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Wildings Wild Walks – St Mawes to St Anthony Head

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Starting the day early, we head out of Truro in the car to Feock to catch the King Harry Ferry over to the Roseland Peninsula, one of my most favourite places.

Meandering our way up and down the lanes through St. Just in Roseland, cresting the hill and enjoying the wonderful views over to Falmouth bay.  We arrive in St. Mawes and make our first stop at St. Mawes Bakery on the harbour to stock up with pasty fuel for our walk.

We clamber aboard the Place Ferry and enjoy the views back across St. Mawes as we make the short crossing over to Place, Place Manor being built in 1840 with legend saying on the site of an ancient Celtic Monastery, and the beautiful St. Anthony in Roseland Church.

We head out up the lane to join the footpath on the right-hand side, taking us through the cemetery grounds of the church and around the perimeter where we quietly head inside to admire this eerily secluded building, hiding some magnificent historic relics.

Leaving the church behind us, we walk back up through the woods, in awe of the nature surrounding us and happen upon a little enclosure full of beehives on the left-hand side.  Winding along the path leading us past Cellars Beach, we emerge from the woods and start up the steep path edging the fields to Carricknath Point.  Once we’ve got our breath back, we continue across the ridge, enjoying the stunning views across the Fal Estuary, the world’s third largest natural harbour, protected by both St. Mawes Castle and Pendennis Castle in the distance.

As we begin to descend, we see Little and Great Molunan Beach not too far off and decide this is a great place to stop, cool off with a swim and devour our pasties.  Being careful on the way down, (someone has very kindly secured a rope to assist you down across the rocks – I’ve never had to abseil down to a beach before!!), we find this lovely little cove almost empty, a rare find in the middle of a Cornish summer, even one in the middle of a pandemic!

Once fed, watered, and ‘salted’, we embark on the steep ascent towards St. Anthony Head and Lighthouse, exploring the military remains from the second world war and looking out over to Manacles Point in the distance.  We wound our way round the headland to the bird hide in hope to spot the ever-elusive Peregrine Falcon but had to settle for a bobbing Cormorant on the water below instead.

Once I’d reminisced about the Lighthouse being home to the 80’s TV classic, Jim Hensons Fraggle Rock, we headed back the way we came but keeping to the bottom path on our return journey, which hugs the low cliffs and gives some spectacular views of crystal clear waters and sun scorched, wind stripped trees, before heading back into the woods to catch our return ferry and finishing the day with a well-earned ice-cream from Fudge & More!

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