Cornwall, England is full of incredible countryside and exciting hikes. The cliffside hike that I am going to introduce to you today is my favourite, and one that I have done hundreds of times.
It is based in Trebarwith Strand, and it takes you all along the cliffside to Tintagel (the birth place of King Arthur! Don’t worry, there’s a post coming out on this too). If you’re interested in visiting other places in England, then check out my post on Bristol!
For those who would prefer to listen to the audio version, click on this link!
So read on to find out about my favourite Trebarwith Strand cliffside walk.
Where is Trebarwith Strand?
Trebarwith Strand is very close to Tintagel, the birth place of King Arthur! In fact, the walk takes you from Tintagel to the Strand so you can chose to start at end of the other.
As you can see on the map, it’s in the north of Cornwall. I recommend the drive from places like Truro because you can explore Tintagel as well as a coastal walk and delicious lunch.
In comparison to other Cornish beaches, Trebarwith Strand is fairly accessible. You can get there by bus (have a look at this site to see the best route), but I highly recommend driving.
Details of the Walk
Length: 2 miles each way
Difficulty: Easy
The walk is approximately 2 miles long, which took me and my family an hour to walk (we did have children with us). However, it’s not a circular walk and therefore you have to walk back once you get to the other end.
Difficulty wise, I would say this is an easy to moderate walk. It is mostly flat, but you do have to climb over styes and walk through animal fields. If you’re planning on bringing children, just be prepared to carry them!
The start of the walk is in Tintagel, the birth place of King Arthur. Check out this site for more information on Tintagel, but I will also be doing a blog post on it so keep an eye out! You end up at Trebarwith Strand, a perfect place for lunch.
A brief history …
On the walk, you will be able to see the slate quarries. Slate quarrying began here in the late 1400’s and the Long Grass Quarry closed in 1937, which was the last one to close. The white building at the beginning of the walk (now a Youth Hostel) was the office, blacksmith and engine for the Long Grass Quarry.
The slate that was quarried was the taken to Tintagel Cove via boat and hauled up the cliffside by donkeys and horses.
How do I find the way?
It is rather difficult to find a map of the walk, so you can use this site (however, this makes you bypass the best play for lunch), or you can just follow the signs! Trebarwith Strand cliffside walk is signposted the whole way, which is how we found it the first time.
In order to start the walk, I recommend parking in St Materiana’s Church as that is where the beginning is. Once you have walked down to the cliffside and past the Youth Hostel, you know you are on the right track.
If you are worried about getting lost, just know there’s plenty of phone signal so you can easily access Google Maps!
Taking Dogs …
This is a great walk for dogs, although I encourage you to keep an eye on them since it’s near a cliffs edge. For older dogs, this might be a bit difficult, as I experienced with Dutchy (see picture below) who was about 12/13 years old and had to take multiple breaks.
Once in Trebarwith Strand …
I recommended checking out Port William pub for lunch! Depending on the day, it’s worth calling them up and asking to book a table as they do get very busy in the summer months.
You can also try surfing there! Although, be prepared for cold because the Cornish sea is freezing. I don’t recommend surfing here if you’re a beginner as the waves can be very harsh.
This is also a perfect place to let your dog have a swim around if they like water.
I hope this has inspired you to visit Tintagel and do the Trebarwith Strand cliffside walk.
It truly is a beautiful and historic walk which you should do if you’re in the area. Tintagel itself is a brilliant day trip which I’ll write more about soon.