Today we would leave Menheniot and head cross country to Probus. Mike is walking & driving so this is the first day for a very long while that we have had no company for the whole day.
We left Menheniot early this morning in the mizzle and headed via back roads to Probus. Menheniot (pronounced Men-en-yut) lies in a former mining area and is surrounded by disused shafts and engine houses. Lead seams were discovered in the 1840s and Menheniot became the centre of a mining boom which lasted until the 1870s.
As we walked up incessant hills the view alternated between mist and not quite so much mist, once allowing us a view of Looe in the distance.
As we reached Pelynt we could see a Spar and an opportunity for an ice-cream (we have missed these for the last few days). The name Pelynt derives from the Cornish pluw (parish) and the name of Saint Non, the mother of St David. The manor of Pelynt is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) when it was valued much higher than Looe.
As we closed in on the Fowey-Bodinnick ferry we entered into “Du Maurier Country”. Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, was an English author and playwight who spent much of her life in Cornwall, where most of her works are set.
We took the ferry across the River Fowey from Bodinnick – some very nice houses along both sides of the river.
Our route from the River Fowey took us through Par (where we met Mike for our lunch) and up towards Carlyon Bay where we had the option of following the South West Coast Path for a bit – it was lovely to walk beside the sea for a while and a welcome change from continually pounding tarmac. The path took us alongside the Carlyon Bay Golf Course – looked beautiful but challenging to play.
We then walked past St Austell and to our B&B in Probus. As ever at the end of a long day’s walk, focus turns to completing the day rather than considering photographic options, especially with busy roads to navigate.
Tomorrow is our final “full” day of walking (a 50+ km day) as we head to Penzance.
