Boscaswell Pendeen Watch
Author – Penwith Landscape Partnership
Route Instructions:
The trail starts from an unmarked gap between a stone wall and a fenced hedge next to a house named Treplevna. After 20 yards turn sharp left at the bungalow named Whitewaves and follow the path.
Cross two traditional Cornish Stone Stiles, and then cross the field to the stile on the opposite side and follow the path alongside a wall. Cross onto National Trust land at Trease. Follow the path straight ahead.
Just in front of a roofless stone building, look to your right and cross over the stone stile (to the right of a Penwith metal gate). There is a waymarker there with an arrow pointing left. Follow the path to your left across the field towards the section of wooden fence and stone stile on the other side to a road SW 382 352.
Turn right and walk up the road. At the sign saying Manor Farm, Pendeen take a sharp left and follow the track.
Just after you have passed the enormous rusting anchor on your right, follow around the side of the main Manor Farm house, and look for a waymarker on your right indicating the track to take across the farmyard. Climb over the stone stile, cross the farmyard, go through the little metal gate and walk down between a barn on your left and a stone wall on your right.
Look seawards on your left – head along the edge of the field towards the wooden waymarker post at the end of the stone wall on your right. When you get there, keep the wall to your right and follow it down, crossing the field boundary in the corner – look for a small granite platform with stone steps protruding from the hedge beneath. Take care – it’s a rather steep drop! Keep walking in the same direction towards the sea.
In the bottom corner of the field go through the kissing gate SW 384 358 and turn left onto the Coast Path as it does a quick zig zag down the slope. The path joins a track climbing up from the slipway at Boat Cove; turn left and follow the track uphill towards the lighthouse. You pass by the remnants of the Pendeen Consols New Levant Mine before reaching the lighthouse.
Walk across the car park at Pendeen Watch Lighthouse and through the gap in the wall on the far side. It’s well worth a stop here to enjoy the view along the coast. When ready, turn left along the grassy path before re-joining the road. Follow the road towards the line of white terraced cottages.
The Coast Path leaves the road off to your right, marked by a squared-off block of stone opposite the white gateposts of the cottage at the far end of the row. Follow that path down, across the stream and up the other side. As you go up the other side you will see a path off to the left which will take you up through the fields beneath Trease and back to Lower Boscaswell, should you wish to take a shortcut from here.
Continue along the Coast Path and, as you reach the top of the footpath, you are confronted with the surreal landscape of Geevor and Levant Mines. Carry on!
Where the path divides, take the right-hand fork on the Coat Path, go over the bridge, along the fence and up the track, bearing left.
As the Coast Path reaches a ‘T’ junction at SW 372 347, turn left, down towards the chimney stack and pond, then follow the track uphill towards the buildings of Geevor Tin Mine. If you go straight on from here you will reach the Geevor Tin Mine with its cafe and Hard Rock Museum. Well worth a trip.
Follow the yellow arrows going to the left between two gateposts, and climb the steep gravelly path, keeping the Geevor buildings on your right.
At the next ’T’ junction SW 376 346, take the path to the left behind the gorse bushes towards Boscaswell, and go over the stone stile beside the gate. Follow the track uphill with the houses on your left – as you walk out onto the small car park, you will be at the start.