30/12/25 - Hayle to St Ives, Home by Train

Sloop and a Castle, No Pilchard

What a delightful day! Google tells us that our friends are just 0.6 miles from Hayle, in Lelant. This is very much only as the crow flies. They are yet to build a bridge across the estuary. 

Some road walking along the Causeway but another couple of miles on the South West Coastal Path is complete.

The Causeway

Friends Reunited at Lelant Church

Then it's an easy but time-consuming 3.5 miles or so. When you have the opportunity, you really must walk on broad golden sands. The gods demand it. And so do the dogs.

Dunes

Canine Playground

It's always wonderful arriving into a town at the end of the walk. All those possibilities for refreshments. We are both creatures of habit and cliche.

The two pubs were the same as my last visit in the heights of December 2020 lockdowns. When the Sloop Inn interpreted the Boris laws by implementing a velvet rope. Manchester People - Banned.  Worcestershire People - Sit outside. Welsh - come on in!

A fine pub - tiny inside, with tables around a circular bar. With three dogs, two large, we decided to sit outside. Watching the passers-by, ruminating on £6 (admittedly delicious) pints of Tribute. London prices to make those second homers feel at home. Double the council tax, say I.

Mappiman, warming up on NYE eve

The castle is a little less hectic. Demoted from the GBG in the years since The Great Derangement. The Betty Stogs was in poor condition, so justified. But something bad happened to Skinners in 2022, so maybe this is how it tastes now.

Regardless - it's our kind of place.

Incidentally, the only Good Beer Guide Pub in town is the Pilchard Press. One day, I will stay up late enough to enter the premises. 4pm opener on the days that it is open. Almost like they don't want customers.

You try taking a pub photo in St Ives without photobombing

Rail times checked and a last look back over heaven before the 4 mile journey. Which requires a change at St Erth and feeling of being cheated.

Our £10 for two single tickets remained locked in my Google Wallet.

Looking down on heaven

Walk Details

Distance - 6 Miles

Geocaches - 4