The complete guide to visiting Polly Joke, Cornwall
Picture this: seals bobbing in the water. Caves and hidden coves extending out. You wade your feet in the stream and look out to the waves…
Yes, we’re talking about Polly Joke – a tranquil beach on Cornwall’s north coast.
I first visited in September 2022, staying in a lodge fifteen minute’s walk from the beach. I had high expectations and, boy, did Polly Joke live up to them!
About Polly Joke
Porth Joke, affectionately called Polly Joke, is a beach on Cornwall’s north coast. Although it is only five miles from the hubble and buzzle that is Newquay, Polly Joke feels like it’s a world away.
Polly Joke’s remoteness, despite its proximity to Newquay, definitely contributes to its charm. Getting to Polly Joke takes at least a ten minute walk along a sandy footpath in any direction, making it secluded compared to other beaches in the area.
Every time I visited, there were just a couple of other groups on the beach, plus walkers and runners visiting from the South West Coast Path. Sometimes, when the tide was out, with the deep expanse of beach available, I could almost believe I was the only person there.
Polly Joke’s charm
Tranquillity aside, there are a lot of things the beach has to recommend itself.
A classic north coast beach, the cove is longer than it is wide, with a little stream flowing out from the valley into the sea beyond. Several times, when I was walking down to the beach, I saw sparrows and chaffinches playing and washing themselves in the water. (It’s the most adorable thing ever!)
When the tide is out, a number of rock pools and caves are accessible at the end of the beach, giving a multitude of locations to explore. During low tide, several smaller coves connected to Polly Joke on its west side are also accessible, although it’s possible to walk down from the South West Coast Path to these areas at high tide too.
Seal-tacular scenery
In my opinion, what makes Polly Joke most exciting is the opportunity for spotting seals. It’s something I haven’t seen elsewhere on this particular stretch of Cornish coast, so I was very happy when I saw them!
If you walk along the South West Coast Path to the south-west of Polly Joke, you can walk around an area of headland known as Kelsey Head. Here you’ll find classic coastal heathland (with sheep!), which is pretty in itself, and on the east side as you exit Polly Joke you can often observe seals bobbing in the water.
Most impressively, if you keep walking, you’ll find an islet opposite the headland, called Chick Island. At low tide there are often seals around the island and its surrounding rocks. Last time I visited, I counted sixteen!
It’s a great place to watch the seals as you can get a great view of the island from Kelsey Head, whilst still remaining at a respectful distance. You can observe the seals resting on the rocks, swimming around them and coming and going. It can be fun to watch their antics!
Keep walking around Kelsey Head and you can visit Holywell Bay, my favourite beach in Cornwall and well worth its own trip.
It’s worth noting that sometimes you don’t even need to walk onto the coast path to spot seals. A couple of times, we’ve spotted a seal from the beach, playing in the waves!
Wildflower views
Immediately to the east of Polly Joke, you’ll find wildflower meadows. The fields around West Pentire, immediately to the east of Polly Joke, are managed as a nature reserve for wildflowers, so even walking a minute or two up the coast path will treat you to picturesque views.
The wildflower meadows are best known for being home to poppies, but corn marigolds and other less well known wildflowers also contribute to the gorgeous landscape and make it unique in this area. Visit in June and July to hit the wildflower season!
If you keep going – either along the coast path, or using the path towards West Pentire – you can walk to Crantock (taking around 40 minutes if you cut across). At the mouth of the River Gannel, Crantock is a classic northern coast beach with a twist, and its wide stretch of sand, caves and riverine views offer a lot to families, surfers and walkers.
I love the walk from Polly Joke to Crantock. Even outside of wildflower season, you’re still treated to coastal views and get to experience Crantock in a different way; it’s well worth doing if you have the time.
If you decide to walk between the two beaches, I’d recommend coming at low tide. That way, you can walk along Crantock beach and access the South West Coast Path via steps in the far south-west of the beach. It saves you the pain of having to traverse Crantock’s beautiful but knackering sand dunes, and means you can explore the beach at the same time.
How does Polly Joke rate as a destination?
As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that we can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit – those are the scores you see at the top of the page!
This is how Polly Joke rated:
- Accessibility: 2/5 – it’s only possible to access Polly Joke using the South West Coast Path or along an uneven sandy path, and a car is required to get close to the beach. There are no toilets available either; you’d need to walk to West Pentire or Holywell to find any facilities.
- Safety: 4/5 – Polly Joke feels very safe. The only problem is that it’d be easy to get cut off by the tide and there are some steep cliff sections on the surrounding paths.
- Enjoyment: 5/5 – what it lacks in ease of access, Polly Joke makes up for in tranquillity. I love visiting this beach and the surrounding headland and am sure others would too.
- Value: 5/5 – compared to other areas, the National Trust car park is quite affordable. There aren’t any other facilities for which I can assess value for money.
Overall score: 4/5
If you’ve already visited, let me know if you agree with these ratings! Just to note, the ratings are my personal opinion based on my visit, so you might have a completely different experience.
More: how I rank destinations using the Everywhere Ratings system
How to get to Polly Joke
Like most beaches in Cornwall, Polly Joke is virtually inaccessible without a car, being around a 15 minute drive from Newquay, 30 mins from Truro and 90 mins from Exeter.
However, given its isolation, a ten minute walk down a sandy track is required from the nearest car park to get to the beach.
A small National Trust car park with honesty box (£2 per day or free for NT members) is available at Cubert Commons – just head along West Pentire Road out of Crantock and take the Treago Farm turnoff on the left. You’ll have to go through a couple of gates, but don’t worry; this is the right way! Just to note, this car park is small so get there early in the summer holidays.
Two much larger car parks are available at West Pentire and are a similar walk away; I’m not sure how much these cost. You’ll have to go down a steep slope to get to the beach, so this is best avoided if you need a flatter route. The size of these car parks makes them a safer bet during the peak season.
By the way, both paths are fairly bumpy and include steep sections, so I wouldn’t recommend undertaking this with buggies or wheelchairs.
There are no toilets at Polly Joke so prepare to return to your accommodation or take a trip outside. I believe the nearest public toilets are at Crantock or Holywell Bay (a forty minute walk east or west, respectively).
Arriving from the South West Coast Path
It’s also possible to access Polly Joke from the South West Coast Path; this is an ever popular option for walkers and runners in the area.
Coming from Holywell Bay, I’d recommend parking at the National Trust car park in Holywell. There’s a cut through behind the dunes and golf club which is faster than taking the coast path (but is still very pretty!) for getting back to your car. The walk to Polly Joke then takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the route chosen.
Coming from Crantock, there’s a National Trust car park by the beach which is a good option for accessing the coast path. You can also cut across the headland to West Pentire, which takes around 40 minutes of walking.
Heading further west in Cornwall? Check out my guide to Priest Cove (Cape Cornwall), one of my favourite places in this area!
Where to stay
Within Polly Joke itself, you only have a couple of options. These are the cottages and campsites at Treago Mill and Higher Moor, plus any accommodation at West Pentire.
When I visited, I stayed in one of the cabins at Treago Mill and found it to be comfortable. With the walk to Polly Joke being only fifteen minutes, there’s not much to complain about!
You can also travel in from other nearby holiday hotspots, such as Holywell Bay, Crantock and Newquay.
What to do in Polly Joke
Polly Joke is a typical Cornish beach and all the things you’d like to do at the seaside are possible here. There are no shops or places selling food, so come prepared to spend your time here in relative isolation and bring all the things you might need.
- Surfing: Some people may want to surf at Polly Joke, and if so, go for it! However, although I haven’t attempted it, I hear that the surf is better at the nearby beaches of Crantock or Holywell Bay. We would note that the RNLI does not patrol here, so only surf here if you’re confident and experienced with wavy seawater.
- Exploring: have a nose at the caves and rock pools in the far end of the beach when the tide is out. Who knows what you will find…?
- Damming the river: a stream runs through the beach. For a safer experience for young children, find your bucket and spades and get digging! The tide washes away the river section further out on the beach so you can be sure that you aren’t modifying the flow of the area.
- Walk to Kelsey Head or West Pentire Point: the south west coast path in this area offers unspoilt, gorgeous views. Take it west to Kelsey Head and along to Holywell Bay, or east to West Pentire Point and along to Crantock; who knows what you will see?
Top tip: like many beaches in Cornwall, this is best enjoyed when the tide is low. We’d recommend checking before you go to make sure the full expanse of sand is available!
Conclusion
Polly Joke is a quiet, pretty cove on Cornwall’s north coast. If you’re in the area, it’s well worth a visit!
Are you planning a trip to Cornwall’s north coast? Let me know if Polly Joke is on your to-visit list in the comments!
More information
- Check out the National Trust’s website for more information about Cubert Commons (which you may cross to reach the beach) and the nearby coastline.
- Cornwall Beaches is a great website for information on all beaches in Cornwall, including Polly Joke.
- For no-nonsense facts about each beach in the UK, British Beaches is a good resource.
