Walk of Destiny

Robert Hesketh heads out in search of Cornwall’s prehistoric past along the coast taking in shipwrecks, seals and a spot of Iron Age architecture

- Robert Hesketh

A pleasing mixture of scenic coast path and moorland walking, this route has much of historic interest. Allow extra time to explore Chun Castle and Chun Quoit, as well as Portheras Cove. A beautiful sandy beach, Portheras is noted as a place to watch seals, but little visited and known chiefly to locals. MV Alacrity, a 450 ton cargo ship, was wrecked here in 1963 en route from Swansea to Brussels with a cargo of anthracite. This left razor sharp fragments of metal lying under the sand and rendered parts of Portheras Cove unsafe until clearance in 2004. Nonetheless, storms still reveal parts of Alacrity.

Turning inland, we reach Iron Age Chun Castle and the far older Chun Quoit. One of the best preserved Neolithic megaliths in West Penwith’s rich prehistoric landscape, Chun Quoit dates from about 2,400 BC. Like other similar sites nearby such as Lanyon Quoit, it was probably covered by earth, forming a round barrow (burial site) some 10.5m (35ft) in diameter. Its massive mushroom shaped capstone measures 3.3m (11ft) by 3m (10ft) and bears a cup mark on the top. It is the only one in West Penwith to have remained in situ and not to have been resettled.