Sunset over Pencannow Point
PoE 6 St. Gennys loop a 7.5 miles
PoE 6 St. Gennys loop b 2.5 miles
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For those inclined to magic, magic can be found in this loop. Others might find the long incline from Millook nothing but gruelling. This is a shame, as the enduring climb has much to offer the eye and the heart.
After an idyllic amble through the green shade of Trengayor Woods and a glimpse of Millook Bay, the route begins to rise. It is a long haul that easily tires. So, tired, we observe a forest of sissal oaks reaching down the cliffside to the shore.
Later, in a short valley descent, we are enclosed by the same forest. A perfect spot to rest is by the stream at the valley floor. In the next field the oaks cling to before plunging down the cliff. Finally the trees thin out and the route leaves the forest via a slender avenue of dwarf oaks.
It is a strange experience to leave the so quickly familiar wood and the contrast somehow brings with it a return to the normality of the South West Coast Path. And yet the South West Coast Path is never normal. We are thrown back to its harsh beauty, to its steep contours and its wide views.