Covington

  1. From ReadymoneyBeach, head past Daphne du Maurier’s house on your right; and up the hill away from the beach, sign-posted ‘Polkerris via Gribbin’.
  1. At the junction, turn back on yourself and keep going up the hill into CovingtonWoods. Follow the coast path sign marked ‘Gribbin 2m’.
  1. Here you can make a brief detour to visit St Catherine’s Castle, sign-posted off the path.
  1. Follow the path around to your right and take in the view over the harbour to Polruan, and back over the river Fowey.
  1. Keep going right on the footpath, keeping the sea on your left. You should pass the shelter on your right. Take the next middle path.
  1. At the way-marker turn left, and continue through the hunting gate into Allday’s Fields.
  1. Keep left and follow the coast. There’s loads of room here to play games or have a picnic whilst taking in some pleasant views.
  1. As you leave the field you go over a stile and drop down the hill to Coombe Haven Beach. This is another perfect picnic spot. You can also take a dip in the sea.
  1. From Coombe Haven, turn off the coast path and head inland toward Coombe Farm. Go up through the valley toward the woods.
  1. At the top of the hill, go over the stone stile. There are some nice tea rooms at Coombe farm on the left if you’re thirsty, otherwise head along the track sign- posted ‘St Catherine’s Point’.
  1. Carry on into Allday’s Fields, but this time take the top edge, and admire the view back west to the Gribbin and on to Dodman Point. Head straight across the field back toward Fowey, keeping the sea on your right. There are plenty of opportunities here to take in the view or rest on the beach.
  1. Go through the gateway and keep left. Next, go through the metal kissing gate into the woods.
  1. Drop down the hill keeping to the left. At the junction, turn right and follow the sign post to ‘Fowey’.
  1. At the fork, take a left back to Fowey, ReadymoneyBeach, and the start.

Features

Defending the Harbour

The Rashleigh Mausoleum on St Catherine’s Point dates from 1867 and an abundance of later fortifications make it an ideal defensive site, protecting the natural harbour at Fowey. During WWII, it was the site of the Royal Artillery 384 Coast Battery, comprising gun emplacements, searchlights, Nissen huts and a small parade ground. The history of St Catherine’s Point, however, stretches even further back in time. The mound on which the mausoleum sits, and the bank which surround it, form the likely remains of a medieval motte and bailey castle. This is supported by the fact that a chapel was recorded here in 1540.

Coombe Farm

You will pass the trim façade of Coombe farmhouse, once a dower house to the Rashleigh estate at Menabilly. Its 18th century façade conceals a much earlier Elizabethan house. Behind the house you will notice a range of barns; some old, some new. Of the latter, notice the large range of modern (1980s) wooden barns erected by the National Trust. In this sensitive spot it was thought that large gable ends would be very intrusive to the landscape, so eighteenth century hipped ends – slicing the roof off at a low angle - helped them disappear into the landscape.

FoweyHarbour

The deep and sheltered waters of the Fowey have long attracted merchant ships. But the introduction of the railway in 1861 led to a large new export trade in china clay which still goes on to this day. The harbour is narrow, so most of the ships have to be towed in and out. Despite this, Fowey is the largest exporting port in the South West in terms of tonnage. It is also one of the top 20 ports in the country for shipping non-oil products. China clay goes from here all over the world for use in paper manufacture, pharmaceuticals and, of course, china.