If you are on the hunt for the perfect secluded Cornish beach, then Polstreath might just be what you are looking for – if you don’t mind a little bit of a hike that is!
The beach is only about half a mile along the south west coastal path from the popular fishing village of Mevagissey but is never crowded because it can only be reached by descending (and then later climbing back up) around 192 steep steps. The view from the top of those steps is a tempting one though – crystal clear water and a gentle curve of sand in a hidden cove! Heaven!
The picturesque sand and shingle beach is really two beaches, Polstreath and Little Polstreath, divided by a jutting finger of craggy cliff. There is a natural passage cutting through the rock allows access to both sides at low tide however. Polstreath is sheltered from the prevailing winds making it great for swimming and snorkelling although anyone using the water should remember that there is no lifeguard cover here.
A perfect Cornish smugglers Cove
If Polstreath looks like it might be the picture-perfect Cornish smuggler’s cove that is because it probably was! Although access was difficult the hidden location would almost certainly have attracted some nefarious activities in the 18th and early 19th century when ‘freetrading’ was at its zenith!
Smuggling was rife in Mevagissey with many local boats making regular trips across to France and the Channel Islands to bring back goods such as French cognac, Dutch gin, tea, tobacco, silks and lace without paying the duty on them. In around 1820, on one of the last of these trips still remembered by local people, one man is said to have brought back a consignment of brandy worth £3000 at the time and equivalent to £175,000 in today’s money. According to an account published in the newspapers many years after the contraband was landed at Polstreath and carried up the cliffs by the smugglers in order to keep the enterprise away from the eyes of the authorities.
The cliffs at Polstreath are around 200ft high and over the years access down to the sea has been more than a little precarious! There were some rock cut steps at the far eastern end of the beach at one time, but these eventually collapsed. Wooden ladders were also in use for a while, which must have been particularly hair-raising, and then in 1930 the town council installed a new set of steps at a cost of £34.17s.64d.
Despite the dangers the beach has always been popular with local people and was regularly used as a picnic spot for Mevagissey’s Sunday School in the early 19th century. This popularity led to a proposal in 1902 that a road should be built at sea level along the coast from Mevagissey’s east pier around to Polstreath, across the rocks. The plan was never put into action however, no doubt due to the cost of maintaining such a road, which was bound to be prone to rockfalls and erosion, especially after winter storms.
Access Polstreath via a set of sturdy metal steps
These days there is a set of sturdy metal steps with handrails ensuring that the way down to the beach is as safe as possible. And those that visit all seem to agree that Polstreath is worth the extra effort to reach!
As you hike back up the path at the end of your visit to Polstreath Beach a good way to make the climb pass a little quicker is to count the steps – no one ever seems to come to the same number twice – are there 192 steps or 194 or was it 200?
- To find the beach head out of Mevagissey following the coastal path signposted from the east wharf, past the old coastguard lookout and on past the park and recreation ground. After the park the path starts to slope downhill and you will see a set of steps on your right, these lead down to the metal steps that descend to the beach.
- PLEASE NOTE: There is no lifeguard on this beach, please take care when swimming. It is also very important to be aware of the tides as the steps are the only way off the beach, be careful not to get cut off!