The Clay Trails of Cornwall

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St Blazey to Par Beach

Distance: 3 miles (5 km)
Means of travel: Walk or cycle

MAP



A section of the trail from Eden to St Blazey, is a walking-only footpath but it is possible to cycle this section on a parallel country road. From the town of St Blazey you may cycle the route that leads to Par Beach. The cycling section of the trail is quite flat and easy, while the walking only section involves a few slopes and is more uneven under foot.

Enjoy the changing scenery as you begin to leave behind the clay areas of tips and pits, making your way towards villages and towns as you approach the sea, where fine clay, the product of the clay mining industry, is shipped to many parts of the world.

Continue through countryside close to Tywardreath and its beautiful surroundings - the setting for Daphne Du Maurier's novel, The House on the Strand. You will travel close to the marshes of the old river estuary that once flowed to St Blazey.

As you approach Par you will see tall chimneys with their white clouds of steam billowing up into the sky. On a clear day when the sky is blue this can be a stunning spectacle. But it always has a unique beauty, even when the sky is misty and grey. Clay-drying chimneys situated in Par Docks are the source of this steady out-pouring of steam.

Par is a busy working port which ships china clay to many destinations around the world. The history of this port, built for shipping minerals, goes back to the early part of the 19th century. Clay mined in this area is some of the finest in the world.

Distance: 3 miles (5 km)
Means of travel: Walk or cycle
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