Cornwall: Palm oil, Cornish beaches & the view from here

Cornwall: Palm oil, Cornish beaches & the view from up here

 Yesterday I decided we'd best not to go to the beach with Tik-ma-dog.  

This was due to reports of further rancid palm oil being washed up on some Cornish beaches.  This happens occasionally.  The danger is this palm oil is nasty stuff & can be lethal to dogs & potentially dangerous to small children.

The news report I saw was for palm oil deposits way up near Plymouth.  

Still - not worth the risk, so an inland dog walk was called for.  My friend & I decided to walk Tik around, up and over Godolphin Warren (or Godolphin Hill as it is often known).  We were going to walk around Godolphin hill and then back over the top of it coming from the other side.  

Setting off from the NT Godolphin Woods car-park following the footpath beside the barely 3 meter wide River Hayle heading in the general direction of Hayle initially following the river valley.

Tik decided to plunge into the river (her not realizing its depth). With soggy self dunked dog we crossed the River Hayle (over a potentially hazardous slippery wooden bridge). Crossed the nearby road then followed a footpath along a gorgeous wooded lane/bridleway. Turning left down another steep footpath leaving the main footpath down into the valley bottom over another wooden bridge over the 'Hayle'.  

Up the other side through field with young boisterous steers in it.  All the cattle started making their way towards us, primarily I suspect as we had a dog with us....& having milked cows & looked after steers for a living in my youth, this is one reason I always have a walking stick. Cattle are a little more wary of approaching close, 'if' you can potentially tap them on the nose.

Leaving the steers behind, up a steep footpath joining a back road which leads eventually to village of Millpool, we take a left up a lane heading up Godolphin Hill.  Here we are rewarded with a splendid view of a Cornish Engine house.

Engine House Millpool side of Godolphin Hill

On we went progressing up the hill passed property belonging to the Cinnamon Trust. Clearly by indication of the numerous signs, the Cinnamon Trust does not allow shooting on its land.  

Turning left onto National Trust owned property we headed straight up the now open bracken covered landscape towards the top of Godolphin hill.

Reaching the top we were rewarded with a most splendid 365 degree views all around. 

Off towards Penzance, & St. Micheals Mount, St.Ives & Carn Brea  & Mount Hawke in the far distance & behind, back towards Tregoning Hill & Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard.

Looking towards distant Trencrom hill, nr St. Ives

  

A gentle wander down the hill into the back of Godolphin House. Having 'burned we'd earned' & stopped off for coffee (& shhh, cake) at the National Trust coffee shop (which is open to none members).

A short walk down the Godolphin House visitors drive way & back to the car parked in the woodlands car-park. Just behind the National Trust car-park smoke was rising.  

Further investigation (just being nosy) found National Trust staff cutting gorse & carrying out controlled burning, to preserve old heather among which apparently a rare fungi lives. Certainly the lichen growing at ground level among the old heather branches is among the fluffiest I have ever known.

Then it was a case of -Car- soggy dog - home - no palm oil

NB; Photos courtesy of Robert, as my camera decided not to work.