A DEEP coastal valley covered in trees runs down to the remote hamlet at Millook near Widemouth Bay on the North Cornwall coast. The woods are managed by the Woodland Trust which says that visitors to the sheltered valley, with its overhead sea breezes, birdsong, running stream water and red deer bellowing in the autumn, can enjoy an idyllic and historic atmosphere that is akin to stepping back in time.

The Millook Valley woodland, taking in Trebarfoote, Tamps and Landy, Trengayor Copse, Crannow Coombe and Lundy Woods, is also home to bats and otters. The trees in what is recognised as one of the largest native broadleaved woodlands in North Cornwall are predominantly oak alongside ash and sycamore.

A valley covered in trees runs down to the hamlet at Millook in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
A valley covered in trees runs down to the hamlet at Millook in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

The woodland has been left largely undisturbed for many years and is reputed to be one of the best sites in the country for rare lichens and lungworts. Iron Age people lived in the area and they left behind circular enclosures, the remains of which can be seen at Trebarfoote Camp and above Trengayor.

The path leading to the woods from Millook passes bungalows built using pit props salvaged from a ship wrecked at Widemouth Bay in 1900. The Italian vessel, Concezione, was heading from South Wales when it was driven ashore by a gale.

The stream that runs through Millook in North Cornwall to the sea. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The stream that runs through Millook in North Cornwall to the sea. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

On the isolated cliffs to the west of Millook is what the National Trust describes as an unusual woodland. The woods at Dizzard Point, containing oaks stunted because of their exposure to the coastal weather, are said to be some of the oldest in Britain, dating back to prehistoric times. The trees grow densely together and provide an excellent habitat for mosses and lichen.

The South West Coast Path zigzags down a hillside to the west of Dizzard Point in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)
The South West Coast Path zigzags down a hillside to the west of Dizzard Point in North Cornwall. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)

Nearby is Cancleave Strand which has contorted geology similar to that at Millook.

• Andrew Townsend is a journalist and writer. He further explores the county in the travel book, Cornwall Favourites For One And All!: A Quick Guide To Good Places To Visit Across The County, which is available in print and as an ebook. More details on Andrew’s books and ebooks can be found via this link to his author page on Amazon - bit.ly/AndrewTownsendAuthor

Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as an ebook on Amazon.
Cornwall Favourites For One And All!, a lovely tour around the county, is available as a book and an ebook on Amazon. (Picture: Andrew Townsend)