Coastwalk , South West Coast Path

Penzance → Porthleven

Distance: 14.0 miles
Ascent: 475 metres
Duration: 5 hours 43 minutes

Around Mount's Bay
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We've been in Cornwall for four days so far, but a heavy cold has meant we've failed to walk yet. Time to rectify that! The revised plan is to walk round Mount's Bay before the week ends.

Setting off early today, we took the bus from Portleven to the start of our walk in Penzance. The view across Mount's Bay was dominated by St Michael's Mount and its Victorian Gothic castle; cut off for most of the day by the tide, a selection of boats ferry visitors to and from the Mount. With a brisk breeze just keeping the low clouds off, we could clearly see the lush private garden planted on the slopes of the Mount.

Further east, we came across another iconic Cornish image: large chimneys and the remains of old mine buildings stood perilously close to the edge of the steep, crumbling cliffs. Looking at the now silent shells of the huge engine houses, it was hard to imagine that this was once a thriving industry that supported the marginal villages and hamlets that we passed on the way into Porthleven.