IOPCC Trip Report

North Cornwall Weekend

16th to 18th May 2008

Pictures of the paddle are on the
Galleries Page.

 

Eight of us made the journey to the north coast of Cornwall. We based ourselves at Trewiston Farm and arrived on Friday evening in time to get the tents up before dark . It wasn't really raining that heavily so we didn't get very wet.

Saturday morning dawned rather dull and grey but the weather was not bad enough to stop us from paddling .

We launched from Daymer Bay at the entrance to the Camel Estuary. Although very dull the weather and the sea were calm. We paddled out and around Stepper Point.

From Stepper Point the coast is constantly entertaining with reefs to negotiate and tall stacks. There are many caves to be explored – and Ken went in every one of them! We stopped for a stretch at Trevone Bay. Often there is surf here but today it was flat calm. We paddled on round Catclews point and as we crossed the bay it began to rain – then it rained heavily. We were heading for the new Padstow Lifeboat Station at Mother Ivey's Bay. The unlikely location of this enormous £3.5 million building was thankfully reached and it became the world's most expensive umbrella which we sheltered under while we ate our lunch. The rain eased off and we had a pleasant paddle back to Daymer Bay. A BBQ had been planned for the evening but it was too damp so instead we had a great evening at the Pityme Inn.

Sunday dawned brighter and we went to Port Quin which is a sheltered landing . This 'port' was abandoned in the late nineteenth century after the local quarry failed. There are a few cottages, a National Trust car park and a nineteenth century castle on Doyden Point.. Around Doyden point we entered Port Quin Bay which is ringed by cliffs, We paddled around the bay to a small beach at Com Head where we stopped for a leg stretch. This is a perfect little beach at low tide but disappears at high tide. Our next target was to go around the Mouls which is a small rocky island off Rumps Point. Puffins nest on the Mouls and we might have seen one? We explored the large cave on the Western side of the island.

Rumps Point is the site of Cornwall's finest Iron Age cliff castle and we could see the thrift covered ramparts and ditches constructed to keep out uninvited guests.

Ken always very keen on cave exploration decided to explore what became known as 'Spitting Seal' cave. Ken disappeared for quite some time into this cave but came out very quickly looking quite shocked and shaken. He had surprised a seal in the darkness and put his hand down thinking it was a buoy and got a very aggressive response from a surprised seal. Not as surprised as Ken, mind you!

There was a little roughness as we rounded Pentire Point into Padstow bay. More caves and rock hopping were enjoyed on the paddle to Pentireglaze Haven where we landed through manageable surf for lunch.

On the return journey we encountered tide races at Pentire Point and again at Rumps Point. It was quite a slog in the freshening breeze and choppy sea back across Port Quin Bay and we were all glad to reach the shelter of Port Quin.

Back to the campsite to take down the tents and drive back to Dorset.

 

Trewiston Farm campsite Cave at Stepper Point
   
Lunch at Mother Ivey's The Pityme Inn
   
Pre launch at Port Quin Com Head
   
Cave on The Mouls "Spitting Seal" Cave!
   
Ken surfing into Polzeath Return to Port Quin
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Report: and pictures: Barbara Browning


 

 

Paddling on the Jurassic Coast