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From Calstock to Cotehele

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Our view

"A stroll from Calstock's Victorian viaduct to the Tudor manor house of Cotehele."

Walk directions

From the car park walk to the left of the Tamar Inn, then turn left into Commercial Road. In a few paces take the second turning left along Lower Kelly and beneath Calstock Viaduct.

Keep left at a fork just past Danescombe Valley House. Beyond a row of cottages branch left, signposted ‘Cotehele House’, and follow a broad track uphill and beneath trees.

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Location

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Excellent woodland tracks, can be muddy in places

Landscape - Wooded riverside

Dog friendliness - Dogs should be kept under control in Cotehele environs

Parking - Calstock Quay car park (free), bear right at junction at bottom of steep descent into village

Toilets en route - Calstock Quay; Cotehele House; Cotehele Quay

Walks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Dog-friendly walks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

About the walk

The River Tamar seems to take its ease at Calstock and Cotehele, where it coils lazily through the lush countryside of the Devon–Cornwall border. Today all is rural peace and quiet. Yet a century ago Calstock was a bustling river port, and had been since Saxon times. Victorian copper and tin mining... turned Calstock into an even busier port at which all manner of trades developed, including shipbuilding. The coming of the railway brought an end to Calstock’s importance. The mighty rail viaduct of 1906 that spans the river here is an enduring memorial to progress and to later decline, yet the Calstock of today retains the compact charm of its steep riverside location. The viaduct was built from specially cast concrete blocks – 11,000 of them were made on the Devon shore – and it is a tribute to its design that such thoroughly industrial architecture should seem so elegant today and should have become such an acceptable element in the Tamar scene. Cotehele The area’s finest architectural gem is the Tudor manor house of Cotehele, the focus of this walk. Cotehele dates mainly from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In the 17th century the Edgcumbe family, who owned the estate, transferred their seat to Mount Edgcumbe House overlooking Plymouth Sound. Cotehele ceased to be the family’s main home and the house was spared too much overt modernisation. Soon the Edgcumbes came to appreciate the value of the house’s Tudor integrity, and Cotehele seems to have been preserved for its own sake from the 18th century onwards. The Edgcumbes gave the house to the National Trust in 1947 and Cotehele survives as one of the finest Tudor buildings in England. The medieval plan of the house is intact; the fascinating complex of rooms, unlit by artificial light, creates an authentic atmosphere that transcends any suggestion of ‘theme park’ history. Cotehele was built with privacy and even defence in mind, and the materials used are splendidly rustic. The Danescombe Valley The early part of the walk leads beneath an arch of the Calstock Viaduct and on along the banks of the river, past residential properties where busy quays and shipbuilding yards once stood. Most of the walk leads through the deeply wooded Danescombe Valley, whose trees crowd round Cotehele in a seamless merging with the splendid estate gardens. The gardens support azaleas and rhododendrons and a profusion of broad-leaved trees, interspersed with terraces and a lily pond, a medieval dovecote and a Victorian summerhouse. Below the house, at Cotehele Quay, the preserved sailing barge, the Shamrock, and the displays in the National Trust’s Discovery Centre commemorate the great days of Tamar trade. As you walk back to Calstock, along an old carriageway and through the deeper recesses of the Danescombe Valley, it is easy to imagine the remote, yet vibrant life of this once great estate and of the busy river that gave it substance.

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About the area

Cornwall has just about everything – wild moorland landscapes, glorious river valley scenery, picturesque villages and miles of breathtaking coastline. Known for its popular surfing spots, the region provides ample opportunities for water sport enthusiasts, and for those who prefer to stay on land, visitor attractions like the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan offer a lovely day out.

Route details

Difficulty:

Easy

Gradient:

Gentle

Distance:

4.5 miles (7.2kms)

Ascent:

164ft (50m)

If you like this walk, you can try more routes in the area.

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From Calstock to Cotehele

Recommended by

Our view

"A stroll from Calstock's Victorian viaduct to the Tudor manor house of Cotehele."

Walk details

Difficulty:

Easy

Gradient:

Gentle

Distance:

4.5 miles (7.2kms)

Ascent:

164ft (50m)

Walk directions

From the car park walk to the left of the Tamar Inn, then turn left into Commercial Road. In a few paces take the second turning left along Lower Kelly and beneath Calstock Viaduct.

1 of 7

Keep left at a fork just past Danescombe Valley House. Beyond a row of cottages branch left, signposted ‘Cotehele House’, and follow a broad track uphill and beneath trees.

2 of 7

Keep right (upper path) at a junction. Look out for a dovecote (left) in the gardens and then bear left. Go through a gate and turn right for the visitor reception at Cotehele House.

3 of 7

Pass through the open gateway ahead and turn left (Cotehele House is on right) on the road, soon branching left downhill to Cotehele Quay. (For the Mill keep ahead down the road from the Quay, then follow signs for 900yds/820m.) Turn left through the quay buildings.

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Follow a path that starts beside the car park. Pass the Chapel of St George and Thomas à Becket, then a superb viewpoint over towards Calstock. At a junction, go right, signposted to Calstock. In a few paces branch left up a rising path that ascends the Danescombe Valley, bearing right at the first junction.

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Just past a seat, bear right and descend to a wooden footbridge over a stream. At a T-junction with another track, turn left and walk up the track for about 55yds (50m).

6 of 7

Turn sharply right and go up a rising track along the side of a stone wall. Pass below a house and a junction with a path coming in left. Join the surfaced lane just before Danescombe Valley House, passed earlier. Retrace your steps to Calstock Quay.

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Location

Starting point

Nearest postcode:

Additional information

Terrain - Excellent woodland tracks, can be muddy in places

Landscape - Wooded riverside

Dog friendliness - Dogs should be kept under control in Cotehele environs

Parking - Calstock Quay car park (free), bear right at junction at bottom of steep descent into village

Toilets en route - Calstock Quay; Cotehele House; Cotehele Quay

Walks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Dog-friendly walks in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

About the walk

Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

Been on this walk?

Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.

Find out more

Walking in Safety

Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.

Learn more

Get an AA guide

Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.

Learn more

About the area

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

From Calstock to Cotehele

Been on this walk?

Walking in Safety

Get an AA guide

Been on this walk?

Walking in Safety

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From Calstock to Cotehele

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