An Autumn Walk Around Coverack: Coastal Views, Seaweed and Stories from the Past

Autumn brings a different mood to the Cornish coast. Bracken turns copper and gold, passing showers leave the air fresh, and patches of sunlight move across the sea. With a warm layer and something delicious in your flask, it is a lovely season to spend a few hours exploring on foot.

On the eastern side of the Lizard Peninsula, Coverack makes a beautiful starting point. Its harbour, rocky shoreline and coastal headlands offer plenty to look at, while the history beneath your feet gives the scenery another dimension.

The Coverack and Black Head circular walk, published by the South West Coast Path Association, brings these elements together. Follow it for sea views, traces of an ancient fort and a chance to notice the seaweed that connects the shoreline with the underwater world beyond.

The walk at a glance

Begin beside Coverack’s harbour

Before heading onto the coast path, give yourself a little time beside the harbour. Notice the curves of the harbour wall, the boats and the buildings gathered around the water. It is an inviting place to start, especially on a clear morning when the light catches the bay.

The harbour was built in 1724. Some of the surrounding buildings were once fish cellars or net lofts, and an earlier slipway survives between the lifeboat slipway and the harbour wall. These details are reminders that the waterfront developed around the practical needs of a fishing community.

The old lifeboat station tells another part of the village’s maritime story. Coverack’s station was established in 1901 following the wrecks of the Mohegan in 1898 and the Paris in 1899 on the dangerous Manacles reef. Looking out across the water, it is worth remembering that this beautiful coast has also been the setting for rescue efforts in difficult conditions.

Smugglers, secret signals and the Old Post Office

Fishing was not the only trade associated with Coverack. St Keverne Parish Council records that the cove was once actively involved in smuggling. The waterfront takes on another character when you imagine small boats approaching after dark and cargoes being moved ashore away from the attention of customs officers. 

The Old Post Office is a good place to connect that story with a building you can see. Its owners describe it as a former local smuggling headquarters, later used for pilchard processing and eventually as the village post office. It is private accommodation today, so admire it from the public waterfront.

One colourful local tale concerns John “Red Shirt” Corlyon, a fisherman and smuggler associated with Coverack. In the account collected by Cornwall Smugglers, his wife Sarah hung his red shirt outside when it was safe for him to return with a cargo from France. An ordinary piece of washing became a discreet signal that the coast was clear.

Follow the coast towards Chynhalls Point

The route leaves the seafront past the harbour and follows the South West Coast Path towards Chynhalls Point. As the village falls behind, the open coastline becomes the focus: rocky edges, sea below and a widening horizon.

In autumn, enjoy the changing light as much as the view itself. A headland can look quite different beneath a bank of cloud and then, a few minutes later, in a sudden burst of sunshine. Take time to turn around occasionally; the view back towards the village is part of the pleasure of a circular coastal walk.

At Chynhalls Point, the landscape holds evidence of a much older community. Historic England records a promontory fort here, protected by steep cliffs on its seaward sides and two defensive banks with a ditch across the landward approach.

Often described as “cliff castles”, these are prehistoric enclosures rather than medieval stone castles. Promontory forts are generally associated with the Iron Age. Their earthworks made use of naturally defended headlands, although archaeologists also consider status and display when interpreting why such prominent sites were chosen.

Chynhalls has a later defensive chapter too: a concrete pillbox manned by the Home Guard was erected here during the Second World War, overlooking Coverack Bay. Ancient earthworks and twentieth-century defences show how the same headland could acquire different roles over time. 

Pause to notice the seaweed

The coves and rocky shore are also a chance to think about the landscape beneath the waves. Where there is safe public access to the beach, look along the strandline: the band of seaweed and other natural material left by the tide.

What you find will depend on the season, tides and recent weather. The following are common British coastal seaweeds to look out for, rather than a guaranteed species list for this walk.

Bladder wrack has olive-brown, branching fronds with rounded air bladders, often paired beside a central rib. On rocky shores, those bladders help support the seaweed in the water. 

Oarweed, a type of kelp, has long brown fronds divided into finger-like strips. A washed-up piece may still have its tough, root-like holdfast attached. This anchors it to rock rather than drawing nutrients from soil, and can shelter small marine creatures.

Sea lettuce provides a bright green contrast. Its thin, ruffled fronds resemble floppy lettuce leaves and can look translucent in the light.

Washed-up seaweed is part of the beach ecosystem. Strandlines support invertebrates and provide feeding opportunities for birds, so leave natural material in place after taking a closer look. A photograph is a lovely way to remember what you find.

Black Head and its lookout

Continue towards Black Head, where the coastline opens into broad sea views. The small lookout building adds a human landmark to the headland and offers another connection with the coast’s past.

According to iWalk Cornwall, a lookout was established here during the Napoleonic Wars to watch for French vessels. That earlier building later fell into ruin, and a new lookout was created during the First World War. An improvised shelter was replaced in 1915 by the structure that stands today, which remained in use until 1987.

It is easy to understand the appeal of this position for a lookout. Today we can pause to enjoy the horizon; for those keeping watch, that same view was a working responsibility.

A warming pause before the return

Beyond Black Head, the published route continues above Dinas Cove and around Pedn Boar towards Beagles Hole, where it turns inland. The return passes through the Treleaver area and fields before bringing you back to Coverack.

Choose a sheltered place well away from cliff edges for a lunch stop. Our Creamy Mushroom & Kelp Soup is a lovely choice for the flask: earthy mushrooms, savoury kelp, milk, cream and a pinch of nutmeg, blended until smooth. With some crusty bread alongside, it makes a comforting picnic for a cooler day.

Pack the soup piping hot in a preheated food flask and enjoy the chance to sit for a while. There is no need to hurry every stretch of a walk like this.

Finish with a little coastal calm

Back at home, take off your boots and settle into the quieter part of the day. A warm bath with our Organic Cornish Sea Wrack Bath Bag is a lovely way to continue the coastal theme.

As the seaweed rehydrates, it releases its natural gels into the water. Follow the product directions, fill the bath to a comfortable temperature and enjoy a soothing soak after your time outdoors.

Plan your visit

Check the forecast and current route information before setting out. Wear footwear suited to rocky paths, take a waterproof layer and allow enough daylight for your return. Check tide times if you intend to visit the shore; the coastal route does not mean every cove has safe beach access. Keep dogs under close control around livestock and cliffs.