Boscastle is a superbly attractive little village in a deep cleft on the North Cornwall coast. The village’s centre, including its harbour, is situated where two deep and steep valleys meet the sea. In August 2004 2 million tonnes of water swept down these valleys following a cloudburst and devastated the village, which has now been rebuilt. This walk follows one of these valleys upstream before crossing high land to the coast and returning to Boscastle along the Coast Path.

The walk starts at the main car park in the village centre. Walk through the car park away from the village, using the signed pedestrian walkways, and continue through the overflow car park. At the far end is a gate leading into the Valency Valley. Follow the path up the valley along the River Valency.

This is an attractive valley, flanked by woodlands, and it is almost impossible to imagine the tranquil tumbling river could have been responsible for so much damage in 2004. However, look carefully and numerous clues will be seen – the re-formed valley floor just above the car park, broken tree stumps and the scoured riverside.

Notwithstanding the damage, this remains a very picturesque valley, and luckily most of the valley-side woodlands were not permanently damaged. Most of these woods are oak, quite possibly the remnants of the ancient tree cover. Over the years they have been managed for woodfuel and for building and furnishings and the bark has been used for the tanning of leather.

Follow the main path up the valley, over a grassy area and then through the riverside woods. A little way up the valley the path passes a footbridge crossing the river. This is signed to Minster Church, which is at the top of the woodland clothing the opposite valley side. Despite its height above the river, the church did not escape damage in August 2004, streams flowing through the church as they cascaded down the valley side.

Pass the footbridge and continue on the riverside path. Shortly after leaving the bridge take the steps climbing to the left where the path forks and continue on to arrive at the attractive little hamlet of New Mills. Go through the gate and continue on the track to pass behind what were once mill buildings to arrive at a junction at the bottom of a lane.

The present buildings here were probably built in the 1700s and 1800s, but the settlement of New Mills was first recorded in the 1600s. It is possible the mill here gave its name to the River Valency, whose origin seems to be velynjy, Cornish for mill-house.

At the junction at New Mills turn left, up the steep zig-zag hill. Although the circular route does not follow it, the path up the valley continues ahead, and in about a mile will arrive at the remote church of St Juliot, closely associated with Thomas Hardy. He was the architect taken on to rebuild the church, and while there met the sister-in-law of the rector, Emma, who later became his first wife. The Valency Valley inspired much of his poetry of the time.

The lane up the hill is quite a climb, but does give the compensation of wide views over the Valency Valley on the way up. Because of the steepness of the lane, and the acute bends, it has been used in the past for time trials for kit cars.

At the top follow the lane round to the right then continue past a farm to arrive at the B3263 Bude-Boscastle road. Turn right here, being aware of traffic on this road, then after 50m turn left down a narrow lane. Follow the lane as it descends to the bottom of a valley. Here, cross a stile on the right and climb up the field ahead to the bushes at the top. Go through the gap in the bushes, through a gate and over the next field, aiming just right of the house at the top.

There are wide views back over Boscastle and its surroundings from here. At the gate and stile go on to the lane and turn right. Pass the Victorian building of Manor Farm and continue up to a junction. Turn left here then, shortly after the isolated house of North Lodge, turn right along a public footpath between hedges. This leads to an open field; continue alongside the hedge ahead to reach the Coast Path.

This relatively high vantage point on the Coast Path gives excellent views along the North Cornish coast, to the cliffs beyond Bude ahead in the far distance then, nearer, the distinctive pointed shape of Cambeak near Crackington and then the black cliffs of Buckator immediately ahead. To the left the coast continues past the white tower of the old lookout at Willapark beyond Boscastle to the square shape of the hotel on the cliff top at Tintagel.

Turn left here along the Coast Path. This excellent open cliff top length ends at Fire Beacon Point. A zig-zag flight of stone steps followed by a steep descent and flights of further steps then takes the path down on to the face of Beeny Cliff.

Fire Beacon Point is both prominent and high, as will have been appreciated on the descent, and these features gave rise to its use as a beacon, as its modern name suggests. A little further along Beeny Cliff is a cave known as Seals Hole, and seals frequently haul up on the isolated and inaccessible beaches in this area. If not seen they can sometimes be heard, their calls echoing quite eerily from the cliffs.

The path clings tightly to the face of Beeny Cliff then turns into the inlet at Pentargon. The stream in the valley here drops into the cove in a little waterfall that can be quite impressive after heavy rain. This is best seen from the far side of the cove after having climbed the opposite slope.

A long flight of steps takes the path out of Pentargon back to the cliff top. The path then undulates along the top of Pentargon Cliff to arrive at the distinctive pointed shape of Penally Hill above Penally Point. The point protects the entrance to Boscastle Harbour and, indeed, makes it almost impossible to see from the open sea. One of the purposes of the white tower at Willapark on the hill on the opposite side of the harbour was to act as a marker for the harbour entrance.

A path bears off right to the top of the hill, but you will have to return to this point. Follow the Coast Path down to the left and Boscastle Harbour appears below.

Difficult of access though it is, Boscastle is the only harbour along some 20 miles of the North Cornwall coast. There has long been a harbour of some sort here; the first record of harbour facilities being built dates to Elizabethan times, when a new harbour wall was built by Sir Richard Grenville in 1584, but it seems this was an improvement scheme rather than a new start. Later improvements followed in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the 1800s in particular Boscastle Harbour was quite important, importing coal, salt, beer, bricks and beer for local use and exporting locally quarried slate and minerals, china clay from further inland and local agricultural goods.

The path descends to the mouth of the harbour then doubles back along the waterside to the village centre and car park.