On the Fowey – Polruan ferry

The whole of the stretch from Gribbin Head to Fowey was splendidly lazy – easy going, mostly open, in clear bright sunshine and a pleasant temperature. I didn’t see much of Fowey as I needed to take the ferry which crosses the River Fowey to Polruan on the opposite bank. I followed the road through the town to the upper ferry landing; the boat was at the quay and passengers were boarding. I joined them and we set off, docking five minutes later at Polruan.

Polruan was much quieter and less commercial than Fowey, with steep streets leading away from the river. I bought a flapjack in a convenience store but didn’t find a café open so I had coffee in The Russell Inn on West Street where although the time was getting near 1 o’clock, for most of the time I was the only customer.

The afternoon’s walk from Polruan to Polperro was much tougher than the morning had been, with the path twisting up and down steep cliffs and thicker vegetation for much of the way. Twice I opted for an ‘haute route’ variant, following a back road for a while which kept to more level higher ground, and again taking the higher ground approaching Polperro. When I could see the sea it was almost flat calm and there was hardly any wind.

Along the way I met two people who paused to chat. The first was a fit-looking young man, possibly in his late twenties, resting by a gate with a large rucksack on the ground. He was heading west. I asked if he was walking the Coast Path. “Yes, and no”, he said. He explained he was walking from Dover to Land’s End – he said he lived in London but just felt he needed to get away and be by the sea. I asked what he would do when he reached Land’s End. He said he didn’t know – he hadn’t decided – and thought he might just keep going along the coast. He didn’t think he could cope with going back to London. I wished him well.

Not long after, another young man, this time I thought in his late teens or early twenties, came towards me wearing a bright yellow top. I smiled and said hello but he walked by without speaking. He was followed a short distance behind by a woman also wearing a yellow top. She did return my greeting and told me the young man was her son who is autistic and non-verbal. He most of all likes to be outside walking so the two of them had come for a holiday. They were staying locally and doing different stretches of the Coast Path each day. Her son was now some way ahead so she hurried after him while I walked on, feeling grateful not to have to cope with the complications of their lives.

Polperro harbour

I reached Polperro around 4.00pm. It’s a small fishing village with narrow streets and a harbour – an attractive place which although popular didn’t seem overwhelmed. I had a brief look around before heading up the only road out of the centre to get to my overnight stay at The Crumplehorn Inn, and old mill and farmhouse converted into a pub and hotel on the edge of the village.