Gunwalloe, an Intricate Coastal Landscape led by Cathy Parkes

Meet at seaward corner of the National Trust car park at SW 6602 2054, or What3Words: critic.bends.lightbulb. Car park charges apply (free for National Trust members).

The National Trust hold around 90 acres at Gunwalloe – anciently enclosed farmland around the medieval centre of Winninaton and coastland from Poldhu to Gunwalloe Fishing Cove. Towans (sand dunes) reach inland above beach and marshland in a now clogged-up creek that once opened into Church Cove.

Cathy Parkes of CAU will lead an exploration of some of the rich historic landscape revealed by a 2022 survey for the Trust, taking in sites studied earlier by Imogen Wood of Exeter University. Cathy also led the 2023 Wreck and Rescue project for Historic England as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Protected Wrecks legislation. Sites include Gunwalloe’s cliff castle, the shrunken medieval settlement of Winnianton, sanding ways meeting at the beaches, the Schiedam wreck close to shore and traces on-land of the Dollar Mine, set up to retrieve silver dollars from another wreck.

Walking on rough ground, some on clifftops. Wear suitable clothes and footwear. Bring sun protection and water.

Gunwalloe church, cove and cliff castle (on the rising ground to the right)