This was the first walk of one of our recent walking holidays. We based ourselves at a small hotel in St Austell and immediately set off down to the coast at Charlestown and then we were off to Fowey. Some walk for two unfit beings.

We had done hardly any walking during the summer since every spare moment had seen me out sailing off Plymouth. We drove down in the morning from home, only an hours drive but the plan was over the next four or five days to complete the section of coast from Fowey to Falmouth. After some searching around we found a small hotel, it even supported evening meals and had a mini bar, slightly up market from a bed and breakfast but no more than £1 each more than we would have paid for a B&B.

We set off from the hotel by about 10.45 AM and made our way on the A3065 down to the local renovated port of Charlestown, about 1.5 miles from the hotel. Because of the time, we pressed on and headed off along the coastal path towards Par. As it loops east from Charlestown there are a few stiles and some edge of field walking, with plenty of large houses behind us. After a short while we could see the Carlyon Bay hotel with the sandy beach stretching out before us. We walked along the edge of the beach and then we followed the coast path up a small cliff and along the seaward side of the local golf course.

Following the golfers, we could see Par in the distance together with the uninviting Clay processing works. It is one of the most industrialised areas of Cornwall and the works were in full swing. There is no coast path through Par and we had to swing inland behind the industrialised area, along a fairly grotty path and then pick up the busy road from St Austell into Par itself. We followed the road and made our way as quickly as we could through Par, not a particularly attractive section of the walk but one that needed to be completed.

When we neared Polmear we were able to pick up the coastal path once again. This path then headed due south and it kept very close to the sandy beaches of the shallow estuary of Par. It was a section I had not walked before and therefore I was very surprised to suddenly find us entering a lovely a little cove and beach called Polkerris Cove. There was a public house here and a little quay and boats could moor just off the splendid sandy beach. An excellent anchorage in Easterly winds. I made a mental note to return here again at some point.

Leaving Polkerris, the coastal path rises steeply up through a wood zig zag fashion. This was quite a climb up to the flattish section at the top. Joy mentiond that one of her new walking shoes was rubbing her heel. We walked for about 1 1/2 miles due south, heading for one of the best-known landmarks of all the Cornish headlands.

Gribben Head is easily visible from many miles out to sea. It has an 84ft high lighthouse which is painted in large red and white stripes which really does stand out from a long way away. We stopped here for a short while, before picking up the coastal path and making our way north-east to a very well-known little cove called Menabilly. This cove was made very very popular by an author called Dauphne du Maurier who wrote many books whilst living here.

It was quite a hot day and they were beginning to feel the strain of walking for 12 miles without any preparation. Joy's heel was getting very sore by now. We could tell that we were approaching civilisation again because the number of people walking the coast path were increasing with every half mile we got nearer or destination, Fowey. The path wound its way and gradually turned North East again and in front of us we could see the entrance to Fowey harbour. It is a deep water port with a narrow entrance and a wide safe anchorage behind. On the other bank is Polruan, a small unspoilt and relatively innaccesible village. The sheltered harbour is very popular with the yachtsmen.

We were slowing down quickly, both sweating hard from our exertions, and feeling very tired and unfit. Joy's heal was getting very sore indeed. We made our way into Fowey and went right down to the waterside. We asked where the bus went from and were told it was a couple of hundred yards up the hill and that there was one going within five minutes. We rushed up to the bus and just made it time. In what seemed very little time indeed, we were back again at St Austell. It was 4.30 PM and we had been walking non stop for five hours on one of the hottest days of the year!! We do have some in England you know. When we got back to the hotel we looked at the state of Joy's heel. Putting it simply, there was no skin left whatsoever on the heel. The huge blister had rubbed off and it was just bare flesh, not a pretty sight and not something Joy needed at the start of four or five days walking. We visited a local chemist and it got a special plaster which also added support and acted as a pad in place of the skin. We hoped that the walking ahead of us would be possible. We were knackered, we made it to our bedroom and just collapsed, both of us falling asleep for getting on for three hours. I made it down to the bar for a bar snack and a couple of pints by 9 PM. Joy didn't make it at all.

Perhaps we should have done some preparation for this walk, including breaking in new walking shoes!! We live and learn. Tomorrow back to Charlestown and walking in the opposite correction, providing joys heel would take it.