Western Hill and view back to Portreath and on to Godrevey Point

4. Carvannel Downs

5. Basset's Cove

6. North Cliffs

7. Reed Bunting. There are plenty of birds along the way and we are sure the same Skylark has been following us all the way down the coast! It's not always easy to see them well enough to identify them but this reed bunting stayed long enough for this snap!

8. North Cliffs looking back.

9. The Knavocks. The National Trust have brought in a small herd of Shetland ponies to graze at the Knavocks and help maintain the habitat favoured by small birds and butterflies.

10. Godrevey Point. Godrevy Island and octagonal lighthouse (now solar-powered) is three and a half miles across St Ives Bay, and is thought to have been the inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s novel `To The Lighthouse'. The island is covered in bright flowers in springtime.

11. Mutton Cove - there are seals down there ...!

12. Lighthouse Godrevey Island.

13. View to St.Ives from Godrevey Head

14. Turning back

15. View to Reskajeage Downs, North Cliffs.

16. Hell's Mouth and Café

17. North Cliffs rock formation

18. Western Cove and Western Cove back to Godrevey Point

19. North Cliff return

20. Ponies back to Portreath. On the way out we'd met a National Trust volunteer asking if we'd seen the ponies as he needed to count them. We hadn't seen them then but did on the way back.