The beach at Cawsand
It’s come at the right time, that’s for sure. We both needed a break, and the offer of a ten-day break with the family in Cornwall was too good to resist. And so it was with anticipation and expectation that we packed our bags and journeyed down to the south west corner of England yesterday.
Neither of us has been to Cornwall before, and we were looking forward to seeing what the county can offer. Getting into the holiday mood by listening to local radio station Atlantic FM on the internet, we hoped that the skies would be sunny, and the temperatures warm. That’s certainly the picture that the radio paints, anyway.
Most of yesterday was spent buzzing along the motorways to our holiday cottage just outside Saltash, and we made good time, even with a friendly stop over in Bath for lunch. Today was our first full day of exploring, and wanting to stay local, we chose to zizz along the coast, and visit the reportedly pretty villages that litter the shoreline.
First stop was Cawsand, which along with its ‘sister’ Kingsand, are part of the Rame Peninsula. The scenic ‘twin’ villages are side-by-side, and have long fishing and sea connections, and although popular, are unspoilt by tourists. The coastline of both settlements are rocky, but with a twist. The rocks themselves are a rich dark purple or green in colour, marbled with white inlays, and are quite beautiful. Shallow pools with clear water are formed where the rocks dip under the sea, creating a very scenic view out to the English Channel.
Polperro harbour
The charming small fishing port of Polperro was our next destination, a little further west along the coast. I’m surprised at how hilly Cornwall is, the landscape changing dramatically from livestock-filled and hedge-walled fields to cliff tops looking down towards the great expanses of sea. With houses nestled high in the stepped hilltops above the gentle roads below, shops line the steep quiet streets down to the harbour.
Electric milk float-style buses and carriages pulled by horses ferry tourists to the harbour itself, and while the tide was out when we visited, it was still very pretty. The empty fishing boats provided platforms on which the gulls could sit, while the gentle and tranquil atmosphere seemed to rub of on everyone, while other gulls glided above. All in all, pretty much the archetypal Cornish fishing village then, but none the less enjoyable for that.
Deckchairs at Looe
The last stop of the day was Looe, made up of the villages of East and West Looe. Separated by the tidal river Looe, it was very busy with tourist activity, and parking proved a problem. So much so, that we didn’t see that much of the friendly rivals, including East Looe’s fish market and sandy beach, and the seafront at Hanafore with views across to Looe Island. No matter though, we’d had a very nice day out, and even enjoyed our first Cornish pasty. I only hope the other places we plan to visit over the next week prove to be both as scenic and enjoyable.