Padstow and beyond

I'm well into Cornwall now,with place names starting with Tre- or Pen- everywhere.

After my meagre evening meal, I had  meagre breakfast in the hostel before setting out in today's selection of valleys and climbs.  First was Trebarwith Strand, an unpromising looking narrow cove intil you noticed the large car park, and the lifeguard station.  I walked down over the rocks to the sandy beach, which opened up to a wide, interesting beach with rocks scattered around the sand, plenty to explore, and I guess good for surfing too.

Approach to Trebarwith Strand ...

Opening out to a large beach

Another nice flat bit (after climbing 180m out of the valley) led eventually to Port Isaac, famous for Doc Martin, but worth a visit in its own right.  Before I even descended to the village I stopped for a second breakfast in a tiny hillside cafe.  Delicious.  The couple next to me were having a cream tea, and were told off for putting the cream on first.

View from the road 

Port Isaac

Port Isaac is full of tiny picturesque streets and also tourists.  It appears to be car free, apart from the odd Land Rover driving on and off the beach.  Worth a visit.  The way out was, as usual,  up a grinding hill.

Polzeath

It sort of flattened out a bit after that, with less 25% but still a lot of 15%.  I went to Polzeath, seemingly surfing-oriented, for a quick elevenses and admired the big sandy beach, then on to Rock.  Rock is a proper village across the wide river Camel from Padstow, connected by a ferry, but the tide was so low that I couldn't see how the ferry could function unless it was a hovercraft.

Ferry from Rock to Padstow

Roadside farm

The river crossing us seven miles up river at Wadebridge,  so I went there.   From Wadebridge to Padstow I followed the Camel Trail, an old railway line with a pretty route close to the river.

Wadebridge bridge

Camel trail

I've been to Padstow before.  It was busy then, and it was busy today, with tourists engaged in - what?  Looking at the harbour, visiting the cafes and restaurants,  and doing a bit of shopping, maybe.  Padstow has three harbours, two for fishing and cargo, and one for pleasure boats.  Most of the cafes were fish, cream teas or pasties, but I wasn't tempted so found a place that did a nice cup of tea and a sandwich.  Plus a little tray bake for afters.

Padstow

I was hoping to stay in the youth hostel at Treyarnon Bay, but they were full, so I started looking for camp sites, calling a couple with no reply..  I was aiming to go another ten miles or so, do I set off to Trevone, another wild rock-and-sand cove, which I'd also visited maybe 15 years previously.  Then there was a detour to Trevose Head, a dead-end with nothing but a view and a car park after a couple of miles uphill.   Another of those places where the coast turns the corner and heads douth.  It was worth the trip.  The views were great, the place was a bit wild, the north wind was getting up and the waves were impressive.  And a weasel ran across the road in front of me.

On the way down, there was a serious traffic jam.  Several cars were blocking the road.  A ram had got onto the road.  One of the drivers tried to shoo it back into a field, completely unsuccessfully.

Trevose head

Constantine Bay 

Sometimes on a trip, a bit of magic happens. After Trevose head, I visited Constantine Bay, only to discover the road along the coast was a sandy track. This was worrying but I decided to try it anyway. It led along the low cliff above wild rocks and wild waves, to Treyarnon bay, which had impressive waves coming on shore.

Perched above the beach was Treyarnon youth hostel, aka Trey Hostel. I thought I'd double check if they had spaces, and iit turned out they had csmpsite spaces after all. Perfect. Good showers, good food and cheap camping, £9 a night. It's a big hostel - the opposite of Elmscott where I stayed the other day. Buzzing, a big bar/restaurant, many young staff, and even some young guests.

Treyarnon  bay

Trey hostel