Day 31 Palperro to Portwrinkle (12.5 miles / 20km)
The storm had done the job of clearing the air and it was a fresh breezy start out of Polperro.
On the down side it had caused flooding in shops and no one had internet – the lady in the supermarket said she has been there 29 years and never seen a storm like it. It struck me that I arrived here in record heat and left with an epic storm. I am starting to worry I am some kind of weather witch and villages will no longer allow me to enter.
I began the high cliffed climb out of Polperro like I had new feet. It felt like someone had taken my feet, had them detailed , and returned them the next day. Turning to get a final fix of Polperro I powered up the other side of the ravine that had dropped me in it.
I followed lovely, narrow trails zig zagging along the coast past Talland Bay and beautiful walking that alternated between woodland and coastal cliffs. It was woods and water taking turns today and many a gate to lead you between them. As I walk, as Wordsworth put it, ‘in the bliss of solitude’, I do all manner of ponderings. I pondered today, as I have many times on this walk, …..I wonder if anyone has done a coffee table book on gates and stiles?
I arrived in the twin towns of West and East Looe- Crossing a Victorian stone bridge that connects the two. It was bustling with holiday makers and cafes were bursting- not ready to eat I decided to keep on going up to Bodigga Cliffs to more shaded coastal woodland and then gradually back down to sea level where I was now ready for a sandwich…it’s always around the 14km mark that all ponderings cease until I have sourced a sandwich. Seaton beach had a little cafe which had a leg ham and Cornish chutney sandwich. Joy! With a pot of Smugglers Brew and it suddenly occured to me that this was my second last day in Cornwall before walking into Sth Devon.
Will they have Smugglers Brew Cornish Tea there?!? I can’t even think about it and pushed it out of my mind and concentrated instead on all the lovely Cornish tastes and cuppas I have experienced.
There was a final climb up Battern Cliffs, at 462 feet, each ft made me even more grateful for the ham and chutney. I gradually wound around and up and down before walking into the tiny harbour village of Portwrinkle ( how I love these names!!). Then straight back out the other side as my stay was at the Finnygook Inn ….30 more minutes up the hill.
The Finnygook – is one of the many pubs of Cornwall with excellent and intriguing names ..all of which have a story behind them. This one is named for the resident ghost (in Cornish ‘gook’) of local smuggler, Silas Finney, he got caught red handed by the coast guards . Finney struck a deal with them to turn his fellow smugglers in for his own freedom . After the gang returned from transportation, they found him, hung him and lobbed him down the well – that now sits under the Finnygook Inn’s kitchen. His ghost is still mingling about haunted no doubt by his own betrayal or maybe just for the smell of the excellent fish pie coming from there. This is my room for the night and my dinner from the haunted kitchen is booked in.
Night night from my last night in Cornwall at the Finnygook xxx
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| trails like this ….the whole reason I love it so |
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| Lovely green cliffs |
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| and back to shaded woods |
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| David Attenbourough moment – this is a Peacock Inachis io  There he is …doing his ghosting |
