Coastwalk , South West Coast Path

Tintagel → Port Gaverne

Distance: 8.76 miles
Ascent: 740 metres
Duration: 4 hours 22 minutes

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Tintagel isn't at all what I expected. I knew of the island castle and its association with the great Arthurian legend so although I was hoping for a rock topped with towering ruins. What you get to see from the mainland though is really just an island, and if you know just where to look you can make out some ruined walls.

The path south of Tintagel didn't disappoint though. Just as we started to descend to Trebarwith Strand I stopped dead in my tracks. Something had zipped across the path behind Emma's footsteps. Closer investigation revealed an Adder - the first time I've ever seen Britain's only venomous snake in the wild.

The South West Coast Path Association grade the next stretch as "severe", and our guide-book joined in advising of "seven steep valleys" to cross and pessimistically warning the stretch could take five hours. After yesterday's walk I was a little nervous, but when it came down to it the time flew by. We had the path to ourselves and loved every step of it, with natural features and discarded industrial scars providing plenty to look at.