Tregardock and Backways Cove

1. From Park Farm turn left and walk up to the crossroads. Take the lane going left to Treknow.
2. Not more than a few yards down, take the public footpath to the left which descends into Trebarwith Valley. Follow the footpath down along the right-hand hedge of the field and through a gate into a lower field.
3. Half-way down the lower field, there is a stile on the right. Cross over this and follow the path to the valley floor and over stream then climb the steps up to the road.
4. Walk up the road a short distance and take the public footpath to the right, crossing the stiles and climbing upwards until you reach a field.
5. Walk along the right hedge and cross the stile in the top right corner past Fentafriddle Farm.
6. Follow the left hedge and go through a gate into a field on the left. Walk diagonally across the field to the top left corner. Walk along the left hedge until you reach a lane opposite Downhouse cottage.
7. Cross the lane and take the footpath on the other side following the left hedge to a stile. Then walk along the right hedge downhill over a stile to Upton where it comes out over another stile in a lane.
8. Take the lane right past Upton Farm and just before a house on your left, follow the public footpath sign to the left between the cottage and garage over a stone stile into a field.
9. Head diagonally left down towards the woods to a way mark by the far hedge then cross the stream via a slate footbridge in the far corner.
10. Follow the footpath up the slope then right through the yard of Trecarne Farm to a gate.
11. Once through the gate head left passing behind some barns until you reach a waymark then head diagonally left between more barns to a metal gate.
12. Head through this and another gate straight ahead, then follow the left hedge across 2 fields to a gate in the corner.
13. Walk straight on to the slate kissing gate.
14. Follow the right hedge to a way-mark post then on to a stile on the right of the gate.
15. Go straight ahead through the a gate on the right of an old Mill and turn left, passing in front of some buildings.
16. The track leads onto the road in Treligga. At the junction turn the right and then after the chapel head follow the sign marked "to the Coastpath".
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.
17. Follow the footpath over a slate stile and another stile in the left corner of the next field.
18. Then follow the left hedge until the reach the far corner where you meet the path running down to the beach (go right).
19. About half way down the coast path crosses the path.
There is a geocache just above Tregardock Beach courtesy of Kernow cachers.
20. Walk down to the beach, have an explore, and then return to here.

There is no beach at high tide at Tregardock. As the tide goes out several small beaches merge into a single strech of sand. The largest part of the beach is on the left and this gets cut off when the tide comes in, so check the tide times carefully and don't get stranded when the tide comes in!

21. Head back up from the beach to where the coast path crosses the path
22. Take the coast path to the left towards Trebarwith Strand over a slate footbridge and through a gate onto the cliffs.

Between Tregardock and Backways Cove is the remains of Treligga Aerodrome (HMS Vulture II). Both the observation/control tower and the reinforced hut near the sea (towards Backways cove) are derelict but still standing as is the accommodation and service huts near Treligga village.

Before the Second World War, HMS Vulture II was used as a glider site. However the Admiralty requisitioned 260 acres of land in late 1939 for the purposes of constructing an aerial bombing and gunnery range. Unusually, the entire operation at HMS Vulture II was staffed by the Women's Royal Naval Service.

On 16 September 1943 an American B-17 Flying Fortress was forced to make an emergency landing at HMS Vulture II. The pilot, Capt Jack Omohundro had ignored a red flare warning him to keep clear. The plane was chronically short of fuel and running on three engines after a raid on U-boat pens at Nantes in France. The bomber had left its formation to try and preserve what little fuel it had left. Spotting the tiny Treligga airstrip, he skillfully landed 'wheels-down' just 50 yards short of the Wrens quarters.

23. Follow the coast path across Treligga Common until you zig-zag into the valley at Backways Cove.
There is a geocache near backways cove courtesy of SMacB.
24. At the bottom of the valley cross a footbridge over a stream.

Backways Cove features in "The International Directory of Haunted Places":

"Backways Cove, a North Cornwall inlet just up the coast from Trebarwith Strand, is still haunted by many unidentified presences who are thought to be the spirits of shipwrecked sailors whose bodies washed up there after they drowned. Numerous ships were torn apart on the jagged rocks offshore, and the shadowy spirits of their crew are still trying to make it to shore."

The valley at Backways cove is rich in wildflowers and heathland butterflies. Notably a species of wild Camomile grows here which is rare in the rest of the country. There is a story that a cow once went missing for 3 days at backways cove and reappeared staggering drunkenly after gorging on Camomile.

The 20ft diameter water wheel on the track from Trebarwith Village to backways cove was once used to power a threshing machine in Trebarwith Farm which prior to this had been powered by horses. The drive shaft that linked it to machinery at the farm is still underneath the road.

25. After exploring Backways Cove, walk up the valley keeping the stream on your right
26. The path joins a farm track between 2 hedges and climbs a small field before reaching a lane in Trebarwith Village.

The bottom field is hedged with blackthorn, so if you want to make sloe gin this is a good place for picking in Autumn. See our sloes page for a recipe which can also produce sloe sherry and sloe cider too.

27. Head right at Trebarwith Farm towards the other houses and take the lane to the left
28. Opposite the house with the topiary, take the footpath on the left though some trees, though a couple of gates passing a farm on your left
29. After the second gate head to the right corner of the field passing though a gap on the left into another field. Walk along the right hedge heading up Trebarwith Valley.
30. After the next gate head downhill slightly to a stile mid-way down the far hedge.
31. In the next field head to the bottom-right corner crossing a stile which comes out on the track from Fentafriddle Farm.
32. Follow the track down to the Trebarwith Strand road, turn right up the road a short distance

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".

33. There is the footpath on your left that brought you out onto the road near the start of the walk.
34. Follow the footpath down the steps to the valley floor but instead of turning right to take the path you came down at the start of the walk, take the left path that goes over a stone bridge.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. At the top-right corner there is a stone stile - climb over this. The path goes up through the Trebarwith Valley 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.

38. 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.
39. 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 backways cove area
• Walks in the delabole area
• Walks in the tintagel area
• Walks in the trebarwith valley area
• Walks in the tregardock area
• Walks in the trewarmett area

Related walks you might be interested in

• Walks with a beach
• Circular walks
• Coastal walks
• Walks with potential for foraging
• Pub walks
• Riverside walks