Lelant to Ludgvan

St Michael’s Way Part One: Lelant to Ludgvan

Distance: 10 miles/16.5km

Timing: 4 hours

Directions: Lelant to Knill’s monument

Follow the St. Michael’s Way scallop shell signs throughout, starting along the footpath by St. Uny Church. Pass under the railway before turning left along a pleasant, narrow dune path overlooking Porth Kidney Sands, that is also the coastpath. Just before the top of the climb  next to the railway, the coastpath forks right, to take you around the (Carrack Gladden) headland.

In dangerous windy weather you can continue straight on and stay close to the railway to avoid the exposed headland. You would then rejoin the coastpath just below the railway bridge as you walk down the pavement towards the beautiful sands of Carbis Bay. (This is a very sheltered bay and great for swimming and paddle-boarding.)

Once you arrive at Carbis Bay Hotel with its cafe facilities, you follow the coastpath around the hotel swimming pool leading to another railway bridge. Look out for the sharp left turn with the scallop shell sign, and go up the steep incline of Wheal Margery Lane. You are passing through an area once rich in minerals which had a working tin mine in 1770, with a shaft running under the seabed.

Throughout you will see Knill’s Monument on the skyline, drawing you on forward. Go right and walk on 100m when you reach the main road (A3074) towards St. Ives. At the ‘Cornish Arms’ pub, turn left onto Tregenna Road and immediately left again into Steeple Lane. Follow this road up the hill to the clear road sign left to Knill’s Monument.

Directions: Knill’s Monument to Trencrom

Follow the clear signage from the monument on the St. Michael’s Way track. You arrive at the corner of a lane, turn left following the lane downhill for 3/4 mile passing Withen, Venwyn and Crockers Stile. The road takes a sharp turn to the left, follow this, and then, just before a house and rough lane on the left, leave the road by crossing the granite stile to the right which leads on through the grassy fields of an old holiday park and then to a farm/barn. Walk to the lane, cross it looking for the St. Michael’s Way sign to the right. This leads you over a granite stile into a field. Walk directly left across a small corner of the large field over another granite stile by some farm buildings. Turn right along the wide track by the hedge that leads to a stile into a path enclosed by hedges. Pass a couple of cottages and on towards the main road. The Bowl Rock is in a grassy area on the right by the road.

Cross the road, find the stile opposite to left of the old chapel building. Climb up through the field to the top left hand corner where there is a stile onto a lane. Cross to the granite stile which leads into National Trust land and follow the path round to skirt the base of the Trencrom Hill fort. Take a path to the summit and then descend to the National Trust car park to the south.

Directions: Trencrom to Ludgvan

From Trencrom Hill National Trust car park, turn right along the lane, then after a few yards, fork left and down a lane following the St. michael’s Way signs. At the bottom, in front of the cottages, turn right along a gravel driveway passing between the stream and Ninnesbridge Chapel House. Notice the Celtic cross.

Follow the stream to a well-signposted stile leading up through fields past Trembethow Farm. Continue to follow the clear signs through the fields, across tracks and eventually through more fields and down a steep slope to a lane. The Red River and the ford are a few yards along the road to the right.

Cross by the bridge at the ford following the St. Michael’s Way signpost, taking a sharp left hand turn uphill at the lane junction. to pass Boskennal Farm.

Go over the stile at the top at the bend in the road and walk on and down, heading for the stile in the centre of the woodland boundary at the bottom of a steep field. Go through what feels like an ancient village site in the woods, and up through fields towards the electricity pylon and eventually to Vellanoweth Lane. Turn left, and after a few yards, by a postbox, follow the signage, right, down to the peaceful Eden Valley. Continue on the path through the wood to arrive at the side of Ludgvan Church.