Winter Walking - Flushing Mylor Circular

There’s a better way of doing this walk than the route I took, but that will serve me right for not taking a map and for believing I knew best anyway, because I’d viewed the area many times years ago from the decks of a boat.

I only say that because the way back across the base of the Flushing-Mylor peninsula took me along a busy road (which like all sensible walkers, I hate) when I could have amended the route slightly and taken a couple of quiet footpaths. 

Indeed, looking at the map now I think I’d have extended the whole thing - because the peninsula in question is glorious and should be enjoyed by everyone who ever finds themselves in the Fal estuary area.

My excuse for walking without a map is that we are talking about taking a stroll around the edge of a peninsula, so it is more or less impossible to get lost.

I called in at Flushing one day last year at the invitation of Jonathan Fielding, of the Falmouth Boat Company - and what an impressive outfit that is with all its vast sheds and wharves playing host to all manner of yachts and other boats, most of which were in for repair. You’ve got to love a business that is expanding, employing lots of local people with excellent skills and taking on apprentices. 

But it was a gorgeous autumn day and after I’d been given a tour of the works I decided I needed a good walk before driving the 150 miles home to Exmoor. And the obvious hike from the boatyard, which is situated just up the Penryn Creek from Flushing, is to walk south east through the historic village and out along the peninsula to Trefusis Point. 

Having got this far the obvious thing to do is to continue along the public footpath which runs around what could be called the Trefusis peninsula (the land around here mostly belongs to the Trefusis Estate), north up to Penarrow Point on the banks of the Carrick Roads, then west to the Mylor marina and yacht club.

It is a wonderful, scenic and interesting walk. I say that because first you walk through the length of Flushing which must be one of the most fascinating villages in Cornwall. The architecture alone provides a good enough reason for visiting - the place is a glorious hotchpotch of historic architectural styles, and many of the handsome old merchant houses were obviously influenced by the Flemish and other European vernaculars. 

Indeed, the place was occupied by a Dutch community in the 17th century, who hailed from Vlissingen in Holland, which is of course pronounced Flushing in English.   

When I first visited the village 40 years ago it was because one of my boatbuilding brothers was living here as a lodger with one of the local fishing families. It was all wonderfully rough and ready back then, but Flushing has obviously returned to its well-to-do ways judging by the number of new-new-fish Porsche cars I saw parked in driveways. As I passed a couple of snazzy refurbished pubs and an interesting looking seafood restaurant in the bright midday sunshine, I could see why the wealthy want to live here. 

Anyway, onwards and south-eastwards - out along the waterside lane that threads through the village to eventually turn a corner and ascend slightly so that it can make it way along the rear of some even posher waterside homes on its way to Trefusis Point. Not that the lane gets that far - it terminates next to a stately looking place that looks like a manor house under Kilnquay Wood.

View of Falmouth Docks from Trefusis Point

But we walkers can proceed past all the “private” signs and continue along the public footpath which now follows the contours through various fields around the peninsula. And every step of the way - by-the-way - you are treated to fantastic views of nearby Falmouth, which lies just across the Penryn River. Indeed, the big town and all its urban and workaday noises, will have escorted your right-hand should every step of the way so far - but now the footpath begins to say goodbye to Falmouth as it marches along the banks of the Carrick Roads up top Penarrow Point. 

This is Cornish coastal walking at its best - even if you’re not really anywhere near the coast. The Fal is so big and wide here where it’s otherwise known as the Carrick Roads, you feel that your are by the sea - and all very pleasant it is too with the hundreds of pleasure boats sailing to and fro just about every which way you look. 

A great many of these boats will have come out of the Mylor yacht basin, which is our next port of call. And my, my… Hasn’t this place changed since another. Brother of mine kept his big gaff-rigger here some 20 years ago. Bigger, posher, more glitzy - Mylor Marina must contain enough floating real estate at any one time to eclipse the working value of a small independent state.

Mylor yacht harbour

New Mylor club-house

I would have stopped for lunch in one of the pleasant looking restaurants but time was pushing so I made my way up through the graveyard of Mylor Church to join the road that would take me back over the hill to Flushing.

And that was my mistake. That road is narrow and busy. I do not recommend walking alongside it - especially because yachting types seem to drive their cars with the same gung-ho as some of them may sail their boats. Instead, find the little lane opposite the top of the graveyard that will take you into Mylor Churchtown and continue along it as it runs beside the creek and arrives at a place called Trelew. There’s a footpath on your left here that will take you inland up a valley to the road at Tregew - where you can cross the main Penarrow Road and follow another footpath across the top of the hill to the place where it descends Orchard Vale back down into Flushing.  

And there you have it - a wonderful seaside walk that isn’t really by the coast at all, but which will give you watery views for a good three quarters of its length.

FACT FILE

Basic walk: from Flushing on Penryn River through village, around Trefusis Point to Mylor yacht harbour and back over the hill.

Distance and going 4.4 miles easy going - try to avoid busy road.