Cockwells 4 Trencrom, Whitecross (Bus only)
Walk Details
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023
Cockwells is just down the road from where our Society’s founder, Mrs Winifred White, lived outside Crowlas at Croft Hooper, and we suspect this was one of her favourite walks from home.
It includes excellent views over Mounts Bay and from the top of Trencrom Hill. On the way you will enter the delightful valley with Gonew Farm, a ford and footbridge.
Cockwells is a small hamlet, ¼ mile beyond Crowlas on the main Hayle road. It occurs where a lane branches off on the left as you face Hayle. There is no convenient place to leave a car.
Take the bus to Cockwells . Go up the left-hand lane above mentioned for half-a-mile and at a crossroads where there is an open common and where two lanes meet with a well in the middle of the junction, turn right to Tregellas farm SW 518 343.
After about 50 yards, turn left behind the first cottage on the left and up the yard into what used to be a lane but is now a footpath on an ancient track. Go along this footpath/track for about half a mile. At this point there are glimpses of St. Ives and Mount’s Bay.
At the end of the path, there is a gate and a World War II pillbox SW 517 348. Go through the gate and turn right into a field. On the OS map it stills shows you are on the track, but the farmer has removed the left hand hedge so the path is now part of the field.
Keeping the hedge to your right, after about 100 yards, you will see another gate, go through the gate and return to the ancient track SW 517 349.
At the end of the track, go through the gate and cross the field diagonally to the right-hand opposite corner, where you go through another gate into Carter’s Grave Lane. Turn right here and after about 200 yards turn left onto a farm track SW 519 353 shown as a byway on the OS map.
You will pass this spot on your return journey.
You are now in a lane going towards Trencom HilI which looms ahead. The house and farm you pass, after crossing the ford by the footbridge, are known as Gonew Viscoe (See Note 1).
Above them you will come to the road from Lelant. Turn left for lOO yards and you come to the N.T. car park.
There is a sign (See Note 2) with a recommended walking route that skirts the bottom of the hill before leading you up to the top of Trencom. This hill, 550 feet high, was fortified by early man.
Turn left from the car park through the gate next to the cattle grid and walk up the track.
After about 200 yards, there’s a sign that says “No horses beyond this point”, turn right up the path. Keep right on the footpath up the hill. This is open access land and so the footpath is not specifically marked on the map. However, if you follow the path you will eventually get to the summit SW 517 362.
There are multiple ways back down the hill, try taking the path that heads directly towards Hayle that you can see in the distance.
As you approach the trees at the bottom of the hill SW 519 362, you will see that the path divides. Take the path to the right. After about 200 yards there is a T-junction of footpaths, turn right. This is the St Michael’s Way and takes you back to the car park.
Retrace the walk as far as Carter Graves Lane SW 519 353 where you keep straight on down the long lane, bearing right where it forks at Collurian Farm, to the main road at Whitecross hamlet. Here you can catch a bus or follow the road towards Penzance where you will reach Cockwells and the start of the walk.