In keeping with the weather we have been experiencing Sunday 18th Nov 01 was another nice day, overcast, but mild led.

The 7 mile walk led by Julie Partridge started at Polkerris went inland across to near Fowey and then followed the coastal path back to Polkerris.

Although it is a fair way from Plymouth to Polkerris, near Par the walks still attracted 16 walkers from the group, who all eventually found the car park tucked away on the narrow road down to the village.

We left Polkerris Car Park and descended the hill to the small picturesque coastal village of Polkerris with it's lovely curving beach and breakwater.

In the summer there are normally lots of boats moored off the beach, today there were none, winter is drawing on, despite the unseasonably mild weather we are having.

We noticed the Rashleigh Arms fronting the beach. It will be a nice place to end the walk and it is also popular with the sailing fraternity in the season. We turned up the narrow lane up to the toilet. Continuing up the lane we came to a track split, one going off to the right and this was the coastal route and another heading up and inland.

We took the inland route and headed uphill east along a narrow track until we emerged onto a road heading north south.

Turning right onto the road we headed off south, we could continue on this road all the way to Menabilly Barton when Daphne Du Maurier had lived and written some of her best sellers.

After a few hundred yards, no more, we came upon a signpost indicating that we were on the Saints Way, one of the well known long distance walking routes in Cornwall.

The Saints Way extends for over 30 miles from Fowey in the south through to Padstow on the North Coast.

We turned off the road and headed down to the Saints Way track to pass by Tregaminion Farm and thence through a field down to a muddy area and over a stile.

The track was well used and consequently easy enough to follow as it undulated along.

After a few hundred yards we passed under a small bridge, it looked like a small railway bridge, but could have been an old road.

Just beyond the bridge we stopped for morning coffee. After a short break we continued along the track more ups and downs and a few stiles en route. A mile or so on, we came out onto a road at Lankelly.

We turned south for a short distance until the Saints Way sign indicated that we should turn east onto another road.

We soon came to a track heading downhill off the road and not far away to the east we could see the outskirts of Fowey, a very pretty seaside town, noted for its very deep water harbour and sheltered anchorages in the River Fowey.

We continued on downhill heading south east and through the trees below us we could see Readymoney Cove.

We soon emerged down to the Cove itself. The cove and beach sits at the entrance to the River Fowey, opposite Polruan on the opposite bank.

We didn't detour into Fowey for a lookaround but crossed the beach and up some steep steps on the western side of the beach.

From the top of the steps we had a good view of the beach itself. As the nearest beach to Fowey it is very popular with the tourists in the summer.

We then had a steep climb up out of Readymoney cove up to the top of the cliff where we had splendid views out to sea, up the river towards Fowey and across to Polruan.

Just below us overlooking the entrance to the river was St Catherines Castle, which is often open and well worth a visit.

Leaving the vantage point we continued along the coastal path heading South West and down again towards the beach at Combe Haven.

We walked round the top of the beach at Combe Haven and leaving the small bay we were soon climbing again to walk along the top of the cliffs towards Southground Point, before descending down towards Potrismouth Beach and lake at the start of the Menabilly Estate.

There were sea defences in place in the shape of a curved sea wall, over looking the beach and this was our lunch break point, very pleasant too.

After lunch we continued along skirting the beach before leaving it for the steep climb up to the headland, visible for many miles away and known to all mariners as Gribbin Head.

It a very visible and recognisable headland from land and also from out to sea due to the large daymark tower erected well over a hundred years ago as a navigation aid.

The red and white horizontal stripes make 'The Gribbin' an outstanding and a very easily recognisable feature.

The climb up to the Gribbin was the hardest climb by far of the walk and we took the opportunity to gather our breath after the exertions by inspecting the daymark tower in some detail.

Leaving the tower we continued to follow the coast path, over a stile and along high cliffs over looking a sandy beach, facing south west, inaccessible from the land with it's near vertical cliffs.

We followed the track around the headland and down by Little Gribbin before continuing along due north following the South West Coastal path.

Ahead of us we could see one of the most industrialised towns in Cornwall, that of Par with its towering chimneys belching smoke as the processed the china clay.

The path meandered its way along and gradually descended until it was just above the rocks along this section of the coast.

We had a break looking out to the west across the big St Austell Bay.

After the break we had one final ascent up to the top of the cliff before turning off to the left and following a zig zag path down to the path we had started on some four hours earlier.

We were back at Polkerris at just before 2.30 PM just in time to visit the Rashleigh Arms for a quick drink to look out over the bay and the pretty beach and pier built to stave off the worst of the south west gales.

We all obeyed the rules regarding walkers to remove boots and in consequence there were masses of boots and walking gear piled round the entrance.

In the pub thanks were given to Julie for her leadership skills as well as planning the arrival back to Polkerris in time for a drink, just before the landlord called time for the afternoon.

After the drink we walked up out of the village and to the car park up the hill, apart from those who had coerced their drivers to bring the cars right down to the pub.

Polkerris is about 30 miles or so from Plymouth and it takes about 45 to 50 minutes to return to the car share we used off the Crownhill Road.

It had been a short but interesting walk and one that could easily be extended, linked with some sightseeing. Visits into Fowey, St Catherines Fort and even perhaps up to Menabilly to see the estate where Daphne Du Maurier was inspired to write many of her novels are all possible as the places mentioned are very close to the route we followed.