May 26, 2017

Cross Coombe Farm campsite between Perranporth and St. Agnes

I started the day with a ride from Mawgan Porth to Holywell with one of the residents from the Magic Cove Touring Park.  This was a much appreciated start to the day because it meant I avoided having to walk through Newquay.
Soon after leaving Holywell I came to Perran Beach, a long stretch of sandy beach bordered on one side by the ocean and on the other by sand dunes.  Walking in the dry sand across sand dunes is hard work so I opted to walk along the beach keeping to the sand that was still wet and firm from the sea receding at low tide.

Perran Beach looking back from Cligga Head.

I arrived at Perranporth in good time so I stopped at a Weatherspoon restaurant, The Green Parrot, for my lunch.  The best I can say about the restaurant is that it was inexpensive.  After my lunch was finished I continued on my way along the path which was now back to cliffs, headlands and rocky coves.

All along this stretch of coast from Perranporth to Cross Coombe there are many disused mine workings with their tailings cascading down to the edge of the cliffs.  The waste material that had been left behind was slippery making it necessary to walk with caution.  Just above the path and paralleling the coast was Perranporth Airfield.  I found this interesting because as I walked along I came across the dispersal sites and the crew shelters from WW ll which indicated that the airfield had once been a RAF base.  I should have taken some pictures of these sites.
At the southern edge of the airfield I turned inland for a short distance to find my campsite for the night at Cross Coombe farm.  When I arrived at the farm I walked in through the wrong gate and as I was trying to find somebody to register me a vehicle drove into the yard behind me.  The driver, a young lady, chatted with me and when she realised I wanted to find a place close by for my evening meal she offered to drive me back to Perranporth to buy some food because there were no pubs or restaurants anywhere close by.  So off we went to the co-op store so we could both do some shopping.  When we returned I set up my campsite, had my meal and tucked up in my sleeping bag.  Fortunately I must have done a good job of anchoring down the tarp over my bivvy sack because during the night there was a thunderstorm with heavy rain and strong winds and I was comfortable, warm and dry through it all.