St Nectan's Glen and Condolden Barrow

1. Head up the lane signposted to Trenale to the left of the post box opposite Park Farm
2. Head straight along it passing by Tregeath Lane and Trenale Lane on your left and across a crossroads passing a wayside cross on your right.

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.

3. Shortly after the crossroads, take the public footpath that goes to the right over a slate stile and down across the middle of a field to an iron kissing gate and into the wooded valley.
4. At the bottom of the valley this crosses a footbridge and joins the path along St Nectan's Glen. Turn to the right and follow this path upstream.

There are 3 geocaches in St Nectan's Glen courtesy of Vodor and Scorsby:

• ROCKY III - Rocky Valley Rapids
• ROCKY IV - Rocky Valley Rocks!
• ROCKY V - Rocky Valley Ramble
5. After a while the path climbs up a series of steps and past some derelict buildings.

St Nectan's Glen is an area of verdant woodland upstream of Rocky Valley along the Trevillet river near Tintagel. At the top of St Nectan's Glen is a 60ft waterfall known as St Nectan's Kieve (or basin) (there is an admission fee to the waterfall). Pilgrims visiting St. Nectan's Shrine have used the Glen path since 500AD. St Nectan is supposed to be buried under the waterfall, along with the treasure he collected, according to local legend. There used to be a church dedicated to him where there is now a Hermitage (with tea gardens during the summer). Once, it was said, a couple of witches lived in the chapel, and locals blamed every disaster on their evil ways.

6. Pass St Nectan's Kieve waterfall (which you may want to stop and visit; there is an admission charge) and continue past the team room on your right along the path upstream.
St Nectan was the eldest son (of 24 children!) of a 5th century welsh king. Having received a vocation to become a monk earlier in his life, he and many of his relatives sailed to north Devon where Nectan settled by a spring at Stoke, in the then dense forest of Hartland, north of Bude. Here, in this solitude, he lived as a hermit. It is claimed he also spent some time here in the Glen near Tintagel, which at about 30 miles south of Stoke is not inconceivable.
7. The path follows the stream through some meadows.
8. After a few fields you reach an old mill. The footpath goes through the remants of the mill.
9. Continue following the path along the edge of the stream until it crosses the stream or technically half the stream. You'll need to jump the second half of the stream!
10. The path goes over a style into an overgrown field where the route may not be obvious. Head right crossing the field towards the right-hand corner and you'll see a style slightly to your left.
11. The path comes out on a track. Follow the track to the left which leads up a field. Follow the right hedge.

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.
12. At the top right corner of the field is a gate. Go through this and turn right on a track which ends almost immediately in a gate.
13. Go through the gate (which is marked with a public footpath sign) and head diagonally right across the field to a style.
14. Cross the style and head diagonally across the next field to a style next to the gate.
15. Cross the style and another immediately on your right.
16. Walk around the right hand edge of the field until you see a style leading down into the farmyard.
17. Walk left up the track from the farmyard passing another footpath on your right (don't tkae this).
18. The farm track climbs uphill fairly steeply and comes out on a road.
19. Turn left on the road and head uphill.
20. Not far along is a lane to the right signposted to Camelford. Take this.
21. Follow the lane up to the top of the hill. This is Coldoldon Barrow - the highest point in the area.

The location and massive proportions of Condolden Barrow suggests that a figure of considerable importance is buried here. Thomas Hardy presented it as the final resting place of Queen Isolde in his play, The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall, about a pair of doomed lovers, Tristan and Isolde, who were much like Lancelot and Guinevere.

Many scholars believe that the barrow is the burial place of Cador, the sixth century king of Cornwall. In the 12th century poem The Dream of Rhonabwy, Cador is described as one of Arthur's knights and is said to have led the British warriors in their rout of the West Saxon army at the Siege of Mount Badon. Cador is also mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain as Arthur's sword bearer at his coronation and a caretaker of Guinevere.

22. Just past the crest of the hill there is a track leading off to the right which is signposted as a public footpath. Take this. In summer this is full of butterflies.
There is a geocache near Condolden barrow courtesy of SMacB.
23. At the end of the track cross a style into a field and follow the left hedge. There are sometimes Charolais bullocks in this field which (rarely for cows) can occasionally be a bit aggressive. If they run towards you, if you act in a dominant way (wave your arms or a stick, move towards them) they will back off (don't run away as they may chase you).
24. At the bottom right corner of the field is an iron stile in the concrete wall which leads into the farmyard. Go left through the gate in the farmyard and head toward the sea keeping the farm building on your right.
25. Walk down through the field keeping the hedge on the right. About half way down the field is a stile leading to the right. Ignore this and keep following the right hedge.
26. Walk through a gateway and down into another field. Follow the right hedge to a stile which leads onto the lane you set out on.
27. Once you reach the lane, turn left and this will lead you back to Trewarmett.

Map of Route

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