Chapel Carn Brea 4 Bartinney, Caer Bran
Walk Details
COPY MAP REQUIRED
From the National Trust Car Park at Chapel Carn Brea, it’s well worth beginning the walk with a short return hike up to the summit of Chapel Carn Brea.
Back down to the car park, look for the gate on the opposite side of the road slightly to the right. At a fork in the track a short way up, take the more obvious left-hand fork and up through the hedged lane skirting Tredinney Common.
At the end of the lane, the landscape opens out as you cross into the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. This whole area is periodically grazed by cattle. Follow the pathway uphill across the middle of the field.
Here you reach the corner of a large hedge, follow along it to reach a recently constructed granite stile in keeping with traditional ‘Penwith’ style SW 396 291. Climb over it and out onto the heathland that covers the top of the hillside. Follow the path to a crossing of footpaths, bear left and uphill towards the summit. At the top, look for a small path off to your right to take you to the trig point at the summit SW 394 293.
When done, return down the path you came, continue ahead at the crossing, towards another stile in the corner.
Over the stile, turn left and head downhill keeping the boundary hedge to your left, to reach another stile in the bottom corner. Cross over and continue downhill, to join the bridleway running along the bottom of Tredinney Common SW 398 288. Turn left and head towards the well.
Go through the gate and follow the path into the lightly wooded area containing the well. Continue ahead until you reach an established track.
Turn left onto the track (a public byway), past a property on your left. A little way on, you come to a clear junction, with another track branching off to the right SW 401 290. Take this right-hand track which climbs steadily uphill towards Caer Bran. The lane is wide, but it gets quite closed in with vegetation at times.
Here the trackway opens out onto edge of the rough ground around the hilltop of Caer Bran. Continue straight ahead up the broad track, keeping the boundary hedge to your left.
As the track starts to level out, look for a granite stile in the hedge on your left (a footpath leading down to Grumbla). Opposite this, on the other side of the track, is the start of the path leading up to the hill fort (it is partially concealed by earthworks, presumably to prevent vehicles going up that way) SW 406 292. Follow this path up to the summit.
Follow the path through to the other side of the hillfort. Take in the southerly vista (across to St Buryan and the Lamorna Valley), before passing through the outer ramparts and a bridle gate, and into the lane below. Follow the lane downhill.
You reach a rugged medieval wayside cross in the lane, with granite stiles either side SW 409 287. Pass over the stile on your right, beside the cross. Enter the field and follow the path straight ahead for the hamlet of Brane. Cross three fields and enter a wide track running into Brane. There is a gate across this track which you will need to open (and close again).
You reach a junction in the centre of the hamlet. Turn right and follow the brown signs to Carn Euny.
Through a wooded area and past a property, a track branches off to the right, again signposted to Carn Euny SW 403 284. A short way up the track opens out into a narrow field. Carry on ahead, looking for an opening into a field on your left. It is marked by a large granite stone with rusted gate hangings in it, and lettering and an arrow carved in the face. Follow this to the settlement of Carn Euny.
To leave the settlement, head for the upper corner of the site. Behind an information board is a stone stile leading to an onward path. Follow through here, emerging out onto the lane coming up from Brane. Turn right, and a short way up, you’ll recognise the path heading back towards St Euny’s, off to the left SW 400 288. From here retrace your steps past the well, and out onto Tredinney Common. At SW 398 288, instead of heading back up the hill, continue straight along the bridleway that runs along the edge of the common, all the way back to the start. You have the clear landmark of Chapel Carn Brea ahead of you.