Denis Flynn shares his discoveries on the Heart’s Ease Beach Trail
Reprinted from Downhome, December 2020
Photo Credit Tyler Lambert (This is not the photo that appeared in the Downhome with this article.)
Passing by the resting figure of St. Alban the Marty, I stop mid-stride as I spot the arrow passing by about eye level, and I am immediately taken aback. The hunting weapon of the Beothuk, an extinct indigenous people whose land this once was, hangs in the air. It is perhaps the most apt and poignant directional signage marker I have ever seen on a trail, anywhere. A reminder that others have long trod these routes before us.
A simple declaration on a sign of the trailhead in Gooseberry Cove, Trinity Bay, NL, states, “We respectfully acknowledge that this land and these waters are the ancestral territory of indigenous peoples. This reproduction of a Beothuk arrow will lead you on your way.”
With that I embark upon the roughly 3.1 kilometre looping trail that leads through the forest to stunning Heart’s Ease Beach, striking headlands, a small pond, and even a sea arch that resembles an elephant contemplating an intriguing island just offshore. I stretched out the hike to roughly six kilometres by exploring almost every little side track and climbing up all the various lookouts to take in the sweeping vistas of the beach and headlands.
St. Alban the Martyr
This trail starts and ends at the Anglican Church of St. Alban the Martyr. The current building – which dates back to September 5, 1928, when the cornerstone was laid – is very easy to spot with its distinctive towering blue steeple.
The path is short, but mighty in terms of all there is to see. For a photographer or a hiker, it is a joy. For a sea kayaker (with the right training, gear and ideal weather conditions), it presents a number of possible meandering routes running from Gooseberry Cove along the tombolo beach, passing by pocket coves amid the cliffs and reaching to the postcard pretty community of Southport with its rich shipbuilding history. (Photographers should note that the remains of a schooner hugging the shore in Southport makes a dramatic image to capture at low tide).
The Southwest Arm Historical Society website notes, “The abandoned community of Heart’s Ease Beach, located between Gooseberry Cove and West Random Head, was amongst the earliest European migratory fishing stations in Newfoundland and is believed to have been frequented from the early 1500s by French Basques, and from the late 1500s by English migratory ships from the south of England.
But this history of utilization goes back much further, as the website explains: “It occupies a relatively sheltered location and its large shingle beach for drying salt cod near once productive cod fishing grounds made it a most attractive fishing site over the centuries. In 1991, L. Dean found Maritime Archaic Indian stone tools there, and these have since been confirmed by archaeologists to date back approximately 4,000 years. Before the arrival of the Beothuk in Newfoundland circa 50 AD, Heart’s Ease Beach would undoubtedly have been frequented by the Dorset Eskimos.”
Strategically placed storyboards explain the flora and fauna of the area, the history of the migratory fishery, backgrounds of early European settlers and the various indigenous cultures that all converged at this special place where the pavement yields to pathways at a hidden jewel of a location.
There is more to say, but I will conclude by simply noting it is well worth the drive off the beaten routes to come explore for yourself. Easing your heart at Heart’s Ease Trail might just be the perfect cure for whatever ails you.
Hidden Gem of Southwest Arm – PDF – Downhome Article
_____________________________________
Transcribed by Wanda Garrett, June 2023.
These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material