Barrett's Zawn and Dannonchapel

1. To park, turn left between the 2 houses at the Port Gaverne crossroads and pull off the road onto the grassy triangle where the lane forks
2. Walk back along the lane to the main road and cross onto the lane to Port Gaverne
The road off the Delabole road to Port Gaverne was quarried out in the early 1800s by the Delabole Slate company and known as "The Great Slate Road". Around 100 ships a year came to Port Gaverne to collect slate, each capable of carrying 50-80 tonnes. It would take thirty wagons, pulled by over a hundred horses to load a sixty ton ship. The slates were loaded by women who then packed them in straw to protect them on the voyage. The incoming ships also brought coal from Wales and limestone for the local limekiln which was used to whitewash the cottages.
3. Take the first right signposted "to the coastpath" turning onto a concrete track to Middle Hendra Farm
4. Follow the track to Middle Hendra to the left, passing the farm buildings on your right

"Hendra" is a common Cornish place name meaning "old farm". It was also used as a boy's first name with the meaning literally "from the old farm".

5. Keep left down the track, and stay on the track as it approaches a house
6. Follow the track round the right side of Deer Park to a gate
7. Go through gateway follow the right-hand hedge alongside a wooded copse

Some estimates suggest the UK has up to half of the world's total bluebell population; nowhere else in the world do they grow in such abundance. The poor bluebell faces a number of threats:

• There has been large-scale unsustainable removal of bulbs for sale, though it is a now criminal offence to remove the bulbs of wild bluebells.
• There is extensive hybridisation with Spanish bluebells from gardens producing fertile seeds. This has produced hybrid swarms around sites of introductions and, since the hybrids are able to thrive in a wider range of environmental conditions, the hybrids are frequently out-competing the native English bluebells. Sir Francis Drake would not be impressed!
• Bluebells will also struggle in the face of climate change. During periods of cold weather, spring flowers such as bluebells have already started the process of growth by preparing leaves and flowers in underground bulbs in summer and autumn. They are then able to grow in the cold of winter or early spring by using these resources stored in their bulb. Other species (such as cow parsley or dandelions) require warm weather before they are able to germinate and grow. With the warmer springs induced by climate change, bluebells will lose their 'early start' advantage, and be outcompeted.
8. Follow the path alongside the woodland on your right to a stile the edge of the field
9. Cross the stile onto a path and follow this towards the coast, passing a waymark
In late Spring and Summer listen out for the characteristic song of skylarks hovvering high above the coast path. The coastal heath is a particularly good habitat for them, being mild but with fairy short vegetation in which they can hunt for insects.
10. After a short distance this joins onto the coast path. Bear right downhill.
There is a geocache near Barretts Zawn by Kernow Cachers
11. Pass the cliffs overlooking Barretts Zawn and head down the valley on the right

Coastal slate quarries are confined to a small area of about five miles either side of Tintagel and relatively little is known about their history. In order to work the vertical cliff face, strong points were built from stone above the working areas. From these, ropes were dropped down the quarry face. Men were lowered down the faces on these ropes to split blocks of slate from the face. The slate was hauled up the cliff face on these cables which were wound using "horse whims" - capstans powered by horses or donkeys walking around a circular platform. The stone was split and shaped on "dressing floors" on the cliff top, originally covered with sheds. The remains can be seen as level terraces and are marked by screes of waste rock on the cliff below. Splitting was (and still is) done with a bettle (hammer) and chisel, hence the name of the pub in Delabole.

12. Just before the waymark is a post on the left in an overgrown hollow - this is the start of the tunnel to Barrett's Zawn

The beach at Barrett's Zawn could be reached through the now disused tunnel which was known locally as the Donkey Hole, because it was once used by Donkeys bringing up slates from the beach quarry below. It is still just about possible to crawl through the hole but part of the tunnel has collapsed and it is not recommended now.

If you do decide to risk it, be aware there is one narrow squeeze in the tunnel where you'll need to get down onto your belly to slide over a rock so wear something old, though the rest of the tunnel is reasonably tall. You'll also need a torch (the LED one on a smartphone is bright enough).

13. After this the coast path turns a corner to the right and heads down to the stream at the bottom of the valley

You can walk along the left side of the stream and get out onto the rock platform where the stream meets the sea

14. Follow the coast path uphill to the right towards Tintagel, crossing Delabole Point
15. Follow the path along the cliff to the headland and behind a little bay
16. Continue past Crookmoyle rock until you reach the abyss at Dannonchapel
There are more than 20 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons along the coast from Bude to Padstow. The peregrine can reach over 322 km/h (200 mph) during its hunting stoop (high speed dive) making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. In 2005 one was measured at a top speed of 389 km/h (242 mph). The air pressure at this speed could damage a bird's lungs, but small bony tubercles on a falcon's nostrils guide the powerful airflow away, enabling the bird to breathe more easily while diving.
17. Backtrack a short distance and turn left inland over a stile signposted to Dannonchapel and Lower Tynes

If you are crossing fields with cows in:

• Do not show any threatening behaviour towards calves (approaching them closely, making loud noises or walking between a calf and its mother) as you may provoke the mother to defend her young. Generally the best plan is to walk along the hedges.
• If cows approach you, do not run away as this will encourage them to chase you. Stand your ground and stretch out your arms to increase your size.
• Avoid taking dogs in fields with cows, particularly with calves. If you must, release the dog if cows charge as the dog will outrun the cows and the cows will generally chase the dog rather than you.
18. Follow the path along the left hand hedge through 2 fields up to a ruined farm at Dannonchapel
The ruined hamlet of Dannonchapel is over 1000 years old and included a manor house first recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086 when it was known as 'Duuenant'. Its Domesday entry notes it had "land for 3 ploughs" and 40 acres of pasture. The name comes from the Cornish "downans" which means deep valley. The suffix 'chapel' was added later in the 1300s.
19. Follow the track to the field opening and stay on the track (keep right) which runs towards a barn
20. Take the left hand gate and follow the track through several fields. Note the gates are quite hard to open but this IS the right way
21. At the end of the track turn left and walk to the main road.
22. Cross the road and turn right. There is a stile just past the farm gate; cross the stile.
23. Head to the right hand corner of the field through the gate into the field on the left, heading for the bottom right corner

There a nice views from these fields across the Camel Valley with the tors of Bodmin Moor in the background.

24. Follow the right hand hedge to stile at the bottom right hand corner
25. Cross the stile and turn left, following the left hedge to the kissing gate in the left hand corner
26. Bear right and follow the path through the trees to emerge on a track
27. Follow this track to the left between two stone walls then around to the right until it emerges on a lane at a junction

If there are sheep in the field with lambs, avoid approaching them closely, making loud noises or walking between a lamb and its mother as you may provoke the mother to defend her young. Sheep may look cute but they can cause serious injury (hence the verb "to ram"). If the sheep start bleeting this means they are scared and they are liable to panic. Generally the best plan is to walk quietly along the hedges and they will ignore you.

28. Turn right at the junction and follow the lane back to the triangle where you parked

Map of Route

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Other walks nearby

• Walks in the delabole area
• Walks in the port isaac area

Related walks you might be interested in

• Walks with a beach
• Coastal walks
• Heritage walks
• Wildlife walks