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Odds n' Ends..! |
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The Cornish coast is the main attraction here and it is indeed one of the prettiest, yet dramatic places in
the whole of England - if not the world - high jagged cliffs, swelling seas and inlets sheltering quaint fishing villages.
This was the Celt's last stronghold in England before being driven out by the Saxons, and the place
still looks, feels and sounds a bit different to the rest of the country. The accents owned by the
local fisherman can be almost stereotypical pirate - a "pint of lager" is more like a "point-o-larrrrger".
For walkers, the Cornwall Coast Path is the most scenic of the South West Coast Path and the Cornwall
Drive makes for very pleasant motoring.
Click on the headings to find out more:
A bridge connects the twin towns of east and West Looe. The main part of town has narrow streets
and tiny cottages, there's a nice sandy beach and boat trips to the Looe Island Nature Reserve, as
well as to Polperro and Fowey. It's a good spot to try some fishing (as are most ports) but if
you hire a boat, beware the tides in the estuaries. When low tide approaches the water can disappear
faster than you can walk, leaving you stranded on a sand bank. All you can do is wait until the tide
returns, sheepishly apologise to the boat owner and pay him for the additional few hours hire.
Polperro is even prettier than Looe with narrow lanes, fishing cottages and a history of smuggling. In any of
the pubs you're likely to see a few crusty locals that look as though they may still be. The most
picturesque way of approaching the fishing village is along the coastal path from Looe or by boat.
Fowey (pronounced 'Foy') is pretty and unspoilt. Somehow it has managed to stay off the main
tourist track but is every bit as rewarding as the other little towns. (Author's note - my favourite place in
Cornwall!) The town has it's own maritime history. In the 14th Century boats from Fowey would raid the coastal
towns of Spain and France. This led to the Spanish launching a counter-attack in 1380. If you go out in a fishing
boat (and you're almost guaranteed a catch), you will see the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier's The Birds on
the way back. As you clean and gut the fish the local birds will gather at the stern, screaming, diving
and pecking each other to get at the spoils. They say that there's a ghost in one of the guest rooms at
the pub in the centre of town. So many people have experienced it, no one likes to rent the room much
anymore. How game are you...?
Lanhydrock House sits in parkland above the Fowey River. It's a grand country house that shows
the divisions between the master and servants in Victorian England (as seen in 'Upstairs Downstairs).
Walking around the Fowey area is a delight. One nice one is to hop a ferry across to Bodinnick and take the Hall
Walk to Polruen (4 miles of lovely scenery). From Polruen you can catch another ferry directly back to Fowey.
The jungle scenes in "Die Another Day", the James Bond movie, were filmed at the Eden Project near St.
Austell. Opened in March 2001, it took two and a half years to build. There are two huge Biomes. The
Humid Tropics Biome, which holds tens of thousands of plants and trees from the rainforests of South America,
West Africa, the Oceanic Islands and Asia, is the largest conservatory in the world. The Warm Temperate
Biomes holds an ancient Olive Grove, citrus fruits, Cork trees and much more.
Falmouth in South-West Cornwall has Pendennis Castle, Cornwall's largest fort with terrific
views from the ramparts. The Lizard peninsula is England's most southerly point and from
where Marconi transmitted the first transatlantic radio signals in 1901.
Penzance is another nice town, full of character. Apart from the title there's probably little other association
with the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Pirates of Penzance. After all, Gilbert and Sullivan never even
visited each other! The opera was probably so-named because it rolled off the tongue better than
Pirates of Widecombe-in-the-Moor.
Mousehole (pron. 'mowzel') is further along the coast westward and is another lovely fishing
village with cottages snuggling around the edge of the harbour. Towards Lands End is Minack Theatre
, an open-air theatre perched on the edge of the cliffs overlooking a bay. It was built by Rowena Wade when she came
up with the spot for an amateur production of he Tempest. The venue worked so well Rowena began construction on
a permanent theatre, and you can enjoy a performance from late May to late September. A marvellous
experience and your bottom will thank you if you take along a cushion. Lands End is touristy and tacky,
but most who go that far, go that little bit further to see the famous landmark.
St Ives is a charming harbour-side town with steep slopes, hidden corners and winding alleyways, which has been
attracting painters, sculptors and tourists for years. Turner went there to paint in 1811 because of the
stunning light, and there's a branch of London's Tate Gallery in the town, which exhibits local works.
Sculptors Henry Moore, Naum Gabo, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth all worked there. The Barbara
Hepworth museum is well worth a visit. She lived here from 1949 until her death in a fire in 1975.
Many of her larger works are strategically placed around the garden.
(ps - Be very careful driving in St Ives - watch out for large buses (yes insane - but true - full size busses!) in the narrow streets - personal experience - when we were completely stuck between a wall and a bus - the bus won - we backed off - with thankfully no damage to the car!!)
Surfers will enjoy Porthmeor Beach (just below the Tate). Newquay would be a nice enough town if it weren't for
so many other towns in the area that are much much nicer. It's now very big, and very tacky...but just a short drive outside Newquay, back along the coast are some wonderful beaches and quaint hotels.
I would also personally recommend Padstow as one of the most charming seaside places to stay in Cornwall. It is also restaurant central (foodie heaven.!!) with some truly AMAZING restaurants..
If you have your own car, it's really worth exploring the coast of North Cornwall, as it has superb surf beaches and an
interesting coastline.
A must visit is the breathtaking and mysterious surf-battered Tintagel and Boscastle ruins. This is meant to
be the spot where King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table had their castle, as well as Merlin
the Magicians cave. You'll have to use your imagination because King Arthur was born in the late
600's and Tintagel was reputedly built in the 13th Century. However, who's to say there's not the
ruins of another castle beneath the present ruins - if Arthur had to live somewhere, this spot
looks about right. Be prepared for a fair walk (no - make that a BIG walk uphill!) however to get to it, but it is definitely one
of the sights you must see.
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