thumb|The Saints' Way looking north west towards [[St Austell]]

thumb|Signpost and [[Celtic cross along the Saints' Way near Lanivet]]

The Saints' Way () is a long-distance footpath in mid Cornwall that connects the coastal towns of Padstow and Fowey.

The Saints' Way follows a possible reconstructed route taken by early traders and Christian travellers making their way between Ireland, Wales, and Mainland Europe. Rather than risk the difficult passage around Land's End, they could disembark from ships on the coast of Cornwall and progress over land to other coast ports such as Fowey on foot.

Description

The footpath runs North-West to South-East, from North Padstow—on the North coast of Cornwall—to Fowey—on South coast of Cornwall. The Saints' Way's symbolic trailheads are St Petroc's Church in Padstow (), and St Finbar's church in Fowey (). The eastern route passes Helman Tor, through Lanlivery, to Golant, and to Fowey.

The routes between Padstow and Fowey largely declined in use during the Roman period in Cornwall. In the post-roman perioid in Cornwall, cultural and religious exchange between Ireland, Wales, Brittany and Cornwall, <bdi>as a part of the Age of the Saints in Celtic Christianity.</bdi>

Modern reconstruction

In 1984, two villagers from Luxulyan—Cliff Townes and Alf Fookes—discovered of a section of abandoned pathway surfaced with cobbles and a series of granite stiles that had been covered by overgrown vegetation.

The Saints' Way was created as part of the Cooperative Retail Services Community Programme and opened in 1986.

See also

  • Camel Trail
  • Cornish Coast Path
  • List of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
  • Doom Bar

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

  • Cornwall Council's official Saints' Way route page & guide information.