Cornish Miles
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North Coast / Coast path

Chapel Porth and St Agnes Beacon Loop

A loop from Chapel Porth past the Towanroath shaft and Wheal Coates engine house, north along the cliffs to St Agnes Head, then inland and up through the heather to St Agnes Beacon before dropping back to the cove. The Beacon gives both coasts at once on a clear day.

45 min – 1 hr 15 min

Chapel Porth, National Trust car park to Chapel Porth, National Trust car park

Desk-researched / Not yet field-checked

Distance
6.2 km
Elevation
250 m
Start
Chapel Porth, National Trust car park
Terrain
Coast path
Difficulty
Moderate
Route type
Loop

Practical notes

Best for

  • The classic engine-house photograph, earned on foot
  • A summit finish without a mountain day
  • August heather at full colour

Watch for

  • Mine workings and fenced shafts beside the cliff path
  • Stones hidden under heather on the Beacon paths
  • The beach below Chapel Porth cuts off fast on a rising tide — stay off it unless you know the times

Facilities

  • NT car park and seasonal cafe at Chapel Porth
  • Toilets in St Agnes village nearby

Season

Late summer for the heather and gorse together; winter for having Wheal Coates entirely to yourself.

Parking
The NT car park at Chapel Porth is small and beach-crowd popular; before ten or after four in summer.
Public transport
Buses serve St Agnes village, a short link path from the loop. Check current routes.
Conditions
Gravel cliff path, heather single-track and a firm descent lane, with the Beacon climb steady rather than steep.
Navigation
Cliffs first, then any of the braided heather paths that trend uphill reach the trig. Aim for the cove on the way down and you cannot miss.

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