This rugged cove is part of the private Porth-en-Alls Estate. There’s a small (privately owned) public car park signposted off the A394, from where the coast path meanders steeply down to the rocky and very photogenic inlets of Bessy’s Cove, Kenneggy Cove, Coule’s Cove and Piskies Cove. The car park is usually full by 11am in the summer holidays, so arrive early. The cottages and houses in the cove are available to rent on a self-catering basis.
The cove gets its name from the infamous ‘free trader’ John Carter, also known as the King of Prussia (supposedly due to his resemblance to the Prussian monarch Frederick the Great). Born in 1770, Carter became one of Cornwall’s best-known smugglers, running contraband cargoes of tea, rum and spices while simultaneously trying to avoid the attention of government preventive boats. He became something of a local hero, especially following the publication of a sensational account of his adventures by his brother Harry Carter.
