Trebarwith Valley

1. Turn right from Park Farm and walk down the lane next to the main road and rejoin the main road at the top of Trewarmett Hill.
2. Walk down the right hand side of Trewarmett Hill on the pavement.
3. At the bottom of the hill turn right down towards Trebarwith Strand and after about 100 yard cross the road into the picnic area.

Jeffrey's Pit is an old slate quarry at the bottom of Trewarmett Hill. There is a parking area in what used to be the quarry pit. Above this on the left, a stream tumbles down the hillside through a grassy area with picnic tables under the shade of some large trees which in Summer is a pleasant place to have a picnic or just relax with a book. Upstream of this there is a 15-20 minute walk alongside the stream through ancient woodland. Few people go up here so it's a peaceful spot and a good place to see wildlife. In early Spring you're likely to see frogs breeding in the stream. In April and May the woodland floor is carpeted in bluebells, contrasted by brilliant celendine, primroses and delicate wood sorrel flowers - a likely indicator that this has been under woodland for a long time.

4. Walk from the parking area through the picnic area up the left-hand side of the stream.
There are geocaches in the picnic area by Kernow Cachers and in the woods above Jeffrey's Pit courtesy of Animal Magic.
5. The path enters the woods and heads up a steep bank

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.
6. At the top of the bank the path levels out, dipping in and out of the woods.
7. Eventually it dips downhill reaching the stream
8. Cross the stream. After a short distance the path forks
   • The left-hand fork carries on along the stream for about 200 metres to a dead end, however there are fantastic wildflowers along here so in Spring it's worth walking along
   • The right-hand fork climbs out of the woods into fields where there are excellent blackberries in Autumn and views over the valley
9. Take the right fork which is marked as the public footpath, though you may want to wander a bit further up the left hand path if you don't mind doubling back to this point.
10. The path climbs out of the woodland to a kissing gate at the bottom of the field. Climb the steep field, following to the left hedge
11. There are a few gates in the top-left corner of the field. Go through the rightmost gate into the farmyard.
12. Walk through the farmyard, round to the left and out through the gate onto a farm track.
13. Follow the track until it meets a lane.
14. Turn right along the lane.
15. Follow the lane until you reach a house on the left and a track on the right marked as a public footpath.
16. Take the track across the fields, cutting diagonally left across a large field towards Fentafriddle and passing Fentafriddle on your left.
17. At the bottom of the fields the path descends to the road to Trebarwith Stand.

The acidic local soil was fertilised with lime-rich beach sand from nearby Trebarwith Strand. The golden sand on the North Cornish coast is largely composed of sea shells which are mostly calcium carbonate (chemically identical to chalk and limestone). Further up the coast at Bude, an extensive canal system was built to bring lime (created from processing the marine calcium carbonate in lime kilns) inland to fertilise the acidic moorland soils.

The sand at Trebarwith Strand was also put to another use: to avoid several tonnes of slate in a wagon going down the steep road through Trebarwith Valley resulting in horse paté, the slate wagons would be loaded with sand from Trebarwith Strand and this would be scattered on the road on the way back up to act as a braking system.

The trade in sand and slate quarrying led to road improvements in the early 19th century and for one reason, or the other, or possibly both, the Trebarwith Strand to Condolden road is known as "Sanding Road".

18. At the road turn left and walk a short distance downhill until you see a public footpath sign on your right.
19. Go down the steps to the valley floor and take the left path that goes over a stone bridge.
20. Follow the path past a chalet on the right and over a stile past some faded notices about private land. Don't be put off by these; this is a public right of way.
21. Head for the top right corner of the meadow. It's quite a steeply sloping field to cut across and there is no obvious path so tread carefully.
22. At the top-right corner there is a stone stile - climb over this. The path goes up through the Trebarwith Nature Reserve before coming out into a field.

The Trebarwith Valley Nature Reserve has a rich diversity of wildflowers and a thriving stream community in its unimproved meadowland. The area of Trebarwith Valley which is now the Nature Reserve was first used as agricultural land in the post-medieval period and it is likely that the path that runs through the reserve dates from this time, perhaps as a churchway linking farmsteads to the parish church.

23. Head up the middle of the field and you'll see a stile at the top of the field which comes out onto a lane.
24. Turn right on the lane which brings you back to Trewarmett, turning right at the top to reach Park Farm.

Map of Route

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Other walks nearby

• Walks in the tintagel area
• Walks in the trebarwith valley area
• Walks in the trewarmett area

Related walks you might be interested in

• Circular walks
• Walks with potential for foraging
• Riverside walks
• Wildlife walks
• Woodland walks