THE Post has teamed up with iWalk Cornwall to offer readers a series of walks in and around the county.

The first in the series takes walkers from Tintagel Church to Trebarwith Strand.

This circular walk, along the legendary and mystical North Cornwall coast, incorporates both the natural beauty of the coastline with the industrial past of ancient Cornwall’s inhabitants.

It starts at the ancient church on Glebe Cliff, Tintagel. The original church is thought to have dated back to the 6th century.

The rugged coastline and views of the wild Atlantic beckon you to follow the coast path of Port Isaac Bay, past huge pillars of slate remaining from coastal slate quarries to the cliffs overlooking the sandy surf beach at Trebarwith Strand.

Although little is known of the quarries’ history, there are points where men were dangerously lowered over the cliff face to split blocks of slate and the remains of this activity can be seen as level terraces, marked by screes of waste rock on the cliff below.

Beautiful views of the bay are spread out before you from the precipitous clifftop. Beyond is an optional visit to the beach, and possibly the pub overlooking it.

The route then follows one of the quarrymens’ trails into Treknow, which is possibly one of the oldest industrial settlements in the area, and returns along country lanes and medieval tracks connecting Treknow to the church and castle.

Highlights:

l Panoramic coastal views from Penhallic Point

l Exploding waves at Dunderhole and Penhallic Point during a large swell

l Ancient church of Materiana

l Long beach of golden sand at Trebarwith Strand

l Wildflowers along the coast in spring and summer

l Views over Trebarwith Strand from the Port William Inn

Dogs — Trebarwith Strand dogs are allowed all year. Note that there are unfenced cliff paths. Two stiles have gaps for dogs that a really large dog might not fit through and therefore need lifting over. Dogs are also likely to need help over two slate stiles.

The iWalk Cornwall app also offers alternative walks and adjoining walks in the area, along with over 200 walks in Cornwall overall. It is free to download, with each guided walk then coasting £1.99.

Once the walk is downloaded it will work offline and indicates each point as you reach it along with an alert if you go off track.

Along the way it provides information about the history and environment of the area in which you are walking, distance covered and distance left, battery life of your phone and speed at which you are walking.