Malpas to Tresillian Walk

Detailed walk information

A beautiful walk along the Tresillian river with plenty of wading birds, ducks, gulls and swans. The village of St Clement is a pleasure to visit with its wonderful church and grounds. The Heron Inn is a great stop off at Malpas and at St Clement a popular tea room in the Old Vicarage, not somewhere you would expect a refreshment stop.

At Malpas there are public conveniences, a pub, The Heron Inn and some lovely views of the confluence of the Truro and Tresillian rivers. With the Heron Inn on your left walk up the road as far as it goes. The hump in the road leads to a private road so watch out for the signposts to take you to the right. Keep on this path to the left of the last house, which takes you into some woods and then a clearing. The path veers right, ignore a stile to your left and go over a stile up the hill following the path leftwards to a gap in the hedge. The path hugs the hedge on your left to a gap and a gate. Turn left into the field and immediately right at another gate. In wet weather this gateway is extremely muddy.

You get wonderful views of the surrounding area with the steeple of St Clement below your eye line. The Tresillian river is to the right of the church (see photo bottom of page 1). Head down the field into St Clement. Straight ahead leads you to the church and through one of only three lychgates in the county, restored in 2008. The church lists vicars going back to 1265 and the windows are painted not stained. Close to the entrance of the church is a Roman monument called the Ignioc Rock and remains of ancient menhirs that abound further west or on Dartmoor. The churchyard is also a managed wildlife site.

The vicarage below is where the tearoom is. There is a very limited car parking area on the river. Behind the parking area is the permissive footpath to take you back along the river to Malpas if you want to shorten the walk or don’t want to walk back up the hill you just came down. To continue the walk up to Tresillian walk along the path with the river on your right. Waders should be abundant here at low tide and ducks might be in Tresemple Pond coming up on your left. Pencalenick school is also hidden on your left but stray shouts from the grounds might be heard. Take time to explore the river before reaching a left hand bend in the path and the start of reed beds. Keep to the path ignoring the bridge to your right (you come back this way). One can turn round and go back or to make the walk a half mile longer continue to the woods at the end of the path. The track/road leads left up to the school. Continue, right, through the woods to the entrance of the school, turn right and you get on to the A390 Truro-St Austell road. Turning right, keep on the grass for 200 metres until you reach a lone bungalow and the footpath sign is there a few metres before it. This takes you through the reeds to the bridge you saw minutes before.

Follow the path back to St Clement and the permissive path to your left at the Vicarage and car parking area. This takes you through woods, which is mixed old oak, coppiced hazel and pine plantation (photo above).

The path takes you back to the clearing where you originally came to before the steep ascent. Turn left along the path that takes you back to Malpas.

Public transport information

83 Bus Truro to Malpas Village. (every two hours!).

Nearest Toilets and Nearest Disabled Toilets

Public toilets at Malpas village or if you walk from Boscawen park there are some there. Also at St Clement.

Nearest Car parks and Nearest Car Parks with disabled provision

Limited car parking at St Clement or along the road at Malpas (put your wing mirrors in though).

Nearest refreshments

Heron Inn Malpas.