Winter sunshine has blessed us here in Cornwall and I’ve been itching to make the most of it the past few days. I decided to take Woody for a walk in Carwinion Woods, a National Trust walk near Mawnan Smith. The walk takes you through the woods and down to Porth Saxon beach. It’s a dog friendly walk all year round and fast becoming one of our favourites!
We parked in the lay by next to the Cricket Club in Mawnan Smith and followed the footpath down to Carwinion Woods. The woodlands host a diversity of plants, from old oaks to ferns and even bamboo! A stream runs alongside the footpath to Porth Saxon beach, passing by livestock fields along the way. A barbed wire fence separates the walk from fields, so if your dog likes livestock, perhaps keep them on the lead!
Cornish drizzle greeted us at Porth Saxon, as if we haven’t had enough rain this year! Plenty of people gathered along the shingle beach, all looking out to the river. At first I thought they were staring at a small boat, which was moored quite close to the rocks. In fact, they were mesmerised by a pod of four Common Dolphins swimming up and down the Helford River. I’ve never seen dolphins in the wild before and tried my best to film and photograph the pod. My lack of telephoto lens really shines through in the blurry, pixelated images but I’ve included them anyway!
Cathy from Eat Play Bark kindly gifted us some of her peanut butter dog treats and we brought them along on our walk. I will be writing a more detailed blogpost about them soon but judging by the photos it’s safe to say Woody enjoys them! We played on the beach together, practicing Woody’s tricks and photographing him in his new bandana. Everyone else left the beach due to the intensifying showers, leaving Woody and I to watch the dolphins alone.
With no sign of the drizzle passing and daylight fading fast, we made our way back to the car. The walk back from the beach is mostly uphill. Though it’s a gentle incline, the rocky pathways make it tricky to navigate in the rain. Cue an over energetic spaniel to pull you up the hill on his lead! There is a dog waste bin at the end of the walk, so be sure to pick up your poo bags on your way back! Local amenities are a short walk away in nearby Mawnan Smith, a ten minute drive from Falmouth town.
Carwinion Woods is dog friendly all year round, which comes in handy during the summer when beach bans are enforced. Most beaches in Falmouth fall under the dog ban so having somewhere to walk your four legged friend is precious! There are always plenty of dogs around, particularly on the beach, making it the perfect place for your pooch to meet new friends!
Where would you like to see us walk next? We’re always looking for new places to explore! To keep up with our adventures be sure to follow us on Instagram!