Sancreed Brane, Goldherring, Boscawen-ûn
| Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023 |
It is worth either starting or finishing your walk with a visit to the Church.
To start the walk, across the road from the church is a telephone box. Look for the footpath running between the phone box and the garden wall of a neighbouring house. Follow the path between houses and gardens.
On reaching a step-over stile you have the choice of continuing straight on over the field or to turn right, for a short but very worthwhile spur path to Sancreed Holy Well and Chapel. Note that the well path can sometimes be quite muddy.
After visiting the Well, retrace your steps to the stile. From the Well path it is a right turn into the field. You are heading straight across to the step-over stile in the far corner. Be aware that this field can sometimes contain livestock.
After the next stile, you pass in front of a white painted farmhouse on your right and will probably stop to admire the donkeys in the field next to the house. At the far end of the field cross another stile and turn left. You are now on a gentle downhill slope.
At the bottom of the slope is a farmhouse on the left and an old barn on the right. The path to follow is directly opposite, next to a house on the left of the path. It is sometimes a little concealed amongst vegetation but indicated by a yellow arrow way marker disc on the telegraph pole next to the house. The path climbs up along the edge of fields, running past some old ruined farm buildings on the right-hand side. There are a series of step-over stiles crossing six fields until you emerge onto a track running across your path.
Ignore the temptation to walk up the path to your right, up to Caer Bran hill fort (a walk for another day!). Instead climb the stile opposite, by the old Celtic Cross, and enter the field, heading straight ahead for the hamlet of Brane. Cross three fields and enter a nice wide track running into the village of Brane SW 403 283.
Follow the small road through the village and round to the left. Stay on the road around the next sharp left-hand bend, then the following right-hand bend.
At the next bend in the road SW 406 282 go straight ahead through the stile and gate, onto the track rising onto the moorland, heading for the large modern covered reservoir.
Pass the reservoir on your left-hand side.
Optional diversion – you now have a choice of continuing along the path or taking a short (but very worthwhile) diversion to visit the Iron Age settlement of Goldherring. To get there, take the path off to the left just past the reservoir SW 410 280. Follow this around to the left, around the reservoir, to the interpretation board. Carry on past the interpretation board – the village is a little further on, to the right of the track leading to a field gate. Retrace your steps to the path and turn left
Follow the track down to the gate and onto the A30. Turn right onto the main road keeping to the right side of the road.
When you see a layby on the left-hand side of the road SW 409 276 cross the A30 and pass through the kissing gate at the far end of the layby, signposted for Boscawen-ûn.
Follow the path towards the stone circle, of which you may catch some glimpses up ahead. If you wish, take a short diversion off to the right to Creeg Tol, which gives lovely views over the Lamorna Valley and across to St Buryan. You can also get a view over the stone circle, which is obscured from most directions.
Take the path down towards the beautiful stone circle of Boscawen-ûn. When you reach the bottom, and the path becomes enclosed by a blackthorn thicket, turn left at the junction, walk a short way then look for the sign and gate for Boscawen-ûn Stone Circle on your right SW 412 273. Leave the circle by the same gate you entered.
Follow up the hedged lane, which eventually opens out on the Boscawenoon Farm track. Carry on down the track, turning left as you pass through Boscawenoon Farm. This track emerges onto the A30 at SW 416 280.
Cross the A30 heading for the stile directly opposite the end of the farm track. Cross the small field diagonally to your left and emerge onto the small lane running towards Tregonebris. Follow the lane through Tregonebris.
After Tregonebris leave the lane on footpath straight ahead, where the lane bends to the right. Head diagonally down to the right across the field and cross the stream on the stepping-stones. (This area can be rather wet!)
Emerge briefly onto the lane again at Anjarden, turn left and then crossing over and into a field SW 417 286, cut across this field, then turn right out into the lane again.
After a short distance cross a stile on the left hand side of the lane SW 419 289, pass to the left of Chiverton Farm and cross a final field to emerge back opposite Sancreed Church.