Circular walk from Hessenford to Bake

With the advent of the fantastic bus service laid on by Western Greyhound, it is now easy to walk the lovely area around Hessenford - catching a drink and a meal at The Copley Arms in Hessenford, break your walk with fishing at Bake Lakes, or amble along the lovely Seaton Valley to eat at one of the many eateries in Seaton or Downderry. And only seven minutes away! This is a perfect walk for dog owners, as Seaton is a dog friendly beach, and there is plenty of scope for letting off the lead in the woods. For families, we would highly recommend the second part of the walk from Hessenford to Seaton. It is a good length for smaller children and Seaton has a super children's play area and family friendly beach cafe. There's also a children's play area at The Copley Arms which has a good reputation for food and hospitality.

On alighting the bus at Hessenford, cross the road, and take the lane that leads behind The Copley Arms. Turn left and walk along a little back lane for about a third of a mile, until you come across a footpath on the right. Take this path into the woods. It is a little steep in places, and as we discovered rather too muddy for bicycles in the winter, but a lovely woodland track through well established woods which are carpeted with bluebells in the late spring. Follow this track to its end, coming out into a field. At the top of this field you will see Bake Lakes below to your left. Here there are a choice of two routes, a short route, and a longer one, both along country lanes.

Shorter Route

Turn right at the gate at the top of the field along a slightly busy lane. Walk for about a hundred metres, then take the little lane on the right. This pretty, quiet lane leads steeply down to Hessenford and your starting point.

Much Longer Route

At the top of the field turn left and join the track that leads to the lakes. Keep the hedge on your right until you reach the road. Turn left along this slightly busy lane. At the T junction turn left and walk for about a quarter of a mile. Take the footpath off to the left. After a short way you rejoin a small lane, and from now on you will see very little traffic, if any. Turn left at this lane, past Wilton Farm. Continue climbing upwards. The views from the top of this road are abosolutely stunning. The road descends past Bonyalva, and becomes little more than a farm track. It descends very steeply once it gets into the woods. At the end of this lane turn left. About a mile and a half along this lovely valley lane, again with very little if any traffic, you are back again at your starting point - turn right down to the main road and the Copley arms. If you wish to at this point you could continue your walk by going on to the popular seaside villages of Seaton and Downderry.

Hessenford to Seaton

This super and flat walk takes about an hour at an amble - it is 3.5km in length.

Pass the Copley arms and the bridge, and take the road on your left signed to Seaton. Take care as this is a B road. After about fifty metres you will find a footpath on your left. N.b. - the gates get a little stiff in the rain. This leads along the valley over a series of raised walkways to the beach at Seaton, two miles away. It is a lovely path through the woods and past little lakes, but it can be a little muddy in places - sturdy footwear is recommended. After about a mile there is a small bridge to cross, which leads to a path with a firmer surface. Be aware that if it has been very wet, or the tide is exceptionally high, this path can get flooded and is not safe, as the river is very close and fast flowing. If you have very small children we would suggest keeping them under fairly close supervision for the first part of the walk, as the path is close to the bank, and in a few places there are holes along the river's edge.

Once at Seaton, enjoy the beach or have lunch in one of Seaton's eateries - Seaton Beach Cafe is great if you have children with you, as it is right on the beach, and they do very good ice-creams, as does the little post office and general store beside the beach. There is also the Smugglers' Inn, or Peasants Bistro. A bonus for families at Seaton is the river, which is usually shallow enough for safe paddling.You could turn left on the beach and walk to Downderry, which is very pleasant, and has a Spar shop, restaurant and a pub The Inn on the Shore offering quality food. The boats often look lovely at Downderry - there are a number of traditional Cornish boats moored here.

We would suggest walking back the way you came, but it is possible to extend your walk into a circular one by turning right at Seaton and taking the bridlepath up Keveral lane, or turning sharp left and walking along pleasant back lanes back to Hessenford. We would recommend at this point refering to the OS Explorer map which is provided in each of our carriages! Another option for the energetic would be to continue along the coast path to Looe (which for this leg is primarily back lanes) or better still along the beach if the tide is out (check the tide times first - getting stranded by the tides is a real hazard and easily done - as we can confirm having been caught out on occassions!). This option adds about four miles to your walk. You then have a choice of return modes of transport - train (change at Liskeard) or bus.

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