Up On The Moor

As I was so close to it, I stopped off for a couple of days near Bodmin to visit the moor. Wow, it is a totally unique landscape - sheep in the middle of the road, ponies galloped across the moor in front of us whilst we were out on a walk, no real marked footpaths, stone circles and buildings left from the mining industry for the landscape. It really was a feast for the eyes.

We visited The Hurlers (three stone circles in a row,) The Cheesewring (a precarious stack of rocks) above a disused quarry and through a village called Minions (nothing to do with the film!)

Back in Bodmin we walked up the steepest hill to see the monument, were invited into the ‘warm space’ at the tourist information office and told to make myself a cuppa and made an exciting visit to Screwfix for a teeny, tiny oil radiator. Yes it has definitely turned colder and after waking up to ice on the inside of the windscreen, I decided that maybe a little heat might be a good idea.

My favourite morning was the morning of the hard frost as we went to Cardinham Woods and the sunlight breaking through the trees was just stunning and its warmth so welcoming. I chose the highest route to walk thinking it would lead us into the sunshine. I was right. I stood still, faced it and smiled as I felt its warmth. Back at the van to put the kettle on and plan our next stop. Let’s see where the road takes us…

Beautiful Buildings

My grandparents enjoyed nothing better than going for a daily drive to find and visit one of Norfolk’s many churches. I think we have over 800 in the county, many with round towers. My Nan kept a draw with all the information guides she had picked up after each visit. They loved it and when in the school holidays my sister and I would often be looked after by my grandparents, we too were taken to see some of these beautiful buildings. I’m not sure whether we quite appreciated them when we were younger, but often on this journey I have found myself visiting a church or Cathedral and certainly have found time to admire the architecture and craftsmanship involved. 

Whilst visiting Truro Cathedral, I happened to be there during their short, daily moment of prayer. To join with a small group of strangers in such a magnificent space was a very moving moment and one I shall remember. 

Another special day was visiting St Michael’s  Mount. Waiting for the tide to reveal the causeway whilst eating a hot pasty in the sunshine on the beach, I suddenly felt like a proper tourist! I’m glad I opted to leave Poppy in the van after her run on the beach as the causeway was slippery in parts and the Pilgrim’s Steps up to the castle would also have been a little treacherous with a lead in hand! 

The views were great from the top although we had to hang on to our hats around the western side as the wind was so gusty! The guides inside the castle were fantastic and give you a real sense of the stories within each room.

So thank you Cornwall, you continue to provide us with winter wonders.

Truro Cathedral

Inside the castle on St Michael’s Mount

Lanhydrock, late Victorian house and estate, National Trust

Truro Cathedral

On the Mount - very windy! 

Heading towards Porthleven from Loe Pool and the Penrose Estate

Low Pool on the left, Cornwall’s largest natural lake

Weekend of two Halves

Fourteen hours of persistent, heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday meant my plan of more coastal walking was put on hold. Instead, I drove the short distance to Penzance and enjoyed a visit to Penlee Museum and Art Gallery, which houses a great collection of archeological finds from the area from Neolithic times through to Roman times. It also had an exhibition of Fred Yates’ work. He was an English painter inspired by the work of Lowry and on a grey, wet day his oil canvases certainly brightened up this patch of Cornwall.

Thankfully, on Sunday morning we awoke to a calm, blue sky with just a gentle breeze. Phew. So, our first port of call was to walk down the hill to Mousehole. We are camped at the home of Mousehole Football Club. I met one of the many volunteers who help support the girls, boys, men and women who all play or train here at ‘The Seagulls.’ Creating some hard standing pitches for campers and setting aside part of the grass field next to the pitch was an idea that grew in lockdown and now helps to finance the youth programmes he told me. What a brilliant idea & a good use of facilities that are already there.

After our morning in Mousehole, we headed to Sennen and walked to Land’s End along the coast path and back along the ‘first and last’ cycle path. From Sennen it was a short drive to the Minack Theatre, an open-air theatre built into the cliff, first begun by Rowena Cade. A friend had told me about this place and said I HAD to visit and I’m glad I did. As you can see from the photos, I virtually had the place to myself and the sun even tried to make an appearance. What a vision Cade had and how she spent many a winter building more of her dream is astounding when you see the location she was working in. Definitely worthy of a stop.

Mousehole Harbour

Fred Yate, ‘The Mount’

Mousehole street

I am enjoying hot pasties for lunches - winter root veg is a favourite!

Doorway in Mousehole

Sennen beach

Sennen

Showers in St Ives

I sat this evening to update the blog and can’t believe how much we’ve done in a week! Time is funny when you travel and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because you wake up in different surroundings every day. 

We’ve had a week with lots of rain and VERY gusty winds, but the sun has also tried to shine through meaning we have seen a lot of rainbows. We have also walked a few more sections of the coastal path. Today’s adventure was catching the bus from St Ives to Zennor and then walking the 11km back. Anyone who dislikes heights should not do this section as there are vertical drops and the path in places goes close to the edge. After the amount of rain we’ve had, the path in places was either running with water or VERY muddy. Poppy with her four paws seemed to cope with this much better than my two boots! Our reward was a sweeping view of St Ives after four hours, thankfully with only one scrawly shower. 

Whilst staying in St Ives I also visited Barbara Hepworth’s studio and sculpture garden, which was well worth it. What a find it must have been for her to come across that property to live and work in. 

Our campsite in St Ives is in a pretty special spot and the stars at night time have been stunning. The brand new toilet/shower block is something to behold - underfloor heating, hairdryers, charging points and with music playing! So basically you can charge your phone, have a dance after showering and all without your feet freezing - honestly, luxurious! 

The roads have taken us to Port Isaac (famous for Doc Martin,) Tintagel (although the castle was closed due to the gale force winds) and Padstow. 

Included in my blog this time is a quote I came across about travel. I am happiest when out walking and although we’ve had to contend with some wet days, I am actually enjoying visiting this popular part of the UK in the low-season. The beaches are empty except for the hardy surfers out in the waves and usually on our walks we see just a handful of people. I have also always had an interest in maps from a really young age and every evening I love to look at where we’ve walked or check our driving route for the next day. 

So, I love you and leave you to look at where the road may lead tomorrow…