Marazion is one of the oldest chartered towns in Cornwall— its first charter of incorporation was granted by Henry III in 1257. We are surrounded by history!

I had to look up "chartered" because I had no idea what they meant. Here's what I now know: a chartered town is one that has been granted a specific set of rights, powers, and privileges by a formal document known as a Royal Charter. Historically, a Royal Charter was a way for a town to "buy" its independence from the local feudal lord and answer directly to the Monarch. It effectively turned a village into a legal entity.

It's true that this walk hardly counts as a hike because it's just a stroll on the beach, literally. We could have easily just stayed on the bus the additional two minutes it would have taken to get from Penzance to Marazion.

​But as we have to walk this section anyway—for the all-important bragging rights bestowed only on those who walk every single one of the 630 miles—we hopped off at Penzance, where I swear it is always raining, or just stopped raining, or getting ready to rain.

​The bold rocky island of St Michael's Mount is always in view just up ahead. ​The most exciting part of the walk is choosing rocks to take back for my collection.

Today is really about climbing up St Michael's Mount; seeing the Mount gardens; and touring inside the castle. Hiking this bit of the South West Coast Path is mostly an add-on. But still, the stroll along the foggy beach is a bracing way to start the day.