The Smugglers' Way is a coast to coast route across Cornwall Between Boscastle on the North Coast and Looe on the South Coast and visits landmarks made famous by Cornwall's smuggling heritage.
The Smugglers' Way is the creation of Frank Squibb of Falmouth, who walked it in 1994 and published three editions of his guide booklet.
Not only linking two coastlines, inland you also top the highest points in the ancient county of Kernow (Cornwall) on the wild and imposing tor of Brown Willy and the eerie rock sculptures of Rough Tor both high on the bleak and mysterious expanse of Bodmin Moor.
The Smugglers Way takes you down forgotten drove roads and ancient lanes mixed with testing sections of wild and open moorland walking. Either side of Bodmin Moor deserted, hidden river trails follow stunning and unspoilt forested valleys and pasture as you follow the waters gushing off the high ground and charging down to the sea.
For the actual crossing of the Moor navigational skills would be essential.
Further reading:
https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Smugglers%27+Way
https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/walking/north-coast/boscastle/smugglers-way-trail-boscastle-to-looe
Comments
Hi Lee & Sarah. Considering having a crack at this if I can get down to Cornwall this summer. Interested in your experience of navigation, in particular over the moor. I'll have the route gps loaded to my watch (& phone as back-up) for navigation. Will this work, or is the signal no good up there? Unfortunately I won't have a chance to recce. Thanks!
Hi Ben. Sorry I didn't realise you had commented, I didn't get a notification. I should think a gpx should be enough. I lose gps signal in the final woods (the southern end), but if you have the map you could follow that are there are only a couple of tracks, but the signal is okay out on the moor anyway where you need to pick your own route.
Did you have a go at it in the end?
Hi Sarah - thanks for the reply (which I've only just seen!). That's good to know. I didn't manage to do this last year, but hoping to have a go this summer.