Portwrinkle and Crafthole

Your last night in Cornwall, Portwrinkle is a pleasant little spot with an open feel to it. Situated towards the end of the long sweep of Whitsand Bay, its simplicity and size retains a degree of charm that the previous villages after Looe have long lost. Historically a pilchard fishing village, the cellars still stand at the top of the slipway above the miniscule old stone harbour. To the west, a small sandy beach which could bring a welcome dip is surrounded by rocks along with two white painted stone plinths complete with recesses to light fires - formerly used for guiding the pilchard boats back at night.

Today Portwrinkle still has couple of boats working the crabbing trade providing for Looe and the local inland villages. Other than this there is little else in this walker’s staging post.  As there is nowhere to eat we tend to use accommodation at Crafthole only ½ mile inland and up the hill where for your efforts there is The Finnygook Inn, a fine 14th century coaching inn with good food and huge views, not only over the coast, but also over the inland estuaries of the River Tamar, Liner and hidden St German’s area.

The village of Crafthole itself is small but with a real life character set above the sea in calm pasture lands, tranquil, restful and located in a corner of Cornwall forgotten by all the tourists rushing west from Devon.