Earlier this week I was passing through Maernporth on a cool, somewhat damp, early autumn day. On a whim, I decided to park and have a short walk along the coastal path, southwards towards Bream Cove.
Maernporth Beach (photo: Amanda Scott)
I wasn’t expecting to see much, but wanted to get some sea air into my lungs.
I was surprised! There were quite a few plants blooming – Yarrow, Betony, Rock Samphire, and Scentless Mayweed peeking out from among the grasses – and some gorgeous seedheads, including the Knapweed in the photograph at the top of this post and fluffy Hemp Agrimony.
Scentless Mayweed (photo: Amanda Scott)
There were also insects out and about, despite the gray coolness of the day.
Fox Moth caterpillar. This furry chappy ambled to and fro across the path, and ended up pretty much where it started! Thanks to Sally Luker for identifying the species for me (photo: Amanda Scott).
Speckled Wood butterfly perching. Second brood individuals of this species can be seen into October. They prefer to feed on aphid honeydew, but later in the year can often be seen nectaring on brambles, when the honeydew is more scarce (photo: Amanda Scott).
There were also some great rock formations to be seen, both on the macro scale in the cliff faces, and closer up as the eye followed quartz intrusions snaking their way through the layers in rock pools.
Rocks, Maernporth Beach (photo: Amanda Scott)
Quartz intrusions at Bream Cove (photo: Amanda Scott)
I did spend a while ambling about through the rock pools and sands of Bream Cove. This is quite a wide cove – I walked down to it opposite the National Trust’s land at Nansidwell, onto a small beach called Woodlands Beach (also called Nansidwell Beach). It was amazingly quiet, with only another couple of people. I didn’t find anything spectacular in the rock pools, though there were quite a few small splashes and mad dashes into the seaweed, so something was there!
All in all, a lovely short walk, and I’m glad I made the effort. There are longer walks incorporating this stretch, including this circular route, for example. It just goes to show, it’s worth getting out, even on a greyish mizzly day.
