Anyone else jumping for joy at the first signs of spring? We couldn’t be happier to welcome to the lighter days and glimmers of sunshine as we wave goodbye to that long, long winter. Plus, it’s a time to look forward to wildflower spring walks in Cornwall.
Luckily for us, Cornwall boasts a unique climate, so spring breaks earlier here than anywhere else in the UK. Which is why daffodils are already shooting from the muddy terrain, clifftops are bursting with sunshine-yellow gorse, magnolias are showering gardens in their pretty pinks, and soon bluebells will carpet the woodlands.
It’s enough to put a spring in your step, make your heart sing like the early morning bird call and lure you out for a rosy-cheeked ramble. So we thought we’d give you a head start and share some of our top spring walks in Cornwall where wildflowers abound.
Mawgan Porth is well known for its wild, wave-lashed beach, where dog walkers bask in spring’s rays and surfers ride the swells. Scale the cliff paths smattered in coconut-scented gorse, or turn your back on the beach and follow the stream inland to find yourself amidst the magical woodland of the Menalhyl valley, where the trail is lined with pungent wild garlic in springtime.
Continue past the medieval church at St Mawgan and on through Carnanton Woods, where the snowdrops giveaway to daffodils, and then to bluebells that carpet steep banks beside the burbling stream. With the sun dappling though the canopies (listen for woodpeckers) and spring in your stride, it’s the perfect terrain for a morning jog or a Sunday stroll via The Falcon Inn at St Mawgan.
Bluebells are abundant in Cornwall’s woodland in springtime, but nowhere lays on the iridescent swathes of these purple beauties like Lanhydrock. Year after year we return to witness the vast mauve carpets sprawled across the meadows and woodland of this 900-acre estate boasting a labyrinth of footpaths.
Take in the scene from beneath the sky-scraping treetops of the Beech Avenue, wander along riverside paths, wend through ancient woodland, or get on your mountain bike and freewheel along the cycling trails. If you’re an anthophile (someone who loves flowers) the rhododendrons and magnolias will be coming into flower in the landscaped gardens, too.
Whatever time of year I head to Godrevy – usually lured there for a surf – I make time for a twirl around the headland. Armed with cake from the café in the National Trust car park, strike out around the rugged promontory nudging the lighthouse immortalised by Virginia Woolf.
In spring, the terrain will be littered with sea pinks, spring squill and sea campion underfoot, and at Navax Point you can peer down to an inaccessible cove to see seals ducking and diving in the shallows. Wildlife, tick. Wildflowers, tick. Wild walk, tick.
Set out from the village of Cawsand, tucked in Cornwall’s ‘forgotten corner’, and leave the shelter of Plymouth Sound behind as you make your way around the rugged promontory of Rame Head. On the way you’ll pass Penlee Battery – an ideal spot for a spring picnic – before making your way to the historic chapel where the Spanish Armada was first spotted in 1588.
Why do this 5.6-mile circular route in spring? Well, on the way, not only will you lap up panoramic views and spot diving gannets and skuas, but you’ll also be accompanied by the sights and scents of sea pinks, bright-yellow coconut gorse and wild hawthorn erupting with snow-white blossom.
To be honest, almost anywhere you walk along the South West Coast Path in spring, you’re going to be greeted with eye-popping displays of flora alongside the views. But one of my favourite sections is along the Helford Estuary, which is fringed with wildflowers, bluebells and wild garlic at this time of year.
Set off from the 14th-century church and follow this four-mile circular around Rosemullion Head, glimpsing the water through the trees as you make your way to a pebbly cove made for picnics and skimming stones. If you haven’t brought your own supplies, once you’ve followed the flower-lined trail through the woods, pause and refuel at The Red Lion pub in Mawnan Smith.
Whether it’s cool and blustery, or wall-to-wall sunshine, Trelissick’s stunning 400-acre estate is the perfect place for a springtime excursion. The formal gardens are already abloom with magnolias, with one of the most magnificent displays of rhododendrons in Cornwall soon to follow; yet much of the wild beauty lies in the miles and miles of woodland trails skirting the River Fal.
Plunge into the historic parkland peppered with bluebells, wander along the oak-fringed creek keeping your eyes peeled for wildlife, and treat yourself to cream tea in the courtyard. If you want to ramp up your adventure and step count, hop aboard the King Harry Ferry to explore the verdant Roseland Peninsula.
So the poppies at Polly Joke are more of late-spring phenomenon, rearing their bright red heads in their millions in May and June, and splashing the clifftop meadows with colour that can be seen from miles around. Get there early in the season, when the poppies are just beginning to bloom, and before it’s all over Instagram and the crowds follow suit.
For it really is a wildflower phenomenon worth witnessing, as the fields between Holywell and Crantock put on this magnificent display. Don’t feel the need to trample the flowers for your own Insta feed, and make your visit part of a coastal walk from Crantock to Holywell and around the wilds of Cubert Common.
Heading out for a spring walk in Cornwall? Tag us with your pics on Instagram @cool.cornwall
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