THE South West Coast Path presents more challenges between Barrett’s Zawn and Port Gaverne in North Cornwall. There are steep sections in the vicinity of Ranie Point before the path traverses Bounds Cliff and passes Pigeon’s Cove, St Illickswell Gug and Tresungers Point. Needless to say, the coastal scenery here is breath-taking.

The hamlet of Port Gaverne is at the head of a narrow inlet, having a sandy and pebbly beach, with the village of Port Isaac standing away to the west. The beach, which is owned by the National Trust, is popular with watersports enthusiasts and those who enjoy rockpooling.

The inlet at Port Gaverne in North Cornwall is popular with watersports enthusiasts. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The inlet at Port Gaverne in North Cornwall is popular with watersports enthusiasts. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

In the past, Port Gaverne, as well as trading in slate mined at Delabole, also prospered from fishing, with pilchards being cured here. In addition, sand from the beach was dug up to be spread as a fertiliser on farm fields.

In the early 19th century, the Delabole Slate Company quarried out a route at Port Gaverne so that its stone could more easily be taken to waiting sailing vessels. However, when the transporting of slate was switched to the new North Cornwall Railway in the 1890s, Port Gaverne lost out.

The coastal scenery near Port Gaverne in North Cornwall is breath-taking. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The coastal scenery near Port Gaverne in North Cornwall is breath-taking. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

There was a silver lining though, because the railway made the area more accessible and soon Port Gaverne adapted to catering for visitors. Indeed, today former industrial fish cellars - once nicknamed ‘pilchard palaces’ - are used as holiday accommodation.

It is thought Port Gaverne’s name may have come from an old Cornish term meaning rocky haven, with Dr Frederick Trevan, a relative of mine from long ago, referring to the settlement as “Porth Karn Hun… now commonly called Port Gavern” in 1833-34 when he produced a typescript entitled The History of Port Isaac and Port Quin.

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, which provides a lovely armchair tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

*Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - https://bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor