The Roseland Peninsula - St Just to St Mawes

Continuing my walk exploring the Roseland peninsula, I arrived in the village of Portscatho in a particularly heavy rain shower.  As I headed inland from the village the rain passed and a burst of sunlight brought out the colours of land, sea and sky to great effect.  My plan was to cross the peninsula using country lanes and farm tracks in order to walk back to St Mawes - the ferry timetable dictated that my pace would need to be fairly brisk....

But having arrived at St Just in Roseland, I made time to slow down and visit the parish church. Situated on a tidal creek in a very sheltered spot, the church is at the base of a steep bank, and the churchyard is one of the most remarkable anywhere.  Part cemetery, part semi-tropical garden, it's an incredibly beautiful, unique and when I visited, peaceful spot.  the church is however, one of the most photographed in Cornwall and must get very busy in the summer.

There was plenty of evidence of the early spring here - the view down to the church tower was framed by the flowers of a large Magnolia - in almost full flower before the end of March.

The church of St Just in Roseland dates from the 13th century and is built on the site of a Celtic chapel and was served by Celtic clergy from nearby Lanzeague for the first 400 years before being taken into the Saxon, bishop led, church.  Cornwall and the French region of Brittany have a shared Celtic heritage which is fiercely preserved with distinct language and customs.  A 19th century vicar planted many of the exotic trees and plants which today make this a very special and unique place.  Along the path edges there are many granite blocks inscribed with biblical verses, at this time of year surrounded by masses of Primroses.

Having lingered at the church I pressed on down the western edge of the Roseland peninsula.  A path goes through farmland just above the shore here but after a spell of wet weather it was incredibly muddy and I ended up abandoning the path to walk and clamber along the rocky shoreline itself - which proved a bit more strenuous but a lot less messy!  I arrived at St Mawes in good time, and in a burst of warm sunshine.  As I'd walked close to 25 km and had a half hour to spare before the last ferry, I felt that some refreshment would be in order, and so......

....repaired to a suitable purveyor of refreshments and sat in the sun to enjoy.....

...a frothing Sports Recovery Drink......

The ferry "Duchess of Cornwall" arrived right on time and soon I was crossing back to Falmouth, reflecting on a great day's walking.  If the Place ferry is running, this is a walk well worth the effort - starting at either Falmouth and using two ferries, or at St Mawes using just the Place ferry.  Shorter loops can be walked too, based on either St Mawes or Place.

My thanks to Sam, skipper of the "Duchess of Cornwall" for going out of his way to drop me at Place on a day when the small ferry wasn't running.

The Roseland peninsula - a Place apart

Whilst working in Cornwall I've managed to do some coastal walking based around the town of Falmouth.  One stretch of coast I'd particularly wanted to explore was the Roseland peninsula, but not having use of a car this involves two ferries.  A couple of attempts to reach the area were unsuccessful due to winter ferry timetable restrictions or windy weather preventing the smaller ferry running.

On a bright and breezy day the plan came together.  I caught the ferry from Falmouth to the pretty village of St Mawes, and although the smaller onward ferry wasn't running, the skipper of the "Duchess of Falmouth" kindly dropped me at the landing point on the Roseland - a place called Place.  From near Place, theere's a lovely view back to the neat white houses of St Mawes.

The coastal path passes behind Place House, through a churchyard containing a mediaeval stone coffin......

...before crossing farmland to the shoreline with a view to the lighthouse at St Anthony's Head.  Built in 1835, this light marks the eastern entrance to the large natural harbour of Falmouth - Carrick Roads.  It was originally lit by Argand lamps, then by pressurised vapour (the former paraffin store is near to the path) before being converted to electricity in 1954.  The light flashes white once every 15 seconds, is visible for 22 miles, and contains a red sector to warn shipping of the Manacles rocks.  As there are no longer any lightkeepers, part of the building can be rented as holiday accommodation.

Also protecting the entrance to Carrick Roads, which is one of the largest natural harbours in the world, are the remains of these gun emplacements - a view indicator sited where the guns would once have been.

The coast path from St Anthony's Head to Portscatho is a pure delight; a path winding along the cliffs above a wild and in most places inaccessible shoreline.  The weather on my walk alternated between bright sunshine and intense, lancing showers of hail and rain - it suited the scene perfectly.

 Conditions have been so mild in Cornwall through the winter of 2015-16 that it's hardly been a winter at all.  Daffodils flowered in late January, and on the last weekend of March the Primroses were well in bloom.  Quite a contrast to home in Aberdeenshire some 700 miles north!

Towan Beach was sheltered from the wind and pleasantly warm inbetween the showers; a couple of hardy souls were even taking a swim.  It was tempting to linger, but I had the ferry timetable firmly in my mind - I needed to be back at St Mawes to catch the last ferry to Falmouth, departing late afternoon, so reluctantly pressed on.