Day 23 Porthleven to Lizard. ( 13.5 miles / 22km)

 Day 23   Porthleven to Lizard.  ( 13.5 miles / 22km)

I woke with heavy legs.   Maybe it was because my legs were in tune with my mind that was thinking maybe a rest day in the lovely warmth of Porthleven would of been an excellent idea.   The last time I felt like this about a stop was Boscastle – I felt the same urge to google cottages for sale.   I had to go.  

This day was a marker of a day as I was to hit Britain’s most Southerly point at Lizard Point and also I got the privilege to walk the Lizard…famed , spectacular walking.   Being known for some of the best cliff top walking in Sth Cornwall and also described as Cornwall’s big toe dipped into the ocean.   I can safely say that it is far more strikingly stunning than either one of my big toes at Day 23.   I won’t include pictures of the latter.  

After yesterdays wet sock day and the resulting forensic level blister watch that follows that , I woke 15 minutes earlier to tape my feet and toes as a preemptive strike against anything slightly resembling a blister in its infancy.    I am so grateful ( and I almost dare not type it so as not to jinx it) but I have gone blister free so far.   On a whole entry of it’s own I will pay tribute to my boots.  

Off I went from Porthleven, knowing she was a special stop for me, so not going exactly fast.   Onto the shingle beach at Loe Bar with isolated very private stone cottages nestled in the cliffs but with enough stone visible to make me peer in as best I could.   I imagine there must be so many people sitting down to their cornflakes when this random blonde woman pops up at their window taking pictures of their walls and chimneys and thatching.     The path meanders along coastal walking to the beach at Gunwalloe , then to Dollar Cove where the most tiny and beautiful 13th Century Church sits virtually on the beach.    It is called St Winwaloe or the Church of Storms.  It’s bell tower is built directly into the solid cliff face to protect it from the all that comes with an Altlantic Ocean beach front location.  

Leaving Gunwalloe and it’s up to the sweeping cliffs on the Lizard Peninsula.  I felt so lucky to be walking this area of England – so special in it’s scenery, it’s ancient historical connections and it’s wild rugged untouched beauty.    There are plenty of ups and downs but the biggest and most challenging is the massive , rocky descent into Mullion Cove and of course the staggerly steep climb out of it.   By this time of day the absolute wonder that is the remotely located cafe appears.   The Kynance Cove Cafe.   How special these places are to the walker!   I was feeling like I had burnt off all the fuel I’d had.   It was getting on for 4.15 and I was mentally preparing myself for a Closed sign.   But hang on !  To my delight they said  “yes, we are still serving!”  those lovely girls!  They had a large piece of carrot cake and hot tea through the hatch in minutes.    The fresh air and exertion just elevates every food stop.    God, it was good.  

Then it’s the finale of the day – the finish and the truly glorious cliff top walking concluding at Lizard Point.    On this final section, post Carrot Cake and Tea I felt like I was happily flying along singing away to myself grateful it was a fog free ending for me to see all of this clearly- I fall into step with a man walking his two dogs and get chatting.   He was a local who had moved to the area after early retirement to enjoy and make the most of Cornwall life,  what a good advert for that he was, walking 10 miles a day with his equally happy looking dogs.    He was so interesting and interested and we walk up to the most Southerly Point together where he then shows me where there is some fenced off tarp next to the most Southerly Point Cafe.  He explains this is where not long ago a little 7 year old lad was playing and digging about and found a tooth.   He took the tooth to the volunteer working there who , would you believe,  happended to be a retired dentist,  who knew straight away it was a human tooth.   There is now an archaelogical dig underway revealing more remains there and the discovery it was an ancient burial site believed to be from the Bronze Age.    Amazing.   He then gave me directions  to Lizard Village where I headed toward my B an B for the night.   

I walked on up to the village after such a wonderful end to a heavy legged start to find my stay – a beautiful , stone farmhouse , Haelarcher Farm B and B – and as I get in the front door I am warmly welcomed by Mike and Caroline – the kind of warm that makes you feel instantly at home.   With my bags already put up in my lovely room Caroline gives me the low down on where to go for dinner in the village and then says she will put a load of washing on for me and have it dry and ready for the morning.    How wonderful is that sentence!   I was so grateful.   I told her to put on a full hazmat suit for the job and we were all cracking up laughing as I headed out to have dinner and a wine at Britains most Southerly Pub.  

It’s night night from my farmhouse cosiness at the end of England..xx

The most Southerly Lizard Point!

But first ….Leaving Porthleven

Tucked away with the best views

The Church of Storms

Mullion Harbour

Cliff edge walking

The archaeological Dig

The most Southerly I’ll get !

..half way soon!