Day 12 - Walking on a scheduled Rest Day?! The Union won't like this!

Today, instead of resting, I thought I'd better tackle a bit of the walk that had been thwarted on the 06th June (Day 5). I had originally planned to add the 5.2 mile round trip to the next leg, but a 15.8 mile strenuous start to a week may have killed me!

So, I returned to Charlestown and walked out by road around to Porthpean (unstable cliffs at West Beach meant the stretch of coast path from Charlestown to Duporth was impassable by all but goats) intending to walk to Trenarren.

After a little more than a mile the diversion came back to the coast path and a gentle down hill to the steps down to Porthpean beach.

Ominously, the coastline ahead looked pretty steep in places, but I pressed on.

After another half mile, the path runs along a field where sheep were grazing and the entire 250 yards of it was climbing steeply.

Once I had got to the top of the field I could see everything from the china clay mining area

to the north of St. Austell, all the way along the coast back to Gribbin Head at Fowey.

A steep downward slope followed (all steps this time) before a bridge went over a stream and led to a huge flight of steps up again!

After getting up those steps, a nice cool breeze would have been welcome, but it seemed to be getting hotter (or perhaps that was just me).

A little further brought me to Trenarren, a tiny hamlet that sits on top of the cliffs that form Black Head. The sea is a fair distance away (downwards) and I decide that as I have a tough walk tomorrow, I'll head back.

When I get home, my replacement boots have arrived. The picture below shows the difference 500+ miles of walking make on a pair of identical boots!

They have served me well through France and Belgium, London (for warmth during football matches) and many Cornish adventures since.