We arrived in time for a 10.30 AM start and the car park was just beginning to fill, when we returned at 3 PM the park was absolutely full of cars and the beach packed with people.

To follow the route we took in detail you should relate the outline together with the description below to the 1:25000 ordnance survey map of the area. The most suitable map is the OS Explorer 106 map of Newquay and Padstow.

At 10.30 AM on the dot we gathered together in the car park where Julie briefed us on the route we would be taking and the stopping points we would be using.

We were soon leaving the car park and heading east along the back of the beach before the first easy climb up the coastal path towards Round Hole headland where there were excellent views looking back towards the beach and across towards Harlyn Bay and the headland to the west.

Why RoundHole Point, we soon saw why, Julie led us across to a huge round hole in the field, must have been at least 50 metres diameter and 30 metres deep.

Below we could see the sea washing in through a hole in the rocks and we could see how the sea must have poured in with the storms eroding the rocks and the soil above until a landslide must have occurred producing this natural hole feature.

Amazingly there was no attempt to fence it off, I guess with the miles of high cliffs and sheer drops, there seemed little point in fencing this off since equally the authorities would have had to fence off the majority of the coastal path.

We continued up to the top of the hill where we were about 150 ft above msl, for the next 3 to 400 metres we had level walking overlooking Longcarrow Cove.

Our sense of easy walking was soon dispelled by a short sharp descent down and over wooden footbridge and an even steeper ascent up to Gunver Head 60 m above msl.

We stopped on the headland for morning coffee and had brilliant views out to sea and the Gulland Rock island about 1.5 miles to the north west and back across to Harlyn Bay and Cataclews Point just beyond.

The blue/green seas and the calm sunny conditions made the day even more enjoyable and I was even at the outset looking forward to finishing the walk with a swim in Trevone Bay.

As you can see from the photograph, we enjoyed the break and the views immensely and those with binoculars took advantage of them to enjoy the views even more closely.

After about 20 minutes Julie invited us to be on the move again and we were up and away heading towards the chimney stack in the distance on the next headland.

After a mile or so of easy walking north east we passed above Butter Hole a small cove with a boat moored just offshore.

The cliffs are quite sheer on the north coast and we approached the edge with trepidation at times to peer down at the sea below.

Ahead of us we we could see a headland with an old chimney stack prominent on it.

Julie mentioned that the chimney was known as the Pepper Pot, some shaker to have on the table. From this vantage point we had marvellous views across Padstow Bay to the coast beyond.

We swung right and headed along the coast towards the Camel estuary, looking very attractive with the boats going to and fro and the large sandy beaches on either side.

Soon we were passing the old coastguard station and coastguards houses, now very attractively restored with what appears to be their own private beach at Hawker's Cove.

We were soon picking our way through the sand dunes making our way down to a very large expanse of sand, as the tie was going out, the expanse was getting larger by the minute.

Apparently the section of the Camel Estuary is known as Harbour Bay and we stopped here for getting on for an hour for a lunch on the beach.

Many of us took the opportunity of a walk down to the water to paddle as a forerunner for the full monty to come later back at Trevone.

After a good warm break in the sunshine, we were on our way again making our way first along through the sand dunes further up the estuary towards Padstow.

As Padstow began to come into view we found ourselves at the War Memorial at St Saviour's Point.

Just across the estuary we could see Rock, which has recently suffered from an invasion of young hooray henrys and henriettas from all accounts out to paint the town all sorts of colours at night.

We too have our own version of the Henriettas across the bay but ours are much more restrained.

This was as far as we ventured up the estuary and the rest of the walk was the inland route returning us to Trevone Bay.

We swung inland just before the gate to the War Memorial and headed along a gentle incline up a footpath heading south west for about a half a mile.

From this footpath we had our first and only good views of Padstow itself, strangely a grey looking place almost out of place amongst the brilliance of the unspoilt coastline leading to it.

This had been a major north coast port and still to this day supports a small fishing fleet.

We continued on passing close to a place called Deer Park on the map where we turned north up a lane for a short distance before we crossed over a stile and into fields.

The footpath now crossed several fields as it headed north west across towards a small hamlet called Crugmeer. En route there were several stiles to cross, some of them quite difficult. Many of the fields contained wheat, some over ripe whilst others had been recently harvested. The footpath took us right across the middle of some of the fields.

It was relatively easy going apart from the stiles since the ground was much less undulating than the coastal path we had walked in the morning.

Soon we emerged into the hamlet of Crugmeer with its renovated cottages and old farmhouses. I would imagine that many of these are now holiday homes and lets, with their relative proximity to the beaches and coast.

There was only a mile to go and we would be back at the starting point.

The final section was along a narrow open road without hedges, quite easy going and we were soon at Porthmissen for the final little descent back again to Trevone Bay. From this point we could see that Trevone is quite a large village extending back for a good half a mile from the beach.

We arrived back in the car park at 3 PM. Some of the group elected not to end up taking a plunge after all. They were the losers.

We all thanked Julie for her leadership during the day. Strangely she decided not to come in for a swim, but after all she is such a shy, retiring quiet individual I guess it is to be expected.

The four of us who had a swim, found the water not at all cold and it was an excellent way of ending a good walk with a dip into the slight surf of the north coast.

After a swim it was just a little 45 mile drive back via Bodmin to the Tamar Bridge and back to Plymouth and the South Coast once again where we found evidence of plenty of heavy showers.

The north coast had been rain free all day, pleasantly warm and sunny in fact. An excellent walk again for the ramblers and yet another area I had never walked before.