St Keverne - Porthallow - Porthoustock
Attractive circular walk takes in views of Falmouth Bay, dramatic cliffs and disused quarries fishing coves and beaches.

Accommodation in the St Keverne Area

All information given in good faith and for use as guidance only.

This attractive circular walk takes in views of Falmouth Bay, dramatic cliffs and disused quarries fishing coves and beaches - a varied terrain, occasionally steep, where stout shoes are advisable, or wellingtons after prolonged rainfall.

St Keverne - Porthallow - Porthoustock (4 miles)

Leave St Keverne square with the White Hart on your left, and immediately turn right down Well Lane. This leads to the Parish Hall. The path continues downhill to a bridge over a stream. Cross the stile in front of you then turn right, down to a water treatment plant, hidden by hydrangeas. Cross the stile to the right of the gate and follow the path with Pittosporum trees on your right, until it bears left into the old daffodil fields of Trenoweth.

Follow the hedge on your left through two fields to the road. Bear right across the road and over the stile a short way up. Cross the fields diagonally to your right, over a stile, to the farm buildings. Cross the stile to the left of these and turn right between them through a gate onto Tregaminion Farm lane.

Follow the lane/track down to the left. It bears to the right and then comes to a three-way division. Take the centre track. Continue downhill across a stream, eventually crossing a stile into a field. Bear right across the field with the valley and stream on the left, through a gate, and through the wood to the road. At the road turn down to the left to Porthallow, where you'll find a few places offering refreshments.

You'll find the coast path just past the Old Loft cafe. Follow this up a steep incline to the top of the cliff and go over a stile into the field. Head across, bearing left, towards a gapway leading to a gate onto the road. Providing the tide is not very high turn left down to Porthkerris beach (if the tide is too high, turn right onto the road until you come to a track on the left, which takes you to the top of the quarry). There is a restaurant above the beach with spectacular views across Falmouth Bay. To the north of the beach is a MOD Observation Post, and the waters off here were until recently a Naval torpedo range. Head south along the shingle with the sea on your left and climb up onto the rocky end of the old quarry tramway at the foot of the cliffs. Follow this up a green grassy track, past a spectacular quarry on your right, through the gorse and brambles to the top of the old roadstone quarry loading docks (do not take the path that leads off to the left about three quarters of the way up as this will take you too near the cliff edge, which is quite dangerous).

At the top, about 20 paces from the edge of the tip in front of you, search on your left for some steps leading down through the undergrowth to the lower level. Follow the track round to Porthoustock, and the impressive derelict loading jetties of the West of England Roadstone Company, where barges collected their cargo, destined for the Council Highways depot at Tresillian.

At Porthoustock, with your back to the sea, take the road up to the right past the VoInay restaurant. When the road bends sharply up to the right carry on straight ahead in front of the cottages, with the valley and stream down on your left. Follow the path until you reach the road at Trenoweth Mill. Turn left onto the road and go down past a cottage on your right. When the road bends to the left to go over the stream keep straight on up the valley along a path with stone hedges on either side and more Pittosporum trees on the left.

Where the path divides, take the left fork, over a stile, up beside the beech trees and across the stream. The house and gardens of Trenoweth, with their large clumps of bamboo and gunera, are on the right. Follow the path across a couple of fields bearing slightly to your left, cross the driveway to Tregonning Mill, through another couple of fields (hedge on left at first, then on the right) to the gateway into St Keverne churchyard and back to the square.

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