A lovely 90 minute walk through the leafy green streets of Peppermint Grove the Peppermint Grove Heritage Tour can be accessed as a virtual tour via mobile device accessing historic images and listening to narration about points of interest along the trail. Or you can simple walk the trail looking for the points of interest along the way as we did.
The trail starts from The Grove Library at 1 Leake Street, Peppermint Grove but can easily be picked up anywhere along the trail.
First marker is the Albion Hotel across Stirling Highway in Cottesloe, which has been trading as a hotel since 1870 and was once known as The Halfway House as it is halfway between Perth and Fremantle.
Wander through the Library garden to spot some interesting artworks before following Leake Street under the shade of the peppermint trees.
Turn left along View Street passing heritage homes at 143 Forrest Street and 3A View Street before passing alongside The Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC) grounds. As you turn into McNeil Street you pass the PLC Junior School and then hidden behind brush fencing is The Cliffe, a 30 room timber bungalow constructed as one of the first homes in Peppermint Grove.
Follow The Esplanade to the curve of Bindaring Parade to find Devil's Elbow where a footpath takes you in a tight turn down the cliff face to the river's edge where you can follow the limestone path downriver to the Scotch College Boatshed and along past the Freshwater Bay Jetty, formerly home to Tearooms and Baths.
Continue along The Esplanade and under the magnificent Moreton Bay Fig trees with their branches overhanging the water providing a natural playground for kids. At Keanes Point you can see the Boatsheds on the Foreshore and enjoy a break at the cafe, playground or just on the foreshore beaches.
Across from Keanes Point wander into Manners Hill Park and take in the massive mural on the toilet block.
Follow Keane Street uphill passing Bleak House at 48 View Street and St Just at 44 View Street.
At Venn Street you will find St Columbas Presbyterian Church dating back to 1909.
Turn right at Venn Street and then right at Irvine Street where you will pass Miss Annie's School at number 29. Take the laneway, one of many pretty little laneways in this suburb, through to Leake Street. Turn left to return to the starting point at The Grove Library.
We ventured across Stirling Highway to explore a few more heritage buildings and wandered down the Napolean Street cafe and shopping precinct being rewarded with a few street murals.
This trail took us about 90 minutes and we thoroughly enjoyed walking along the cool shady streets passing magnificent mansions and interwar homes, glancing down pretty little laneways and wandering along the Freshwater Bay foreshore.
Parking and toilets are available at the Grove Library (subject to opening hours) or at Keane's Point. There are no trail markers so you will need to follow a map.
This trail has a small overlapping section with the Wardun Beelier Bidi - another Whadjuk Trail.
Keanes Point is a common point between the Peppermint Grove Heritage Trail and the Mosman Park Heritage Trail
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In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.