Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

Location

Penwith Access and Rights of Way (PAROW)
This is a local community based organisation working with a wide range of partners including
the West Cornwall Local Action Group and Cornwall Council to improve access to the countryside for both local people and visitors, with a particular interest in access to Penwith’s diverse collection of Ancient and Historic Sites. It also aims to help encourage tourism for the benefit of local businesses and to offer people the opportunity to carry out practical conservation tasks.

A Circular Walk from

Chapel Carn Brea

4.3 Miles

A Walk Visiting Five Historic Ancient Sites

This circular walk offers the possibility of several alternatives, depending on the
walker’s available time and level of fitness. The walk starts from the National Trust
car park at Chapel Carn Brea and goes across Tredinney Common to visit St Euny
Chapel. It continues to reach Carn Euny settlement which is managed by English
Heritage before continuing on to look at the remains of Caer Bran Hill fort which
has recently undergone a great deal of scrub clearance carried out by PAROW. The
return route takes us back via Bartinney Downs visiting the site of Bartinney Castle
before crossing Numphra common, and then uses a mixture of footpaths and open
access land to return to the starting point.

The walk offers the opportunity to visit a number of important historic sites and
there are tremendous panoramic views from the summits of Caer Bran and Bartinney
Hill. The route is mainly on clearly defined paths with some stiles and steeper sections
but can be muddy in places after heavy rain.

The route does not directly pass close to any villages, but it is possible to get refreshments
at several places locally, including the café at Lands End Airport. The
Town of St Just is close by with a good range of local shops, pubs and cafes offering
local produce and services.

2
Chapel Carn Brea (Grid Ref: SW385 280)
From the National Trust car park it is possible to start the walk with a short
detour to the top of what is reported to be the ‘most westerly hill in Britain’.
The Trust has owned the site since 1971 and mid summers eve is celebrated by
the lighting of a summit beacon. The hill top offers the opportunity to enjoy
sweeping views and includes a Bronze Age Chambered Barrow and the former
site of a medieval chapel.

Chapel Carn Brea to St Euny Wells
From the car park at Chapel Carn Brea,
return to the road, turn right and almost
immediately turn left, crossing
the road and passing through a gate to
join a wide track. Follow the track
ahead, ignoring a left turn and continue
ahead to pass between two granite
posts and a sign warning of mine shafts.
The track continues across Tredinney
Common and passes its disused China
Clay Works on your left. Ignore any
paths off the main track and after
some distance you start to go down hill,
passing through another wooden gate
and continue ahead to pass between the
remains of St Euny’s Chapel and its two
Holy Wells.
St Euny’s Chapel and Wells
(Grid Ref: SW399 289)
This is actually the site of two wells
and the larger well with the stepped
entrance is believed to have healing
qualities, and it is reported that services
continued to be held at the site
into the 18 Century.
China Clay Works
Holy Well

3
Carn Euny Settlement to Caer Bran Hill Fort
Leave the settlement by a gate in the bottom left hand corner next to the main
information board, cross the field keeping the granite hedge to your left and pass
through a field opening, then turn right and continue ahead to reach a granite
stile. From the stile, bear right following the track to reach a small wooded car
park, turn left and continue ahead to join a tarmac road. Continue up hill to reach
the hamlet of Brane. Follow the road between buildings and as the road takes a
sharp right turn, turn left up a wide track following a footpath sign. Continue
ahead passing through a narrow gap between a gate and the granite hedge. Continue
ahead on the track to go over another stile and continue to reach a grassy
lane. This leads on to cross another stile into a field. Cross this field heading up
hill with the granite hedge on your left. Cross a further granite stile and go
straight across the next field to cross another
granite stile. Then bear slightly right, crossing the
next field to climb a granite stile situated next to a
worn Stone Cross. Turn left and follow the track up
hill to pass through a wooden gate to enter the
remains of Caer Bran Hill Fort.

Carn Euny Settlement (Grid Ref: SW402 288)
Carn Euny is one of the best preserved ancient villages in the South
West and it was occupied from the Iron Age (about 500BC) until the
late Roman period (4th – 5th Century AD). It contains a ‘fogou’ or
underground passage and also the foundations of stone houses.
Carn Euny Wells to Carn Euny Settlement
Follow the path for a short distance after the wells until you reach a gravel track.
Turn right and after approximately 40yrds turn left at a sign to Carn Euny. Follow
the track between houses and continue on a narrow path to emerge over a granite
stile into the Carn Euny Settlement
Carn Euny Settlement

4
Caer Bran Hill Fort (Grid Ref: SW407 290)
PAROW has carried out considerable scrub clearance on the Caer Bran
site, which has greatly improved public access and has also made it much
easier to interpret the visible archaeology. Please take time to explore the
site. and walk the top of the earth works to better understand the sites
Caer Bran Hill Fort to Bartinney Hill

From the wooden gate continue ahead along a track which runs through the centre
of the Hill Fort and emerges onto a farm lane. Turn left and continue
through an open wooden gate, and as the track bears left continue ahead onto a
dirt path ignoring the public footpath sign. Continue for some distance until you
emerge onto a gravel track and continue ahead to reach a T junction. Turn left
and follow the track down hill, then turn right to retrace your route back between
the Holy Wells. Continue ahead to pass through the wooden gate and turn
right on to a path running up hill. The path continues to climb, crossing a wooden
stile and then a granite stile. A little further ahead the path reaches a junction
and continue ahead, still climbing, to reach the top of Bartinney Hill. At the
‘Horse’ sign turn right to reach the Well and the Trig point.

Bartinney Hill (Grid Ref: SW394 292)
Bartinney Hill offers panoramic views in every direction and it is possible
to see the Long Ships Lighthouse and Lands End, the tall tower of St
Buryan church, St Michaels Mount set in Mounts Bay, Carn Galva and even
to the Isles of Scilly on a clear day.

Bartinney Hill to Chapel Carn Brea
Continue past the Trig point and follow the path steeply down hill. Ignore any
paths turning off to the right and follow the main path as it bears left, passing a
house on your right. The path continues to go left, skirting the bottom of Bartinney
Hill. After some distance pass through a granite hedge and continue ahead to
emerge through another granite hedge onto an open field. Go straight across the
first field and then bear right and cross the second field diagonally to reach a
wooden gate onto a track. Follow the track ahead which will lead you back to the
start point.

For Detailed Map Please Use OS Explorer 102
Also see Map displayed on PAROW Web Site
www.parow.org.uk