Picturesque Cornwall - Park Head

With the summer holidays just around the corner I imagine that some of you might be planning to head down to Cornwall for a family getaway, especially as stay-cations (going on holiday without leaving the country) seem to be THE choice of break for many people.

I feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country as Cornwall, surrounded by unspoilt sandy beaches and stunning scenery. It would be easy to take it for granted but rest assured I most definitely do not! In fact last weekend I made the most of the summery weather and went walking with my other half around one of the lesser-known National Trust sites on the north coast of Cornwall; Park Head. I took a few photos which show just how beautiful it is…

Park Head is an area situated about 8 miles up the coast from Newquay, between Bedruthan Steps and Porthcothan. It is managed by the National Trust but is free to visit and, better still, to park. It is signposted subtly from the road on the left if you are heading up the coast towards Porthcothan.

The walk that we took started from the car park and through a couple of fields (all on public footpaths I hasten to add!). As we came through a kissing gate we were met with the most beautiful view out to sea…

Isn’t it just stunning? I love the way the sun reflects of the turquoise sea and the craggy rocks in the background. If you look closely, you can just make out Newquay in the distance.

As we carried on walking, we met a few fellow ramblers, some of whom were fully kitted out with Nordic poles and picnic hampers! As this was quite a spontaneous decision, we were somewhat less organised and made do with just walking boots and light layers!

I love the rugged yet green landscape in this part of the county. We saw some beautiful flowers which dotted the headland with splashes of colour…

The coast path took us right around the headland where we could see far up the coast towards Constantine.
It then wound around and down into the valley. As the footpath opened out into a field at the edge of the valley, there was a herd of cows in the distance. We started to head up the hill past them to reach the main road and while we were slightly nervous, the cows looked nothing more than a bit curious!

After a short walk up the road to the car park our ‘hike’ was over. It was just over 2 miles but we walked at a leisurely pace, sitting down on grassy banks on a couple of occasions to take it all in!

Park Head is such a beautiful place to explore and is suitable for a family expedition as while the ground is slightly uneven in places, there are many clear paths as well.

If you are thinking of going on a coastal walk to Park Head or somewhere similar, I don’t mean to sound patronising when I say this but I would advise dressing suitably for the occasion. I saw a number of people struggling to negotiate uneven ground in flip-flops! My suggestion would be to invest in a sturdy and supportive pair of walking boots...

Our Sheepskin-Lined Walking Boots are water-resistant and unbelievably comfortable, and they have a deep rugged tread to tackle uneven and slippery areas.