GRISLY SECRETS REVEALED by coastal erosion on South West Coast Path

If you find yourself walking around the coast of the UK have you ever considered if you are walking over someone’s grave?
In this video we visit Polurrian Cove near Mullion in Cornwall and look for the grave of an unknown mariner who lost his life here, the victim of a shipwreck long ago.
Before 1808 anyone lost at sea, who’s body was washed ashore, was not necessarily given a church burial, and often these poor souls were buried in shallow graves near where their corpse was found. Over time and as a result of coastal erosion more of these graves are being exposed and the authorities have to investigate the finds.
We have found evidence in a number of old books about Cornwall’s heritage with reference to specific wrecks, the loss of life, and where the victims where laid to rest.
Here is an extract from ‘A week at the Lizard’ by CA Johns published in 1848.
‘A narrow winding path leads down to the sands about a third of the way down, in a little natural hollow, sheltered from every wind that blows, a long, narrow, mound points out where rests at length some sea-tossed mariner, all that is known of whose history is, that here his corpse was washed on shore, and here consigned to the grave. Common though the occurrence of burial places is on these cliffs, there is something particularly touching in this lonely grave of the unknown wanderer.’
After watching this video, it might just make you think about what you could be walking over the next time you venture out to explore the Cornish coast path.
The standard description bit…
We are Sarah and Andrew and we film around Cornwall and publish on KZbin, usually weekly. Sometimes we stay in accommodation in Cornwall and upload our vlog. Sarah is fascinated by sea glass and likes to collect it so there may be the occasional sea glass video too. The channel is a hobby and we both have normal day jobs!
Unfortunately we cannot answer comments coming in more than a week after the publishing date of the video.
Frequently asked questions:
Do we do meet ups?
We regularly receive requests to meet up from viewers and subscribers, but unfortunately we do not have availability to be able to do this.
The channel is a very time consuming hobby, fitted around our employment and family commitments. Setting aside time for meet ups, means that we are not able to film and edit our weekly videos that you love to watch.
If you happen to bump into us while out and about, we will be more than happy to have a quick chat!
Sarah and Andrew
What camera do we use?
Since December 2018 we have used: Canon Powershot G7x MkII
How do I find the books you use?
Most are still in print although some we pick up in charity shops and may be available on Amazon secondhand. Please refer to the video for the book titles. Every video shows the book title. Sorry but we can’t put a link in every description.
Best time of year to visit Cornwall?
We love May, June for flora and fauna, July and September for spectacular scenery.
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[@catherineleslie-faye4302]

Your blogs are the closest I can get to visiting Cornwall. Thanks for showing me where my grandmother walked.

[@SpanishEclectic]

You always find the most fascinating books! Shipwrecks are so mysterious, and your coast is famous for them. Thank you for the adventure. Hope the doggies enjoyed getting their feet wet. :)

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Our doggies had a lovely afternoon, they love digging! Sarah :)

[@jennyelliottbrown6680]

How much have I enjoyed this lovely vlog. I am 76 year old now single lady....holidays involve towing my rather large caravan, with my collie Billy..... enjoying the north east coast ( not too far from my home!) and wonder just how many similar areas there are up here, Robin Hoods bay..... Ravenscar...... Runswick bay.....Staithes......all well known for the dreaded " WRECKERS". you've prompted me to do some research and maybe find something new to look for other than fossils and jet !!! Xxxxx

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

That’s interesting - what is jet?

[@jennyelliottbrown6680]

@CornishWalkingTrails Hi, jet is a semi precious material ( jet black) made popular by Queen Victoria after her husband Prince Albert died and she was in deep mourning. Extensively found around the NE coast predominantly around Whitby...and is a fosil from trees in prehistoric times. At one point a cheaper type of jet was imported from Asia but the English jet is/ was more stable and highly prized, still found today around the coast, especially where costal erosion takes place and embedded jet is exposed xxx just an add on.....when you find jet, it is lighter in weight than what you would expect, and if you " chalk" it on a stone it makes an orange/ brown line rather than black as coal would.

[@jessicastrideart]

It’s always a joy to see you two on your walks! That’s fascinating to think so many bodies could be buried in those areas. My daughter used to work on the Lizard for Natural England, I need to tell her about this!

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Oooo! She may know more! Sarah :)

[@jnharton]

There were probably bodies buried literally everywhere that humans have ever lived (and died)... Whatever still exists for people to stumble across is certainly a mere fraction of the total.

[@CornishColin]

Gosh watching this from Oman and as soon as I saw the thumbnail recognised it as Pollurian - I grew up in Mullion and my father still lives there. You taught me a few things I didn't know.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Beautiful Cove! Sarah :)

[@JoannaLouise200]

What an incredibly beautiful scenic walk, and a lovely tribute to all those unknown souls resting along that stunning coastline...a salient reminder of the powerful sea and its changeability. I wonder, if by reputation (unfairly exaggerated or not), seafaring folk generally (except fishermen) were considered 'heathen' or bordering on heathen in those days and that that precluded right to consecrated burial? Personallly I'd prefer to be on a windswept cliff with a panoramic view rather than in a shadey churchyard (let's hope not for a while yet though!). I could almost smell that delicate Sea Campion and the pink Thrift hummocks, and that was just the prettiest seaglass stack ever ~ the jewel-like colours are amazing. You certainly have an eye for spotting these gorgeous sea-tumbleded gems. And happy doggies with their unrelenting passion for digging gave me such a Friday smile ~ thank you! :)

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Totally agree - scatter me on a cliff top, preferably north coast somewhere! Sarah :)

[@shondra6]

Well the algorithm has sent me here. What a wonderful channel. Very informative. Such a pretty place. And what wonderful books. TFS. I’m sure I’ll be back .. cheers from Aussie. 😊😊

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

The algorithm is a wonderful thing!! 😂 Sarah :)

[@user-lu7xg3xu5k]

Love your channel never been to Cornwall but your enthusiasm and happy go lucky attitude is brill keep it up 😊

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! 😊

[@katrinayoung4968]

What a beautiful place, interesting subject. Watching from Tasmania Australia….lots of shipwrecks here too around our coastlines.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Oooo! I wonder if it happened over there too!?! Sarah :)

[@pilesofparagraphs]

So much history, thanks so much for sharing.

[@PhilipInCoventry]

Your Porthleven clip, shows my cousins Carndel guest house. It's since been demolished & rebuilt. Thank you.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Seems that most of Cornwall is being demolished and rebuilt Grand Designs style! Sarah :)

[@TravellingTorunn]

Hi Sarah and Andrew 😊 Great to see this area again. I remember well the burial site in the end of Looe Bar. And I think it is fantastic that this man invented a way of rescuing people from sinking ships, as it is written on the plaque. I temember once I was on a guided fossil hunt on Isle of Wight. The guide told me that they lose about a meter of cliff each year due to erosion. And they find it exciting for they find new fossils. But that was in 2016, and the erosion has probably increased. And I am sure he does't wish to find human skeletons. Thank you for the lovely video. Torunn 🥰

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I have always thought it would be nice to find a fossil! Sarah :)

[@TravellingTorunn]

​​@@CornishWalkingTrailsIt was fun. I found a tiny part of an ammonite, some fossiled dinosaur poo, and some petrified bits of wood 😊 The guide was really good. It was on Sandown beach.

[@user-zx4mb7ui1r]

Aah! So you've been to Pistil Meadow. My uncle was based at Predannack with the RAF during the later part of the second world war and was billeted at a house in Beacon Terrace in the Lizard. He loved the area and suggested to my mother-to-be, that she might like to come down for a holiday to witness the scenery. (dad -to-be was with the RAF at Imphal in India) Mum got to know a chap, and his wife, during her visit. He was a William Theodore Green who was a signalman at Lloyds Signal Station at Bass Point to the East of the Southernmost point. I was 'hatched' in 1947 and during my childhood years mum would frequently say that she would love to visit Cornwall again. In 1957 mum bought a book of bed and breakfast holidays in Cornwall. Lo and behold, a Bill and Mary Green did B@B at their house called Dukomin at Cross Common at Lizard Town, as it was portrayed on the maps at that time. She wrote to them and the reply was, when are you arriving then? In September 1958, I had my first taste of, not just Cornwall, but the Lizard as well. It was love at first sight. Bill looked exactly like a pirate with a hooked nose and trousers held up by anything to hand, and he had a shop, next to the school on Beacon Terrace selling Hornby clockwork trains, odd useful items for use in household repairs, but most important of all, ice cream, bottles of Corona (other brands are available) and sweets. For those in need of nicotine, he stocked a supply of cigarettes. He used to tell me tales, and one of the first was of Pistil Meadow which he believed contained well over 200 bodies. Another favourite tale was of two holiday makers who got off the bus and by two o'clock they were both drowned at the beach between Lizard Head and Kynance. Cannot recall its name without resorting to my maps. He was a cheerful sort of chap was Bill. This afternoon I watched your video about Falmouth being the most depressing town in the U.K. in 2024. What a load of rubbish, it's a great place. I now, having moved to Cornwall several years ago, volunteer at the Maritime Museum after seven years of volunteering with the NCI at Nare Point, and love looking out of the tower at the vista of Falmouth laid before me. The people who came up with this rubbish probably came down in mid winter when it was raining like hell in a force 10 gale. Even the Cornish aren't that daft to come out in such weather. Look, I'm so sorry to have waffled on for so long , but keep up the good work with your videos. Mike Selmes.

[@bobspeller2225]

A lovely and interesting video. Great scenic walk and a thoughtful presentation. Nice one Sarah and Andrew. all the best Bob

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Sarah :)

[@LovelyFish-wg1dq]

It's more a health safety risk, burying corpses where they fell. Handling rotting bodies is dangerous. You'd expend minimum energy, expense, time in getting rid of putrid waste of somebody else's. Matter of practicality, really.

[@paulcooper9187]

Agree , and no recompense either. Expend as little effort as possible would be my suggestion. It may seem hard and callous, but mind sets were different then.

[@jnharton]

There's also a sense in which burying them was the proper thing to do, as opposed to leaving them there to decompose and be eaten by scavengers. Plus, they didn't really have a reliable way to preserve bodies for later identification.

[@genosho5574]

One little thing, bodies are not dangerous. That's a misconception. But just leaving them out in the open is unhygenic and plain respectless.

[@ladylaois8184]

Enjoyed this one thank you 🙏 love seeing the dogs. We are dog crazy have 8 rescues here.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Our dogs adore the beach! I would have more if veterinary costs were not as hard to cover! Sarah :)

[@loristeiner5493]

Good Morning Sarah and Andrew ☀️Thank you for all of the work you put into these amazing videos , so much rich history and information! Sarah , the sea glass that you found was absolutely stunning , such gorgeous shades, those fur babies just melt my heart , brown fur baby started digging on cue , how perfect lol, wishing you and Andrew a great weekend ahead, sending lots of happiness, Lori

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you so much Lori! Lovely to think you still watch!! Sarah :)

[@Sherr8881]

Thanks for another interesting and beautiful video.Thrilled to see Andrew with his Clemson hat on again today!! Our son has his Masters in Hydrogeology project presentation on Monday.. 😅🎉 Sherry Summers❤

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Best of luck! Sarah :)

[@cherienafo7676]

Australia here/ Thank you !! just found this channel and love it ! I'm descendant of Cornish Miners , 'enticed' to come to South Australia to mine copper and tin- so I should have been born in Cornwall and still I feel very Cornish !! I complain a lot in the summer here (hate it) So, it must have been horrendous for those new arrivals, although they had access to Moonta Bay, which would've been a god send. Used to help my Nana make Cornish pasties ! Cheers.

[@CornishColin]

I lived in Australia for 10 years (I'm a Cornishman) and resided for a few years in Adelaide before heading to Perth. I was amazed the towns in the Yorke Peninsula with lots of Cornish heritage. Oh and the “Cornish Happiness” festival you have (Kernewek Lowender festival). Even your pasties are pretty good 🤣

[@kimtozer5517]

Got our own grizzly finds on Clifton suspension bridge at the moment 😂

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Eight! Yes, grim, Sarah !

[@chrisfrancis7925]

Thank you love your channel love you tell the history of places you visited.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thanks for watching! Sarah :)

[@esthermorrissey1454]

We really enjoyed today’s video - again your story telling & editing is brilliant Sarah. Looking back on older video’s made the video even more interesting - who was that young man? ha ha!! Your old books will make sure history will not be forgotten- Well worth a watch 10/10

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Sarah :)

[@Hedgehogsinthemist123]

There have been wrecks all over the coast of Cornwall for centuries, so I guess there must be hundreds of graves all over the place by the sea. Thanks for your interesting video.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Indeed! Quite a thought! Sarah :)

[@juliaogara8794]

Lovely seeing places I’ve walked. 2003 to 2019 I spent every summer at Garras. Love learning new things about the area.

[@EllenPetersson-zs8wc]

Thank you so much for this video ❤

[@robmoore7708]

"A third of the way down" in those days might be further than you can estimate today due to the erosion over the years.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Probably almost impossible now to find, but worth a try! Sarah :)

[@tractorgirl8124]

Great channel lots of really great videos gradually getting through them all. one day I plan to move to Cornwall 😊where I live in Essex is horrible 😢

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I hope your dream becomes a reality! Sarah :)

[@melindacheeatow3324]

Another great video. Thank you so much. So interesting, the history scenery… fabulous, 😊,

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Sarah :)

[@helenbosworth5950]

I been here for holiday in 1986 very interesting the history you didn’t known what Happened years ago very interesting amazing video as always keep up the videos Sarah and Andrew . We stayed at Muillon and finding out now fascinating story

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Beautiful place! Sarah :)

[@dougie1325]

In 2014 winter storms exposed an ancient burial tomb, complete with skeleton on the cliffs overlooking Harlyn Bay. They think it was a bronze age female and it's said there likely many such burials littered throughout the Cornish coastline. You can still see the box like construction from slate stone in the cliff face.

[@cornwallparanormalresearch2378]

Awesome 👌 like and shared out in you tube community. ⌚

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! 👍

[@cornwallparanormalresearch2378]

More than welcome 😊

[@colinbaker3415]

Coast walk✔Beach✔Digging dogs✔History and Intrigue✔Sea Glass✔Even a bit of CWT nostalgia thrown in (who was that clean shaven young man?).What a treat, back on top form guys😄

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! We enjoyed our evening to boot! And had too tired doggies, 😂 Sarah :)

[@heatherdepasquale9803]

Instead of a dishonorable burial of the shipwrecked, I think it’s special that these men and women were naturally buried where they died…like seamen…buried at sea. Maybe I’m just a romantic and naive. Also, great sadness for their loved ones…truly lost. Great video…digging doggies and well balanced sea glass.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I think I would like to be scattered on a cliff top when my time comes! Sarah :)

[@traceymayo1583]

Thank you I enjoyed that :)

[@rhondayoakum3622]

Loved this Great video! The couple @ the end was funny 😄

[@bernicebest]

Amazing documentary evidence but no actual evidence can be found of berried bodies, my Son visits this coastline every year with his family and friends, due to go next weekend, he’s never mentioned any grizzly finds, just how beautiful the sea views are and amazing landscapes, lovely to see your faithful friends enjoying their coastal walk, would love to relive my holidays in Cornwall but have lost my mobility, just have my beautiful memories and your wonderful videos thank goodness, amazing colours in the sea glass stack well done 👏take care both of you until next time 🥰🥀🤗

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I was very lucky with the variety of colours that I found! Sarah :)

[@judybee]

Have shared this one with my daughter!...her favourite cove. Couldn't get down to it much though in May when they went for a week as the weather was bad! Mother nature eh? I expect she will be interested too in the history you have told. Think the doggies may have the knack of finding any bones!! Bless their hearts. Love to see them digging away. Have you done any paintings of Polurrian Sarah? Especially with the beautiful sea glass found there. Have a feeling that she would love to own one if you have (the one in the video is of Kynance & is beautiful) x J x

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you Judy, I'm sure there will be more paintings going up on the shop soon, Sarah :)

[@pamelagartner3759]

When you were looking for the grave of the lone mariner, you forgot the description in the book: “in a little natural hollow, sheltered from every wind that blows…”

[@jeannerogers7085]

Terrific little journey thru your gorgeous countryside and history. In the US, we had some interesting similar discoveries in drought stricken Nevada fairly recently - bodies in barrels revealed in a lake bed not far from Las Vegas.

[@chrish3472]

I absolutely love the Lizard peninsula, it's like another world so detached from the madness of everyday life, a really calming relaxing special place to be, now four weeks since i returned back to the midlands from Cornwall and i already feel like i want to return, your videos are a real tonic for us landlocked souls miles from the sea.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

With great humility, we are so lucky to be able to call Cornwall home! Sarah :)

[@joannhempen8210]

Loved and subbed❤❤❤

[@MySteamChannel]

Greets from a "Treg...." in Australia

[@jenniferholden9397]

I love Sennan cove, I’ve been going there since I was 19, unfortunately I’m not able to get there anymore.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Love Sennen! Sarah :)

[@terryhoath1983]

"Mummy, Mummy. Can we go and play with Granddad ?" "NO ! Leave him alone. You've already dug him up three times this week." On a more serious note, the wreckers used to dispose of the evidence as quickly as possible. Digging shallow graves and dumping the bodies of their victims therein and quickly camouflaging the scene was the obvious way to do that. They searched for and murdered every survivor, otherwise, an escaping survivor would give evidence against them.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Ha! Ha! Cruel Coppinger comes to mind! Complete subject on its own! Sarah :)

[@YvetteWINSTONE-bl8jr]

Totally fascinating xxx

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Sarah :)

[@jameshudson7053]

I'm not usually interested in corpses however you two managed to make a video about corpses fairly good fun! Maximum respect from Orlando, Florida!😲😳😆😃👏🏼😁

[@sallydingle321]

Think the dogs are more likely to find some bones for sure 😜🐾👌. Gorgeous area 😍... don't seem to make it to the Lizard area these days.. Must visit soon 🙏. Loved this episode guys 💖🥰

[@sallydingle321]

Oh, and meant to say it's a shame that there isn't anything to commemorate those people who perished all those years ago 😞. You are helping to keep the memory of them alive though 👍🙏

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! We had a lovely day for filming and the dogs were completely worn out! Sarah :)

[@johnlane3559]

Your love and knowledge of Cornwall is obvious, you should write your own book.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Sarah :)

[@donnawilkes8954]

Enjoyed both the history and the beautiful scenery. Are you wearing a Clemson orange cap?

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you and yes! Sarah :)

[@thesmudge1353]

I can think of many worse places to be buried than on a Cornish cliff

[@johnlovesyoko]

I love your channel ⚓️🐳

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

😊

[@joythompson4454]

Hi, I hope you don’t mind me asking but it’s the old book lover again. Is your book about Mullion an original or a facsimile edition. I can’t find an original on line..just facsimiles. Many thanks, joy z Thompson. Ps…fab vies of polurian…

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Our copy is a first edition, original that we found in a bookshop in Plymouth last month. Sarah :)

[@damianbutterworth2434]

I found an old video of Looe Bar when I had a Nokia 3310. We went paddling and I found out a few months ago it`s a really dangerous beach. I did wonder why the sand was really being pulled from under your feet by the water. Was quite scary.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Yes, a real undercurrent on the bar will suck you off your feet! Sarah :)

[@jonathoneadie-simcock8095]

Do miss Cornwall I had 12 /5 years living there

[@Torridgemaid]

My great uncle sadly died along with other crew members when the merchant ship he was on was torpedoed and sank in 1918 off Trevose head, the sea is his grave

[@debbiehollis5711]

Spooky when you think of all the dead washed up on beaches.You would think the tidal pull would keep the bodies in the sea.

[@archielatus]

My ashes are going on a cliff edge. Such as fantastic location for eternity. The family already have their instructions

[@janetstanland2015]

There used to be a bungalow along from that land slip, sadly it fell into the sea…..

[@TheSilmarillian]

New sub here hello from Australia nice work indeed.

[@franceslynch3285]

The reason the bodies are in the cliff, maybe the locals where to busy , getting all the goods from the ship, if they wash a shore there allowed to take them , but if there in the sea they belong to the crown , you get your pile and leave your hat there and no one will touch it , I am half cornish and there was a storm , hollywell bay Newquay ,they now have some lovely mahogany floors .

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

All too true! When a ship carrying coal went down near Predannack Head, the locals had coal fires all winter! Sarah :)

[@Sherr8881]

Thanks!

[@dianahutsel7101]

Question, what is "sea glass"? I grew up inland, and I have never seen it.

[@mah3223alia]

Sea glass is glass ( from broken bottles etc) that has been worn smooth by the action of sea over sand and stones

[@cynthiastogden7000]

A lovely place to be buried I think, by the sea.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I think I would like to be scattered on a cliff top! Sarah :)

[@neilbridson9392]

Why was Mullion spelt as Mullyon in the old books?

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Good question! The author, Reverend Harvey, looked into the various spellings when he wrote the book in 1875 and found 8 different spellings, St Mullyon, Mullyon, Mullian, Mullyan and so on. In the parish registry at Exeter at the time it was given as ‘Mullyon’ and, to quote ‘I, as “Vicar of Mullyon” have adopted this form.’ Sarah :)

[@owenwilliams9666]

I do enjoy your videos. Your Cornish language is so similar to our Welsh. Can you speak any?

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Our daughter went to Cardiff Uni and we noticed the similarity. Unfortunately we never got a bible in the Cornish Language and it went into decline. We know the odd word from place names but no one that regularly speaks Cornish. Even our word patternation is being lost with the influx of people from out of County! Sarah :)

[@seanflewin9803]

You might have more chance on a nice day in winter

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Ooooo! Yes, on a stormy day! Sarah :)

[@clivemacken552]

The question is why did they not bury them in the cemetery

[@jnharton]

The easiest answer is probably that, depending on the time frame, if they were christians (probably catholic) they buried their dead near the church. But they wouldn't have buried unidentified strangers on 'consecrated ground'.

[@dyannejohnson6184]

I was wondering would not mounds settle as the body decomposes?

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Maybe, but I always thought the mound sunk when a coffin collapsed, not sure coffins would have been used for a shipwreck victim. Sarah :)

[@juliadaniels3871]

Is it possible in years gone by they're were more cemeteries on the land and over time these have become buried???!!

[@user-xs1yx9tc9m]

There must be many bodies waiting to be found everywhere.

[@peterworby2049]

What are those pink flowers in the hedgerow as you walked down the lane? cheers

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Stunning aren’t they? It’s called Valerian, and can be pink, scarlet or white. Tolerate salt laden air and just love a sunny hedgerow! Sarah :)

[@peterworby2049]

@@CornishWalkingTrails also noticed a few weeks ago, driving from Portreath upto Newquay on the coast there was a smell of lavender/vanilla emanating at odd points but on getting out of the car found nothing to account for the fragrance...... yesterday however stopped at North Cliffs car parking on the coastal path just south of Portreath, stunning view from there

[@juliaforsyth8332]

@@CornishWalkingTrails It's False Valerian, not the medicinal Valerian.

[@DebbieSeaKay]

Ah, you're on my home turf! Take a short walk into Mullion and visit the churchyard! Just by the tower is the wonky Celtic Cross burial site of Dionysius Williams, who was the Church Warden. He was also a notorious smuggler! His exploits were said to have coved quite an area in Mullion, including the Church, the Old Inn, and Kings Cottage opposite the Mounts Bay Inn (where Dionysius was born). His partner in crime was Henry George - an distant relative of our newly elected Lib Dem MP, Andrew George (also a Mullion boy) - and the pair built an extensive network of tunnels to evade capture, along the Mullion coastline. It is believed that they also utilised earlier smugglers tunnels which were said to lead to Bochym Manor, built by the men of the notorious Pirate, Captain Avery (Henry Every), who stole the treasure of the Mughal of India, en route to Arabia. This treasure has never been found but it is believed by many locals, and ingrained in local legends, that it is buried somewhere on the Lizard peninsula. The older tunnels connected smugglers and wreckers to three local manors; Bochym, Bonython and Erisey - according to local folklore. As I said - some fascinating smuggling and wrecking history in these parts, which makes coastal walks all the more intriguing, especially if you brave the walks during a storm, witnessing the power of the elements and imagining just how treacherous both sailing and wrecking was.

[@janetstanland2015]

That is a very new path so anybody buried right near the path might have been found while laying it. I think near the steps would be more likely…..

[@mariacurtis9247]

When i went to sennon cove there was part of a whale bone on the beach

[@rogerbixley6911]

Hi Sarah and Andrew. I have read that you are not allowed to takes stones and pebbles from the beach...is that the same about sea glass.....or do you leave them on the beach ?.

[@SMartypAntsPants]

Sea glass is considered litter, so you are allowed to take it off the beach.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Anything the naturally forms part of the beach should not be removed, but sea glass is rubbish and can be removed. Sarah :)

[@rogerbixley6911]

@@CornishWalkingTrails thanks for the answer

[@terryhoath1983]

If you are resident in Cornwall, since time immemorial, you have been entitled to take sand, weed etc from the beaches. Farmers have always done it using donkeys and baskets but there has been trouble with farmers going down to certain beaches with tractors and trailers, but, unless the law has changed recently, (maybe, Sarah and Andrew have some new imformation), it is still perfectly legal. The same applies to cuttlefish. Off of Holywell where I used to live, following them gathering for their mass orgies, the cuttlefish die and every now and again, THOUSANDS And THOUSANDS of cuttlefish bones suddenly appeared on the beach. I have yet to hear of anyone being prosecuted for taking a few stones or shells or cuttlefish bones. On any reasonable day, there are fossil hunters on the Dorset Coast. Lyme is famous for it. I used to windsurf off of Long Rock. If there had been a storm which had given the kelp on the Hoguses a haircut, a great band of kelp built up on the high tide line, about half a mile long, up to 20ft from front to back and two or more feet in height. I took half a cubic yard back with me for my garden time after time and the blackbirds had a field day, in fact, many days digging through it. It produced beautiful tomatoes and cucumbers. Many people gathered it. Vast amounts of it was left, and within days, dropped in height as it decayed into strong-smelling gelatinous mess inhabited by millions and millions of sand hoppers. Sewage was discharged from the Long Rock outfall (It is still an emergency overflow) and thousands and thousands of pink, cream, pale green, sky blue etc sanitary towel liners emerged, still anchored at one end, they fluttered in the breeze like Buddhist prayer flags. Man ... or is that woman, giveth and man taketh away for his garden ... the kelp, that is ...not the other..

[@Fox1nDen]

As long as the world has been inhabited, potentially anywhere is someone's grave. Along seacoasts especially for the sailors of shipwrecks who didn't beat the waves to safety. We are talking shipwrecks as old as ships are, as old as boat travel. And after the great flood, who was there to bury anyone? Possibly Noah and his family buried the dead they found in the regions they settled, that would have otherwise left dry bones scattered about, with not as many birds and beasts left to clean the bones. It's a sobering thought how many perished by flood or shipwreck. And many countries are suffering flooded rivers now. Lord preserve us all.

[@miketan4803]

Why aren't they building coastal defenses to minimize erosion e.g. pilings

[@mariacurtis9247]

Love loe bar

[@wendyhumphreys116]

I keep thinking you saw a bear. I think you mean grisly...

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Ooops! Oh yes! I knew there was something wrong there! Over 30k other people have either thought we were really stupid or simply not noticed!! Ha! Ha! Sarah :)

[@wendyhumphreys116]

@@CornishWalkingTrails Bless! Easily done!!! Cool videos either way xx

[@MarlinWilliams-ts5ul]

Think of all the people who have lived and died in the British Isles... going back 50,000 years.

[@jamesadkins1780]

The bodies probably were in very deteriorated condition so they most likely wanted to get them buried immediately.

[@adrianbew9641]

If your religion was unknown you couldn't be buried on hallowed ground, most of these that was unknown so it wasn't practical to move a body very far especially if it was already decomposing.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I guess! Sarah :)

[@scottgordon1781]

Maybe your dogs had the right idea , digging where they did . Assume they smelt something :-)

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

😂 Maybe!! Sarah :)

[@peterworby2049]

Will any MPs be found?shame though eh🤣🤣

[@rolloakagaryr1527]

Come on how many common people in 1808 know of any other religon an christainity

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

I think they were aware probably of Judaism, we fought in the crusades in the 12th century and white sailors were taken as slaves to North Africa. Also there was the spice route in the 15th century linked many Mediterranean countries to Asia. So awareness but maybe not knowledge!?! Sarah :)

[@MissMentats]

lol we were there just yesterday. I think you should maybe invest in a better outdoor mic

[@shaunmiller7370]

Valerian, otherwise known pride of wherever it grows

[@ladysharongreaves7657]

Maybe not marked because of grave robbers 😮

[@kettleions]

Coastal

[@Kerrybarnett-vp3hn]

When Cornwall was a less lawless place than it is today😂 it was more convenient for all that no survivors or victims of shipwrecks were to be found, and the best place for disposing of these poor souls would be the countless shafts and test shafts of the mines. A reason for the locals actions was the fear of how to the outside world they had been portrayed as seagoing folk who would stoop so low as enticing innocent sailers to their deaths by wrecking (fake navigation lamps) there is little doubt that this did occur but not in the way that was portrayed by the authorities who wanted to stamp down on the Cornish people for the smuggling of Rum, Brandy, wine. Etc

[@LilyGazou]

I suppose one day it will all be covered with housing with the increase in population. Meanwhile it’s beautiful to see.

[@andrewrcmadwilkinson6999]

I IS 1ST ❤

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

YAY! congrats! Sarah :)

[@StormyPeak]

I think it's absurd to apply 'politically correct' modern ideals onto those who lived in prior centuries. Around the 33 minute mark...talking about how the drowned sailors were all given the same Christian burial....then you go on to say: ...."It begs to question...:was it actually right to assume that Christian burial for every body that was washed ashore was the correct thing to do. And maybe in hindsight we can say that it probably wasn't and it was a little bit arrogant to assume that, that would be appropriate ." No, NOT EVEN in hindsight does it beg to question. All those people had in front of them was a Body. They probably did assume Christian, but also knew not Everyone was Christian...but they gave A Christian burial because that is what they Knew about. There were not going to do do every single religious ceremony for an unknown person in hopes of nailing it with one of them. They showed the Body, the Best respect that they could in giving them some kind of ceremony...and it's not 'arrogance' involved...it was sheer respect for the dead. I'm an atheist... and if by some chance I ended up an unknown, it wouldn't bother me at all, nor feel 'disrespectful' if where ever I was found...that they buried me under whatever religous ceremony they believed in. I about gagged when you suggested that those folks were arrogant.... they did the best they could when what they were dealing with...and even the spot they buried people in, soft ground rather than hard rock, was just common sense back then. And it's not like they knew about DNA so that later someone could go find the grave, dig up the body and try to track their origins. And unmarked grave, with a religious send off, was again, just common sense, and there are millions of graves like that all over the world, where people found and dealt with unknown dead. They should Never be faulted for it. .

[@vadusnisky31]

I have personally seen human remains in sand dunes in Barmouth,wales which were most certainly washed ashore and buried , who knows what era they were from. Depending on how long they had been in the water, some remains were obviously best buried in situ or as close to where they were found to a grave which required as little contact with the remains as possible.

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Must have been quite gruesome in reality, Sarah :)