The Camomile Lawn is a rather racy novel written by Mary Wesley in 1984. In 1994 Channel 4 produced a TV adaptation with some well known actors including Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington. The TV version was filmed at Broom Parc House just outside Portloe overlooking Veryan Bay. The story included a race run by the family children along a section of the coast path near the house. You need to read the book to see why this race - called the Terror Run - is important.
The cache is hidden on the stretch of coast path near the house - the actual site is hinted at in the title.
The cache can be tackled in a number of ways but there is a short (1.5km) circular walk which is worth doing to see some of the most beautiful views on this very striking part of the Cornish coast.
Parking is available for about 4 or 5 cars at N 50 12.912 W 004 54.162 close to Broom Parc House.
Start here and go through the field gate indicated by the footpath sign and follow the wide farm track through a number of gates.
Ignore a footpath that goes off at right angles down left into the Portloe Valley - keep parallel to the coast until the footpath brings you to a coastal footpath marker post (Acorn Symbol). Here you could turn left and follow the coastal path into Portloe Village where a variety of hostelries are available.
To go to the cache, turn right and follow the coastal path back across the top of the cliffs overlooking Veryan Bay with great views back to the Dodman to the East and Nare Head and Gull Rock to the West. Take care with young children and dogs along here as there are some fairly steep drops close to the footpath.
Broom Parc House comes back into view and you can see the lawn of Camomile Lawn fame at the front overlooking the sea. The cache location is fairly self evident when you reach an obvious point on the path. Follow the path back along the front of the house past some lovely pine trees (sadly some being cut down at the time the cache was hidden) and past a small garden gate which is a residents access to the Camomile Lawn .
Once past the house the footpath goes up a few granite steps and joins a path which goes westward (left) along the coast to Nare Head but you want to turn right through a small field and under a tree arched pathway back up the side of the house and to the car park after about 100 metres. The Camomile Lawn can be seen over a gate on your right adjacent to the house. . Broom Parc House is owned by the National Trust - it is a Bed & Breakfast establishment and would be a fabulous place to spend a romantic weekend!!! (Read the book).
Portloe is a very pretty village with a hotel on the beach and a very good pub (Ship Inn) up the road towards Broom Parc. It was used as the location for Wild West -a dark comedy TV series starring Dawn French and Catherine Tate. Unfortunately it is a victim of the second holiday home culture and as many as half the houses are empty during the winter months.
The cache is a small click box containing a few trinkets including a £1 coin and an FTF badge for the first to find it. Hope you enjoy this short pretty walk - unfortunately, it is not suitable for pushchairs or buggies but if you go round it the way described it is largely level with only a few gentle inclines and an occasional set of steps. Some great views.
The cache is placed with the kind permission of the farmer who owns and works the land - please respect his property and stay on the footpaths.
Please do not take short cuts across farmland to get to the cache.
The cliffs between the coast path and the beach are an important SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) there is no need to enter this area. The cache can be found without leaving the footpath.