Porthcurno is a superbly attractive sandy cove a little way along the south coast of Cornwall from Land’s End. Popular with families in summer, it is also an excellent walking base. Part of its attraction lies in the superb turquoise colour of the sea whenever the sun shines, made even more attractive by its contrast with the almost white sand and the dark foliage on the cliffs.

Porthcurno also has a more hidden attraction in being the site where the first international telegraph cables came ashore in Britain. Its far south-westerly location plus the unlikelihood of any fouling by shipping here made it an ideal location and in 1870 the Eastern Telegraph Company laid cables under the sand from Porthcurno to India.

Further cables soon followed and by the 1950s there were fourteen of them. Eventually they were superseded by more modern means of communication but in 1995 a new fibre-optic cable was laid, continuing the Porthcurno tradition. Details are to be found in the museum just behind the main valley car park in Porthcurno.

The walk starts in the main valley car park in Porthcurno, to be found on the left of the lane down the valley just after the Cable Station pub. Go to the back right-hand corner of the car park, climb the couple of steps and turn left towards the Telegraph Museum. Follow the path past the museum to the visitor entrance.

As well as the cable station itself, Porthcurno was also the site of an important centre for research and development. This was closed in 1993 and many of the buildings here were originally part of this centre.

Pass the museum entrance and go along the access road and through the metal gate. Turn right and back immediately after the gate, going uphill on a grassy path. Go through a gate at the top and follow the path as it bears left into a large field. Continue straight ahead, towards the buildings at the hamlet of Trendrennen. Follow the line between gaps in the hedges through three fields to a stile at the right hand end of the buildings.

Here, continue on the track ahead, passing the edge of Trendrennen, then cross the stone stile on the right just after the second gate. Cross the field diagonally left to the stile visible in the far hedge. Cross this and continue straight ahead over a series of stone stiles, with the roofs of houses in the village of Treen coming into view ahead.

This is an atmospheric length of path, with distant views over the sea to the right while to the left is the high point of Chapel Carn Brea, the most westerly hill in England. Peeping over the skyline ahead and left is the tower of St Buryan Church and directly ahead, over the roofs of Treen, the Cornish coast sweeps round to England’s most southerly point, the Lizard.

The path enters Treen on a track – bear left into the village. A little way to the right are refreshments, toilets and car park. To the left is the village pub. Treen is almost entirely composed of the local granite, making it seem very much part of the landscape. At its heart is a working farm. Pass the pub and continue down the lane to the B3315 road. Bear right, being wary of traffic here, but after only some 20 metres fork right off the B3315 along the lane signposted to Penberth. Follow the lane down the valley to the cove at the end.

The Penberth Valley is lush and wooded, forming a contrast with the granite high land on either side. It is one of a number of similar valleys which cut through the Land’s End plateau to the sea.

Penberth itself is a delightfully attractive little cove and hamlet. Historically a pilchard fishing centre, it still maintains a small inshore fishing fleet. It was acquired by the National Trust in 1957, as a memorial to those who died in World War II. The Trust maintain the old pilchard cellars as workshops for the fishermen (and one on the left for discreetly sited toilets). In 1997 they renovated the old capstan, the centrepiece of the slipway, though it is no longer in use.

The route now joins the Coast Path to return to Porthcurno. Cross the stream on the stone bridge and pass the capstan, then start climbing the cliff up the path starting at the wooden shed. The path climbs steadily and sometimes steeply to the cliff top.

At the cliff top there are wide coastal views past St Michael’s Mount to the Lizard. The area seaward of the path, Cribba Head and Treen Cliff, is criss-crossed with minor paths and is ideal for a picnic and for coastal views in both directions. Ahead, the jagged outline of Treen Head now dominates the view.

The Coast Path continues to a junction of paths inland of Treen Head. Here bear right then fork left to continue along the cliff top Coast Path.

The path on the left goes out to Treen Head. This is notable as a prehistoric fortified site, where an Iron Age cliff castle was protected on its landward side by a series of ramparts and ditches, the remains of some still visible. It is also notable as the location of the Logan Rock, a giant boulder on the headland which was famous as being capable of being rocked with one finger. However, in 1824 this was deliberately dislodged by a Royal Navy officer, Lieutenant Goldsmith (nephew of the poet Oliver Goldsmith) and his crew. They were ordered to replace it in position but since then it has been very difficult to rock. There is more information about the rock (pronounced, incidentally, “loggan”) in the Logan Rock Inn in Treen.

Immediately after Treen Head the Coast Path forks. It does not matter which branch to take, the two continue parallel – the branch on the left is narrower but gives slightly better views.

From this length of path there is a view ahead of a distinctive white triangular feature on the cliff top ahead. This was erected by the National Trust on the site of the landing place of another submarine cable. This one was laid by a French company between Cornwall, Brest and New York in 1880, though the landing point was moved to Porthcurno in 1910. Its distinctive colour and shape also acts as a marker for shipping.

The two branches unite at a junction of paths, the path on the right going back to Treen. Continue ahead on the Coast Path, which soon forks again. Keep right here, along the hedged path.

Further along there is a side path to the left. A diversion along here leads to the white conical marker seen earlier, with its information plaque. This diversion also gives excellent views over Porthcurno and its neighbouring Pednvounder beach.

Back on the Coast Path continue ahead and then leave the main path to the left, still following the Coast Path waymarks, at the National Trust Porthcurno sign. This steep and quite rocky path then descends into the cove at Porthcurno.

During the descent it is possible to see, on the cliff on the far side of the cove, some of the buildings and terracing of the Minack Theatre. This remarkable feature was constructed 1930-1932 by Rowena Cade, the daughter of a textile tycoon who had a dream of creating a British version of an ancient Greek or Roman cliff theatre. It opened in 1932 with a performance, perhaps appropriately, of The Tempest. The Minack can be reached by continuing on the Coast Path beyond Porthcurno.

For those not keen on descending the steep and rocky Coast Path, it is possible to reach Porthcurno by continuing ahead on the main path from the cliff top on a less taxing descent. Arriving at the bottom, on either alternative route, turn right along the main path to return to the start at Porthcurno’s car park.