On a maternity leave adventure with her 7-month-old son, Jago, Kate McWilliams rediscovers the Cornwall family walks of her home county.
Porthmeor Beach, St. Ives, Cornwall
Gale force winds slap me in the face as we clamber up the hill above Clodgy Point and loop back towards my hometown of St Ives, sea spray hanging in the air, coating our faces in a gentle blanket of salty moisture.
I must have walked this path near my family home over a thousand times. As a child, this was my favourite dog walking route with our bearded collie, golden retriever cross, Dexter. But this time is different. I’ve never before tried it with a 9kg baby strapped to my chest.
Ben, my ‘out-of-towner’ partner, mockingly calls this stretch of the South West Coast path “the windiest place in the world”. Today, I think he might actually be right, as I zip my mac around Jago, who in a sling on my front is happily transfixed by the screeching gulls circling above our heads.
Before Jago came along, my love of hiking and the outdoors had taken me up the UK’s highest peaks, across the Alps, and as far afield as the Andes and Himalayas. It’s even inspired the creation of ‘Hike Club’, me and my (at the time) mostly-single friends gathering in far flung fields across Britain, embarking on long, meandering countryside rambles with a celebratory pub lunch at the end.
Now as a new mum, I’m back in Cornwall and eager to max out my maternity leave, but with Jago in tow I’ve had to be creative, turning my past trekking trails into bite size mini-adventures.
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Kate and Jago, Porthmeor Beach, St. Ives
St Ives to Clodgy Loop kicks off our Cornwall family walks
For many visitors, my hometown of St Ives is the jewel in Cornwall’s crown, with its cobbled streets, picturesque harbour, ample art galleries and trio of Blue Flag beaches.
For me, it’s the backdrop of my childhood memories; long summer days rock-pooling for crabs on Porthmeor Beach, Saturday surf school, and walking Dexter along the aforementioned St Ives to Clodgy loop.
Rugged and wild with a few short, sharp ascents and descents, this 3-mile route begins with a gentle stroll suitable for even the most reluctant children out to ‘Man’s Head’, a clifftop rock formation which resembles a man looking out to sea. From there, the path becomes slightly tougher, up and down to Clodgy Point where a tumble of rocks sprawl out to the Atlantic, home to colonies of sea birds and a playground for grey seals.
Then the coast path offers walkers the option to continue to Zennor. Instead we take the path inland, soon dropping us at the top of St. Ives just as the sun is breaking through the clouds illuminating the glistening Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance. On days like this it’s little wonder so many artists flock here, drawn to the magical natural light.
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Kate and Jago striding out, Cornwall family walks
Zennor Headland: a gentle trail with infinite Atlantic views
Further West is the quaint village of Zennor, where Cornwall’s wild beauty meets deep-rooted folklore. Local legend says a beautiful, otherworldly woman once appeared here captivating all with her stunning voice, luring a local man into the ocean, never to be seen again. Villagers call her the Mermaid of Zennor, and to this day a carved mermaid adorns an ornate 600-year-old oak bench in the town’s 12th Century church.
Spellbound by her story and Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid’, as a kid I’d spend hours gazing out to sea with my dad’s binoculars, hoping to spot my own Ariel.
Walking there from St Ives is a dramatic but challenging 12.6 mile circular, and not one I could do with the baby carrier, so instead we drive there for a drink in the flower-filled beer garden of The Tinner’s Arms, a 700 year old traditional Cornish inn that’s the perfect spot for kids to run around whilst treating yourself to a local ale.
Later, Jago and I head out through yellow gorse onto the gentle 1.5-mile trail that takes us up and around Zennor headland with its infinite Atlantic views. On our way back, we stop off to see the carved mermaid, still infatuating me more than 30 years after I first sought her out.
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Kate and Jago, below Pendeen Watch, Cornwall
Pendeen Watch & Portheras Cove pick of Cornwall family walks for lighthouse lovers
Like the tales of mermaids luring sailors to the deep, Pendeen Watch tells its own story of survival at sea.
Built in 1900, this striking lighthouse is a beacon of Cornwall’s maritime history, perched above weather-beaten cliffs a short drive West from Zennor. The last shore station before Land’s End, it overlooks a dramatic stretch of the North coast, and is a notorious ship graveyard, infamous for freezing fog that can swallow up unsuspecting vessels.
The best of the Cornwall family walks here is the 2.8 mile trail to the virgin beach of Portheras Cove, where it’s still possible to find fragments of the wreck of the cargo ship Alacrity that ran aground here in 1963 after losing its way in heavy fog.
Getting there requires a sharp descent down steep steps which aren’t baby friendly, so instead we clamber down the shorter path to the secluded Boat Cove approximately 15-minutes’ walk below the lighthouse.
The tiny, sheltered beach is tucked into the cliff and we discover we’ve got the whole place to ourselves, the only sign of life, a rusty boat winch still used by fishermen to bring in their skiffs. It’s the perfect spot for Jago’s first ever beach picnic, observed by a curious lone seal bobbing just offshore.
The coast path continues from here round to Lands’ End and on to Cornwall’s stunning South Coast, but with the mizzle setting in (Cornish for mist and drizzle), instead we decamp to the heated pool at Ayr Holiday Park back in St Ives, which also has a brilliant adventure playground for older kids.
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Porthkidney, Lelant Cornwall family walks
Trainspotting between Porthminster Beach, Carbis Bay & Lelant
“Jago, are you ready? Splash!” I shout before scooping crisp seawater over his little head.
Clad in a mini wetsuit, he giggles with delight as we play in the gentle waves at the child-friendly Porthminster Beach, his first ever dip in the icy Atlantic before re-joining the coast path at the beach’s edge.
Here the 4.5-mile clifftop trail takes us along the scenic St. Ives Bay Railway Line, offering uninterrupted views across the spectacular Carbis Bay, the unlikely backdrop to the G7 that showcased our golden sands on the world stage. Every time a train steams by Jago yelps with glee, jumping up and down in my sling.
Past lush woodland and the vast sands of Porthkidney Beach, we eventually reach the picturesque village of Lelant, nestled between sprawling dunes and the Hayle Estuary. From there, the tiny train carries us back to St Ives, giving my tired legs and back a well-earned rest, whilst Jago stares captivated by the swaying carriage and stunning scenery flashing by our eyes.
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Walking Hell’s Mouth to Godrevy Lighthouse
Hell’s Mouth & Godrevy Lighthouse: the last of our Cornwall family walks, this time
For our final expedition, friends join us for a 5-mile trek along the North Cliffs, where beyond the ghostly dunes of Gwithian, the coast rises steeply and soft sand is traded for sheer drops and exposed headlands at the eerily named Hell’s Mouth.
We grab a freshly baked cinnamon roll at the cafe where we park, exactly the fuel I need to keep pace on this windswept trail to Godrevy Lighthouse with baby on board. Carved along craggy cliff edges but still fairly flat, the path, carpeted with wild flowers and gorse, reveals breathtaking views of the Atlantic. It’s a glorious end to my maternity mini adventures.
As I pack my bags, I’m awash with memories of growing up on these unique and special shores, the raw and untamed energy in the wind, the crashing waves, the ethereal sunsets. There’s simply something mystical in the air. Cornwall will forever pull me back, and returning with Jago, it’s magical to make memories with him along the coast paths that will forever feel like home.
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