The Tywardreath Trek
This series is on a circular walk that I do with my dog most days. It is approximately 4 miles long and involves walking on footpaths, bridleways and lanes. The lanes are mostly quiet but take care with your children and dogs especially at school times. Sadly it is not suitable for strollers nor should it be done at night. It is suitable for cycling if you have a reasonable mountain bike. There are two kissing gates to lift your bike over but I have seen bikers on this route.
PARKING IS NORMALLY AVAILABLE ON THE ROADSIDES IN THE VILLAGE.
There are three other caches which you will pass by on the trek:
GC7J7TP - Village Hall Series #148 - Tywardreath
This cache doubles as Tywardreath Trek #2 - you pass the Village Hall as you walk from TK#1 to TK#3 so please collect the required information and find the cache as you go by.
GC81XMY - Snap - A Webcam Cache Challenge
This is a traditional cache which you can log with a "write note" even if you do not have the required number of Web Cam Cache finds. You will pass this cache between TK#13 and TK#14
GCW0NK - Daphne du Maurier - House on the Strand
This is a venerable cache which has been in place since 2006. Two sets of numbers for this multi are obtained in the village and should be collected before starting the Trek. The third set of numbers, which will enable you the calculate the final coordinates, are obtained from a plaque that you will pass between TK#7 and TK#8. The final cache location is somewhere between TK#16 and TK#17 and you will pass it in about an hour's time.
Please BE STEALTHY at all points around this series - it is popular with walkers, cyclists and dog walkers - muggles can appear from nowhere and you need to keep a sharp lookout for them. Apologies in advance for my regular BE STEALTHY pleas!!
Some of the coordinates are a bit flakey due to tree cover but I have set clear hints and my intention is that the caches should be easy finds - the walk is the thing to enjoy. There are a couple of hills to climb but they are not long nor too steep - most of the walk is level and comfortable for all.
THE SECTION ALONG THE TYWARDREATH MARSH CAN BE VERY MUDDY AND SLIPPERY AFTER RAIN OR DURING THE WINTER SO PLEASE WEAR APPROPRIATE FOOTWEAR.
All Hints are given based upon you doing them in numerical order
A Bit of History
The area around Tywardreath has been settled since the Iron Age as evidenced by the hill fort at Castle Dore which sits on a high point visible on the horizon as you walk from TK#11 to TK#13. You will walk close to the hamlet of Kilhallon where evidence of Roman occupancy in the 1st to 3rd centuries AD has been found.
In the post Norman Invasion of 1066 the Priory at Tywardreath was built and this existed from around 1088 until the dissolution in 1536. During its time the Priory was one of the richest in Cornwall and owned extensive lands and property in Cornwall and Devon. Almost no evidence of its location exists today but a local history group is working to discover where it was.
During the time of the English Civil War the Parliamentarian Army was defeated by Royalist Forces in battles at Braddock Down, Lostwithiel and at Castle Dore - the Parliamentarian Senior Officers made their escape to Plymouth by boats launched from Par Beach.
In the 19th Century the area around Kilhallon and Lanescot - in the high ground to your left as you walk from TK#10 to TK#14 - was the site of an extensive and rich copper mine which eventually became the Fowey Consols. Residue from mining contributed to the silting up of many tributaries flowing down to the sea at Par and changed the landscape dramatically between 1700 and the present day.
In the 20th Century, the famous author Daphne du Maurier wrote a number of books based upon the area in and around Tywardreath. The most famous being the House on the Strand. (Tywardreath is Cornish for House on the Strand)
As recently as 1975 Tywardreath supported 17 shops including Coal Merchants, Barbers, a Post Office, Haberdashers, Cobblers, Grocery Shops, Ironmongers , a Bakery, Butchers, a Dairy and a cafe.
The Butter Market on Church Street adjacent to the Church was originally a substantial police station which was necessary to keep control of the large population of miners and their families in the mid 19th century. At that time there were at least 10 Inns, pubs and front room breweries where alcohol was available!!
The Cache - TK#1
This is the start of the Trek and is nice straightforward 35 mm magnetic micro at the top of Priory Lane. Down the lane is Newhouse Farm which sits on the site of the Tywardreath Priory. Up until around 1700, the valley below you was navigable by boats and barges that came up on the tide from Par. The road down to what was the foreshore is called Tehidy Road after the estate owned by the Basset Family of Illogan who had a major share in the copper mines here.
Please Be Stealthy Here - Bring Your Own Pen