Scenic drive along the North Cornwall Coast through Boscastle to Bude

At this point you can opt for the shorter route by following the A39 south through Wainhouse Corner and Otterham Station and following the signs to Tintagel though Slaughterbridge, alternatively you can follow the instructions below for the longer route:

• Follow the A39 down to Helebridge where the Bude Canal now ends. Turn left towards Marhamchurch into Helebridge where a pair of bridges cross the river and the canal.

The sandstone around Bude was used as a source of lime to improve the fertility of the acid soils around Bodmin Moor.

"the quantity which is every season carried away from different parts of the coast for the purpose of manure almost exceeds belief. From Bude, in the parish of Stratton it has been ascertained that in one day as many as four thousand horse loads have been taken."

Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall 1818.

Bude Canal was built to carry lime inland and the original canal system spanned 35 miles. This included "inclined planes" (hills in a canal!) where canal boats were hauled uphill using waterwheels or in one instance VERY large buckets of water. Today, 2 miles of canal remain filled with water at Bude. The canal is popular with fisherman as it's one of the few watercourese in Cornwall where you can catch coarse fish. It's also a nice spot for a leisurely walk. You can pick up some leaflets (70p) from Tintagel Visitor Centre for "Bude Canal trails" - some circular walks with information about the history.

• From Helebridge follow the road coming off the A39 to Marhamchurch.

This pretty village was named after the fifth century Celtic Saint Marwen, who founded a monastic settlement here. The 14th Century church of St Marwenna, with its magnificent (and heavy!) old oak door and 'sanctuary knocker', and intricate slate floor, stands in a beautiful position, surrounded by thatched cottages. Just over the road is a stone building which was built using the stone from a deconstructed village school once known as 'Church House'. The reconstruction was completed in 1873, and the new school opened.

If you're around on the first Monday after the 12th August, make for the Marhamchurch Revel to see the Revel Queen crowned by Father Time in front of the church, and a procession to the Revel Ground for displays of Cornish Dancing and Cornish Wrestling.

• In the centre of the village there is a hotel/pub that serves local food and the road bends and heads south. Follow the road south to Week St Mary through Trelay and Langford Barton. As you approach Week St Mary, take the left turn which leads into the centre of the village. You'll see the impressive church tower as you approach the village.

On the church tower there are some fine carvings - look high up on the west side of the tower for hounds chasing a hare. The tall tower has been struck by lightning several times - in 1935 the south west pinnacle was hit during a hailstorm and fell into the church. There are impressive photos on the village website here.

Behind a piece of castellated wall hides one of Weeks St Mary's most historic buildings - the Old College (now owned and restored by the Landmark Trust). The story began with the birth of the remarkable Thomasine Bonaventure in Week St Mary in 1450. She married three times, each marriage gaining her more money and status, until she was finally left the widow of Sir John Percival, the Lord Mayor of London. At this point Lady Percival returned to Week St Mary and began charity work. In 1506 she founded a school, with an endowment to pay for a schoolmaster to have graduated from Oxford or Cambridge, who would also pray for her soul in the parish church. 40 years later it was written about in glowing terms, but then suddenly something mysteriously caused the school's collapse and decay and the children were moved to a school in Launceston. To read the full story of the amazing Thomasine, see here.

Originally the house would have been set in a square courtyard, and approached from a courtyard door opposite the front door - where the mainly 19th century house called 'New College' now stands (look out for the odd bit of Old College masonry in New College's wall). The windows either side of the door would have been gothic. If you peek around the back of the Old College you can see examples of these. The far, west, side of the building would have been much longer, and would have joined to further buildings filling the west side of the courtyard where there is now just a farm gate.

• Follow the road through Week St Mary, turning right to Canworthy Water when the road forks, passing Week Orchard - a 17th century cob cottage with a thatch of wheat. Follow this road to Langdon where it ends in a T-junction. Turn left to Canworthy Water.
• In Canworthy Water turn right and follow the road to Warbstow.

Warbstow Bury is the second largest and best preserved Iron Age fort in Cornwall with massive ramparts. It was built approximately 2500 years ago as a tribal stronghold and residence of the local aristocracy and was probably abandoned in the first century AD after the Roman conquest. There are panoramic views over the surrrouding countryside on a clear day. It was once the venue for an annual gathering of Methodists from the circuits of Camelford, Holsworthy and Launceston who assembled here on Whit Tuesday for an open air service.

• Follow the road out of Warbstow past the Bury and then turn right at the crossroads to Trelash. Follow the road through Trelash to Otterham Mill and past Otterham to the A39.
• On the A39 pass the 2 turnings to Marshgate and take the next right to Lesnewth. When you reach a junction turn left, then right at the T-junction which should take you past the church.

St Michael & All Angels in Lesnewth ('New Court') is a little further out from Boscastle, but is in a lovely location, just next to a deep-sided stream, marked by an ancient Celtic wayside cross. The original Saxon church was said to be built here in the dip to hide it from marauding Vikings at sea - but they found and sacked it nonetheless. Sadly little remains of the Norman church that followed; the present church is mostly Victorian, dominated by an impressively tall 15th century tower. On one of the walls inside is a nicely inscribed slate memorial, with a carved coat of arms.

• Follow the road through Lesnewth down the hill round some bends until it comes out at a T-junction. Turn left and go through the Minster Valley.

Minster (St Merthiana's) Church set in Minster Wood - an ancient woodland in the Valency valley which has had continuous woodland cover for at least 400 years. The religious site dates back 1500 years to Celtic times and parts of the church there today date back to 1150. It was originally known as 'Tolcarne', which means 'rock chapel'. The church was restored twice after falling into disrepair so there are some features that date back to the Tudor period and others to Victorian times. In early spring it is surrounded by a carpet of daffodils. Look out for the mysterious carved scissors on the tower wall. No one knows why they're there! (more info)

• Carry on past Minster Church and turn left at the crossroads. The lane comes out onto the B3266 - turn left onto the B3266 and follow the road past a staggered crossroads.
• When you read a proper crossroads turn right. Follow the lane past Trevillet quarry until you reach a crossroads with a wayside cross at Fenterleigh.

In the medieval period, stone crosses were sometimes placed by the road or path. There have been various reasons for erecting these: markers placed along routes used by Christian pilgrims, or as a shrine in reverence, perhaps to a saint who has some connection to the locality. Others mark burial sites, a disaster, a miracle, or some other event that should be remembered. In some cases they were erected to mark meeting places for Christian worship and later churches were built adjacent to the cross, resulting in the cross being within the churchyard or close by.

In Cornwall many of the wayside crosses are Celtic crosses. Scholars speculate that the Celtic Cross (a crucifix with a circular ring) developed from the sun cross (a cross inside a circle), a common symbol in artefacts of Prehistoric Europe, particularly during the Neolithic to Bronze Age periods. When Christianity came to the celtic regions, Christians extended the bottom spoke of this familiar symbol to remind them of the cross on which their new Savior was crucified. There are said to be 360 Wayside Crosses in Cornwall.

• Turn left towards Trenale and follow the lane which comes out in Trewarmett next to the post box.