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The Penrith Peninsula
by Cass Gilbert

There's a real End of the World feeling to western Cornwall. Perhaps it's because the country's most westerly peninsula is home to that Holy Grail of cycling destinations, Land's End. Or maybe its more likely that with the Mini's needle rarely flickering over 50mph, it really did seem to take an eternity to get there. In any case, it was dusk before we parked up beside giant lilies in the picture perfect village of Penbirth, complete with stone cottages and fishing boats propped up on the runway of the bay. And it was dark before we'd hiked up a thin, straggly coast path to pitch the tent in a clearing sprinkled with wild flowers. It was the ideal camping spot though, perched above the sea, surrounded by great slabs of granite rock and beneath a sky full of stars, interrupted only by rhythmic sweep of a beam of light from a nearby lighthouse.

The sun hadn't been up long the next morning before we were awoken by fishermen, their words carrying in the wind as they chatted far out to sea. Not a bad alarm clock, all things considered. Seizing the day in all it pristine, bottle-blue glory, we'd soon extracted our bicycles - contorted into the back seat of the Mini like Houdinis - and were breakfasting before the small but perfectly formed bay. Our wake-up callers had just pulled up in their wooden boats and were unloading bucketloads of silvery mackerel, while seagulls circled overhead ready to gulp down any leftovers. 'Any for sale?' I ventured. 'You got the money? I got the mackerel,' came the affable reply. 'And you can bring them over and we'll have a BBQ at mine after your ride,' added Harry, who lived in the quirkily named nearby village of Bottoms. How was that for Cornish hospitality!

Tropical flowers and frothy beer
I'm a big fan of sea view rides and the route we'd chosen for the day circled the peninsula coastline, keeping to small back lanes and quiet B roads. Picking our way along the narrow lanes towards Sennen Cove, we meandered past hedgerows packed with aromatic flowers and bright purple foxgloves that reached out like tentacles. Overgrown pathways lead to old stone cottages and every back garden seemed to qualify for an entry to the Chelsea Flower Show - a burst of colours, oversized foliage and palm trees that I'd have expected to find in a tropical jungle. It was tempting to check out the tourists trap that is Land's End, but we decided it would be better to save that for a long awaited End to End. Instead, we spiraled down with a view straight out to the Atlantic towards Whitesand Bay, a mile wide beach where half a dozen old VW combis had parked up and were unloading a band of surfers. Back up the hill, the road wound its way through St Just, once a centre of the tin and copper industry. Time for another detour. The area abounds with helter-skelter lanes that drop down to the sea and at Cape Cornwall, low slung stone walls, velvety with moss, pointed us towards yet another spectacular stretch of miniscule coves.

In fact, the whole peninsula is swept with rugged headlands, fingers of land silhouetted out to sea. At Pendeen, we admired a whitewashed lighthouse that's been used to navigate these treacherous waters for over a hundred years, while waves crashed like beer froth in the clear waters below. Heading north, the landscape took on a more barren, weather beaten air, pounded with winter trade winds that whip in across the Atlantic. Overlooked by rocky ridges, the scenery was more open and the odd shrub had been shaped into elegant sculptures, like enormous Bonsai trees. The smooth road rolled its way up and down across the moorland, cutting inland through Zennor, once home to a community of writers that included DH Lawrence. Pushing on, the miles into St Ives seemed particularly hilly ones before we plummeted down to Porthmeor Beach, with a salty tang in the air. I didn't realize beaches like this existed in England - its floury white sand and turquoise sea seemed lifted straight out of a Greek postcard. Leaning the bikes against the dark, volcanic rocks, we picnicked on the sand and waded into the waters in the baking heat.

A slice of culture with your pastie
But St Ives is not just for beach bums. Just along the promenade lies the impressive Tate Gallery with works from local sculptress Barbara Hepworth. Further round the headland, windy, cobbled streets - with a distinctly continental flavour - provided a maze to cycle through. After rubbing shoulders with old, colourful stone cottages and dangling flower baskets, we tracked down the main drag that overlooked the harbour. Chockablock with holidaymakers trawling the souvenir shops, we took the chance to indulge in some Cornish themed cycle fuel - local ice cream and pasties.

It was late afternoon and all those short, sharp hills were beginning to make our legs grumble. I'd heard of the small hamlet of Ding Dong, which seemed as good an excuse as any for one last detour, just to be sure we'd made the most of this stunning countryside. Working our way south back towards the coast, we skirted round Penzance, the backdrop of St Michael's Mount shimmering in the distance. Cornwall abounds with myths and the creation of the mount is one of them. Legend has it Cormoran once lived there, a giant known for bounding across the waters every once in a while to terrorise the locals. One night a young boy by the name of Jack snuck over and dug a deep hole beside where Cormoran slept. In the morning the sleepy giant stumbled in, and was promptly covered up with earth - it's said you can still hear the his heartbeat if you put your head against the rocks there. But this was one detour too many and besides, we had a dinner to look forward to. Catching the last glassy light over the sea, we picked up speed for the finishing straight, past a string of sheltered coves through the villages of Mousehole and Lamora, cupped by rocky headlands and once sanctuaries for marauding pirates.

It had been a truly epic route with some of the most beautiful riding I'd experienced in England. We'd seen how Land's End is more than just the beginning or end of a long ride - there's a whole peninsula jam packed with back roads to enjoy. After one last ferocious switchback we were back in Bottoms, sipping a glass of chilled wine, tucking in to a plate of fish caught that morning and feeling rather pleased with ourselves. All in all, an unfeasibly idyllic end to very much a classic ride.

Getting There
First Great Western have a direct train from London Paddington to Penzance that takes between 5 and 6 hours, or you can change in St Erth and arrive in St Ives. Even if you don't own a Mini, it's a long drive to Penwith. The peninsula is all the way at the very end of A30. You can turn off onto the A3074 and begin the loop in St Ives.

When to go
We rode the loop on a weekend at the end of June, and the roads were quiet. Avoid the seasonal influx during the height of the summer school holidays, when the towns are nose to nose with cars and caravans snail their way along the lanes. While mass tourism has tainted much of Cornwall's charm, there's still loads to discover on two wheels in May, June and September. Easter is also a great time to visit, with the temperature in Cornwall surprisingly mild all year. Winters tend to be drizzly rather than cold.

Food and Accommodation
West Cornwall is no stranger to tourism, so you can be sure of tracking down a whole slew of B&B's, camping sites and hotels. If you're arriving in the school holidays or on a bank holiday weekend, be sure to book in advance. www.cornwalltouristboard.co.uk is a general site that lists accommodation in the county. The tourist office in St Ives is in the Guildhall (01736 796297, www.stives-cornwall.co.uk); the St Ives backpackers can be reached on 01736 799444 and costs $10-12pp. The tourist office in Penzance is next to the train station (01736 362207). The website www.penzance.co.uk offers a variety of accommodation in the area. The nearest YHA is at Castle Horneck in Alverton (01736 326666) and costs $13pp, with cycle storage and freshly baked pizzas. If you start the ride at St Ives and want to split it into two days, Whitesand Bay makes a good halfway point. As well as various B&Bs in the area, there's the Whitesands Lodge (01736 871 776), with a backpackers ($12.50pp), camping facilities, double room options and bike rental.

Both Penzance and St Ives offer plenty of food options with lots of places to eat en route, including St Just and Zennor - from ice cream at a beachfront cafe, hot flaky pasties to the obligatory Cornish cream teas. If you don't strike it lucky and get invited in for a BBQ, there are always plenty of fresh fish and chip shops. Www.cornish-links.co.uk is a resource for local information, including weather and tides. A guide such as the Rough Guide to England has a dozen pages on the area.

The Tate Gallery St Ives
The peninsula has been a hub for creative folks since the end of the 19th Century, when they were drawn by the unique quality of its light and chilled lifestyle. There's no better place to experience works from local artists, including Ben Nicholson and Barbara Heyworth, than the St Ives Tate Gallery, housed in a shiny white building just a stone's throw from the beach. You can buy a combined ticket for $7.50 to the Barbara Heyworth Museum, with sculptures dotted around the house and garden.

Other Rides
There's no shortage of back lanes in the area - pick anything small and its guaranteed to be picturesque and quiet. In fact, it's well worth slipping into the laid back lifestyle of the area and extending the ride to two days by investigating more of the roads that dip down to the coast. And that's not even working in a few coastal hikes to your visit. If you want to link up the ride with other areas in Cornwall, try the 180 mile Cornish Way (www.cornwall.gov.uk/Tourism/Cornish_way/home.htm) which winds its way through the county, with 6 signposted routes including Land's End, the Camel Trail, St Austell, Bodmin. Www.cyclecornwall.com is also full of ideas. If you're planning family rides, www.cornishlight.co.uk/cornwall-cycling.htm has a pictorial guide to gentle rides in the county.

Bike Shops
The Cycle Centre, Penance (01736 351 671) lays claim to be the UK's most westerly bike shop.

Distance, Grade and Time
The loop is close to 60 miles long, including all the detours down to the beaches and coves. Cornwall is full of short and sharp inclines, so a triple or a 39x27 bottom gear will save your knees. Allow most of the day if you plan to take detours - there should be time to get round and have a swim too. Otherwise, consider starting in St Ives and splitting the loop in two, overnight in Whites and Bay, where there are camping, backpacking and B&B options.

Maps
Ordnance Survey Land ranger map number 203 covers the whole of the peninsula in 1:50,000 details, or the Explorer series number 102 covers it in 1:25,000.


© Cass Gilbert
Cyling Plus, April 2004

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