Porthleven is a coastal town that the walkers reach in torrential rain, its advertised image as an emerging food destination sharply at odds with deserted streets and a harbour overwhelmed by floodwater. The episode makes the town a point of exposure and temporary shelter before the walkers continue to Loe Bar.

Setting and Approach

After passing Cudden Point, the route follows the curve of the Lizard southeast through Prussia Cove toward Porthleven. The rain begins as drizzle and builds into heavy, vertical downpour. The walkers’ waterproofs fail; the rain beats against them, hurts their heads, and soaks them through. Reaching Porthleven takes what feels like two hours in a power shower, and water runs ankle-deep along the streets until their feet are submerged.

Town and Flood

Porthleven is deserted when they arrive. That emptiness contrasts with its advertised reputation as an up-and-coming haven for foodies and rumours that celebrity chefs are on their way. The walkers buy a pasty and shelter in a shop doorway, but the worsening rain makes even that brief refuge precarious: the harbour wall disappears from view, then the harbour itself, and finally the far side of the road. When the rain eases enough for them to see their feet, they set out again.

Shelter at Loe Bar

Leaving Porthleven, the walkers eventually find shelter at the foot of the cliff on the shingle beach of Loe Bar. The transition from a town whose streets and harbour have been swallowed by rain to a makeshift refuge beneath the cliff gives the episode its shape: arrival offers no lasting protection, and shelter comes only after they press onward. Porthleven’s momentary promise of food and cover yields to the practical urgency of getting out of the flood.