The perfect autumnal day!
As the end of another Cornish summer draws to a close and with the buckets & spades now packed away for another year, it’s surely time to be thinking of a quiet getaway with your four legged friends to explore the beautiful beaches and walks the stunning area of St Ives has to offer.
October 1st is my favourite calendar date every year in St Ives as it is when the dog ban is lifted from all of the wonderful beaches in and around St Ives. My two lovely dependable black labs, Bertie & Icy can now run free without the fear of ruining any carefully crafted sandcastles or showering sunbathers with sand….absolute doggy heaven!
Carbis Bay to Lelant
This annual tradition has us heading straight down the valley from Cherished HQ to the spectacular Carbis Bay beach, which is now calm & picturesque with amazing views right out to Godrevy lighthouse and beyond. Bertie & Icy head straight for the ocean for their first autumnal dip before wildly and happily chasing each other up and down the golden sands that surround the bay.
We head up onto the coastal path towards Lelant walking around the spectacular headland of Hawkes Point taking in the stunning views as we climb high above the beach and follow the path around to Porth Kidney beach, a vast expanse of golden sands and sand dunes that is actually dog friendly all year round – bonus!
With my labs racing over towards Hayle Estuary we pass many fellow happy dog walkers, also out celebrating this special day.
We pass fishing boats and kite surfers going about their daily business like any other day for them….but not for us!
We walk up past ‘The Beach house’, former studio of John Miller perched, overlooking the estuary and head up past West Cornwall Golf Course to the stunning St Uny church.
Down Church Lane and onto The Badger Inn (once regularly visited by Virginia Woolf in a bygone era), a very welcoming dog friendly pub, for a well deserved pint and delicious carvery lunch.
Refreshed and revitalised we all head back to Carbis Bay along the coastal path until we reach home with two very tired but happy Labradors. The perfect autumnal day!
If you fancy a pet friendly autumn getaway and want to follow my footsteps to Lelant or try some of my other favourite walks in the area, just visit our website or call us at the office on 01736 490 640 to book one of our many dog friendly cottages.
Author: Tim, 7 September 2017
