This is an extract from one of my many photo stories, usually loosely held together by a journey from one place to another and added to from time to time.

Gateway West

 St Ives to Sennan on Cornwall’s north west coast.

A centuries old traditional bow gate hangs on, next to a brash modern counterpart.

West Penwith’s remarkable coastline has one of the most beautiful roads in the whole of England meandering along it and a tapestry of field patterns dating from medieval times or earlier across it. It exudes history, from the prehistoric to the relatively modern tinning industry. And it has unique farm gates. Splendid ones newly made to the old design. Sad ones barely hanging on, elegant but rusting, dating back to the eighteenth century.

This unspoilt landscape contains very special wrought iron bow gates. They have two diagonal metal struts tied together at the top in a pivotal butterfly flourish. That makes them distinctively of this place.

In this photo story we open our own gateway into West Penwith and go for a cliff-top stroll from Botallack to Cape Cornwall, then on to Sennan and back, ending at Carn Galver.