Carn Galver Mine CP 4 Bosigran, Bosporthennis
Before you set off, take a look around the Carn Galver Mine buildings.
A number of paths head down in the direction of the coast from around the mine buildings, converging at a gate and stile leading onto the open fields sloping down to Bosigran Cliffs SW 419 365.
Cross the granite stile beside the Penwith Gate, into the open field. Head up to your right, crossing over a number of very old, low field boundaries, and coming upon a pedestrian gate (Although the Public Right of Way is shown on the OS map as being uphill of the field boundary, the established route follows through the fields just below.) SW 422 369.
At this point there is an optional diversion to an interesting courtyard house settlement – See Note 1
To miss out the optional diversion, pass through the gate, and into the fields of Bosigran farm. The footpath crosses each field boundary at a stile, usually near to the field opening.
Upon reaching the farm, the footpath goes between the buildings, across the bottom of the yard and out over a stile into the field beyond.
The footpath now follows down through the fields into the Porthmeor valley. As it drops down, it becomes a sturdy, built pathway, hedged either side and ditched, with a granite stile at the bottom.
Over the stile is a crossing of trackways at the Porthmeor Stamping Mill See Note 2. Turn right and cross the stile onto a track that climbs up the valley.
Optional diversion to Mill Farm – See Note 3
Return to the track and carry on up the built track, following it up to the road. Note that the PRoW, as mapped, bears off into the scrub towards the road – likely an old path line that predated the built track for the stamps.
Out on the road, turn left and head down the hill and around the S-bend.
Soon after the road crosses the stream, you’ll see a field gate and a footpath way marker on your right SW 431 370. Go through the gate and follow up the grassy track.
A short way up, look out for a small path diving off into the undergrowth on the right, just as the track heads up to the left SW 434 368. It is indicated by a permissive waymarker on a post, though this can be obscured by vegetation in the summer! Follow the path across stepping-stones over the stream, and through a kissing gate into the rough ground beyond.
Pick up the line of the footpath here by heading upstream from the kissing gate, keeping the scrub that borders the stream on your left. You’ll soon come to an established line – follow it, and you’ll know for sure when you reach the first granite stile.
Follow the track passing by Bosporthennis farm buildings. You can visit the Bosporthennis Holy Well from this point by crossing the granite bridge over the stream and taking the small path that heads off to the right up the opposite side of the stream.
Return to the track, continue a short way further up, looking for a ‘merriment stone’ on the left-hand side of the track. Just beyond the ‘merriment stone’ look for a rough footpath forking off the track to the right, leading out into the fields SW 438 362.
The public footpath line bears south across the first field towards the opposite corner, leading towards Brook Cottage and the Nine Maidens Common. Here we leave the PRoW, instead walking straight ahead (south-east) along the edge of the first field, on an informal permissive route towards the open access land on the slopes of Little Galver.
After crossing through two field gateways, continue ahead towards the third – beyond which the ground becomes obviously rougher and the slope of the hill begins.
Optional Diversion: At this point it is possible to turn left into the adjacent field, ending up right next to the Bosporthennis Beehive Hut (set into a very prominent high hedge), and courtyard house settlement in the next field beyond that.
Backtrack a short way to the gateway leading out onto the rough ground, and continue heading up the hillside, climbing ultimately up to the outcrop of Little Galver – look for a timber pedestrian gate in the hedge at the top and pass through it.
From beside Little Galver, pick a path west from the summit, to join the old trackway climbing up from Bosigran, and along to join the trackway heading up from Four Parishes SW 428 356.
You reach a gate leading into a hedged trackway – join the track and head right, uphill, and through a second gate. Follow the track up to the saddle between the hills of Carn Galver and Watch Croft.
Optional Diversion: When the path levels out on top of the saddle, it is a short detour up a path to the right, to the rocky summit of Carn Galver. Return to the main track.
Follow the main track downhill into the valley. Halfway down, the path passes by a round house nestled in between large boundary hedges. Continue down the track, ultimately to the gate at the bottom onto the road. At the road, turn right, cross the cattle grid and return to the start.