The village of St Keverne houses one of the largest parish churches in Cornwall, built in the 15th century. The bronze statues on the roadside as you enter the village commemorate St Keverne’s link to the rebellious march to London lead by the village blacksmith, Michael Joseph An Gof, in May 1497.
This walk begins by leaving St Keverne Square on the Porthallow road, after a few meters turn right down Well Lane. As you cross the small stream if you look to your right the moss covered stones of the old foot bridge can be seen. Cross the lane, go over the stile and turn right. Follow this lane along the valley before heading up hill across a few fields and joining a road that you cross, diagonally right. Walk across a few more fields and the sea and Falmouth Bay come into view as you head towards Porthallow. Follow a lane down, through the hamlet of Tregaminion, that eventually leads to a small field before joining another old lane that leads you to Porthallow. When you reach the road join it and head downhill to Porthallow.
At Porthallow dog friendly beach, the footpath heads steeply up the cliff on your right through the trees. When the path reaches the top of the cliff there are superb views across Falmouth Bay and beyond along the south coast of Cornwall. After a short distance climb a wooden stile, immediately on the left the new stretch of coast path opens up before you and heads down hill. As you near sea level and the path levels out continue in front of the Cornish sea salt company here the century old tradition of harvesting salt from the sea continues.
You soon reach the dog friendly shingle cove of Porthkerris, where Porthkerris divers offer the opportunity to enjoy the sea from a different angle, and offers a seasonal beach cafe. The path continues across the beach and climbs the cliff beyond, continuing around Pencra Head to the village of Porthoustock with it’s jetty and quarry.
With the sea behind you, head inland. On leaving the beach, the capstain from the wreck of “The Bay of Panama” is passed, continue right up the hill for a short distance. The footpath turns off left and runs in front of a row of cottages, that become a row of thatched cottages. Follow the path slightly up hill, past a few houses at Trenoweth Mill where you join the road for a few meters before a lane on the right leads you to Trenoweth Valley. The beech lined path, beside the stream is both tranquil and beautiful, filled with moss covered stones and ferns. Continue up hill and across a few fields to St Keverne Church, where you walk through the Church yard and back to the village square.
The Practicalities
Approximately 4.5 miles.
St Keverne, Porthallow and Porthoustock all have honesty box car parking making it easy to start the walk from any of those locations.
Porthallow has public toilets situated on the beach.
On joining the road at Porthallow there is the option to take a short detour to Fat Apples Cafe.
Porthkerris has a seasonal beach cafe.
Porthoustock – The beach box is situated on the beach. There are public toilets behind the old lifeboat house, now the village hall.
St Keverne has two pubs The Three Tuns and The White Hart, also a village shop and butchers with delicatessen. There are also public toilets in St Keverne.
Cornish Hamlet Life 