43 Mawgan Porth to Newquay
Wonderful beaches in the surfing capital of Britain, a bridge to an Iron Age fort, a harbour for fishing boats and a historic lookout hut for fishermen, an old-fashioned ferry at the Gannel estuary.
Strände um die britische Surferhauptstadt, eine Brücke zu einer Festung der Eisenzeit, ein Fischerhafen und ein Aussichtsturm für die Sardinenfischer, eine wie aus der Zeit gefallene Fähre am Fluss Gannel.
The route, day 43
6.7 miles/10.8 km on the Southwest Coast Path, 427 metres ascent
Immer am Küstenpfad, 10,8 km und 427 Höhenmeter
Mawgan Porth to Newquay
Mawgan Porth
Beacon Cove
Beacon Cove
Watergate Bay
Watergate Bay
Watergate Bay looking back
Whipsiderry – a Crumbling Coast
According to the Environment Agency, the entire Cornish coast is sensitive to a rise in sea levels, and cliff erosion is a problem in many places. At Tintagel, parts of the castle have fallen into the sea in the past, and the site owner, English Heritage, is trying to protect the rest (see day 39). The most endangered town in Cornwall is thought to be Bude (see day 38). Here at Whipsiderry, a little north of Newquay, access has been blocked to a sheltered cove of beautiful sand with the so-called Mermaid Pools for bathing in the rocks, one of the which is inside a cave.
Porth Island
The bridge leads to Porth Island and Trevelgue Head for a circular walk above rocks and pounding waves with superb views.
The island is one more example of an exhilarating location on the south-west coast that was a defended settlement in the Iron Age.
A view across Whipsiddery beach to the headland at Porth Island, with Newquay in the distance.
Newquay - an Abundance of Beaches
Below: Tolcarne Beach
Below: Tolcarne Beach (to the left of the big rock), Great Western Beach (right)
Below: Fistral Beach, said to be the best of all for surfing
Below: evening, Tolcarne Beach
Surfers at Newquay
The Huer's Hut
This stone hut was a lookout for the huer, the man who watched the sea for shoals of pilchards. The signs were a dark water surface and swarms of diving seagulls. Then he blew a horn and shouted "Hevva! Hevva!" to alert the fishermen and directed them by waving branches. The present building was constructed in about 1800 but may have originated as a hermitage in the 14th century.
Am steinernen Häuschen stand der "Huer". Seine Aufgabe war es, nach Sardinenschwärmen aufs Meer hinaus zu schauen. Eine dunkle Wasseroberfläche und tauchende Möwen verrieten die Schwärme. Dann blies er in ein Horn und schwenkte Äste, um die Fischerboote in die richtige Richtung zu lenken. Der Huer's Hut stammt aus der Zeit um 1800, geht aber möglicherweise auf eine Eremitage des 14. Jhs. zurück.
Newquay Harbour
The Fern Pit Café and Ferry
The outdoor terrace of the Fern Pit Café commands a view of the Gannel valley. At low tide, walkers can cross the river to Crantock beach on a footbridge. At other times, the family that run the café operate a small ferry from late May until mid-September. It has been a family business since 1910.
Von der Terrasse des Café hat man einen herrlichen Blick ins Tal des Gannel. Bei Ebbe kann man den Fluss auf einer Fußgängerbrücke überqueren. Je nach Stand der Gezeiten verkehrt ein kleines Fährboot von Mai bis September. Die Besitzerfamilie führt seit 1910 das Café und die Fähre.
Watergate Bay. John Sykes was here, 9 September 2024