A Taste of Cornwall on Foot

Arrive in the ancient market town of Penzance, easily accessible by train from London, the main town in the far west of Cornwall and set in beautiful Mounts Bay - a body of water dominated by the grandeur of St Michael's Mount. An area of Celtic culture and outstanding natural beauty surrounds the town. Named "Pen Sans" in the ancient Cornish language, meaning "Holy Headland," referring to the headland to the western side of the harbour on which a chapel was established by early Christians well over 1000 years ago. You could visit Penlee House; home to a great many paintings by members of the Newlyn School, including many by Stanhope Forbes, Norman Garstin, Walter Langley and Lamorna Birch. Accommodation: Our family-run hotel has a restaurant, a Mediterranean-style beer garden, a traditional bar with outdoor seating. Rooms have en suite bathrooms, wifi, LCD TVs with Sky channels, and tea/coffee facilities. The restaurant serves traditional homemade food using local ingredients where possible.

Begin your day with a visit to St Michael's Mount. You can walk to the mount at low tide along the tidal causeway, or take a short ferry ride when the tide is in. St Michael’s Mount has hosted a monastery since the 8th century, and in the early 11th century, Edward the Confessor granted the site to the Benedictine order of Mont-Saint-Michel in France. From here, follow the pilgrimage trail of St Michael’s Way, heading north from Marazion, through Ludgvan, and on to St Ives on the north Cornish coast. The trail begins 5 km east of St Ives, where pilgrims from Wales and Ireland would land before walking across Cornwall to the coast from where they would sail onwards to Spain to complete the Camino de Santiago. We take the route in reverse, starting with a gentle walk across fields and the heath of Trencrom Hill, offering sweeping views towards Carbis Bay. The walk eventually descends into St Ives, one of the UK’s most iconic seaside resorts and renowned for its history as a fishing port and artistic community. Accommodation: Stay for two nights in a comfortable hotel or inn near the sea. Our usual charming hotel is a characterful Georgian building, providing a unique and inviting atmosphere for your stay. The hotel has 16 rooms of various sizes, each equipped with its own en-suite bathroom and tea/coffee making facilities. There is of course a delicious breakfast. There is a cozy reception area and a bar downstairs complete with a beer garden for you to unwind in. The bar part of the hotel is keen on live jazz and folk music evenings.

St Ives dates back to AD460, when the missionary St Ia, daughter of an Irish chieftain, landed here and gave her name to the settlement. Protected from Atlantic storms, St Ives was once the most important fishing port in Cornwall, but like elsewhere on the surrounding coast, by the beginning of the 20th century, the fish stocks became depleted, and the fishing fleet largely disappeared. However in 1811 the famed British artist, Turner visited to paint the seascapes and by the late 1880s there were several painters installed and the town became famous for its vibrant artists' colony. This perhaps reached its heyday during the late 1940s and the 1950s. Today their work can be seen in the St Ives Tate Gallery, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and the Bernard Leach Gallery. You have a full day to explore these fascinating places, plus the beaches, inns and restaurants of the town.

Today you follow part of the South West Coast Path. From St Ives Head, the trail passes St Nicholas’s Chapel (patron saint to seafarers) and a hut that was used for spotting pilchard shoals from the cliffs. As you leave St Ives the number of walkers rapidly diminishes, as does your pace as the path roller-coasts through a series of steep dips. After the River Cove, descend to where you can sometimes see seals basking off the Carracks (rocks). There is then a final steep climb to a point from where you take the path going inland half a mile to the village of Zennor, which has a quaint church, a small museum on Cornish life and an old pub called The Tinner’s Arms. The walk is beautiful, with amazing sea views the entire way along. However this stretch can be quite tricky in places, with slippery muddy sections and some clambering over rocks necessary. If you would prefer an easier route, take The Tinners Way, which at only 5 miles /8.13km, 2.5 hours is a more direct and level route to Zennor. The coastal views are more limited, but it is a simpler and less strenuous option. Accommodation: Zennor is a tiny village and you will stay in a comfortable room in accommodation run by the local pub, an authentic and traditional place maintaining its original character, including open log fires, stone floors and low ceilings. Parts of this place go back 700 years. Seating inside or terrace with views out over the Atlantic Ocean. There are Cornish ales and carefully prepared food using the best of local ingredients.

Returning to the coastal path, thread your way through beautiful coves to Gurnard’s Head. You can look around the prehistoric fort site here, but take care to avoid old tin mine shafts! Just before you reach Pendeen, you can visit the famous Geevor Tin Mine which is open March to October for guided tours and at Pendeen Watch, you pass by the now fully automated lighthouse. From here walk up by the Levant Mine that closed down in 1919 after an accident there killed 31 miners. However there is a restored 1840s beam engine running on steam, which can also be visited in the summer. This is part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Once you have finished sight-seeing we have organised a taxi to collect you at Pendeen and transfer you to Land’s End and your hotel. Once at Land's End gaze out to the Longships Lighthouse and rocks in the wild Atlantic Ocean. Next stop, America! Accommodation: A Victorian hotel uniquely located on 200ft granite cliffs with unrivalled views of the sea. Despite its heritage, it is endowed with contemporary twists and modern touches throughout. Boasting 30 en-suite bedrooms. The hotel restaurant serves locally sourced traditional food with touches of modern cuisine.

Tour arrangements end after breakfast. Make the most of this unique opportunity to enjoy this incredibly scenic location and rise early to enjoy a walk around the cliffs at Land’s End before the tourists arrive. Take the morning bus service to Penzance after breakfast – the journey takes around 1 hour and is modestly priced, or request a taxi. The bus station in Penzance is adjacent to the train station for onward travel. Alternatively, you can choose to extend your stay in Cornwall. Our team will be glad to help with your plans.