This is the ideal time of year for this walk with lighter nights but, because of its length and a food stop, we will depart at 4.30 from Tamar Close.
From Tamar Close it’s off down Dupath Road and through Dupath Farm to visit Dupath Well, originally just a spring but the Bishop of St. Germans had the very impressive monument built in 1510. It’s then on through Belltown, Corneal and then left to onto a green lane which heads to Barret’s Mill, however we will be taking the footpath to Brendon, giving views across to Harrowbarrow and Kit Hill. We then descend the steep road to join up with the footpath past Radland Mill through Pepper Wood. It would not be my walk if we didn’t take the right turn to climb up to St. Dominick, where we take the path through Lower Baber Farm , overlooking Nanie Rowe’s Wood to meet up with the green lane down to Boar’s Bridge.
From here it’s a short climb to a sharp left to pick up the footpath to Clampit into the village for a pint and something to eat at The Carpenter’s Arms, always difficult to park here so walking is the best way to get here. From here we follow the back lanes to Harrowbarrow and pass the local shop and Post Office which has continued to serve the local community through the lockdown.
We now take the path past Wheal Fortune and Wheal Brothers mines. The latter was a silver mine first opened in 1810, originally a copper mine but a substantial seam of silver was found and after a brief closure in 1833 £6000 of silver was extracted within 1 year. From here we continue toward West Harrowbarrow, but we are not visiting on this occasion but taking a left on Callington Road to reach the green road at West Cleave, with a descent to Barret’s Mill and then the climb to meet with our outgoing route and to return to Tamar Close for more beer and nibbles in the garden or conservatory, depending on the weather. 16K but well worth it.
Peter M