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The Smugglers Way (path description)

The Smugglers Way Footpath – Coast to Coast from Boscastle to Looe crossing the "summit of Cornwall" at Brown Willy.

For the Saints and Smugglers Way "100 mile challenge route" please CLICK HERE

Route Introduction

Created and developed by Cornishman Frank Squibb in the spring of 1994 this is Cornwall’s best and most challenging coast to coast walking route and for experienced walkers it can be combined with the Saints Way and the South West Coast Path to give the county's most varied week of walking in the Saints and Smugglers 100 mile circular challenge.  

Not only linking two coastlines, inland you also top the highest points in ancient Kernow on the wild and imposing tor of Brown Willey and the eerie rock sculptures of  Rough Tor both high on the bleak and mysterious expanse of Bodmin Moor. Walk on forgotten drove roads and ancient lanes mixed with testing sections of wild and open moorland walking .Either side of the moors deserted, hidden river routes follow stunning and unspoilt forested valleys and pasture as you follow the waters gushing off the high ground and charging down to the sea.

Start with an overnight in the busting south coast fishing Port of Looe and end by exploring the stunning natural fjord harbour at Boscastle. In between a highlight is a stay in one of Cornwall’s most remote and atmospheric locations at the infamous and dramatic Jamaica Inn of Daphne du Maurier fame high on Bodmin Moor. The route is not short on the unusual either, prepare to walk down an abandoned WW2 runway, tramp the foreshore of King Arthur’s burial lake, spend a night with a variety of moorland ghosts, pass locations from Thomas Hardy's poems and whilst you might not be (un)lucky enough to meet up with the infamous wild cat, the “beast of Bodmin”, you will be wandering through otter, deer, buzzard and kingfisher country on the way.

WALKERS NOTE: Whilst much of the route follows footpaths, bridleways and back lanes there is no specific national trail route marking. Sections around the Bodmin Moor Tors can be challenging walking on open moorland with no facilities or even footpaths in some sections. The moorland is best suited to experienced walkers with good map reading skills, Backed up with the accurate line maps of the Smugglers Way Guide book this will see you through in clear weather but if you head out in poor visibility the additional ability to be able to use compass bearings is then a must.  

SO…….If you prefer your walking to be well signposted, well travelled and with regular facilities click here to look at sections on the South West Coast Path. If on the other foot you are stirred by the thought of undertaking more of a challenge, are motivated by something different and want to push yourself to unearth the unusual and the remote…. then read on !

Route Description

Section 1 & 2 Looe to Jamaica Inn 20 miles - one or two days walking

If you are regular and fit walkers this day will be one long but rewarding 19 mile trek but you can split the section into 2 days overnighting at the idyllic moorland village of St Neot – see below for more information.

The Smugglers way leaves the South West Coast Path at the South Cornish Coast port of at Looe, a bustling harbour with a seafaring past enlivened by smuggling and piracy that stretches back to the 12^thC. A fleet of fishing boats still operates daily  from here so for those staying overnight the bonus is that this is one of the best places in Cornwall to sample truly “locally caught fresh fish”.

Click here for full information on overnight facilities and walking accommodation in Looe

The trail commences from the end of the bizarre, rounded Banjo Pier and if its high tide you will be accompanied on the first section by the fishing fleet arriving back with the overnight catch as they enter the narrow rocky estuary entrance beside you. Passing the fish market at Buller Quay on your way out of town you can watch everything from John Dory to cuttlefish going under auction before leaving the tiny streets to cross impressive Looe Bridge and head to the interior.

The contrast from the bustle of the town could not be greater as you now enter the Kilminorth Woods nature reserve This section of ancient creek and woodland is idyllic guiding you alongside the calm tidal waters and climbing above the hidden inlets accompanied by Kingfishers and egrets. Before long the salt waters recede from their wide millpond like expanse to become the narrow surging freshwater of the West Looe River.

Look carefully here and you can still pinpoint occasional remains of an 8 mile defensive dyke from the dark ages –the Giants Hedge – The local tale being that “One day The Devil with nothing to do, he built a hedge from Lerryn to Looe”

The next 5 miles is a delightful mixture of river pasture and forest track following the river inland with barely a house or another walker to disturb you – it is absolute peace. No surprise then that this is deer and otter territory with buzzard and kite high above you. The only breaks from the serenity are at Churchbrige a Hansel and Gretel hamlet almost lost in the river and forest and a few miles further down an ancient forest trail the slightly larger hamlet of Herodsfoot, where the local Giant 'Herod' planted his foot making the deep valley that you enter today.

Leaving the river a section of road is required to reach  Dobwalls and The Highwayman,  the first and only pub on the route today before a sharp descent into the infant river Fowey Valley crossing the crystal clear waters by the 15C bridge at Treverbyn.

Those walking the route in three days peel off here on the two valleys path to find St Neot a mile or two away with its welcoming London Inn.  A good overnight stop this moorland village is very pleasant reflected in its award for Village of the year in 2004. A homely pub, teashop, 15C church and if you still have energy the surreal underground Carnglaze caverns formerly a well hidden navy rum store complete with its own subterranean lake.

Those walking the section in one day wander on along a short but glorious ancient river path right beside and almost in the Fowey River.

Climbing quickly now, you finally hit dramatic Bodmin Moor and with vigilant route finding through open gorse and high marshland you will locate the high level lonely drovers road known as The Race. Climbing off path again up the slopes of Brown Gelly with its offset tor,  the summit reveals 5 desolate  tumuli and some of the most outstanding and far reaching views in Cornwall with the wilderness stretching to Dartmoor one way, the St Austell Alps the other, with the deep waters of Collingford and Sibley back lakes glistening just below you. Dropping from the summit you round Dozmary Pool a circular high ground peaty pool and the location of the death of King Arthur and the resting place of Excalibur which was plunged back into the brown waters here. Legend abounds at this desolate and locally feared spot - after a Faustian Bargain with the Devil the ghost of Jan Tregeagle still pays penance for the money and power he enjoyed, damned to the bottomless Pool, where he is tormented to this day by trying to empty the freezing waters with a shell. A mile or two further along the expanse of moor and you reach the isolated coaching house of infamous Jamaica Inn.

Overnight Stop - Jamaica Inn

A travellers rest has existed in this foreboding spot since 1412, the current inn dating back to 1750 where after it developed its reputation as a base for smugglers, highwaymen and general “rouges of the highroad”. This theme was developed into the novel by Daphne du Maurier who happened across here after being lost on horseback in deep fog somewhere close to the route that brought you here. Whilst disappointing by day due to it being a popular stop with visitors to its smuggling museum, at night with the lack of anything else around the inn,  the place regains its solitary and sultry atmosphere. Rest weary legs by smoky fires in hidden corners of the bars with a few other souls still seeking some respite from the elements and the moor.

The inns name was said to be a reference to its considerable trade in rum, whatever the origin weary and desperate travellers using the high route between Launceston and Bodmin have sought sanctuary here for centuries having failed, like you to cross the full expanse of wild and treacherous moor before nightfall. Sunsets and sunrises are fantastic up here but you may not sleep completely undisturbed in between. A favourite of the Most Haunted TV series apparitions said to have been seen here include a malicioushighwayman, an anguished young mother and her baby and the ghost of a young smuggler said to have been murdered and who sits on the wall in the courtyard looking angrily back at the inn.

For those surviving the night you can record your efforts so far by signing the Smugglers Way Log Book at reception.

Section 3           Jamaica Inn to Boscastle - 16 miles

Five dramatic tors stand between you and the northern end of the moor this morning. Starting with a brisk climb over Tolborough Tor the route gets more and more remote as all signs of habitation disappear and Brown Willy, Cornwall’s highest point looms above you. Caves in this area were once used by smugglers to hide their contraband in amongst the bronze age settlements and dramatic rocky outcrops. The ascent is steep through heather and boulders but fairly short, the reward fantastic views from the summit over Cornwall. Closer to you spot the deep valley you need to cross before a second ascent this time to Rough Tor. Pronounced Row, like Cow Tor you pick your way through an amazing array of stone pillars and rock sculptures a surreal and unearthly landscape that feels as old as the planet itself. Unbelievably this was the site of a medieval chapel to St Michael, what remains of it now holds a memorial to the 43^rd Wessex Division of the British Army though one wonders how many people make it here to read the inscription. From the top you drop through more holed and twisted rock piles crossing Little Rough Tor and then to the impressive stack at Showery Tor sight of an ancient chieftains burial mound.

An open moorland section skirting forestry on the lower slopes leads to the bizarre Lanlavery Rock formation a sudden escarpment which is only revealed as you are about to tumble over it. This lonely spot was at one time a popular outing for local church groups and schools. For those looking for real adventure keep your eyes open here as its in this area that many of the 60 odd reported sightings of a big cat on Bodmin Moor have been made. Mutilated bodies of sheep are regularly found on the moor here and we have to add that there were a least 4 when we last walked through.

The moor is suddenly interrupted by the huge expanse of Davidstow Airport. Built by the Americans as a WW2 bomber airbase after the war it was used to hold 3 formula one races in the 1950’s. Cross the bunkers and underground bomb dump bays before arriving at the ever extending potholed runway. It’s a strange bit of walking as you stroll alone along over 1 mile of weed covered tarmac in the middle of nowhere. At the northern end old buildings remain desolate and abandoned, we had lunch in the second floor of the Control Tower with 20 sheep for company who have gratefully taken up residence here. Ultimately its desolate location and sweeping fog finished both flying and racing but if the mists do lift you may well still see take offs from the Glider club which still uses the site. Exiting this unusual site beside some of the hangers now used by the farmer for hay you meet the road and pass the Davidstow Airport Museum, on the route and well worth a visit for those who want to know more about this unusual spot

The route now starts its rapid descent to the north coast firstly on road before crossing rough pasture and patches of ancient woodland that held plenty of wild and surprised deer on our last walk here. A tranquil river section follows before you climb to pass right through the hidden Norman churchyard at Lesneweth one of those true remote Cornish Villages that only the residents and those walking this route will ever discover.

You now enter the final stage of the walk as you join the beautiful wooded Valency Valley leading you through a heavenly run of waterfalls and deep pools framed by ancient woods on route to the sea. This powerful watercourse was responsible for the dramatic flash flooding that decimated lower Boscastle in 2004. For literary fans just off the route is St Juliot's Church where Thomas Hardy spent many months overseeing the Church restoration in 1872 and met his wife Emma Gifford, the rectors sister in law. His novel a Pair of Blue Eyes covers much of this area and as you follow his “leaf covered aisle” down to Boscastle ..., look out for a flat slab of rock in the centre of the river just after the Minster Footbridge, This is where Thomas and Emma were picnicking as they courted and dropped a tumbler in the water recounted in the poem "Under The Waterfall.

Emerging in Boscastle its a short amble through the town to the stunning natural harbour here, a fjord like cleft in the cliffs. The village is a fantastic place to explore and also has excellent facilities. Make the most of them for this is the crossroads as For those heading off onto the rugged South West Coast Path towards Tintagel, Padstow or north towards Bude and the border with Devon near Morwenstow. 

Click here for full information on overnight facilities and walking accommodation in Boscastle

Saints and Smugglers - The One Hundred Mile Challenge –

Saints Way, Smugglers Way and the North and South Cornish Coastal Path.

For fit and experienced walkers this is the ultimate and most varied weeks walking in Cornwall. Four very different sections of trail, completing two mid distance coast to coast paths as well as two very different sections of the South West Coast Path and a crossing of the highest point in Cornwall. From desolate moorland tors, to unspoilt fishing villages, experience precipitous cliffs, hidden coves, dramatic tors, golden deserted beaches, inland forests, rivers valleys and high moorland. Walking on ancient drove roads, tracing smugglers trails and the paths of the revenue men who tried to find them, you will track the Pilgrimage routes of ancient saints and holy men one day and follow in the well worn boot steps of hardy cliff top miners the next.

Encounter ancient Celtic crosses, holy wells, old mine works and bronze age cliff top forts, passing locations that inspired and were adored by writers as diverse as Thomas Hardy, Tennyson, Daphne du Maurier and John Betjeman. For nature lovers keep aware as you pass through the habitat of seals, otters, deer, peregrine falcons, buzzards and if you are lucky puffins,  adders and basking sharks.

A 7 day walking challenge or up to 11 days for those who want to undertake the route at a slower rate it’s not all toil on the trail. Recover with overnight stops at cosmopolitan Padstow, the idyllic fishing village at Port Isaac, infamous lonely Jamaica Inn as well as the historically rich and unique natural harbours at Fowey and Boscastle.

For all those completing the route Certificates can be obtained from the creator Frank Squibb but the real prize is the variety and breadth of the walk - a trip through the many facets and faces of Cornwall old and New. Take the challenge and take a walking holiday that keeps you in the remote and real Cornwall away from the more crowded tourist trails whilst ensuring you make the occasional visit to some of its more stunning favourite locations.

Section 1 - Boscastle to Port Isaac - 14 miles

South West Coast Path – North Cornwall Coast Path

Click Here to read a fuller description on our South West Coast Path pages

A tough first days walk along the best section of the North East Cornwall Coastline .Steep climbs and descents take you down to hidden coves, along twisted towering cliffs, past bronze age cliff carvings, King Arthur’s Castle and Merlin’s Cave at Tintagel. Rest up with lunch at one of Cornwall’s classic beaches at Trebarwith Strand before an exhilarating afternoon climbing and crossing 7 river valleys through cliff top mining remains on route to Port Isaac.

Click herefor full information on overnight facilities and walking accommodation in Port Isaac

Section 2 - Port Isaac to Padstow – 12 miles

South West Coast Path – North Cornwall Coast Path

Click Here to read a fuller description on our South West Coast Path pages

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