Part Two of Three
The next day, we took the van to Trenance. We planned to walk back to the campsite at Lanivet, a distance of approximately 14 miles. The first part of the path was in the open and very windy; no wonder they placed Wind Turbines here! Along the way, we met a couple walking the Saints Way in small sections. We felt more like “true” pilgrims, doing it in one go — or at least over a few days! We passed the ancient settlement of Blable, which means “Wolf Pit.” We thought of wolves once roaming here. They were hunted to extinction in the 15th century.
We then went on to St Breock Down, and we were eager to see the St Breock Longstone. It is the heaviest standing stone in Cornwall. Sadly, it was fenced off in farmland. As we passed by burial barrows, we were reminded of this sacred ground which existed long before the Christian pilgrims.
The quiet lanes and pretty cottages were peaceful. This was a contrast to the 18th century, when this route would have been busy. Bodmin was Cornwall’s ecclesiastical and commercial hub then.
This part of the route used quite a lot of tarmac roads. I was grateful for my snacks. Even foraging and army rations were appreciated!
At Withiel we reached St. Clement’s Church and time for another passport stamp.
Further into our walk, as we left Withiel behind us, we had to fend off two of nature’s challenges. Firstly, it was a field of Maize and then a herd of bullocks!
Eventually, with tired legs, we reached Lanivet — or so I thought! Upon visiting the village shop, we spoke to a kindly shop assistant. Only to learn that we still had two miles to go! I think I should have bought more than a packet of Quavers! The remaining distance to the campsite was uphill. We arrived in the rain and cooked another ration pack supper in the dark.
The next day, we drove ahead to position the car at Fowey. Then, we drove back to the campsite. To then walk back to Fowey, approximately 12 miles. This stretch took us past Helman Tor a granite outcrop. It felt very much like we were on Dartmoor, not Bodmin.
The route planner had two choices of routes at this points. We Chose the traditional route, where we had the sense of walking an ancient drovers’ ridgeway, a granite-hedged path. We passed several types of granite stones. St Brevita Church at Lanlivery greeted us with its tall tower. We were welcomed with another pilgrim stamp.
The next section towards Miltown had more tarmac than we’d have liked, not helped by two wrong turnings. I was glad that I had my special trail mix created by @lundyChef
At last we reached Golant and St Sampson’s Church. A pint at the Fisherman’s Arms was welcome — but ill-timed, as light was fading. We sensibly decided to take a taxi back to the car. We saved the final short leg for the morning of my birthday.
It was the right call. The last stretch was shaded and wooded, with glimpses of the River Fowey. It felt very much like an ancient rain forest. Later, I found that temperate rain forests do exist in Cornwall. With fresh legs we enjoyed the sight of the River Fowey glinting through the trees.
Concluding the Journey
We arrived in Fowey near the Bodinnick Ferry. We hadn’t entered Fowey from this direction before. Carrying rucksacks and a walking stick, we felt like real pilgrims among the tourists. Even if our first stop was for ice cream!
Looking back, the Saints Way felt less about distance. It was more about the rhythm of walking. Pushing tired legs on to the next destination, each step steeped in faith and history.
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