Day 11 - A limp sausage

Today was scheduled 16.4 miles, from Trevone Beach to Porthcovan, around Trevose head on the North Coast. The sun was shining when I arrived at Trevone and, after paying my parking fee, I headed off up the gentle slope alongside Trevone Beach (pictured below).

About a mile and a half further along the coast, after following a relatively flat, but winding path along the tops of the sheer cliff faces, you begin to descend into Harlyn Bay. A large expanse of sand that the path crosses.

Once you are about halfway along, you climb some steps and continue along the top of the cliffs towards Trevose Head.

As I made my merry way along the path, socially distancing as much as possible from other walkers I met, I caught up with a middle aged couple walking towards Trevose Head. They stopped and the woman said "we'll let you go ahead, because we've got a limp sausage." I asked whether she meant her husband or the small Dachsund they had with them!

On the north eastern side of Trevose Head, perched above Long Cove lies the RNLI Padstow lifeboat station, an impressive structure that sets my mind racing about what daring rescues and heroics have been launched from here.

As you reach the highest point of today's walk, you come across the Trevose Head lighthouse. Very impressive!

It is a shame that in the grip of COVID-19 as we are, you are currently unable to visit the lighthouse.

The walk down from Trevose head takes you past Trevose Golf Club and on round to Constantine Bay, where another large sandy beach stretches before you. Backed by large sand dunes (with signs warning you to stay off the sand dunes as WWII coastal defenses have been exposed - the pictures show large metallic cork-screw like objects protruding from the sand) the beach is popular with surfers in normal times. Today there are a few around, but not many.

Once you leave the Beach at Constantine Bay, it is a short walk around Treyarnon Point, before you arrive at Treyarnon Bay and another beach to walk across.

The remaining mile and three quarters to Porthcovan are along the tops of some dramatic cliffs, with lots of areas where they have collapsed into the sea.

The path winds around these collapses and the inland side of the path is marked as an RSPB protected habitat which is home to Skylarks and Corn Buntings (however, today none show themselves).

After walking down a gentle slope to Porhcovan, you are rewarded with a fine beach again backed by Sand dunes, with a small stream flowing down the beach. There is a small shop behind the dunes.

The journey back has three notable moments, first a bench that sits above Porthcovan looking out to sea, dedicated to a lady who used to paint the area, the bench is simple in design, two thick supports with a large plank like top, no back, no arms. However, closer inspection reveals an artistic touch (see pictures below).

There is no explanation of this face, perhaps the carpenter uses it as a 'graffiti tag'?

Further along on my way back, past Trevose Head, I come face to face with a dog on the path. On seeing me it immediately crouches down and bears it's teeth at me, I relinquish the path and the dog gets up and passes me, before turning round and again crouching down and growling at me. As soon as I move, it starts circling me and barking....seconds before I resort to booting it down the cliff, an owner appears and apologises for the dogs behaviour, apparently it only usually attacks runners in this way!! (smart dog, nobody should be running for fun!).

And finally.......As I neared Harlyn Bay the second time, I was startled by the sudden flight of twenty or thirty butterflies from a hedgerow I was passing.

For just a moment, I felt I was in a video for a pop song (probably one inspired by drug use). I spotted Red Admirals (for sure), Small Tortoiseshells (almost certainly) and maybe a couple of Painted Ladies (couldn't swear on it though).

As they all fluttered away, I wondered what a group of Butterflies is called? A flock? A flight?...Looking it up when I got home, Google reliably informs me that a group of Butterflies can be called either; a swarm, a rabble, a kaleidoscope or a flutter!

For me, what I saw today was best described as a kaleidoscope of butterflies.