Walks from the doorstep of Trewena Cottages
Step outside your cottage door at Trewena and you’re already on your way to discovering one of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets. We sit in the heart of Mabe Parish, a place often overlooked by the guidebooks but absolutely bursting with heritage, biodiversity and character—perfect for walkers who prefer birdsong over busyness and ancient footpaths over crowded hotspots.
Here, the paths don’t just lead you through countryside. They walk you through time. You’ll pass Bronze Age burial sites where urns were unearthed at Upper Spargo, and even older standing stones (Menhirs), placed over 5000 years ago, thought to align with the cycles of the moon. You’ll skirt the edges of centuries-old fields bordered by Cornish hedges—granite and earth structures that form a haven for wildflowers and pollinators, some dating back to the Bronze Age themselves. With a sharp eye and a bit of local know-how, you can age a hedge using the Hooper formula—roughly 100 years per species across 30 metres. It’s like a living timeline in the undergrowth.
The land around Trewena was shaped by granite and by those who quarried it. Mabe’s famed Moorstone granite has been used in everything from the Duke of Wellington’s monument to the kerbstones of London. Several walks from the cottages pass remnants of this legacy—deep quarry pits, moss-draped spoil heaps and rough-hewn granite stiles still in use today. You’re walking where generations of stonemasons once laboured, leaving their mark in everything from Parliament to local church fonts.
One of our favourite loops begins right from our drive, winding along narrow lanes and then out onto footpaths flanked by those very same ancient hedges. If you follow it east, you’ll skirt the higher ground where the views open up to the sea and the Fal estuary. Look closely and you might spot kestrels hovering or buzzards calling overhead. The land here is shaped by long-forgotten names—Treliever, Carnsew, Halvosso—all with roots in Cornish language and medieval manorial history.
The focal point for many of the walks in the parish is Argal Reservoir, a two-mile permissive path encircling a calm expanse of water with picnic benches, wildlife viewpoints and open skies. It’s easily accessed via a car park on the southern edge and offers a flat, relaxed walk that’s particularly lovely at sunrise or just before dusk. The surrounding fields once fed the working farms that served the quarrymen and their families. These days, you’re more likely to be joined by mallards, crows, and the occasional heron gliding in low over the water.
From Argal, keen walkers can make their way across the fields to Via Ferrata Cornwall, a unique adventure centre nestled in one of the old quarries. As well as high-ropes courses and zip lines for the brave, there’s also a fantastic café run by The Cornish Barista. It’s a great spot to stop for a proper coffee and a bite, with views overlooking the flooded granite pit. They’ve even set up a small heritage mining trail dotted with quarrying artefacts—lumps of ironwork, chisels and shaping tools that give a glimpse into the life and work that defined this landscape for generations.
In fact, as you explore the wider parish, you’ll see just how much granite left its mark here. Scramble up a stile or peer into an overgrown hedge and you might spot the tell-tale feather markings—regular indentations where workers once drove metal wedges to split the stone cleanly. Look closer still and you’ll find countless worked pieces scattered through the fields, used to line tracks, shore up barns or simply left where they were dropped decades ago. Eagle-eyed visitors will even spot them on site at Trewena, tucked into the boundary walls or lying quietly beneath the brambles.
Heading westwards takes you past Goodygrane and Tremough—places with names that go back centuries and paths shaped by a mixture of farming and mining. The area around Helland Mill, for instance, saw discoveries of tin ore in the early 20th century, which briefly reignited interest in the mining potential of the area. And while those projects never materialised, the scarps and terraces left behind now make for fascinating walking territory. You’re walking not just on trails, but on the very industry that once made this parish boom.
Every route here has a story—some marked in history books, others in the very names of the fields and farms. Walk through Little Palestine, where ‘pylles’ means bare land in Cornish, or head towards Carveth, once a medieval fortress. Each name you pass—Trewoon, Halvosso, Chynoweth—carries echoes of the families who lived, farmed and quarried here across centuries. Mabe itself was once known as De Sancto Laudo, and St Laudus Church still sits proudly on the hill, offering not just a peaceful bench to rest your legs but views that roll across the whole parish.
The beauty of these walks is not just in where they go, but how they feel. Quiet. Undiscovered. Yours. On many routes you’re more likely to be watched by a cow than pass another walker. And when you return to Trewena, whether muddied or sun-kissed, the kettle’s on, the boots come off, and the peace continues.
You don’t need to go far to find Cornwall’s character. From our doorstep, it’s underfoot, overhead and all around you. Ancient paths, wild corners, lost industries, and stories in stone—it’s all here, waiting. Just bring a decent pair of boots and a sense of curiosity. We’ll provide the map.
Use the map below to get an idea of what routes there are around the area. During your stay we’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction to the paths and offer suggestions. You’ll also find a physical copy of the map in your cottage.
Trewena holiday cottages near Falmouth is the perfect base for exploring Cornwall on foot. Just 10 minutes from the centre of Falmouth and some of Cornwall’s finest hikes, you can choose from our selection of one-bedroom cottages. We also have some lovely hikes right from our doorstep!
