Mevagissey to Dodman Point

Starting point  and OS Grid reference: Mevagissey - Willow Park car park (SX 013451)		Ordnance Survey Map OS Explorer 105 – Falmouth and Mevagissey. Buy this map from List of OS Maps
Distance: 9.9 miles
Traffic light rating:   (For explanation see My Walks page)
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Introduction: This walk from Mevagissey is a lovely mixture of dramatic coastal scenery, picturesque fishing villages and wooded countryside. It is an easy walk with no significant gradients. There are options to shorten the walk if weather or enthusiasm falter, notably from Gorran Haven, where a short walk of a mile inland, along the lanes, will take you to Gorran Churchtown, to pick up the route described.

There are various refreshment opportunities at cafes/pubs at the villages visited and along the coast path are dotted various benches for picnics.

Mevagissey is an attractive fishing village where fishermen still ply their trade and you can buy freshly caught fish.

The walk starts from the main Willow Park pay car park which is reached by entering the village via the B3273. The car park is on the left. Entering the village any other way will embroil you in the one way system and narrow, steep streets and frankly is not worth the effort. The village is all yellow lines and all the other car parks are limited stay, which will not allow you enough time for the walk.

As this is a circular walk, you could also park at Gorran Haven (pay car park) or there is a tiny National Trust car park at Penare (SX 999405) with a modest charge at an honesty box.

Start: Turn left out of the car park and in the centre, turn right. Have a look at the harbour then continue along the road for ¾ mile to Portmellon.

Continue along the road at Portmellon (SX 016440) climbing out of the village and soon turn left along Chapel Point Lane. A finger post indicates the coastal footpath. As the houses end, the road becomes a private drive to Bodrugan and Chapel Point, though walkers are allowed.

At SX 020435 is a post indicating that the coastal path goes off to the left. However, this is a steep descent with little to gain and I preferred the better views back to Mevagissey and over Chapel Point by remaining on the drive. It is up to you. Both routes finish up at the entrance gates to Chapel Point (SX 026433).

Assuming you have remained on the drive, you descend to Chapel Point, a rather select group of residences in an idyllic location. Just before reaching the gates (SX 026433), turn right to follow the coastal footpath.

You enter the National Trust land Bodrugan’s Leap.

Continue to follow the footpath to Gorran Haven. It emerges into the village by the drive to Terhaver House. Turn right and follow this lane to its end and turn left to descend into the village, passing a pleasant little church, with its “boat hull” roof, which is worth a look.

Follow the road around the sandy cove, then turn left along Foxhole Lane (SX 014415) and Up some steps. The public footpath fingerpost indicates “Hemmick via Dodman 3½ miles”.

You enter the Lamledera National Trust land. Soon the fabulous Bow or Vault Beach comes into view.

At SX 016410 there is a split in the path. The left hand path goes to the beach. Keep right to continue the walk.

You enter the Dodman National Trust land.

You arrive at a three way fingerpost (SX 003399), at the end of an ancient earthwork which crosses the Dodman Point peninsular. To the right is “Penare ¹/₃ mile” and left “Dodman Point ¾ mile”. Taking the route to Penare shortens the walk but misses out the views from Dodman Point.

Follow the coast path to Dodman Point (SX 002493) where there is a large cross, originally built in 1896 as a navigational aid, and great views across Veryan Bay.

With your back to the cross (and the sea behind you!), walk straight ahead along the short stretch back to the coastal path and cross it, taking the path ahead. You soon pass the trig point and The Watch House (one of the National Trust’s smaller properties!). This dates from the 18^th century and is a survivor of a chain of signal stations built during the Napoleonic Wars.

Go through a kissing gate with a large granite gatepost alongside on the left and continue straight ahead to the left of the fence. When the fence stops, keep straight ahead following the higher level of the open land. As a hedge on the left turns left (SX 003459), cross the stile in the left hand corner. The footpath is now flanked on either side by old walls.

You reach a broad track with an information board on the corner. Turn right here – which is along the course of the ancient earthworks.

You soon turn left at a fingerpost for “Penare ¹/₃ mile”.

On reaching the road (SX 000404), turn right and walk along the road for a quarter of a mile, ignoring the paths that go off at a corner by Holiday Cottage Bodrugan (National Trust).

At the next road junction (SX 000407), take the footpath straight ahead indicated by the fingerpost for “Treveague ¹/₃ mile”. [In September 2020, it was reported to me that this fingerpost is missing. If you happen to find it restored, it would be appreciated if you could let me know. The route is straight across the road from the junction to Treveague Farm]. Walk straight across the campsite on the track passing the farm and at the drive to the farm, turn left to follow it.

At the road junction, turn right. Walk along the road to the first farm you come to (Carvinick) (SX 000406) and look out for the footpath immediately after the farm on the right, hidden in the hedge and up some steps. Turn left at the top of the steps then right indicated by a marker post.

After passing the barn, the path bears slightly left to an obvious walkers’ gate about halfway along the opposite side of the field. Continue to follow the same direction for Gorran Churchtown. The path exits into the road and the church is straight ahead. Rather than walk on the road, there is an elevated footpath alongside.

Turn right just before the church on to a “no through road” and follow this as it bends round left behind the church. Ignore the small junction on the right. Follow the fingerpost for “Galowras Mill 1 mile”.

Turn off this track to the right, on to the drive to Cotna Barton (the finger post indicating this is actually to the left of the track) and almost immediately, bear off left as indicated by a marker post.

Cross a stile at the end of the field and follow the fingerpost then over another stile made of vertical stone slabs, after which the path bears right at about 45°. Cross another similar stile with some steps, then descend into a wooded valley along a steep grassy path.

You enter West Bodrugan Woods Nature Reserve.

Shortly after passing a stagnant pool, there appears to be a path off to the left but ignore this.

When you arrive at a broad track (SX 006436), turn right briefly, then left through a gate continuing the West Bodrugan Woods Nature Reserve. There is a public footpath fingerpost.

The path exits the woods into more open land over a wooden stile and bears slightly left. After crossing some wooden steps into a grassy pasture, follow the left hand boundary to Portmellon, turning left at the first tarmac you come to. At the cove, turn left to retrace your steps to Mevagissey.

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