Port Isaac to Tintagel

I hadn't been exactly looking forward to this section, labelled "Severe" in the SWCP handbook but in the end I managed it without too much fuss. It probably helped that there was a lot of mist (while the rest of you were enjoying the UK's allegedly warmest spring bank holiday for years) so I couldn't see what was coming. The mist stayed for the whole walk so the photos are a bit dull but you can see the route on Komoot here.

First though Port Isaac, of which I haven't said much so far. I was greeted with joy at the Angry Anchovy (Pizza restaurant) tonight because they'd overcharged me yesterday and were upset that they didn't know where I was staying, to make amends. So a cheap meal tonight 😊. Usually they know where everyone is - part of the community feel that makes this place so welcoming. Reminds me a little of Scilly, or Orkney. The view leaving this morning was idyllic and with promises of a scorcher I headed out warp factor 50'd as usual.

Of course it hasn't changed at all since Karen and I were last here and we both really loved it so for this blog I thought I'd talk about it more than I have for the other places: it's special.

The town was already recorded as a fishing village in 1338 and its pier was constructed during the reign of Henry VIII. The village centre dates from the 18th and 19th centuries, from a time when the port handled cargoes of coal, wood, stone, ores, limestone, salt, pottery and heavy goods. It's still very much a working harbour and there are about 8 large boats working from here

The streets are notoriously narrow and winding – don’t even think of driving in to it: park the car and walk down – you’ll see more that way anyhow. The infamous Squeeze-ee-belly Alley was in the 1987 Guinness book of records as the world’s narrowest public thoroughfare, at 18” minimum! The historic core of the village was designated a Conservation Area in 1971 and it has around 90 grade II listed buildings. 80% of the houses ‘down below’ (i.e. the cute, narrow lanes around the harbour) are second homes or holiday lets and somewhat deserted in the off-season. The rest are ‘the top’ and that’s where I stayed, with a glorious view out to sea and the, er mist all day. It’ll be better tomorrow.

Port Isaac's crew and shore helpers man the lifeboat station 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing full coverage of part of the north coast of Cornwall. In July 2012, the crew of the lifeboat received medals for gallantry - only the second time in RNLI history that the entire crew of a D class lifeboat have received them and the first time a silver medal was awarded to a member of a Port Isaac crew since 1870.

Owing to its smuggling (called “fair trading” in Cornwall) history many of the cottages’ inside and outside dimensions don’t quite tally. There are connecting spaces between roofs and the occasional secret room. Smuggling will never completely die out and in 1981 the Trelawney was caught trying to smuggle cocaine into Polzeath harbour – the hastily dumped stash was later found drifting with the ship’s anchor attached. Oops!

Many will know Port Isaac from the Doc Martin (no relation) series but it has also been the location for a number of other film and TV productions, including Tarry-Mann, Tarry-Man, Scarey Old Spooky Man on BBC in 1978 (no, me neither) and the Shell Seekers with Vanessa Redgrave in 2005 (er, nope again). It is also well known for the Fisherman’s Friends Shanty Singers. The name and the group continue to evolve, now with more music and less a capella. 

So past Port Gaverne and on up the cliffs with a hot sunny day in prospect, I'd even got my hat on. Nice at first but the weather soon closed in

That was pretty much it for coastal views for the day, unfortunately: I'm told it's very scenic. The path was as advertised, very steep and up and down but I find if I put the brain in neutral (yes, yes, not difficult) and don't look up too often the climbs are completed quickly enough. One walker I met, a Ramblers Association guide on a busman's holiday, reckoned the Lake District climbs were harder because longer. There were some glimpses of the rocks and surf below

Keeping to my new resolution I stopped for elevenses. Today it was 6 squares of fruit and nut chocolate, two flapjacks and 250ml of water. Perfect. I've always maintained that flapjacks are health food. Thus fortified I pressed on: more up and down.

I wrote before about the rhythm of walking and how some tunes just fit. Well, courtesy of Pete's Oklahoma earworm I've now found a good slow one for the uphill trudge. It's "Pore Jud is Dead". Try it, you'll see. I like the lyrics too, as in 'his fingernails have never been so clean'

It really is a wonderful coastline and such a shame I couldn't see more of it.


I had to make do with photos of sheep, to feed Deb's obsession

Eventually I reached Trebarwith Strand, in time for lunch at the cafe. Homemade tomato soup with wholemeal bread. Yum. In 1974 the film Malachi's Cove was largely made here, with Donald Pleasance as Malachi. The strand also stood in for Shakespeare's coast of Illyria in the 1996 production of Twelfth Night.
The path after this is relatively easy all the way to Tintagel. What I hadn't realised is just how much slate mining there has been, starting in the fifteenth century. This has had quite an impact on the cliffs as you can see from the old mine workings. Incidentally the slate was loaded onto ships at the base of the cliffs, which must have been quite a sight

So eventually to Tintagel, again I was last there with Karen but also the girls. There wasn't much point in visiting the mythical site (not that King Arthur ever lived anyway, probably) but for old time's sake here's a mist-erious view

It's all the fault of Geoffrey of Monmouth, who invented the history of Britain (c. 1135) and made Tintagel the place of Arthur's conception. The castle whose ruins can be seen was built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in the 13th century but there are traces of an earlier high status settlement which had links with the Mediterranean in the late Roman period. It became a tourist destination when the Victorians were fascinated by the Arthurian legends. It's now one of English Heritage's top attractions, with 200,000 visitors a year. The isthmus has eroded significantly and a new cantilevered steel footbridge is due to open next year.
In 2015/16 the artist Peter Graham carved a foot-high bearded face representing Merlin into a rock nearby.

Last day tomorrow, at least for this trip, and hopefully I'll get to Crackington Haven. The forecast is again for sunshine all the way but I'm not trusting that! Less than 150 miles to the finish now.

Peter