In early April with the sea cooler than the sudden warm
spring sunshine spell, sea mists formed and rolled in wraith like over the
cliffs and beaches bringing a chill to the air around. Moderate breezes built
great Atlantic surf waves which rolled in, regular in length and height,
crashing onto the sands of Watergate Bay. We were last in this part of Cornwall 18 years
ago. We had come to do kite sand yachting, a rather fast exhilarating sport
involving a large surf kite, an alloy A frame with a bucket seat and three
wheels! Great fun as I remember.
This time, we’d come to cycle and explore parts of the
coastal path. The seven-mile cycle around the 480-hectare SSSI Goss Moor
reserve was pleasant despite the electricity substation and lines of giant
pylons. An area of marsh and swamp, vast beds of bulrushes swathe the
landscape. Stunted trees, adorned with green mosses and lichen provide perches
for buzzards; across the drier moors the first spring butterflies (Marsh
Fritillary, according to my guide book) flit across emerging heather and gorse.
It was the legendary hunting ground of
King Arthur; and recorded in the Domesday book of 1086, as part of the manor of
Tremodret.
I particularly wanted to visit the area as it forms the headwaters
of the river Fal, which I occasionally sail on.
To the south rose the flat
topped, layered china clay spoil heaps. This is industrial Cornwall, an ancient
heritage of tin and china clay mining. Here, in this area, much of the moors
has been worked for tin, as far back as the 12th and 13th
century; and in the 1930’s – 1950’s, sand and gravel were extracted. And to the
north, on the skyline, just visible, an ancient stone cromlech (in welsh); a
remnant from ancient Celtic times, a place of burial, of old druid ceremony. (Later
research showed it to be Castle-an-Dinas, an Iron age Celtic hillfort dating
from the 2nd or 3rd century BC. Apparently, it comprises
of three concentric circles of ditch and rampart enclosing an area some 850
feet in diameter – a trip for next time. You are never far from a sense of
History in Cornwall!)
Further down the coast, the climb out of Chapel Porth Beach
valley up onto St Agnes Headland was strenuous but afforded stunning views
across to abandoned wheal mines on the neighbouring cliffs. A few hardy surfers
braved the waves but rip currents swept them south along the beach and most didn’t
stay long in the rough seas.
We followed
bare rocky paths through knee high heather and gorse scrub, dodging the
occasional capped mine shaft in deep depressions. Up here, they have capped
mine shafts with a conical wire frame; in some places the mine shaft entrances
have been filled in.
Amongst the
windblown gorse bushes, clumps of violets gave a splash of colour against the
greys and browns of dead heather and bare rocky outcrops.
And clouds of grey swirling mists shrouded the headland
paths whilst grey green waves crashed onto the beach below. Very ‘moody’ and atmospheric!
We ended the day in Perranporth. The beach, cloaked in yet
more mist, was deserted. Breaking waves could be heard but not seen. On the
right, a new apartment development was taking place; in the high street shops
were getting a new coat of paint ready for the forthcoming summer season.
Refuelled by giant Florentines and vanilla milkshakes (don’t we just know how
to live!!), we did the touristy bit, dipping in and out of touristy shops
selling everything from flipflops to wetsuits, driftwood sculptures to
miniature dashboard ‘dancing figurines’. British seaside resorts, you got to
love them!
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