Dog-friendly walks in Polperro

Five miles of National Trust coast west of Polperro, around three hours with 340 metres of climbing over a succession of small combes, and the emptiest cliffs on this side of Cornwall. It starts at the Trust car park beside Lansallos church, a field with an honesty box reached by a long single-track lane, and drops through the smugglers’ cutting to the cove. This is the one to avoid with a big dog: about half a dozen stone stiles are simply not navigable by dogs, several with long drops on the far side, and there is livestock in the fields near Lantic Bay.

A compact two and a half miles between Talland Bay and Polperro harbour, an hour and a half, but steep enough at both ends to earn its moderate to strenuous grade with 160 metres of climbing. Start at the Talland Bay car park above the beach, a small pay-and-display run by the parish, and come back over the fields past Talland church; the alternative is the big Crumplehorn car park at Polperro and walking it the other way round. No stiles and no livestock on the route, which is rare, but Chapel Cliff is a genuine cliff edge with no fence and the descent into Polperro is on steps.