| Oliver's Cornwall |
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in the country |
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Altarnun is an attractive village, along with Blisland the most interesting on this part of Bodmin Moor. There is a straggle of houses, stone or slate built, some slate-hung, one or two of them substantial Georgian houses, along the main street. At the lower end of the street is the church, dedicated to the mother of St. David, St. Nonna, said to have founded this church in 547AD. Known as ‘The Cathedral of the Moor’, it is approached by a narrow and ancient packhorse bridge over the fast-flowing little River Inny. Outside, unexpectedly exotic trees thrive in its churchyard and a Cornish cross stands at the top of a bank. A little way up the hill in the village is a former Wesleyan chapel, over its door a stone likeness of John Wesley, a regular visitor, carved by local man Nevil Northey Burnard. Wesley stayed often in the nearby village of Trewint in Digory Isbell's home, now a museum to Wesley and Methodism. Altarnun, surprisingly, has three shops but no pub or teashop. Perhaps it doesn't really welcome visitors, although I felt welcome enough when enquiring about a trail leaflet for the Inny Valleys Walk, which I did in July 2006 - surprisingly there wasn't one, neither was there a sign from the village which, for a walk shown on the Ordnance Survey map, shocked me. |
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There is a lot that
is both unusual and admirable about Blisland, one of Bodmin
Moor's, and indeed Cornwall's, most charming villages. To take
the unusual first, you don't find many proper village greens in Cornwall
- but you do find one in Blisland. Roughly triangular, the church
is on one side, the Blisland Inn on another, the Manor house is on the
base. The church has an odd dedication, to Sts. Protus (or Pratt)
and Hyacinth, and an interior like a pre-Reformation church. The
Blisland Inn has a reputation for its real ales and the atmosphere of a
real welcoming local pub. The Manor house has the four-square appearance
of a Georgian home with a two storey Elizabethan style porch - and, most
unexpectedly, on its north face two Norman windows and a Norman arch.
Now for the admirable. It looked at one time as if Blisland was going the way of so many villages, dormitories with no heart, soul or amenities. But Blisland fought back and now it has not only its pub but a school and, since 2006, a community centre in the real sense of that phrase. A great effort replaced the lost village shop with a brand new convenience store, whose groceries include local produce, plus cafe, doctor's surgery and internet café. Pub, church, school and store make Blisland a real village. |
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Mark Camp's Copper Trail runs through here |
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Passing through now, on the road to Wadebridge, Bodmin appears, at first glance to be a rather scruffy, inconsequential town. But first appearances can deceive. As you drop down into the town, look to your right and you will see Cornwall's finest and most important parish church, dedicated to St. Petroc, who founded a monastery here around AD550. Turn left by it and you will find yourself in Mount Folly Square, filled with handsome Victorian buildings: The Shire Hall housed the county's Assize Courts until 1988, the Public Rooms were once the social heart of the town. Continue past these, along the Lostwithiel Road, and you will discover former county regiment barracks and a railway station that served a line to Wadebridge, opened in 1834. Or follow the road to Wadebridge and you will see signs for Bodmin Jail and pass Westheath Park, now an upmarket housing development and technology park but once site of the county lunatic asylum. Put all these together and you will realise that this was once once a place of great significance, the County Town from 1836 to 1988. There are several things for the visitor to see and do, though litle advertised. The Shire Hall houses the TIC, exhibitons and a Court Room Museum. Bodmin Jail is now a Jail Museum with restaurant. The Town Museum is in the Public Rooms. St.Petroc's Church should not be missed. The Bodmin & Wenford Railway operates steam trains on the old Wadebridge line. |
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| When I started this web site I didn't like Boscastle very much. I was about ready to post a critical item when the dreadful flood of August 2004 happened. That was no time for criticism so I decided to leave it until repair and restoration were complete. I am glad I did because, before and after a walk up the Valency Valley in June 2008, I took time to explore the village. Now not only am I most impressed by the way Boscastle has recovered but I also find that I now like it. It may be very tourist oriented - Visitor Centre, National Trust shop, Witchcraft Museum, art and craft galleries, gift shops, restaurants, cafés - but it looks terrific. Scenically it is hard to beat thanks to its setting in a steep valley, the River Valency winding down to a small harbour (dry at low tide) with a few fishing boats, beyond it two high headlands, both on the coast path, and the sea. In the photo a lime kiln stands in front of the former 'pilchard palace; it now houses a good TIC, the National Trust shop and the Witchcraft Museum. And don't miss walking up Old Road, the narrow no-entry street, to admire its charming cottages. I can't comment on eating places as I have only had coffee in a couple, though for sociability the Wellington Hotel bar is probably top; the other pubs are the Cobweb and the Napoleon at the top of the village. |  |
| Ample car parking near all amenities. Boscastle flood photos |
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| Like Portreath and Hayle, Bude is a run-down town for which we have affection. When the railroad arrived in 1898 Bude developed as as resort, with hotels and villas with sea views. After World War II it went downhill and now has no decent hotel but caters to the bottom end of the bus tour trade. However, Bude has many saving graces, not the least its superb Summerleaze Beach, where the tide recedes a full quarter mile. A sea lock there is the start of the Bude Canal (3 miles restored) that once carried sand inland. Behind the beach look out for the Bude Light, which remembers Sir Goldsworthy Gurney who lived in the castle, built a steam road vehicle in 1829, and devised a complex system of arc lights and mirrors which lighted Parliament for 60 years before electricity. Above the beach, to the south side, the Pepper Pot stands high on Efford Down, its sides marked with the points of the compass, 7 degrees out of true; good views. Little good eating, except at the bar of the Falcon Hotel by the canal. A walk takes in Bude, Widemouth Bay and the Canal |
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| One of the most popular villages on the Lizard - along with Coverack, which I don't like, and Mullion, which I do (my favourite is St. Keverne) - pretty Cadgwith is tucked away on the east coast between Lizard Town and Coverack. There are two roads down; the car park is on the western of the two and seems a long way from the cove but there is a fairly short footpath. Down by the cove there are pretty thatched and whitewashed cottages; one stands on the Todden, a small point overlooking the harbour. Old net lofts and pilchard cellars are now shops, a tea shop and restaurant. The Cadgwith Cove Inn has folk music on Tuesday night, traditional Cornish singing on Friday. Cadgwith has the largest fishing fleet on the Lizard, inshore boats no longer after the pilchards but now seeking crab, lobster, mackerel, mullet, sea bass and shark. They are quite a sight drawn up on the beach. A mile north on the coast path is Carleon Cove where part of the old serpentine works still stands. A few hundred yards south is the Devil's Frying Pan, a massive blow hole. |
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| During a walk in November 2007 from Zelah to Chiverton Cross, as part of the Land's End Trail, I passed through a lot of places with the Callestick (or Callestock) name. originally they were all the Callestoc of Domesday Book. I counted Little Callestock, Callestick, Old Callestick Mine and Callestock Veor (Great) plus Callestick Vean (Little) which wasn't on my route. The present village of Callestick, the largest of the settlements, was presumably originally Callestock Veor. It is an attractive place in more senses than one. A handsome Georgian farmhouse, beautifully presented cottages, a former Methodist chapel converted to a home, a well kept Methodist graveyard, a small maker of quality ice cream and the Cornish Cyder Farm. I stopped at the latter for a coffee and cake. |
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We discovered Calstock
when visiting Cotehele House and Garden.
We always like to include a walk if we can and Calstock is just a couple
of miles up the Tamar. It has an
ordinary pub, the Tamar Inn, with decent food. Once it was a very
prosperous port, serving local tin and copper mines. Now it is a
quiet spot most of the time, its former wealth shown only by some big three
storey homes and a main street that was once clearly full of shops and
inns. An annual regatta remembers the days of the pilot boats that
guided the ships into the wharves. Probably best to avoid Calstock
at holiday times and summer weekends; it then turns into a bustling
resort.
January 2008: I am told that the Tamar Inn has closed (or is closing soon). For pubs that just leaves the Boot Inn up the hill on Fore Street; I haven't been in there as it has always been closed when I have been past. There is a decent café with a covered terrace by the water - on the right in the photo. |
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| I deal with Charlestown in some detail on my Museums page, under maritime museums, largely because of the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre there. But it is certainly worth at least a couple more photos. Originally known as West Polmear, you might normally expect that the name of Charlestown would have been acquired in the 17th century and would reflect a connection with King Charles I or II. But the man it is named for is Charles Rashleigh, landowner with an interest in mines and china clay. He transformed a small fishing harbour to what you now see during the early 19th century. The surprise is that Charlestown has retained its Georgian flavour do strongly, despite the presence of 21st century tourism. This is a lovely place to visit but do avoid the height of the holiday season. Go to Charlestown under Maritime Museums |
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| Most guide books and
web sites tend to describe Coverack as 'this lovely fishing village'.
Sorry to disagree but our impressions are anything but 'lovely' and not
very much fishing happens from here either. It is promoted for its
family-friendly beach - and indeed families do holiday here - but the beach
is
more rock than sand, even at low tide. To be just, there is a fair
amount of wind-surfing in the sheltered bay - and there are several attractive
thatched cottages. The village's one serious claim to fame was its
lifeboat. Over the centuries Coverack's lifeboats saved numerous
lives, many from ships wrecked on the dreaded Manacles reef. In 1898
the SS Mohegan was wrecked there with the loss of 106 lives.
The following year American liner SS Paris went aground on Dolour
Point but no lives were lost. The village's pleasant pub, the Paris
Hotel, commerorates the occasion. Sadly, there is no longer a lifeboat
in Coverack and the former lifeboat station is now a restaurant (evenings
only). Harbour Lights café is open all year.
Later: No sooner had I uploaded this item than I had an irate email from a regular vistor to Coverack who loves it and thinks I have it all wrong. Her view is below. I am happy to accept it but it doesn't change mine. |
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| Another view of Coverack entirely |
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Another View of Coverack - FromTess Warburton
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Hi Oliver, I
was just reading your rather critical review of Coverack. I holiday
in Coverack every year, along with many other families who return there
each summer to enjoy beautiful surroundings and friendly inhabitants.
I have been going to the village for almost twenty years and although I
have travelled to many places in the south west it is still my favourite.
In many ways I am pleased you don't like it. If you had stayed long
enough in the village and been bothered to find out what it is really like
you would have written a more far more colourful description. This would
however have encouraged lots of other people to holiday there, including
people like yourself (who think it is possible to understand and make judgments
about a place within a paragraph). I wish you luck with your touring.
However, maybe you should 'stay put' in some of the places you visit before
you judge them and influence the decisions of others.
ps. There are two beaches in Coverack, the beach in the village and the headland beach (named by local people as 'meres' beach). The sand washes from one beach to the other anually so that one year it will be on meres and the next it will be in the harbour. |
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Thanks for your input Tess. Clearly families love Coverack. |
| A charming village, tucked quietly away from the busy Truro to Falmouth road, Devoran's present belies its past. Now a quiet and beautiful creek-side village, boasting a fair number of small-boat sailors, Devoran was once a busy commercial port, shipping copper ore from mines on the Great Flat Lode around Redruth, linked by the horse drawn Redruth and Chacewater Railway, now part of a Coast to Coast trail. The old village is a triangle of streets, Quay Street and the higher St. John's Terrace linked by Market Street. Along Quay Street several homes are interesting conversions of old warehouses or of former port worker's cottages. On the Quay, a series of odd stone enclosures are the old ore hutches where the copper ore awaited shipment. The Old Quay Inn has an enjoyable local atmosphere; food is fairly ambitious. You should be able to park by the village hall at the start of Quay Street. |
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There are really several
distinct Falmouths. Approaching from ther north, first the boatyards
and marinas of Penryn, once a separate fishing village. Next Dunstanville
Terrace, its grand sea captains' homes looking across the water to Flushing.
Next the much improved cobbled High Street leads to the diminished interest
of Market and Church Street, though the shops are improving. Then
opposite the Tudor manor of the Killigrews is a vast timber shed, looking
to Flushing and across Carrick Roads to St. Mawes;
this is the superb Maritime Museum,
beyond it the dockyard. Next is fortified Falmouth, Pendennis
Castle high on its headland. Finally, the sandy beaches of resort
Falmouth, lined with hotels and apartments. A good Art
Gallery is near High Street in the centre of town.
What surprises abouit Falmouth is that, despite the world's third largest natural harbour and its ideal situation for international shipping, there was no such place until the 17th century. There were just three small settlements - with Penryn to the north and the Killigrew manor of Arwennack below Pendennis Head, and Henry VIII's Pendennis Castle. But when Falmouth grew it grew fast and by 1688 was the main Packet Ship port. The port declined with the advent of steam but from 1863 the railway brought tourists. Now cruise ships take advantage of the deep water to anchor here. |
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Ferries operate to St. Mawes, to Flushing and up to Trelissick and Truro |
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| I can't claim to have explored Feock properly, just stopped off briefly on my way to Trelissick for a Fal creek walk. The village proper is inland; to its south is Loe Beach with parking, a slipway and a beach café. To the west, with a small car park above, is Pill Point, about the only public access to the expensive looking Pill Creek. The church, said to have been founded by St. Feoca, has a detached bell tower, upper and lower lych gates - the lower has a room above it - and a fine Cornish Cross by the porch. |
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| An attractive small town with very narrow streets (and fortunately a one-way system). In medieval times Fowey provided ships for the Crusades and the wars with the French. Henry VIII fortified it with a pair of castles and a chain across the River Fowey. Now there are yachts, fishing boats and a china clay terminal. There are also many literary associations. Kenneth Graham is said to have gained inspiration for 'Wind in the Willows' here whilst guest of Sir Aurther Quiller-Couch. Author Daphne du Maurier stayed at Ferryside House in Bodinnick and lived at three rented homes (one was Menabilly, her 'Manderley'). A Du Maurier Festival is held in May. A major regatta takes place in August. |
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Gorran Haven and Gorran Churchtown
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Jane and I had been here in 2002 when we walked from Porthluney Cove. Then we thought little of Gorran. I repeated the walk in March 2008 and lingered long enough to revise my impressions somewhat. Gorran Haven is attractive with nice old fishing related buildings clustered around the harbour. Facing south-east, the harbour dries out at low tide and provides a safe bathing beach with a seasonal café. Some narrow old streets climb the hill from the harbour and there is a lot of recent development beyond. Undoubtedly many of the houses are second homes and holiday rentals. On the way up the hill is the little St. Justus Church, a chapel of ease once used as a fish cellar and net store. Further up is the acceptable Lawnwroc Inn. Keep going for another mile and you come to Gorran Churchtown. Here is the Barley Sheaf Inn (closed for refurbishment in March 2008) and the handsome St. Goran's Church. St. Goran (or Goranus) is probably the Guron of Bodmin, who moved here when Petroc arrived there. His 13th to 15th century church is typically Cornish with its crenellated and pinnacled porch, a fine collection of original bench ends and some good modern wood carvings. Outside there is an unexpected vault dated WSG 1813 and, when I was there, a lovely display of daffodils. |
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The walk from Porthluney Cove |
| A tiny village on the road from Hayle to Godrevy, Hell's Mouth and Portreath, you are almost through Gwithian before you realise it. But is is worth stopping for a closer look. At the Hayle end of the village are the attractive Gwithian Farm, handsome Churchtown House, a thatched Methodist Chapel under restoration in September 2007 and the rather ugly Red River Inn. At the Godrevy end is another handsome house, Churchtown Farm, and a charming church with a Cornish cross in the graveyard. |
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I had driven past
Halsetown many times, on the B3311 road from St. Ives
to Penzance, but knew nothing about it except that
it has a car park and a pub. Then, in November 2007, I took a walk,
with my sisters Mary and Frances, that took in Rosewall Hill, Trink Hill
and Halsetown. Fascinated by what seemed to be, unusually for Cornwall,
a planned village, I did a little research and came up with the following
(which I have re-interpreted somewhat) from Genuki
and St. Ives Trust.
James Halse was St. Ives' leading citizen: lawyer, mine owner and peddler of influence. As MP for St. Ives, he was afraid that the Reform Act (passed in 1832) in doing away with 'rotten boroughs' would lose him his seat. Determined to continue as an MP, he established Halsetown in the early 1830s as a 'garden village' to house his workers. Each householder had just enough land to qualify to vote. Dependent on Halse for their jobs and homes, they all voted for him and he retained his seat. I haven't yet had the chance to explore Halsetown properly but it looks like a fascinating place with its series of 'green lanes' lined with attractive cottages. I returned a couple of weeks later to explore more fully. |
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On B3311 St. Ives to Penzance. |
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We have a soft spot
for run-down places - early industrial sites and shabby towns like Portreath.
Despite proximity to colourful, lively St. Ives,
Hayle has something of both. It takes its name from the estuary ('heyl')
on which it stands. From prehistoric days of tin and copper trading
it was a trans-shipment point, providing safe passage for men and materials
across the peninsula to the port at
St. Michael's
Mount, avoiding the perils of Land's End. In early Christian
times missionaries travelled through on their way from Ireland and Wales
to Brittany.
There was no town until the 18th century when copper smelting and heavy engineering created a boom town. The Cornish Copper Company is long gone but there are still remnants of Harvey's great foundry that built the massive beam engines for the mines, built Richard Trevithick's steam locomotives and later built ships. Harvey's remained in business well into the 20th century and Hayle continued as a port until the 1970s when the power station closed. The derelict former foundry buildings are now the centrepiece of a vast regeneration project going on in Hayle. In addition to the foundry, financial multi-national ING plans to regenerate the harbour area. King George V Memorial Walk, on the north side of Copperhouse Pool, has been colourfully restored. Walk to the head of North Quay to enjoy views of sweeping beaches, tall dunes, holiday shacks, St. Ives and Godrevy Lighthouse |
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More Hayle images and Images of Upton Towans |
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I had been wanting
to get to know Helston better for some time so, when Jane and I revisited
Godolphin
House in April 2007, we took the opportunity to have a wander around
the town. Most people really only know Helston for its Flora Day
when in May the whole town takes to the streets to celebrate spring with
the ritual Furry Dance. There is a lot more to Helston than
that - though, while I enjoyed the town's history and architecture, Jane
disliked its shops and steep streets. Helston no longer has its former
importance. In medieval times it was a stannary town, exporting tin
from its own port. A 12th century castle guarded the crossing of
the River Cober. But the port was lost when Loe
Bar blocked the river mouth, the castle fell into disuse and was demolished,
and the tin industry declined. What remains is a legacy of fine buildings.
To enjoy Helston's architecture, call into the Guildhall and pick up the excellent Town Trail guide, hot on history. Best streets are broad, steep Coinagehall Street, winding Church Street and Cross Street with its fine houses. Important buildings are the classical Guildhall, the Market House (now a folk museum), the Angel Hotel (once the town house of the Godolphins), the Great Office on Cross Street, Godolphin Hall, the Grylls Monument and the former prison. |
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| On the very south-eastern tip of Cornwall, the twin villages of Kingsand and Cawsand tumble down their hillsides to meet at small harbours facing broad Plymouth Sound with views of Drake’s Island and the Devon coast. Where they meet at the bottom is the Halfway House Inn (comfortable pub, superb food, good atmosphere). Until 1830 this was a county boundary, Kingsand in Devon, Cawsand in Cornwall. This is a great place to explore on foot with steep streets filled with colour washed stone cottages, jostling for space. Climb high above the Cawsand side to find an old fort, converted to housing with breathtaking views. Climb above the Kingsand side, past a tiny village green, to find a gate near the cliff that leads into glorious Mount Edgcumbe Park with its house with formal garden and Earl's Garden. There is more good walking around Rame Head to the south. |
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| A long and lovely
wooded valley drops down for about a mile from Trewoofe to reach the sea
at Lamorna Cove. When you get there it is something of a disappointment:
to your right a short view of wooded cliffs; to your left a view,
only slightly longer, of the debris of a vast former granite quarry;
in the middle a car park, a seasonal café, rental cottages, public
toilets and a small sandy harbour. Frankly, it is all a bit scruffy.
You would do best to leave the car and walk up the steep hill and its side turnings (where possible) to see what you can of the village. Cottages, some attractive, some a little ramshackle, are tucked away in the woodland on either side of the lane. Up a side turning is a charming row of cottages, a little way beyond them a tiny waterrmill. Quarter of a mile up the main lane is the Lamorna Wink inn, set a little back from the road and with tables outside. It is a plain place inside but with a lot of fascinating nautical memorabilia. The welcome is not always friendly but food is simple and good value. Lamorna's main claim to fame is as an artistic colony in the early 20th century. An offshoot of the famous Newlyn School colony settled in the valley here. It included Lamorna Birch, Laura and Harold Knight and, for a while, Alfred Munnings. Their work is in Penlee House in Penzance. |
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| The coast path is easy north to Mousehole, tough heading west |
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| Easily missed, unless
you are walking the Saints Way or looking
for a good pub, Lanlivery is a charming backwater on the road to almost
nowhere. I found it when I sought out the excellent Crown
Inn for American visitors to lunch. Jane and I have lunched there
since and enjoyed it. In the 19th century the extensive, largely
moorland, parish was heavily industrialised with tin mining, granite quarrying
and even some china clay extraction. The population approached the
2000 mark then; now it is around 500 and would be less were it not
for the second homes and holiday rentals.
The church, originally dedicated to St. Dunstan, is now dedicated to St. Brevita. Her holy well is in the grounds of Churchtown, part of the Vitalise charity and providing a rural activity centre for the disadvantaged. Restored in 1993, the church is of relatively little interest, though it has good memorials. Far more interesting is the steep little street that runs down from the back of the churchyard. The attractive Village Hall dates from the 18th century, was first a 'Dame School', later a library. Below that is the former smithy, now a home, and other attractive houses. Disadvantage for visitors is that, unless you eat in the Crown, there is little or no parking. |
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| We had thought Launceston an ordinary little town with terrible traffic. But now the A30 highway bypasses the town, it has regained the character it had before traffic congealed its arteries. We have visited twice recently - once for antiques (there are none) and then for quilting exhibitions. The quilts were wonderful - in St. Mary's church and at Cowslip Workshops at a nearby farm. Jo Colwill started Cowslip Workshops when foot-and-mouth had reduced farm income to zero. You can now learn sewing, quilting, embroidery, drawing, furniture painting, wood dying and making fabric boxes. There is a shop and a gallery with good exhibitions. Launceston itself may lack good shops but it does not lack interest: a ruined late Norman and 13th century castle, a 13th century town gate (the town walls are long gone), some handsome churches, notably that dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, a good local museum in the National Trust's Lawrence House and a narrow gauge steam railroad with museum. We were pleased to find Launceston much better than expected. |
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| Only 3 miles from Lostwithiel, Lerryn is best approached from Fowey and across the Bodinnick Ferry. This way not only will you have a good view of Daphne Du Maurier's parents' Ferryside home, you will then travel along quiet lanes and through the charming hamlet of Lower Penpoll. Lerryn is a wealthy little village with some handsome homes along a tidal creek, crossed by a medieval bridge and by stepping stones at low tide. Small boats line the river but don't move often - the river is very tidal. Signs of former industry include lime kilns built into homes and this former barn (maybe warehouse ) by the river. There is a lovely walk along the north side of the river to the tiny hamlet of St. Winnow. We have enjoyed several good meals in the Ship Inn at Lerryn. |
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| Much against our natural
inclinations and better judgment, we usually rather enjoy Cornwall's grottier
coastal resorts - witness our reviews of Portreath,
Hayle
and Bude. When it comes to Looe, however, we
revert to type and can find almost no words of praise.
East Looe is the least appealing down-market resort in the county. Its narrow streets might be attractive were they not filled with the very worst tourist-tat shops, the greasiest-spoon cafés and what seems like millions of day-trippers wandering aimlessly as if wondering what on earth they are doing there. Sole redeeming feature is the long narrow harbour with Cornwall's second largest fishing fleet and a fish-market which bustles when the boats arrive. West Looe, across the bridge, is much better. Here there is something of the feel of a village, with some real shops and local people going about their business. Continue southwards and you find Hannafore where 20th century apartments and large houses overlook the sea and privately owned Looe Island. On balance, we cannot recommend a visit to Looe. Its few redeeming features are outweighed by its tourist-trap feel. If you must visit, do so in the course of a coast path walk, best from Polperro. |
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| We think the coast path to Polperro is Looe's best point |
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This small Cornish
town has a lot to offer – history, charming unspoiled streets and the county’s
best concentration of antique shops, varying from quality to bric-a-brac.
Once Lostwithiel was a place of considerable importance. At the end
of the 13th century Edmund Earl of Cornwall rebuilt the castle in stone
and Lostwithiel then became the administrative centre for the county.
It had a port on the River Fowey, exporting
tin, the trade in which was managed from the Stannary Court in the Shire
Hall, which also operated as the County Treasury. When the Earl of
Cornwall was made Duke, the Shire Hall grew into the Duchy Palace.
When the river silted up in the 15th century, Lostwithiel lost its tin
trade but developed others, pottery, weaving, tanning and pewter-making.
St. Bartholemew’s church has an unexpected spire of elaborately carved
granite. Unusually, the streets form a grid pattern, originating
in medieval times. Fore Street has the shops and tea rooms.
Quay Street, by the River Fowey, has former lime kilns at one end, at the
other the remains of the old Duchy Palace, behind it the former ‘Coinage
Hall’. Across the river, a new apartment development utilises Victorian
railroad buildings.
Restormel Castle is up a country lane, a mile to the north of town. Built as a huge circular keep with moat, it was rebuilt by Edmund Earl of Cornwall around 1280 and was later a home of the Black Prince. If you are here during the day, there are a couple of attractive tea and coffee shops – Muffins and the Duchy Coffee Shop, both on Fore Street – and several pubs. Best of the pubs are the Royal Oak on Duke Street, above the main road, and (our preference) the Globe at the bottom of North Street. There are several attractive restaurants, mostly open only in the evening. |
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Photo: Cornish stonemasons were skilled at carving granite, witness also Launceston's church |
| Marazion is not a
place you pass through on the way to anywhere. So all who go there
do so for a purpose. Mostly that purpose is to visit Saint
Michael's Mount or to enjoy the beach with its view of the Mount and
of the broad sweep of Mount's Bay. But Marazion is an interesting
place in its own right. A narrow main street curves down from the
east, from the Helston to Penzance
main road, petering out soon after it passes the main car park. Along
its way are attractive cottages, a charming small square, a couple of pubs,
tearooms, shops (including Philps Bakery, renowned for its pasties), and
several art and craft galleries. Pubs are the Godolphin Arms, also
a hotel, and the King's Arms. We enjoy the view from the bar of the
Godolphin but find it impersonal. We far prefer the cozy King's Arms
with its friendly welcome and good value food.
Marazion has a remarkable history and may be one of Britain's oldest towns. It and St. Michael's Mount may have been known to the Romans, who would have traded for tin here, as Ictis, though some authorities dispute this. The major town of West Cornwall, from 1170 it returned two members to Parliament. It was incorporated by royal charter in 1257, a charter reaffirmed by Elizabeth I in 1595. Its importance can be seen in its two former markets, the marhas vean (little market) and marhas yow (Thursday market), the latter giving the town its name. |
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| Marazion is signed from A394 Helston to Penzance |
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| From the photo on the left you would think Meva (as the Cornish call it) a delightful place: busy harbour, old cottages clustered around it, large newer homes above. I used to think so and use to drive American visitors down Cliff Hill, along the harbour, and up Tregony Hill to go to Heligan Garden. What a shock I got when I parked there in February 2005 and walked around. Once a charming small fishing village, in the 20th century it has been over-run by modern development and the worst of cheap tourism. The harbour is still a delight - if you don't look at the cheap cafes and shops - and it is still Cornwall's third busiest fishing port. But it is definitely not a place to spend time in. However, if you follow the narrow street southwards and climb Polkirt Hill, (great overview of harbour and coast) you come to Port Mellon. Here is a quiet cove with a boatyard, a decent pub and second homes clustered around. Continue and walk left up a lane and you come to photogenic Chapel Point. |
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| Although Mitchell never benefitted from Cornwall's many mining booms, in its time it was a town of some importance. Set in a rich lowland farming area, it was also an important staging post on the main coach road from London. From the look of them it's a reasonable assumption that both the attractive Plume of Feathers inn and nearby Raleigh House were once coaching inns. There are other attractive buildings in town, too: the delightful Georgian Wellesley Farm and a row of cottages on the main street. Politically, Mitchell also once had its importance. From 1547 to the Reform Act of 1832 it was a 'rotten borough', it's very few property owning voters returning two members to parliament. Indeed, in 1593 Devon born Sir Walter Raleigh was one of these as in 1807 was Arthur Wellesley, later Duke of Wellington. Now Mitchell is bypassed by the modern A30 and is a sleepy attractive village. |
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| Comparatively inaccessible but well worth going out of your way for, Morwenstow is Cornwall's most northerly parish; ithe 'holy place of St. Morwenna'. There are two tiny hamlets, Crosstown and Morwenstow. Crosstown is a collection of farms around a large village green, one incorporating a small pub, the Bush. Two tiny bars have half-a-dozen tables and a short, simple and inexpensive menu. A little further on is Morwenstow. Here are just a church, the former rectory, Rectory Farm, offering teas in summer, a couple of holy wells and the famous Hawker's Hut on the cliffs. In the churchyard are a Cornish cross, the figurehead of the 'Caledonia', wrecked off Higher Sharpnose Point, masses of daffodils in spring and, at the top, St. John's Well, accessed separately. A Norman doorway leads into a church with Norman arcading, a medieval fresco and some handsome carved bench ends. Most famous incumbent was Robert Stephen Hawker, vicar for 40 years from 1834. |
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| With a name like that (it is pronounced Mowzle) it would probably be famous anyway but is notable for its tiny enclosed harbour, granite cottages, little courtyards and flower-filled gardens - and a few tales. In 1595 the village was devastated, as were both Penzance and Newlyn, by a Spanish raid; the only building unscathed was a pub. In some unknown year, dreadful gales prevented the village’s fishing boats putting to sea; with the villagers almost starving, Tom Bawcock braved the storm to return with a massive haul of seven types of fish; his feat is celebrated every 23rd December when all Mousehole eats ‘Starry Gazy Pie’ (or stargazie), assorted fish heads looking heavenward through the crust. |
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| In February 2008 Jane and I used trail guides, purchased inexpensively from Penlee House, to enjoy detailed explorations of Mousehole and Newlyn. If you don't already know these two small towns well, we can strongly recommend the exercise. The guides are strong on both information and history and you follow a series of 10 bronze waymarks made by Newlyn sculptor Tom Leaper. |
| Adjacent Penzance is the biggest resort on the south coast of Cornwall, but Newlyn has the third largest fishing harbour in Britain. First impressions are of a gritty working town but there are some quite attractive cottages in streets running up the hill. Focus, of course, is the harbour from which about a hundred boats operate. The fish auction starts at 8 a.m. each day and sells around 10,000 tons of fish a year. Pilchards were once the mainstay but the old Pilchard Works is now apartments. There is a modern art gallery at the east end of town. Oddly, if you want to see Newlyn School artists, you will have to go to Penlee House gallery in Penzance. Just west along the coast is Mousehole. |
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| In February 2008 Jane and I used trail guides, purchased inexpensively from Penlee House, to enjoy detailed explorations of Mousehole and Newlyn. If you don't already know these two small towns well, we can strongly recommend the exercise. The guides are strong on both information and history and you follow a series of 10 bronze waymarks made by Newlyn sculptor Tom Leaper. |
| An odd mixture of
tawdry down-market resort and delightful cliffs, headlands and beaches,
this is a place best seen on foot along the waterfront. Two hundred
years ago just a mining and fishing village, the railroad then brought
wealthy visitors and grand hotels. Lapsing to down-market in the
20th century, Newquay's discovery as a surfers paradise (Fistral is the
major surfing beach) has seen improvement. A Huer's Hut was
once the look-out tower for pilchard shoals. The eight-man pilot
gig is now raced; once the gigs competed to get their pilot to incoming
boats first. One aspect of Newquay of which I have no experience
is its nightlife. I am happy for it to stay that way. I am
told that the many clubs and nightclubs seethe with action at night, much
of it drunken and troublesome.
Newquay Walk in Coast & Country. Images of Newquay's Great Western beach |
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And Some More Images of Newquay - Great Western Beach
| The biggest oddity I discovered when revisiting my walk from Watergate Bay to Newquay was a tunnel in the cliff at Great Western Beach. It is approached by a flight of steps and an unlocked iron grill gate and the tunnel is about 30 yards long. At the end is an electrically operated lift door. You can see where a call buton was inset into the wall but it is now missing. I have been able to discover nothing about its original purpose and can only guess that it must once have carried visitors down to the beach from a hotel above . |
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| To first-time visitors this will seem like unchanging Cornwall. But to Jane, remembering Padstow from the 1940s, things have changed greatly. The railway has gone - it's now a hiking and cycling trail; restaurants and shops concentrate on tourists; foodies have arrived, enticed by Rick Stein's seafood empire. Fishing boats do still land their catches (and the restaurants specialise in seafood). The views across the Camel estuary are to the village of Rock and a little ferry carries hikers and holiday makers. Cream teas are all you expect; try Greens or the lounge of the Metropole. Wander around narrow, steep streets; walk up the hill behind the town to visit the 'great house', Prideaux Place. For all this, we no longer much like. In the season it heaves with people and cars; out of season it seems deserted, cafés and restaurants closed, many shops deserted. Thanks to second homers, housing is very expensive so less and less native Padstonians actually live there. It should be a lovely small harbour town but now it disappoints me. |
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The National Trust, which owns so much of Cornwall's coastline, also owns the little hamlet of Penberth and its fishing cove. A cluster of cottages, owned by the Trust but leased to fishermen, surrounds the cove and small fishing boats are drawn up on the slipway by electric winch. In the old days they were pulled up by hand operated capstan. The Trust has restored the capstan but it is no longer in use. The old fish cellars are still there but superseded by a modern store built by the Trust. Above the cove small fields, protected by hedges of willow, hawthorn and escallonia, remind you of the daffodil fields of Scilly; previously the fishermen supplemented their summer living by growing daffodils, violets and early potatoes - sadly no longer. These things may have changed but the fishing hasn't except that the boats are now motorised. The main catch is crab and lobster but bass and mackerel are still caught by hand-line. It is a delightful spot and one of the most photographed in Cornwall. Although a lane runs down from Treen village, there is little or no parking. Park in the privately owned car park in Treen and take a footpath for the half-mile to the cove. There is great walking west along the cliffs to Porthcurno. Along the way are Treen Cliffs and Treryn Dinas an iron age cliff castle and the famous Logan Rock. |
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We visited Penberth on a walk from Treen that included Porthcurno |
Pentewan, its Trailer Park and its Unexpected Industrial History
| Imagine my surprise, walking through Pentewan, to discover a historic port and more. From early times the stone quarries supplied such homes as Antony with superb silvery grey stone. A small fishing port, at the mouth of the St. Austell River, it came to handle cargoes of tin, stone, sand and grain. A proper harbour was constructed in 1744 and it was the first port to handle the local china clay. However, when the Rashleighs built their new port at nearby Charlestown in 1801, Pentewan's Hawkins family owners struggled to keep it open, eventually closing. The remains harbour intact and still has its sea-lock but access to the sea is blocked. Remains of industrial buildings moulder to the south of the harbour. Substantial houses and cottages line the main street. Walk up Pentewan Hill and follow the coast path sign to find the colonial looking Terrace and Georgian church. The beach is private but public access is granted. The Ship Inn is a pleasant place but gets busy from the trailer park in summer. The Pentewan Trail follows the course of the White River |
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| First developed as a resort in Victorian times, Penzance is not generally very attractive but there are parts worth seeking out. Chapel Street is known for its art galleries and antique shops and for its attractive Georgian homes and shops - do not miss the Egyptian House and the Admiral Benbow Inn. At the top of Chapel Street the old Market Hall is now a bank; outside stands a statue of Humphrey Davy, inventor of the miners' safety lamp. He looks down Market Jew Street, corruption of Cornish for Thursday Market. Morrab Road and the small streets at its north end are charming as is Regent Terrace and Western Promenade. If you like the Newlyn School artists, you should visit Penlee House Gallery near the top of Morrab Road. Also take a look at Morrab Gardens nearby. A ferry and helicopters operate from Penzance to the Scilly Isles. |
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What a contrast to
Par, just a mile away across St. Austell Bay. Par is heavily industrial,
its waterfront dominated by the vast china clay works and its associated
harbour, and by a trailer park set immediately above the beach. Polkerris
might be another world entirely. Both are in the old parish of Tywardreath
- it means 'House on the Strand' and was the inspiration for Daphne
du Maurier's novel.
Polkerris is reached down a narrow steep lane off the road from Par to Fowey. Parking in the village is non-existent, unless you are a resident or are lunching in the Rashleigh Arms and are lucky enough to get a space in their small car park. Fortunately there is a large car park a few hundred yards up the hill, a clear sign that Polkerris gets very busy in season. I visited in March 2005, and even then the car park was fairly well used. Polkerris has a long fishing history, though it no longer has a fleet. As far back as Elizabethan times, however, it could boast the largest pilchard cellars in Cornwall; these are still there. Also there is the harbour wall and quay built by the Rashleigh family, on whose Menabilly estate it stood, in the 18th century. Prosperity didn't last and now Polkerris relies on its pub, cafe and summer visitors. |
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| We hate the commercial aspects of Polperro. Streets bustling with day visitors almost elbowing one another for room to move; shops, restaurants and cafés all designed to part them from their money. We prefer to approach by the coast path from Looe, avoiding the crowds and enjoying the views from above. We love Polperro's harbour with its small fleet of fourteen working boats, coming and going through a sea-lock which keeps the harbour in permanent water. Around the harbour are a museum of smuggling and fishing, a fish market, net stores, a stall selling fresh fish and shellfish and two of the better pubs, our favourite the Blue Peter though we also like the look of the Lugger. At the landward end a bridge crosses the small stream that feeds the harbour. Shops and homes back onto it, one of them jettied out over the stream and known as the 'House on Props'. As there are now only fourteen working fishing boats, most fishermen's cottages are now artists studios or holiday homes. Not a place for busy times but great in the quiet season. |
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| An attractive small town on the south coast, three miles south-west of Helston. The narrow harbour is a haven to fishermen and yachtsmen and is overlooked on its west side by a decent pub, the Ship, and on its east side by Bay View, a most handsome row of Victorian homes. Since we first knew Porthleven things have changed. Along the east side of the harbour, and up Cliff Road towards Loe Bar, restorations and new builds are almost all second homes or holiday rentals. Eating places in town have improved in response to this change. But, like many harbour villages, this one can get too busy in summer. |
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| Between Caerhays and Portloe, tiny twin villages separated by a small headland. Part of the Caerhays Estate, most of the cottages are second homes or holiday rentals. If, when you visit, Portholland looks slightly familiar, you may have seen it in the Poldark TV series. |
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Jane and I were fascinated
by Porthoustock when we visited a few years ago. Now I have been
back I am even more taken with the place. I was there in November
2005 in the course of a walk that took in St. Keverne,
Porthoustock, Porthkerris and Porthallow. While on Porthoustock beach
I had a long chat with retired fisherman Roy Curnow and learned a lot about
the locality.
Four miles of coast here is riddled with stone quarries and it is they which have determined the character of Porthoustock, Porthkerris and Porthallow. Beaches have been formed by longshore drift of dark quarry spoil; that at Porthoustock rose gradually by eight feet when a massive groyne was built with a stone hopper on it to load ships. Former winch huts are now used for storage, a tractor draws boats up the beach. An earth mover maintains the height of the beach. Most cottages were once quarrymens homes; some are still lived in by descendants who make a small living from the sea but most are now second homes. There is a lovely thatched terrace just up the valley. West of England quarry still operates but St. Keverne quarry closed in 1958. Until the 1970s two cotils, small steep south facing fields were used to grow early potatoes, harvested in March or April. |
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More images of Porthoustock below |
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| The old part of Port Isaac is crammed into a tight steep valley leading down to a tiny fishing harbour where crab and lobster are landed. Although you can park on the harbour beach at low tide you would do better to park at the top of the hill and walk down, enjoying the delightful views; the narrow streets can be very difficult to negotiate in a car, even away from school vacation times. Small cottages, closely packed together, have white washed or tile hung walls. There are still fish cellars on the west side of the harbour but the crab and lobster, the main catch, mostly leave the harbour for immediate distribution. In 2004 we enjoyed 'Doc Martin', a TV series shot in and around the village; an odd show, first comedy, later melodrama and packed with great location shots. |
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Portloe, on the south coast between Gorran Haven and Portscatho, is expensive territory - inhabited largely by wealthy second home owners - and no wonder. It is a total delight. To get the best out of just driving through, approach from the east so the steep narrow hill down gives you an overview of the tiny fishing cove. Leave westwards towards Veryan. But you will never do Portloe justice by merely driving through. Instead, approaching from the east, park in the only car park, way up the hill. Walk its narrow street and enjoy the charming cottages, with a couple of exceptions no longer fishermen's cottages. Wander down to the cove where you will see evidence of the crab and lobster still caught by the fishermen. The buildings on the cove are mostly part of the Lugger Hotel, one of Cornwall's best. Get an expensive but good lunch here (they do have a car park). or walk up the Veryan road for a pub lunch in the ancient Ship Inn. If you are slightly adventurous, and properly shod, you can enjoy the view on the left. Walk between the Lugger and its car park, follow the cove, take some steps down, cross a tiny stream and the slipway of the former Lifeboat Station ( now a home with a view) and you will come up onto the coast path. Continue a little way and you will come to an amazing shack that was once the Coastguard lookout. Great views. |
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| Port Quin is one of those places that you would be lucky to find if you didn't know it was there, although coast path walkers would encounter it. Tucked away down a narrow steep lane, not far from the better known Polzeath and Port Isaac, it is a former fishing hamlet on a quiet cove and, except for one cottage, is all owned by the National Trust and let as holiday cottages. It must have been a bustling little place at one time because one row of cottages was formerly fish cellars for processing the pilchards, once the great marine harvest. Eat at the nearby Port Gaverne Hotel (near Port Isaac) for the excellent local crab sandwiches. If you are walking the coast path in these parts, beware, this section offers some of the toughest walking you will find anywhere along the north coast, with a lot of steep climbs - but it's well worth it for the glorious scenery. Just south along the coast is tiny Doyden Castle, built around 1830 by Samuel Symons as a high-lefe retreat and now a National Trust rental; it was used a Dwight Enys home in the BBC's Poldark. |
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Jane remembers Portreath from wartime when her father used to explain the village was closed. When we visited in 2003, I was taken by the long narrow harbour, almost unused, and by postwar housing filling a flat V-shaped section between harbour and cliffs. Portreath is now a very ordinary down-market little resort, blessed by a safe sandy family beach but I wanted to find out something of its history. It turns out that it was an 18th and 19th century port, a major player in the tin and copper trade, serving mines around Redruth and Camborne. An important tramway ran from Redruth and is now part of the coast-to-coast mineral tramways trail. A steep inclined plane also ran down from the western side. The port declined in the 20th century and the harbour is now used by a small fishing fleet and pleasure boats. In World War II Portreath changed beyond recognition. The military took over, clearing away warehouses, and the port served a top secret airfield and weapons storage facility high on the east side at Nancekuke. The warehousing area now has late 20th century housing on it, most of it frankly quite unattractive, while chalets line the cliffs. The airfield remains closed and teams atill search for unspecified but apparently deadly hidden weaponry. Good coast walk west to Hell's Mouth and Godrevy. |
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Portreath's Industrial History and More images of Portreath |
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Portreath's Industrial History
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