Walk One

From Discover Newquay

Polly Joke, Kelsey Head, Holywell Bay

A scenic walk of 4.5 miles encompassing beaches, dunes and footpaths with magnificent views.

Start Point

Photo of field of flowers on West Pentire by June Fullwood

After following the road through West Pentire you will find a gate entering the National Trust property of West Pentire Head. Go past the footpath sign to Polly Joke on your left and bear right at a gate, through a kissing gate and down to the coastal path. From here you can see Crantock beach, its rolling sand dunes with the Gannel Estuary at the far end. At a path crossing, keep left to the end of West Pentire Head.

The footpath now passes around the delightful beach of Polly Joke and onto the next headland which is Kelsey Head. Chick Island lies just offshore and is a haven to sea birds. From Kelsey Head follow the footpath through a gate to skirt the cliffs above Holywell Bay. The path after going through another gate now turns into a boardwalk through the sand dunes and down onto Holywell beach.

Photo of footpath on West Pentire looking back to Crantock by Keith Riley

After reaching the beach, the path almost immediately continues again where there is a large gap in the sand dunes. Where the path divides, take the right path which takes you to a stream with a sand clearing. Take the left sand path that leads towards the houses of Holywell bringing you to a metalled path. Continue up this path for a few meters then turn sharp left to a walk along a path with bungalows on your right. Keep right.

Now head once again into the dunes along a steep sandy path next to a wire fence. Follow this path to the left of the golf course until you reach a gate leading onto the grassy expanse of the Kelseys. The Kelseys were once overrun with rabbits. Continue ahead until you pass through a gate and turn sharp left with the wire fence now on your immediate left.

Where the fence turns off left follow the track straight on leading to a large white house on your right. At the track turn left and continue to the bottom of the valley passing a National Trust path with a sign on a gate to Polly Joke.

Follow the path around to the right to a kissing gate next to the Polly Joke Camp Site. The path follows a wall before crossing a stream and turning left up a steep track eventually leading you back to West Pentire.

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