Cubert wildlife walk, North Cornwall

This circular route on North Cornwall's Atlantic coast links quiet farmland with some of the finest stretches of the South West Coast Path. Setting out near The Bowgie Inn above Crantock, the walk drops down towards Porth Joke, a sheltered sandy cove tucked between grassy headlands and often quieter than its better-known neighbours.

From Porth Joke the path rises onto the cliffs and rolls north along the coast towards Holywell, with wide views across Holywell Bay and its dune-backed beach. A short detour leads to Holywell Spring, the freshwater seep that gives the village its name, before the route turns inland past open pasture and gorse.

The return leg loops back through the fields and lanes of Cubert parish, passing burial mound tumuli that hint at the area's long human story. There's the option to break the walk with a stop at the Treguth Inn in Holywell or back at the Bowgie above Crantock Beach. At 7.5 km with a modest 286 m of ascent, it's a satisfying half-day out combining coast, cove and countryside.