Fistral Beach - One of Newquay's Finest For Surfing

Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall is one of the best for surfing, because of the consistency and quality of the surf. Newquay is considered to be the surfing capital of the UK.

It's a lovely stretch of sand and high on the cliffs is the impressive Headland Hotel.

The hotel was first opened in June 1900 and has hosted royalty. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were the first to stay at the hotel in the early 1900s. The current Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and the Princess Royal (Princess Ann) have also enjoyed several visits - at least I presume they enjoyed themselves! Hard to tell what they are thinking at times.

The town of Newquay is on Cornwall's north coast and is very much a seaside resort. The population of the town is about 20,000 but this shoots up to nearer 100,000 in the main summer season. So to say it gets busy is an understatement - it heaves people in the main summer holiday period. The attraction? Sandy beaches, I think there are 11! Oh, and surfing, as I have already mentioned.

In the photo above, on the cliff top is a small white building. This is the Huers Hut mentioned in a previous post.

Changing the subject, there was a recent clean up of Fistral Beach and they found litter going back to the 1970s and 80s! The rubbish lay buried under a collapsed sand dune.

I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about litter, I detest it and don't understand why people can't take their rubbish home. Why pollute beautiful scenery? But the other thing about some of the items found is that they have survived for perhaps 30+ years. We really are polluting our Earth - and not just with plastic.

Grumble over! Here are just some of the items found under the sand dune ...

~ 1984 Smiths Crisps packet  that offers a free Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Poster
~ Coca Cola can dated 1984 
~ A Marathon chocolate bar dated 1984
~ Packet from Golden Wonder crisps offering a model of a Laker Airways DC-10 - Laker went bankrupt in 1982
~ Burton's Smax
~ Treets, who changed their name in 1988

... and so it went on.

A March Day On Pentewan Beach In Mevagissey Bay, Cornwall

A sunny March day on Pentewan Beach in Mevagissey Bay, Cornwall. Some are even brave enough to take to the water.

Just behind the beach is a caravan and camping park, Pentewan Sands, with five star ratings. Looks quiet in the photo but is very popular in the summer months with holiday makers. I guess the main attraction is the nearness of the beach. But there is also entertainment for kids and adults, a swimming pool, restaurant, fish & chips and so on.

I must admit, though, I prefer the beach in the winter and early Spring when there are less people about.

Other Pentewan Posts:
A Short Walk Along The Pentewan Trail
Pentewan: Comparing How It Looked In 1900 With Today

The Giant Gunnera Thrives In Cornwall

Cornwall has a mild climate and is not too extreme in the winter. This means we have all sorts of different plants growing, including palm trees - and the likes of the Gunnera as in my photos. 

The photos were snapped in my son's garden before he moved - but he somehow managed to take the gunnera with him to his new house. As you can see the plant was as high as his garage - and grows even taller.

According to Wikipedia the plant is native to Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Papuasia, Hawaii, Africa and Madagascar. 

There are many good examples of the Gunnera in Cornwall, especially at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, The leaves die off in the winter but return in Spring.

The Pleasures of Mawgan Porth Beach, Cornwall

This is Mawgan Porth beach. A while back the Times Newspaper included the beach in it's Top 10 Holiday Beaches. They wrote: There are better known and busier beaches in Cornwall, but few can match the raw beauty of Mawgan Porth, on the north coast near Newquay.  Shielded on both sides by cliffs, it has acres of soft white sand, rock pools, caves and magical sunsets.

The first five of today's photos, of Mawgan Porth, were snapped as the tide was going out on a lovely sunny early morning - so not very many people on the beach - perfect!

The tide does go out a long way, as can be seen by the photo above, but it leaves behind soft squelchy sand with a few clear water pools - oh, and beautiful clean air - breathe deeply - ahhhh!

When the tide is out it's possible to explore caves in the cliffs, which are normally hidden by the sea.

The following three photos were again snapped in the morning, but the sky wasn't so blue and the sea perhaps not so inviting. This is the Atlantic coast so the waves are suitable for surfing.

A small river joins the beach ...

... while the waves start to build.

Mawgan Porth is situated between Newquay and Padstow on Cornwall's north coast.

The Race Is On For The Working Boats

While on a boat trip from Truro to Falmouth, we were lucky enough to encounter a race for working boats. 

They are known as Truro River Oyster Dredging Boats - the name describes their purpose. Traditionally they were made of wood and are also referred to as Falmouth Working Boats. I think the photos - above and below - are all self explanatory.

St. Mawes Town and Castle By Boat

Today it's St.Mawes on Cornwall's Roseland Peninsula. The photos were all snapped last year while on a boat.

St.Mawes town lies on the banks of the Carrick Roads

The photo above is looking towards the St. Mawes Sailing Club, the Post Office, a cafe and bank.

Now we have two photos of St.Mawes Castle, again looking from the water.

The castle was built between 1540 and 1545, as part of a defensive chain of fortresses by Henry VIII to protect Cornwall and England's south coast. It is now open to the public.

The Cornish Piskies and the Money Tree

While walking at Heligan I came across these lovely fungi on an old tree. But this was no ordinary tree, as it is a money tree - notice all of the coins pushed into the bark. So why do people part with their money in this way? It's all down to the piskies (Cornish pixies).

It is said that to ensure safe passage on your journey, the piskies will apply an invisible charm on any passer by - but only if a small toll is paid by placing a coin in the tree. But warning! warning! warning! if any passer by should take a coin from the tree they will incur the wrath of the piskies ... and you definitely wouldn't want that!

The photo below is another such tree I snapped - but I can't remember where it was! I think the piskies must have addled my memory as I passed by. Some things are meant to stay secret!

The Face of Neptune the Sea God at Charlestown, Cornwall

The face of Neptune the Sea God seen at Charlestown, Cornwall.  The carving has been created from the remains of a tree outside one of the cottages. It was carved by Peter Martin and commissioned by Sarita and Jason Miller. 

Neptune has a purpose, and it is to raise funds for the local Little Harbour children's hospice. Picture takers are asked to pop some money in a box for the charity. 

If you are in Charlestown and snap a photo, please leave a few coins to help terminally ill children. This is a genuine charity and one I donate to personally. I look at my young grandchildren, who are healthy and robust, and realise how lucky I am.

The carving has weathered since I snapped these photos.

As I understand it Neptune was the god of the sea, in Roman religion, and was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto.

A Normal Day In St.Austell

Just a normal day - if there is such a thing. My wife wanted to pop into a shop in St.Austell town and, as I'm not that keen on shops, I stayed in the car park and snapped the photo above showing the church.

We then headed for a dose of fresh air along the footpath at Carlyon Bay.

The footpath passes the rear of the Carlyon Bay Hotel.

But then the sky dramatically changed, so we thought it advisable to return to the car before the rain came down - which it did!

Cottages At Veryan, Cornwall - Built To Keep The Devil Away

Some would say that Veryan, on the Roseland Peninsula, is one of Cornwall's loveliest inland villages. There are many attractive cottages, but the village is mostly famous for it's round houses.

There are five round houses or cottages. These thatched buildings were built around 1810 by the local vicar, a Parson Trist, for the use of local labourers. He also thought that they would be a decorative feature for the village - which indeed they are. Records show they cost £42 (about US$60) to build - inflation has a lot to answer for!

They are a strange design, being round, but there is a reason for this - to keep the devil away - from both the cottages and from the village itself. Maybe not away, as such, but as there are no corners in the cottages the devil has nowhere to hide. And for extra protection a cross has been placed on the top of each thatched roof.

Though the round houses are the main attraction I also particularly like the cottage shown in the photo below - such a superb thatched roof.

Other cottages, like the terrace below, perhaps aren't quite as glamorous but they all go to make up a very pleasant place to visit. The village was first mentioned in 1086, so has quite a history and is, therefore, very popular with tourists.

There are also many other attractions on the Roseland Peninsular: beaches, castles, churches and much more.

Trelissick House and Gardens With Stunning Maritime Views

Today we are at the Trelissick House and Estate. The photo above - showing the house - was snapped while on a boat travelling along the River Fal to Falmouth in the summer. 

All of the other photos were taken together in the month of March.

The house itself is quite strange - at least I think so. It was built initially in 1755 but each generation seems to have altered it's appearance. The neoclassical columns, for example, were erected by Thomas Daniell in 1824 on the assumption that this would signify his wealth and status. To me they don't seem to go with the rest of the building.

The gardens and grounds are quite extensive so plenty of room for visitors. While we were there the magnolias were in bloom and were a lovely sight.

The estate looks over the River Fal and it's possible to cross the river by a ferry, though there may be restrictions in the winter months.

A couple of photos follow of the gardens and estate.

We now move onto the water tower, photo below. This was built in 1865, and was erected as a reservoir for Trelissick House. The height of the tower ensured a good head of water for fighting fires. Today it has been converted to a holiday let - there is just one room on each of the four stories.

The gardens once more ...

... and finally a look across the fields. All very pleasant.

Other Gardens In Cornwall:

(1) A Flavour Of Cornwall's Eden Project: 15 Photos

(2) More Flavour of Cornwall's Eden Project - 14 Photos

(3)Thirteen February Photos of The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall

(4) Lost Gardens of Heligan In Winter