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The Daphne Du Maurier Trail

2 days - Walking Grade: Easy / Moderate

Between 13 and 18 miles over two days depending on detours taken.

Daphne Du Maurier

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"A hired car swept around the curve of the hill and suddenly the full expanse of Fowey Harbour was spread beneath us. This sheet of white water, the nearby jetties, the moored ships, the grey roofs of Fowey across the way, the clustering cottages of Polruan on the opposite hill by the harbour mouth. Like a gateway to another world my spirits soared.

"Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known ... Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone."

As a young woman arriving from London, Daphne du Maurier's first glimpse of the Fowey River Estuary never left her. She spent most of the rest of her life here wandering (or "trespassing" as she liked to call it), over this stunning area of outstanding natural beauty, leading to a string of novels and short stories all rooted in its hidden creeks, upland moors, dramatic coves and winding villages.

The Daphne du Maurier walk takes you through that same landscape linking together unspoilt scenery and locations that inspired Rebecca, The House on The Strand, The Birds, The Loving Spirit and much much more along with points of interest from the writers life, the places she wrote from, the church she married in through to the dramatic cliff tops where her ashes were cast as she instructed after her death in 1989.

Walk free... this two day self guided walk allows you the freedom to wander the landscape and explore the area as Daphne herself did, at your leisure and your pace with plenty of time to reflect, absorb and encounter the Cornwall that she loved.

Day 1 : Castle Dor to Fowey

Dropped high in amongst the ancient earthworks at Castle Dor setting for Daphne du Maurier's historical novel you view an entire 360 degree panorama of Daphne du Maurier's country laid out below you and quickly drawing you in.

Dropping into the valley a sharp descent past the holy well at St Sampson's Church takes you into the creek side village of Golant on the Saints Way. Continuing on down the famous creek to Caffa Mills where you cross using the car ferry in front of Ferryside the authors first home in Fowey, you join the famous hall walk along Pont Pill where the wreck of the Jane Slade inspired the book The Loving Spirit.

Passing the memorial and viewpoint dedicated to her great friend Q, before joining the route walked by Daphne du Maurier on her wedding day up to the stunning and remote church at Lanteglos on what was clearly one of the happiest days of her life. Onwards to the coast high on cliffs above stunning Lantic Bay pausing to visit the solitary coastguard hut where Daphne is said to have worked during the second world war writing sections of Frenchman's Creek.

Finally you drop into Polruan (The boatyard of Plyn in The Loving Spirit) before catching the little Ferry over to Fowey for your night soaking up the atmosphere in its award winning restaurants and winding streets whilst watching the boats come in and out of the harbour as did Janet Slade in The Loving Spirit many years ago

Day 2 : Fowey to Twardreath

Leaving Fowey on the South West Coast Path with much that inspired the writer to locate on your way as you leave the town, you pass her former home at idyllic Readymoney Cove and climb up to the ruins of St Catherine's Castle (In Loving Spirit) and onto the wild coast path route towards the dramatic Gribbin Head.

This is the centre of Du Maurier country and after pausing to take in her favourite coastal view over Polridmouth you descend to explore the area made famous by the boathouse scenes in Rebecca including the beach that Rebecca went to her death from with remains of the shipwreck that inspired her tale sometimes still visible at low tide. You are now walking through Menabilly's lands (Manderlay in Rebecca) also the eerie setting of the Birds later made famous by Hitchcock's chilling film.

Round the headland you pass along the wild and rugged cliffs where the writer instructed her ashes be scattered looking across to the wide sands at Par. There is the chance to pass the tiny Tregaminion Church located between Menabilly (Manderlay) and Killmarth where her memorial service was taken the latter home which inspired her to write amongst other books, The House on The Strand. Descending to the stunning little enclosed harbour at Polkerris and the Rashleigh Arms (Kerrith in Rebecca) you climb once more to look down on and then cross the expanse of Par Sands (Rule Britannia, The House on the Strand)

The last part of your walk takes you inland on a circle above the village of Tywardreath. Using the Saint's Way footpath and one of the Cornish Clay Trails you are now following in Dick Young's footsteps as he searched for Tiwardrai and Tregest in The House on the Strand. End the walk in the centre of Tywardreath at its church, the start of Dicks adventures and the resting place of Honor Harris who inspired the novel The Kings General as well as the lonely home to the nameless Cavalier whose skeleton was found bricked up in a small cell at Menabilly.

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