This period extends over hundreds of thousands of years, and you would be justified in wondering what this period has to do with our walking options. However, this summary sets out to give some context to what you will see during our walks, whether that be on our coastal paths or Moorland.

It must be said that studies of these early periods in our history have been hampered by a number of factors. Primary amongst these are post-glacial rise in sea levels and coastal erosion. If we did have Palaeolithic visitors to our shores, then evidence of their passing would have been washed away with the shorelines they visited. If we assume Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers came to our shores prior to 10,000 years ago, then at least one kilometre of shoreline would have been lost to the sea along with any evidence of their passing. The last glacial period reached a maximum around 18,000 years ago and steady warming and ice melt started around 16,000 years ago.

For many decades it had been assumed that Cornwall was not inhabited by man before the Mesolithic period, 8000 – 3500BC. However, work done by the Cornish Archaeological Unit (CAU) in reassessing earlier finds and, other chance discoveries, have changed ideas. There is now growing evidence to suggest that Cornwall, along with Devon and Somerset, did have Palaeolithic man along its shores.

As we approach the Mesolithic then evidence for man during this period does grow. Many finds of stone and flint working along our shoreline and Moorland supports regular hunter-gatherer visitors. However, the acid soils of our Moorlands destroy all but stone working evidence.

As the climate warmed so the tundra wasteland gave way to grassland and, at lower levels Birch woodland. Later still, these woodlands developed Hazel and Oak and much of the coastal regions had forest where today we have modern beaches. Crooklets Beach at Bude is one such location where stormy conditions reveal the floor and remains of these ancient woodlands.

However, at Crooklets and Widemouth Bay, on higher ground, Upper Late Mesolithic hunter-gatherers did leave evidence of their tool workings at their campsites. In Cornwall the finds that can be dated suggest c 4,500 BC for charred hazelnut finds and c 4,200 for charcoal finds. A little to the north, at Westward Ho! finds have been dated to Mesolithic c 4,800 BC. Archaeologist have also found considerable evidence of small groups of Mesolithic hunters frequenting Bodmin Moors during summer months, responding to the draw of the distant hills and finding deer and other animals to hunt. So, this gives some certainty to Mesolithic visitors to our region, and it does suggest there could well have been earlier visitors.

Given the numerous finds further east, it is difficult to explain why there is so little evidence of coastal visitors in Cornwall, for the Mesolithic, other than the destructive forces of climate, sea and acid soils, plus the absence of caves, where they may have lived more permanently.

As we move to the Early and Middle Neolithic, between 6000 – 4,900 years ago, we are safer ground, and we have a vast array of material that you will encounter on your walks, particularly on our Moors.