Coverack to Porthoustock

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Car park on B3294 at entrance to Coverack (SW 782186)		Ordnance Survey Map OS Explorer 103 – The Lizard - Falmouth and Helston. Buy this map from List of OS Maps Commission from map sales is used to fund the website, so keeping it free to use.
Distance: 6.6 miles
Traffic light rating:    (For explanation see My Walks page)
For advice on .gpx files see         My Walks page	Click the PDF logo above to give a printable version of this walk without the photos.

To view route as a dynamic Ordnance Survey map click here.

Introduction: This walk from Coverack follows the pretty, ancient way between Coverack and St Keverne with its attractive market square and church. The return via the Coast Path has industrial archaeological  interest, including the old Dean Quarry and remains of the 2^nd century Trevarbeth Salt Works.

Coverack itself is probably the most attractive coastal village on the Lizard Peninsula with a typical stone built harbour and good beach. The beach is interesting geologically in that the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle are visible on the beach. An information board next to the car park explains.

I did this walk in early summer when the wild flowers were prolific.

The walk is very easy with little gradient.

This is a circular route so could equally be treated as a walk from St Keverne if that happens to be more convenient.

The walk starts from the parking spaces on the northern approach to Coverack village on the B3294, where there is an “honesty box” for local charities. There is also a pay and display car park and toilets next to it. Other parking in the village is very limited. To get to Coverack, follow the B3293 off the A3083 from Helston to Lizard, then turn off on to the B3294.

Refreshments are available in Coverack and St Keverne. There are picnic tables by the pebble beach at Porthoustock and public toilets.

Start: Turn right out of the car park (SW 782186) and immediately left on the Coast Path, where the road bends right to Coverack. There is a fingerpost for “Public Byway Porthoustock 3½ miles”.

Follow the tarmac lane and as the tarmac runs out by Tregatreth Cottage, look out for a three way fingerpost on the left for “Public Footpath St Keverne via Trevalsoe 1½ miles” and take this path (SW 785190). The cottage owners have very kindly provided a bench at this point.

Shortly after a kissing gate, the track appears to fork – keep left, passing alongside a short stretch of dilapidated wall before coming to another kissing gate.

At a confusing junction of field gates, go right as indicated by the white arrow.

Go straight across the next field and after passing some cattle pens, join the farm lane through a gateway and turn right. Follow the lane to the farm and go straight through the farmyard, bearing right and a post with a yellow public footpath arrow confirms the route.

On reaching a tarmac road, turn right and at the drive to Trevalsoe Farm (SW 791200), turn left and walk initially down the right hand boundary of the field, Ignore the right turn over the wall indicated by a yellow footpath arrow. As the field opens out, the path goes straight across the middle, then, after crossing a stone stile, turns right.

After a series of stiles and fields, come out at the entrance to Trebarveth Farm (SW 793205). Turn left here across the road and over the stone stile following the public footpath fingerpost to St Keverne.

You come out into a lane by some allotments (behind you to the right). Go straight ahead and you come out in St Keverne opposite the White Hart pub. Walk diagonally across the square and into the churchyard – there is a public footpath sign. The path runs down the left hand side of the church. At the crossroads of paths in the churchyard, keep straight ahead and follow the right hand boundary wall.

You leave the churchyard via a metal kissing gate and through a wooden one immediately after. Follow the obvious track, along the left hand boundary of the first field and the right hand boundary of the second. Cross a concreted farm track and follow the clearly marked footpath ahead.

Go through the woods and cross a stone stile where the path divides and the path to the left goes uphill. Go right. At the road (SW 800219), turn left indicated by a footpath marker then, after a hundred yards or so just past a cottage, turn right (SW 801219).

The path joins a broad track by some pretty thatched cottages at Porthoustock. Follow this down to the cove.

Porthoustock Cove is not the most attractive of places having been a working harbour serving the nearby quarries. It is dominated by ugly concrete constructions. There is a pebble beach and some picnic tables on the green.

From the cove, with your back to the sea, turn left along the road passing a fingerpost confirming the Coast Path. After three bends, turn left at the junction (SW 805217) passing the entrance to the quarry. Strictly, the Coast Path goes off to the right here across the fields, cutting off a corner but if you go this way, you will miss the Giants Quoits by the side of the road (SW 805215).

The Giants Quoits were originally at Manacle Point and were re-sited because of the expanding quarry workings.

Stay on the road to the pretty hamlet of Rosenithon and in its centre turn left by the post box (SW 802212). Follow the lane until your way is blocked by the gate to a private house and turn left. There is a footpath sign.

Follow this track down to the coast at Godrevy Cove, where the path turns left (SW 805209) and briefly seems to go in the wrong direction, contrary to the map, but it arcs round to follow the top of the beach to a marker post at the end of the beach. Climb the path and follow it along the coast, turning left at the quarry gate.

It is now a case of following the coast back to Coverack. Its route round the quarry is clearly marked.

There is an information board at SW 803199 which tells you about Dean Quarry, the Trevarbeth Salt Works and Lowland Point.

The footpath comes out on a broad stony track. Turn left and follow the track back to the car park.

If you need to buy any hiking equipment/clothing before your trip see the Hiking Store

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