Duration / Distance: 3 hours / 4 miles
Terrain: Lanes and muddy bridleways, fields, 2 small stiles at Menagwyns and Penare, steep coast path section to Hemmick.
Overview: Fabulous views from the high land leading right out to the end of the Dodman Point. Follow the iron age earthwork (bulwark) across the Dodman, Bronze Age barrows and old coast guard watch house. Steep coast path down to Hemmick Beach and up again.
Leave Cotna Eco Retreat entrance and on up Cotna Lane to St Goran church; turn right at the back of the church, then left down the small road into Gorran village. Come back out onto the “main” road, cross straight over onto the pavement, turn left and follow the footpath uphill then to the right behind the hedge. At the road junction at the top cross over and through the gate on the public footpath into Menagwyns Farm.
Follow the footpath signs behind the house and across the fields; cross the stiles and cross the school cycle track (look right and left for speeding children!) Head across the field to Carvinick Farm, round to the right of the barn and onto the lane. Turn left to Treveague Farm, left up the track to the campsite.
At the campsite follow the footpath to the right across the middle of the site and on along the fenced path across the sheep fields. At the end, cross the lane junction and go through the field gate just to the left. Head diagonally to the left across the field heading for the hamlet of Penare further along the lane that runs behind the hedge on the right.
Climb the wooden stile back onto the lane; go through the hamlet then left onto the unmade track to the Dodman. Follow the track (muddy when wet) and through the gate into the Iron Age ditch and bank. Take the path to the left, through a second gate and follow the path along the bottom of the ancient ditch with the bulwark bank on your right. Join the coast path and turn right, noting Vault Beach sweeping away from you far down to the left, with Lamledra House looking out across the bay from above the beach.
Walk the coast path out to the stone cross at the end of the Dodman. Pause on the cliff top, breathe in the view and the Atlantic air from 3000 miles away. When you’re full, turn back and take a look at the Napoleonic era Watch House directly behind the cross. Then get back on the coast path to the right (sea on your left!). Notice where the path crosses the bulwark again at the next gate; you could take a shorter way back here if the thought of the steep path down to Hemmick Beach and back up again is not appealing; (follow the path along the ditch of the bulwark to the right. But beware in wet weather: this can get flooded!)
If continuing to Hemmick beach, just follow the coast path right down to the beach half a mile further on. After the beach, head right, back up the field to Penare, following the steep lane which runs the other side of the hedge. At Penare, follow the lane through the hamlet and retrace your steps back across the field and through Treveague again.
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