- Distance:6 miles
- Walk grade:Easy-Moderate
- Start from:Trewarmett
- Recommended footwear:walking shoes or trainers in dry weather
Highlights
- Bossiney Haven and Benoath Cove
- Views over the Tintagel coastline from Willapark headland
- Views over Tintagel Castle from Barras Nose
- Tintagel Old Post Office and King Arthur's Great Halls
- Views over Tintagel from Trewarmett Downs
Directions
- Walk up the lane (which locals call Menadue Lane since goes to Menadue Mill and Farm) signposted to Trenale to the left of the post box opposite Park Farm.
- Walk straight along the lane passing by Tregeath Lane and Trenale Lane on your left. There are nice views over Tintagel all the way along the lane. In May the hedgerows along the lane are often pink with campion.
- Cross over the crossroads passing a wayside cross on your right.
- Take the second public footpath to the left (just before you reach the houses). The footpath leads through the fields and ends up in Bossiney.
- You might want to take a moment to explore the chapel and Bossiney Mound (a little further towards Tintagel in Bossiney on the left-hand side). Once you're done, walk back to the top of the hill where the footpath comes into Bossiney.
- Cross the road to the triangular parking area next to the transmitter aeriel from which the footpath goes to Bossiney Haven.
- Walk down the footpath to Bossiney Haven. Half way down to the beach you cross the coast path.
- Follow the path down to Bossiney Haven and Benoath Cove. You may want to stop on the grassy area above the beach if you don't fancy the climb down and up. The rock arch on Bossiney Haven is known as Elephant Rock.
- Once you've explored the beach, climb back up to the coast path and (facing inland) turn right towards Tintagel.
- Bossiney Bonanza courtesy of DEMPS
- Maymyo Mayhem courtesy of Team Hookline
- Walk along the coast path to Willapark
- You may possibly want to take a small detour to the end of the headland where there are remains of an Iron Age castle. The large rock just offshore is Lye Rock and the smaller neighbouring rocks are known as The Sisters.
- Follow the coast path round to Barras Nose.
- Take the footpath inland towards the Castle Hotel which brings you out at the far end of Tintagel.
- Tintagel Castle courtesy of Lunchbox
- King Arthur Man or Myth ? (Tintagel) a set of 6 caches courtesy of Mad Max the vicker of Mawgan which together contain the coordinates of a final geocache at Slaughterbridge
- Walk along the main road into Tintagel, following the bend to the right.
- Continue pass the car park and round the bend to the left passing Pengenna Pasties on your left (who make pasties by hand in the shop; there are also a number of cafés, pubs and tea rooms in Tintagel if you want to stop for refreshment).
- Walk further along the road until you reach Tintagel Old Post Office (where you may want to stop).
- Once you've had a look, walk further up Fore Street.
- Just before the roundabout is Granny Wobbly's Fudge Pantry - free tasting highly recommended, and opposite is Aelnet's Cross; continue to the roundabout.
- Cross the roundabout straight ahead passing King Arthur's Great Halls which you may want to stop and visit.
- Carry straight on up the High Street passing the Tintagel Visitor Centre (you might want to drop in to pick up some info about the area), car park and the village hall on the right before a right turn (don't take it).
- Keep walking up Fore Street, passing Fosters Lane until you reach the Catholic church on the right.
- Turn right at Catholic church towards Trenale.
- Walk up the road to Trenale until you reach a junction which brings you back onto Menadue Lane.
- Turn right and walk down the lane into Trewarmett with views over Tintagel to 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.
Only a large mound next to the chapel remains as evidence of the twelfth century castle at Bossiney. Almost certainly the castle was built by Reginald, the illegitimate son of Henry I of England who made him Earl of Cornwall. According to legend, The Round Table of Camelot is supposed to be buried under the ruins of the Castle and on the eve of the summer solstice, the Round Table will appear when King Arthur and his knights are due to return.
Bossiney was one of a number of small parliamentary boroughs established in Cornwall during the Tudor period. Sir Francis Drake was elected MP for Bossiney in 1584 after giving his election speech from Bossiney Mound. War broke out with the Spanish in 1585 and his attention turned to their Armada.
Bossiney Haven a secluded cove close to Tintagel which is a lovely place to swim or paddle on a warm summer's day. There is no beach at high tide but when the tide is fully out there is a beach of golden sand which stretches around the other side of the headland (known as Benoath Cove) from the main inlet (Bossiney Haven). There is good snorkelling to the far left of the beach, and also to the far right when the tide is right out. The beach is not patrolled by lifeguards and combined with the steep steps down, it's not ideal for young children.
There are 2 geocaches near Bossiney:
Barras Nose was the first piece of coastal land ever bought by the National Trust. In victorian times the Castle Hotel was originally planned to be built on Barras Nose which gave rise to a local campaign to purchase the headland and save it. It's a popular spot with locals for fishing as there is rock platform and several surrounding reefs.
There are a number geocaches near Tintagel Castle:
Tintagel Old Post Office is a 600-year-old Cornish Longhouse set in cottage gardens, retaining its medieval slate-paved hall and fireplace. It was built in the 14th Century when Tintagel Castle belonged to the Black Prince. In the 19th century the house was used as the district Post Office when the introduction of the penny post meant the trek to the post office in Camelford became too much of a burden. For over 100 years it has been owned by the National Trust.
King Arthur's Great Hall was built in the 1930's by a custard millionaire whose company is thought to have invented "hundreds and thousands". The halls of chivalry are built from 53 different types of stone and are big enough to hold 1000 people. 72 stained glass windows by Veronica Whall (a pupil of William Morris) tell the story of King Arthur and show the Coats of Arms and weapons of the knights. Over two hundred million people have visited the Halls since they opened in June 1933.
