Zennor to Pandeen

April 21, 2025 from the itinerary: The landscape is beautifully wild and rugged and the area around the parish of Zennor is designated both an Environmentally Sensitive Area and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The path can be narrow and rough in places and all amenities require inland detours, so it is advisable to allow plenty of time and stock up on provisions at the beginning of the day.

Distance: 8.56 miles, Weather: overcast in the 70s

Highlights

• Fantastic views from Zennor Head to Pendour Cove below. You may be able to see dolphins from here. The field systems in this area date from the Bronze Age and are still farmed sensitively so as to enhance wildlife and protect historic features.

Lovely views, but no dolphins

• Pendour Cove, with views beyond to Gurnard’s Head. This cove is also known as Mermaid’s Cove and legend has it that if you sit above the cove at twilight on a summer’s evening you may hear the singing of a man who fell in love with a mermaid and followed her out to sea.

Unfortunately, I was there in the morning. I didn't hear any singing of a man or a woman. Lovely views though. More ruins. more rocks

• Standing on the windswept rocky headland of Gurnard’s Head. There are remains of an ancient settlement and cliff castle here.

Yes, I did see the ruins

• Bosigran Castle: the site of an Iron Age cliff fort. This rocky area is very popular with climbers.

I saw the ruins AND climbers!

• Portheras Cove: there are often seals spotted around this secluded, sandy cove. Although incredibly beautiful and fairly unpopulated, please note that it is inadvisable to swim from this beach, or to walk on it barefoot, due to the possibility that there may still be metal fragments left from the dynamited wreck the Alacrity which ran aground in 1963.

I kind of saw seals on the rock from very far away. I met some people who saw the seals with their binoculars...

• Pendeen Lighthouse opened in 1900 to aid ships along what is said to be one of the most dangerous stretches of coast in Britain. Part of the lighthouse can be rented as holiday accommodation through Trinity House and Rural Retreats.

Yes, a very nice lighthouse, but led to an extra mile slog uphill to The North Inn for the night. And this door, which will make sense to Chris.

No backups waiting for the bathroom - big success - but I am glad this is the last shared one for this trip.

Breakfast was unexciting, but the sausages were good. The mermaid was next to my table for breakfast.

Sadly leaving Zennor - this was the actual white house where my room was

and an immediate downhill/uphill with some ruins - lots of ruins today.

I had my mid-day break near Gurnard's head where I could see the man belaying

Finally getting towards the end of the day, but still 2 uphills away from the lighthouse, I ran into, what turned out to be a German walking group. They were completely oblivious as I waited for them to take their time and walk up some steps, others were blocking the path....They feature briefly in the video below.

Most of the day I did feel claustrophobic - the track was very. narrow and bracken was thick and high on both sides. Am amazed I didn't end the day with tick travellers.

The North Inn was historically the local inn for tin miners until the mines closed in 1990. It's near the Geevor and Levant tin mines of which you can still see remnants on the way up from the lighthouse. I have the disabled room and, in general, the place needs a bit of a refresh. The grab bar is very rusty and the shower door didn't close.

Dinner was an underwhelming steak/mushroom pie which wasn't home made, no matter what the menu said. I decided against the game pie or the rabbit pie....I won't be returning.

Here's the turn off for tomorrow!

Here are some video moments. Unfortunately the video of the hovering kestrel didn't come out and am very disappointed.