An Estuary Walk from St Gluvias Church - Flushing - Falmouth

From St Gluvias Church, Penryn, turn left immediately below church car park beside the estuary. The path follows the riverbank and up through the cemetery and fields to a creek. Past two sycamore trees the path goes onto the beach by the reed bed. Go through the reed bed with granite pillars on your right to join a path from Bissom. Turn right and continue along a well defined path and on past Trevissome Dinghy Park to Sailors' Creek.

Follow the lower edge of the field. At the top, cut across the corner to the right to a flight of steps down onto the beach - in line with Falmouth Parish Church. Turn left along the beach to Falmouth Boat Construction Yard. Follow the track up the road and turn right down to Flushing village.

Once in the village follow the road that runs along the water for a little way until you turn right onto Flushing Quay, which has public conveniences and the Sticky Prawn Restaurant. From here you can catch the Flushing Ferry back to Falmouth.

A Coastal Walk
Gyllyngvase Beach - Swanpool Beach - Maenporth Beach

Starting at Gyllyngvase Beach, take the path that runs between Queen Mary Gardens and the beach heading away from the Castle. Follow the path round the short headland passing Boscowen Fields on your right.

Once you arrive at Swanpool Beach, walk to the back of the beach onto the road that runs between the beach and Swanpool Nature Reserve. Follow the Road up the hill and past the bar/restaurant on the cliff "The Three Mackerel", once past here you should soon come to the SW Coast Path which is marked with a sign on your left.

Follow this path as it takes you out to sea past Swanpool beach, and into some woodland at Pennance Point. Along the way you will be able to see down to sheltered coves, some of which are accessible to the more adventurous, and across to the mouth of the Helford River and Falmouth Bay.

As you come towards Maenporth beach you will see a grassy area on your left towards the cliff edge. If you go carefully to the edge you will be able to overlook the wreck of the Scottish fishing trawler, Ben Asdale, which was washed onto the rocks during a storm in 1978.

Get back onto the path and follow it down to the beach passing a gun emplacement on your left. At the beach you will find public conveniences and across the road there is a beach bar and grill. It is possible to catch a bus back to Falmouth, but it only runs from Maen Valley Holiday Park which is about a ten minute walk from the beach. Turn right from the beach and onto the road passing a marsh reserve area on your left hand side. You will soon pass a farm with a large garden with a waterwheel on your right, and continue up a steep and windy hill until you eventually come to the entrance of Maen Valley Park where you will see the bus stop. The bus is the No. 62 and arrives at 34 minutes past every hour, before continuing into Budock Water and then back to Falmouth. Alternatively you could walk back along the coast path to Falmouth.

A Relaxing Walk - Durgan Circular for a Sunny Evening

From Mawnan Smith follow the signs to Trebah and Glendurgan Gardens, before which you will come to a crossroads where you turn left for Bosveal, Bosloe and Durgan. Follow the lane past Bosveal Farm before turning right into Bosveal National Trust car park. The car park is not manned, but there is an honesty box.

From the car park head down towards the bottom left hand side of the field passing through an entrance onto a graveled track. Follow the track which soon becomes a woodland path and keep going until you come to a lane. Immediately turn left up the lane, where you will see in front of you a gate, a stile and a National Trust sign for Bosloe. Cross the stile into a meadow with the Helford River on your right. Keep to the right hand side of the meadow passing a bench before crossing over another stile into another meadow. Again keep to the right hand side and look out for a small gap in the hedge which will take you to a secret place where you can sit on the rocks, watch the boats go by, enjoy the evening sunshine or go for a cooling swim. If you are lucky you may see dolphins swimming with boats in the River.

When you've finished relaxing go back up to the meadow and join a path at the bottom of the hill which runs back through the middle of the meadow. You'll then come to a large wooden gate, go through it and immediately on your right there is an opening onto a path. Follow this path which soon bears left into a public garden with mature Rhododendrons, Magnolias and Camellias. Spring is the perfect time to visit.

Continue along the path through the garden and take the steps up into a woodland area passing a stream on your left before taking some more steps up by the stone drinking trough onto a short gradual climb. Go through a gate (Candy's Gate) and either turn right onto the lane and back towards the car park, or cross the lane and turn right back onto the gravel track before entering the field at the bottom of the car park.