Pentewan Valley and Black Head circular walk

Pentewan Valley and Black Head

A circular walk from the lost port of Pentewan along the coast to the remains of the Iron Age fort overlooking St Austell Bay on Black Head, returning via the nature reserve that was once the King's wood and the trackbed of the horse-drawn tramway used for china clay and Sunday School outings.

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Download the (free) app then use it to purchase this walk.
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The app will direct you to the start of the walk via satnav.
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The app guides you around the walk using GPS, removing any worries about getting lost.
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The walk route is described with detailed, regularly-updated, hand-written directions.
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Each time there is a new direction to follow, the app will beep to remind you, and will warn you if you go off-route.
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A map shows the route, where you are at all times and even which way you are facing.
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Each walk is packed with information about the history and nature along the route, from over a decade of research than spans more than 3,000 topics.
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Once a walk is downloaded, the app doesn't need wifi or a phone signal during the walk.
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The app counts down distance to the next direction and estimates time remaining based on your personal walking speed.
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We keep the directions continually updated for changes to the paths/landmarks - the price for a walk includes ongoing free updates.

either as a GPS-guided walk with our app (£3.29) or a PDF of directions (£2.79) Example of directions

The walk starts at Pentewan and follows the coast path to Hallane, with some nice views, and around Black Head to Trenarren. From here the route follows lanes and footpaths to Castle Gotha and then to Towan. From here, a footpath leads into the Pentewan valley and joins the network of paths in King's Wood. After passing through the woodland reserve, the route joins the Pentewan Valley trail and follows this down the St Austell river, switching to a footpath to stay alongside the river and follows this back to Pentewan.

Highlights

  • Panoramic views from Black Head of St Austell and Mevagissey Bays
  • Rocky cove at Hallane with a waterfall and natural arch
  • Wildflowers and damselfies along the St Austell River
  • Sandy beach at Pentewan

Considerations

  • The route passes through a farmyard so wellies may be required in winter and early spring when the cows are not out on the grass.
  • Watch out for some deep holes in the centre and edges of the coast path (rabbits have been busy).
  • In Pentewan Valley, the path along the riverbank is beginning to erode in a few places. Some new sections of path have been trodden slightly further away from the river for some areas, but some short sections require walking along the narrow edge of the bank.
  • Route includes paths close to unfenced cliff edges.

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Vital statistics

  • OS Explorer: 105
  • Distance: 6.6 miles/10.6 km
  • Steepness grade: Strenuous
  • Recommended footwear: Walking boots, or trainers in summer
  • Pub: ✓
  • Café: ✓

OS maps for this walk

Click or tap on map for more info (blue=laminated)

Pubs on or near the route

  • Into The Woods
  • The Ship Inn

either as a GPS-guided walk with our app (£3.29) or a PDF of directions (£2.79) Example of directions

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