St. Mawes to St. Just in Roseland

Hopefully we will be well back to face to face conferences next year, and if you are coming over to Falmouth for the June conferences in 2022, do stay on for a few days as there is plenty to do in and around Falmouth (posting of 11th March 2015).

If you enjoy walking there is perhaps nothing better than the 6 mile circular walk from the beautiful town of St. Mawes to the lovely church at St. Just in Roseland.

Image: iWalk Cornwall

St. Mawes lies across the River Fal estuary from Falmouth and the 3 mile ferry journey from the Prince of Wales pier in Falmouth centre crosses the estuary, known as the Carrick Roads. This large waterway, created at the end of the last Ice Age, when sea levels rose dramatically and created a huge natural harbour, the world's 3rd largest, is a classic drowned river valley and the entry is guarded on either side by the Tudor castles Pendennis, in Falmouth, and St. Mawes, both built in the early 16th century in the time of Henry VIII to defend against expected invasions from Spain and France (see also posting of 4th April 2012).

Approaching St. Mawes harbour, with the castle on the left

It is worth spending some time in St. Mawes, maybe for lunch overlooking the water, before setting out on the walk, for which I recommend that you be guided by the excellent iWalk Cornwall App.

Leaving St. Mawes

The walk soon follows a footpath up the Percuil River, a tributary of the Fal, and then crosses fields towards St. Just in Roseland.

The Percuil River

The church at St. Just in Roseland is one of Cornwall's gems, its gardens described by the poet John Betjeman as ‘to many people the most beautiful churchyard on earth’. 

The church is on the site of a 6th century Celtic chapel, and for 400 years after its foundation it was served by clergy from the adjacent cell of Lanzeague, until Roseland was taken over by the Saxon Bishops of Crediton and Exeter. 

The 13th century church is set in beautiful gardens beside a peaceful tidal creek and a local legend tells of Joseph of Arimathea bringing his boy nephew, Jesus, to Cornwall, and that he landed at St Just in Roseland.

From the churchyard it is a short distance to the Fal, and an easy walk back to St. Mawes with wonderful views across Carrick Roads of Mylor and Falmouth Harbours.

Back in St. Mawes

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