The Lizard round (Part I) - Lizard Point to Kynance

The wind was due to pick up (quite a bit) over the next few days, so we decided to head to the Lizard - at least half of our walk would be sheltered. A glorious day! We parked up at Lizard Point and then walked round to Kynance, before heading inland across Lizard Downs, down into Gadgwith, along to The Baulk and inland to Lizard village and back to Lizard Point. 

Setting off from Lizard Point with the Thrift and Kidney Vetch coming out. 

A lovely licheny wall...and below...

Looking towards Kynance.

Spectacular coast...

And the Spring Squill is spectacular...

Sheets of it...

In close up...

Detail.

A good 'spot', Thyme Broomrape.

And the sun came out - tropical.

And down, heading to the cafe..

But first a worship of the beautiful Serpentine that outcrops here. 

Snake's skin texture. 

Some nice reds...

Colourful.

Into the sun - pasty time!

Carn Galva

A quick detour on our way back from the Nine Maidens, of West Penwith, led to a nice scramble up Carn Galva. I do remember a few years back researching which lichens grew up there, but I've forgotten which they were - but there were a lot of luxurious mosses and lichens ...I'm sure there was a rare species - next time! A quick glimpse of a 'Blackbird' could have, probably was a Ring Ouzel, but I'll never know for sure. Carn Galva is an important as it is a Neolithic Tor enclosure. A huge fire in the 1600s revealed terraces and connecting walls that are now overgrown with gorse and heather. Since then archaeological surveys have confirmed the existence the substantial enclosure wall. Click here  for more information....and there are obviously stories of giants..... 

One of three Red Kites.

The rugged outline of Carn Galva.

Looking towards Zennor. 

And down over Bosigran.

Nice rocks...

..and views over the ancient walls.

And some nice lichens...

Prehistoric West Penwith

One of my favourite parts of Cornwall is the National Landscape of Penwith, with its ancient walls, megaliths and abandoned mines. This time was the first that we have been in really nice weather, which allowed a full appreciation of the extent of this historic landscape. The walls are just fabulous. 

Female Stone Chat with nesting material.

From the roadside parking near Bosullow, a lane leads northeast and Men an Tol is signed off it. The lane sides were purple with violets. Nice to see a Small Copper too.

The walls contain huge basal stones and date back over 4000 years. 

The walls create on of Europe's oldest agricultural landscapes.

Rust staining.

Abandoned farmhouse.

A favourite wall.

Men an Tol - apparently Bronze Age. Traditional beliefs link the holed stone to curing various illnesses and is thought to be part of a stone circle. 

This time we were able to follow a dry path across to the wonderfully named Ding Dong mine. 

Looking across to St Michael's Mount with The Lizard in the far distance.

From Ding Dong mine we headed along the track that heads towards Boskednan Mine (above)  and took a left hand turn along a footpath that follows the wall along to Nine Maidens standing stones. There were many, many furry caterpillars, mainly Drinker Moths, along the way and it was no coincidence that it was here we heard our first Cuckoo of the year. 

Part of the Nine Maidens stone circle. 

From here we headed over to Carn Galva ...and that's another story...and after that we popped in to see Lanyon Quoit ...which fits into the theme of this blog rather than the next ...

Lanyon Quoit Dolmen, with Carn Galva to the left and Ding Dong mine to the right. 

Whimbrels and a Woodchat Shrike

A quick stop off at Nanquidno valley, near St Just, to see the Woodchat Shrike before returning to Marazion for a walk along the beach where we were treated to really close up views of Whimbrel - and some lovely calling by them too. 

Fortunately a kind birdwatcher showed us where the Woodchat Shrike was...

A bit closer ...Small Copper.

Longships.

St Michael's Mount ... minus a few trees after the winter storms.

Towards Penzance.

Whimbrels.....