St Ives and Clodgy Point
Walk directions
Starting at the library, walk north, past a Co-op supermarket, and bear right. Pass left in front of the parish church and continue ahead on a narrow shopping street full of small independent shops and eateries. Follow along to the beach. Walk along the harbourfront towards Smeaton’s Pier. Just before the pier entrance, turn left, signed to ‘St Ives Museum’. Where the road bends, keep straight on into Wheal Dream. Turn right past St Ives Museum, then follow a walkway to Porthgwidden Beach.
Cross the car park above the beach and climb to the National Coastwatch lookout. Go down steps behind the building at the back of the lookout, then follow a footway to Porthmeor Beach. Go along the beach. At the beach end, go up to the car park. (The Tate St Ives is just down the road to the left.)
Go up steps beside the New Saints Boardriders Clubhouse, then turn right along a surfaced track past putting and bowling greens. Continue to the rocky headlands of Carrick Du and then Clodgy Point.
From Clodgy Point walk uphill and follow the path round to the right. Continue along a boggy and very rocky path. In about 0.5 miles (800m) take the left path uphill at a junction by a large lichen-covered boulder.
At a T-junction with a track just past a National Trust sign for 'Hellesveor Cliff', turn right and follow the coast path for 1.5 miles (2.4km). Just after a gate and stream, keep straight ahead.
Keep right along the coast path at a junction just past a shed and a ruin to your left. Cross Carn Naun Point. Continue past a trig point and descend to River Cove. Cross a granite footbridge to a gate and turn right at a T-junction. Climb to where the path levels off at a junction and follow the inland path, signposted 'River Cove & Field Path'.
At a junction with a track, go left through a kissing gate, then follow signs past Trevail Mill. Go through another kissing gate and climb steadily.
Cross a track and follow the hedged-in path, signposted 'Bridleway'. In about 40yds (36m) go left over a stile into a field. Follow field-edges ahead over intervening stiles.
Keep alongside the right-hand hedge in the field with a granite upright. Cross a stile. Keep to the field edge between the hedge and an electrified fence. Go over a stile beside the second of two field gates. Follow the hedge along and continue to Trevalgan Farm. Cross a large stone stile to go between buildings and in 50yds (46m), turn left at a gate and then follow the copious handmade signs to cross a stile. Continue along to Trowan Farm.
At Trowan Farm, pass a granite post by a handmade ‘Footpath’ sign; continue between houses, then go through a field gateway straight ahead. Follow field paths over several stiles to Point A.
Cross a lane, then a stile, and follow a path between hedges then the left edges of small fields. Pass a field gap on the left and turn left, as signed, just before another gap. Go through a gate and cross two stiles to pass between high hedges to a surfaced lane.
Turn right (Burthallan Lane) to a T-junction with the main road. Turn left and follow the road downhill to Porthmeor Beach.
Additional information
Terrain
- Coastal path, can be quite rocky; field paths; many stiles
Landscape
- Very scenic coast and small inland fields
Dog friendliness
- Dogs on lead through grazed areas; no dogs on beaches Easter Sunday to 1 October
Parking
- Barnoon car park, near the Tate St Ives
Toilets en route
- Dove Street near start of walk, Smeaton's Pier, Porthgwidden Beach and Porthmeor Beach
About the walk
In the days before modern transport, the scenic road from St Ives to St Just, along the north coast of the Land's End peninsula, was no more than a rough track used for carrying heavier loads by cart and wagon, horse or donkey. Even before this track evolved people travelled more easily on foot... along the coastal belt below the hills, through land that still retains evidence of ancient Bronze Age fields. Until the early 20th century the field paths, with their sturdy punctuation marks of granite stiles, were used by local people to visit each other and to travel to church and to the market at St Ives. Patrolling the coast The coastal paths on the outer edge of the ancient fields barely existed in earlier times. But as commerce and foreign wars increased, the coastline of southwest England especially came under much closer scrutiny by the authorities. When 19th-century smuggling was at its height, government 'revenue men' patrolled as best they could the wilder reaches of the coast to foil the 'freetraders'. In later years the coastguard service also patrolled the coast on foot until there were few sections that were not passable, by footpath at least. Linking these paths to create a continuous route for the walker was the final stage in the evolution of today's coastal footpath. This walk starts from the middle of St Ives and heads west along the glorious coastline, once watched so assiduously. This is a very remote and wild part of the west Cornwall coast, a landscape of exquisite colours in spring and summer and where the steep and vegetated cliffs are not breached until the narrow Treveal Valley breaks through to the sea at River Cove. Here the route turns inland and plunges instantly into a lush, green countryside that seems, at times, far removed from the sea. Field paths lead unswervingly back towards St Ives, with a sequence of granite stiles reminding you of a very different world when this journey was an everyday event for Cornish folk.
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Been on this walk?
Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.
Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
Get an AA guide
Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.
About the area
Cornwall has just about everything – wild moorland landscapes, glorious river valley scenery, picturesque villages and miles of breathtaking coastline. Known for its popular surfing spots, the region provides ample opportunities for water sport enthusiasts, and for those who prefer to stay on land, visitor attractions like the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan offer a lovely day out.
Nearby places to stay
View all (8)
Self-Catering
Apartment 9 Fernlea Court
★★★★★
"Wonderful panoramic views from an elevated position...."
- Total units: 1
Self-Catering
No. 27 The Terrace
★★★★
"Panoramic views over Porthminster beach are the star turn here...."
- Total units: 2
Nearby places to stay
Apartment 9 Fernlea Court
Apartment 9 Fernlea Court is spacious and light, with a nice relaxed contemporary feel. It enjoys panoramic views of the town, harbour, beach, and Atlantic ocean from the double french ...
★★★★★ Rating
9 Fernlea Court
Apartment 9 Fernlea Court is spacious and light, with a nice relaxed contemporary feel. It enjoys panoramic views of the town, harbour, beach, and Atlantic ocean from the double french ...
★★★★★ Rating
No. 27 The Terrace
The Terrace has large windows with panoramic views over Porthminster beach and St Ives Bay to Godrevy lighthouse. The bedrooms are equipped with super king or twin beds, there's a conte...
★★★★ Rating
Henry's
Situated above Porthminster Beach with stunning views overlooking the beautiful waters of St Ives Bay, 27 The Terrace is a Georgian property offering elegant and sumptuous en suite bedr...
★★★★★ Rating
The Point
So popular is the St Ives area, it’s no wonder people choose to holiday in Carbis Bay, many in prestigious Gallinas Point. It’s here you’ll find this south-facing, ground-floor apartmen...
★★★★★ Rating
The Point
So popular is the St Ives area, it’s no wonder people choose to holiday in Carbis Bay, many in prestigious Gallinas Point. It’s here you’ll find this south-facing, ground-floor apartmen...
★★★★★ Rating
Tides Apartment
The sunny character of Tides, a tasteful ground-floor apartment, is just one of its many plus points. Take, for example, the sociable nature of the open kitchen, the Italian-style bathr...
★★★★★ Rating
Tides
The sunny character of Tides, a tasteful ground-floor apartment, is just one of its many plus points. Take, for example, the sociable nature of the open kitchen, the Italian-style bathr...
★★★★★ Rating
Places to eat nearby View all




