looe to polperro walk

LOOE TO POLPERRO COASTAL WALK - 24 JAN 99

Quite a dank January Sunday morning with fog around and rain forecast for later in the day. The Ramblers were off up to Lynton area up on Dartmoor. We didn't fancy it, so we decided to recce one of our favourite local coastal walks. We were up reasonably early and were parked and ready to start walking at West Looe in Cornwall by 10 AM. Another group of ramblers from Caradon had the same idea. We were off long before they were ready.

Rain was around but it wasn't too cold and the walk started across level but very muddy fields with good views of Looe Island. We were soon past the fields and were soon clambering up steep roughly hewn steps, on the coastal path proper, slithering around in the mud. There had been plenty of rain and there was water and mud in abundance. We were soon skirting National Trust land around Hore Stone Point.
Nice views looking back towards Looe. Talland Bay was soon in sight and our first coffee break. Smugglers were operating out of Talland Bay only a few years ago, drugs of course and the story goes that the smuggling went on for two years before it was detected. It is a remote spot, particularly out of season.

When we reached Talland Beach we found that the constant on shore wind had blown in lots of seaweed and the smell reflected the amount of weed around. We decided to find a seat a little further along on the coastal path to avoid the smell. A quick break for coffee and the coastal signpost indicated 2 miles to Polperro.

On the headland we stopped to look at the first world war memorial cross to those from the village who had lost their lives. Only a small village but from the short list there were two pairs of brothers from different families, or could they have been father and son.

About half a mile beyond the memorial cross we had our first views of the lovely fishing village of Polperro. We could see one of the resident fishing fleet hurrying in to the small harbour, to beat the dropping tide.
It seemed a short two miles from Talland Bay to Polperro.
It really is a scenic village, almost hidden until it suddenly springs into view. We found a seat down by the harbour for lunch. It wasn't cold and it was out of the wind. We had a walk through the village and there were a few tourists around and even a pasty shop open, but I wasn't allowed to have one. I was hoping to see if we could avoid returning by exactly the same coastal route and the map indicated at straight road albeit going steeply out of Polperro and straight back to Talland Bay. Although a tarmac road it seemed only about a mile. I thought my knees would cope with just a mile of pounding.

I thought I'd found the road, it was closed to through traffic and I checked with one of the locals to see if it really was the road to Talland Bay. He must have been a retard, he indicated it wasn't the road to take and stupidly I listened to him. We ended up going inland on the wrong road, equally steep but at least a mile further, and with cars on, which certainly wouldn't have been the case on the road I wanted to take. We eventually made it back to Talland Bay, I naturally questioned the retards parentage as well as several other aspects of his anatomy!! Joy was, for once, not feeling fully fighting fit. Perhaps the steepness of the road or the traffic fumes had caused her problems.

By this time the extra mile on tarmac roads had taken its toll of my knees and Joys bunion. Should we follow the coastal route back from Talland Bay or go up yet another very steep hill to a National Trust Car park. I chose the latter and soon realised the error of my choice. It seemed even steeper than I remembered. We had a coffee break half way up and eventually found the Car Park. Through that and down a little track and suddenly we were faced with a mud swamp. The path I was looking for didn't exist and we ended up crossing fields trying to get back to the coast path. After a rather steep slippery descent we made it, yes I had made the wrong decision again, but we were only checking out possible routes, and mentally rejecting them!! Some of the paths we had inadvertently taken were decidedly steep, both going up and down. I needed to have been a mountain goat for one or two of them.

Our joints and toes were now complaining and Joy was feeling slightly light-headed, would we make it back? Across a stream which was now running quite quickly and soon the two fields leading to Looe were with us and we could see the car. The mud was still just as glutinous as it was in the morning and it was now gone 2.15 PM. Back into the car feeling rather tired, we estimated that with the unfortunate unplanned detours we had covered 10 miles. We had learned our lesson. If we offer it as a Sunday walk for the Plymouth Ramblers then it will definitely be a coastal walk both ways and not the figure of eight one that we ended up doing.

As we drove past the Hannafore Point Hotel overlooking the Bay we saw one of the college staff packing his car after completing a residential weekend with one of our NEBS Certificate groups. Peter looked a little jaded; it was his first residential, he was with Dave Tromans and it must have been Dave's fifty first. Hope it went off without incident, doubtless I'll hear about it in work, some must work whilst others play!! And the rain more or less held off all day.

Rain was around but it wasn't too cold and the walk started across level but very muddy fields with good views of Looe Island. We were soon past the fields and were soon clambering up steep roughly hewn steps, on the coastal path proper, slithering around in the mud. There had been plenty of rain and there was water and mud in abundance. We were soon skirting National Trust land around Hore Stone Point. Nice views looking back towards Looe. Talland Bay was soon in sight and our first coffee break. Smugglers were operating out of Talland Bay only a few years ago, drugs of course and the story goes that the smuggling went on for two years before it was detected. It is a remote spot, particularly out of season.
When we reached Talland Beach we found that the constant on shore wind had blown in lots of seaweed and the smell reflected the amount of weed around. We decided to find a seat a little further along on the coastal path to avoid the smell. A quick break for coffee and the coastal signpost indicated 2 miles to Polperro.	On the headland we stopped to look at the first world war memorial cross to those from the village who had lost their lives. Only a small village but from the short list there were two pairs of brothers from different families, or could they have been father and son.
About half a mile beyond the memorial cross we had our first views of the lovely fishing village of Polperro. We could see one of the resident fishing fleet hurrying in to the small harbour, to beat the dropping tide. It seemed a short two miles from Talland Bay to Polperro. It really is a scenic village, almost hidden until it suddenly springs into view. We found a seat down by the harbour for lunch. It wasn't cold and it was out of the wind. We had a walk through the village and there were a few tourists around and even a pasty shop open, but I wasn't allowed to have one. I was hoping to see if we could avoid returning by exactly the same coastal route and the map indicated at straight road albeit going steeply out of Polperro and straight back to Talland Bay. Although a tarmac road it seemed only about a mile. I thought my knees would cope with just a mile of pounding.
	I thought I'd found the road, it was closed to through traffic and I checked with one of the locals to see if it really was the road to Talland Bay. He must have been a retard, he indicated it wasn't the road to take and stupidly I listened to him. We ended up going inland on the wrong road, equally steep but at least a mile further, and with cars on, which certainly wouldn't have been the case on the road I wanted to take. We eventually made it back to Talland Bay, I naturally questioned the retards parentage as well as several other aspects of his anatomy!! Joy was, for once, not feeling fully fighting fit. Perhaps the steepness of the road or the traffic fumes had caused her problems.
By this time the extra mile on tarmac roads had taken its toll of my knees and Joys bunion. Should we follow the coastal route back from Talland Bay or go up yet another very steep hill to a National Trust Car park. I chose the latter and soon realised the error of my choice. It seemed even steeper than I remembered. We had a coffee break half way up and eventually found the Car Park. Through that and down a little track and suddenly we were faced with a mud swamp. The path I was looking for didn't exist and we ended up crossing fields trying to get back to the coast path. After a rather steep slippery descent we made it, yes I had made the wrong decision again, but we were only checking out possible routes, and mentally rejecting them!! Some of the paths we had inadvertently taken were decidedly steep, both going up and down. I needed to have been a mountain goat for one or two of them.