CORNWALL, AMAZING AIR, BRILLIANT BEACHES, AND CAPTIVATING COASTLINE
Cornwall has the ABC of success, Air, Beaches, Coastline. The air quality is amazing as there is a lot less pollution from traffic and built-up areas. You will smell the real countryside now and again, don't worry as I was told as a child it is good for you!!
The beaches are golden sands that wouldn't go amiss in lands you only dreamed of, and the rugged Jurassic coastline trails around the sea and beaches like a snake around its prey.
Kernow ( Cornwall in Cornish ) is a very proud county on the south-west tip of the United Kingdom; the Cornish people embrace their heritage with passion, as all Celtic nations do, with a little bit of mild 'playful' animosity against England, Oh and the Devon neighbours!!
If you want to impress the Cornish, let them know that you believe the Jam always goes on a scone before the cream!!! 😂.
The Cornish had a history of trying to defeat the English invaders. The Cornish rebels, led by Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank, marched towards London in 1497 and met the English forces at the battle of Blackheath but were swiftly defeated.
Up until that point, the Cornish Language was widely spoken. Still, it slowly was discouraged by the English and eventually phased out. It was very similar to the Welsh language, and like the Welsh, in recent times, have been trying to revive this part of history. Unlike the Welsh, the Cornish haven't managed to get the language into the school curriculum as of yet.
Cornwall is one of the poorest counties in the U.K with high rents and low wages it is known as a tourist hotspot with a lot of jobs relying on that trade which gets very, very busy in the summer months and why wouldn't you want to come to a beautiful place like Cornwall.
CORNISH WILDLIFE
There are numerous opportunities to grab a glimpse of the wonderful wildlife in Cornwall, from the seas with Dolphins, Seals and Sharks and seabirds:
• Puffin.
• Razorbill.
• Guillemot.
• Cormorant.
Male Kestrel Water Rail. Little Egret
And if you head into the woodland, you might be lucky enough to see
• Deers
• Pheasants
• Partridge
• Hedgehogs
• Foxes
Plenty of woodland birds also include Kingfishers, Woodpeckers and Owls.
And very recently, Beavers have been introduced back into the wild, which will hopefully help ecosystems massively by reducing flooding and benefit habitats for wildlife.
WHERE WE LIVE
North Cornwall has a rugged coastline and beautiful beaches to its wonderful woodlands and mesmerising moors.
When looking into North Cornwall, many people will recognise the fishing villages of Padstow, Rock or Port Isaac, where many celebrities come to visit and live.
Some of the celebrities who have properties here include
Gordon Ramsay (chef)
Andrew Ridgley ( Musician)
Rick Stein ( Chef )
Roger Taylor ( Musician )
Dawn French ( Actress)
Tori Amos ( Musician )
and so many more
Gordon Ramsey, Will Young, Andrew Lincoln and Bill Nighy
But we will talk about a gem of a town nearby, and that's our hometown of Wadebridge.
Wadebridge is not directly by the sea like the other places I have mentioned. Still, it has character, beauty and could save you little money staying here and only being 6 miles from the beaches. It has everything you need in the town to make your stay memorable.
The town has a pedestrianised centre where there are many independent shops, including 2 Butchers, Williams and Son and Gary Duttons, if you want to meet a true Cornishman then pop into Duttons and ask for Russell, he will love to chat and tell you a few things of why he is proud of in Cornwall, there's a fruit and veg shop, The Vine, and great fishmongers Off The Hook with fresh local caught fish on offer. Also in the town are a couple of clothing shops and 2 jewellers.
It can offer children a local skate park and also a Cinema to keep them occupied on a rainy day, which can be quite a few days in Cornwall. That's why we locals have webbed feet😉.
Here is a list of some of the many great places you can eat and drink in the town
• STEPPING STONES - A cute little restaurant that gets booked out very quickly and is run by a lovely couple Ryan, the head chef, and Trudy, who is in front of the house. This place serves a selection of modern British food, with local Cornish Produce and a relaxed atmosphere.
• THE MOLESWORTH ARMS - This hotel/pub/restaurant again has a modern British menu including sizzling steaks on the stone, which you wash down with a delicious Cabernet, or have one of their cocktails. Dave and Louise have recently taken over these delightful premises. They have done a wonderful turnaround with its stylish decor and some great ideas, including Tapas and wine tasting. Oh, and you will meet me too, as I work there😉.
• THE TINY THAI - If you want to try something different then we highly recommend this family-run Thai restaurant, with Husband and wife team Paul and Bpu and their young son Alf serving up real authentic experience, with the hot curries and best Pad Thai you will possibly find anywhere, ask Gordon Ramsay it's his favourite. The restaurant has great decor and such a chilled vibe to it; it has been frequented by Mr Ramsay, Andrew Lincoln and Bill Nighy. I almost forgot it has a great view out onto the River Camel.
• THE SALT BOX - This is another of our favourites. It consists of shipping containers 2 high, downstairs offers Indian food, Coffee and Craftworks which serves up Tacos, Burritos and Burgers and Upstairs is a Wine Bar and Graze Tapas run by a friendly Australian Steve, who is always happy to have a chat with you. When the sun shines upstairs, and you have a glass of Picpoul and some olives, and Jamon is heavenly, but when the sun goes down and the lights come on, it's even better.
• THE GRANARY - If you need a good fry up or a great coffee, then this place is for you, owner and chef; John has been here for many years and is a well-known character in the town and offers a British menu and probably a chat too.
• BRIDGE BISTRO - A gorgeous bistro offering a stylish modern menu, situated on the bridge, welcoming you into the town; it has a great cocktail menu also.
THE LITTLE GIN SHACK - Perfect little place to start, or even end your evening, with Neil being a great host, very friendly and very accommodating when coming to tasting the numerous amounts of Gin, we have walked in with the intention of one drink and stumbled out after many.
WADEBRIDGE WINES - If you decide to have a night in why not try out this perfect wine shop, friendly staff and very helpful in finding what you would like.
There are many other great little places around Wadebridge to explore.
We want to tell you about something you might not find on things to do in Cornwall; you guys have to promise us you won't tell anyone we told you about this little gem of a secret🤫🤐.
5 miles outside of Wadebridge is a little village called St.Mabyn, its a quiet village with a pub and a shop, but also has Haywood Farm, which during the summer months holds a summer social in the barns, this includes a live folk band, BBq's and even French Steve doing crepes to soak up some of the Farms homemade cider.
The afternoon usually starts at 3 and sometimes ends at 6ish, honestly this place has such a great friendly atmosphere which is also family and dog friendly, as the afternoon goes by everyone ends up dancing into the barn and if your feeling tired or unsteady there is always an old sofa or many benches and tables or even grass to rest on. I think I rested in a bush one time!!
Once a year, they have a downhill go-kart race, with homemade karts, and a steep long hill it is a recipe for.... a laugh as long as your not driving the karts.
The cider is now a popular brand in Cornwall and beyond. If you are here around September, you can become part of the cider process by picking the Apples from the orchard and will be rewarded for your hard work (and it can be hard work), with cider and some food and entertainment.
If you feel courageous, you could try the Haywoods Haze, cider, gin and elderflower, delicious but lethal.
Afterwards, you could join the locals in the village pub for stories and singing, we think that happens, we really don't remember much at this point😋.
Another thing to do is to cycle down the old railway track redeveloped for cycles, walkers and horse riders, called The Camel Trail.
It is a very scenic route, and you might be able to spot some of the wildlife that has been mentioned above; along the way is one of England's rare orchards, Camel Valley Winery, which you are welcome to stop at and try the product with a view of the green rolling hills in front of you, so relaxing, good for the soul.
If you have the kids and don't fancy taking them to drink wine, there is a little cafe halfway between Wadebridge and Bodmin where you can get refreshments and recuperate before heading off.
As you cycle along, you come across an old platform that is still used for the Steam Trains, which you could plan and take a ride or just watch from the side, but be warned when the train lets off steam, it is loud, we have been caught by surprise and I almost ended up falling off my bike in a hedge, it made me jump that much!!
At the end of the Trail in Bodmin, to your left, will be a towering wall of the famous old victorian Jail that has now been turned into a hotel but has a museum that is well worth the visit. You can learn about the history and the many executions that used to take place here.
If you have a car and like hiking we recommend heading up to Bodmin Moor, to start maybe travel towards Camelford and take a right just after you pass through the village, and after some narrow roads you will arrive at a car park.
Park up, tie your laces and hike up to Roughtor ( row tor ), when you have clambered to the top you can turn 360 degrees and see nothing but open moorland, take a seat and take it all in, it is stunning!
Dont forget there are plenty of moors to explore but be careful as the weather turns bad quickly, and you could get lost; you don't want the emergency services to be called out, but it does happen.
Also, there are wild animals on the moor, they are used to people but don't approach them they are wild and want to be wild.
Heading Eastwards on the coast, you will come along the little fishing villages of Port Isaac, a place I spent a year of my life in my twenties.
It was very popular with tourist back then in the '90s. But, after movies being filmed and a popular T.v show, Doc Martin being set here and the rise of the Fishermans Freinds, tourism has exploded here.
Port Isaac gets claustrophobic during the summer months. Still, if you come out of season, you find a quaint village with stunning walks over the cliffs looking out onto the Atlantic Sea.
Further up the coast, you can visit King Arthurs castle in Tintagel if you dare cross the bridge over to it.
And after, if you fancy a 3-4 mile walk, visit Boscastle, a tiny fishing village famous for its 2004 flash flooding. These places are staggering in their beauty and have to be seen to be believed.
On nicer days in our spare time, we head to the coast and blow up the paddleboard.
This is something I recently found and absolutely love. In all kinds of conditions, there have been instances where the sea is calm and blue where you paddle out and sit and watch the birds landing near you or watching the fish swim just below you, but watch out for jellyfish; we have dived off into jellyfish not realising they were there, most are not too dangerous you will generally just get the pins and needles feeling.
Don't believe anyone when they say, "peeing on your works", it probably does, but I'm not into that 😂.
When the seas are rough, the challenge on the board is a lot of fun; after a lot of practice, I managed to paddle against the waves and turn around and ride the wave back; in bigger waves, the paddleboard I have is not suitable as I found out quite dramatically when the board nosedived towards the seabed. Being flung off into the air is good fun.
The sea is a perilous place, and I urge you to read my blog on sea safety as I have heard a lot of people over the years lose their lives, even locals can get caught out, I know through some previous experiences the sea can change and won't take any prisoners.
There are so many beaches on the North Coast; all are beautiful, and we will list just a few to give you a start, but the exciting thing about Cornwall is the thrill to explore and find your own little coves.
• Polzeath ( Pol-zeth ) This is one of the most popular and largest beaches on the North Cornish coast, here you can take surf lessons and hire water sports equipment, a few shops and restaurants and cafes. A popular place to stay, but it can be costly and gets jam-packed.
• Daymer Bay - Not far from Polzeath, it is a calmer beach. It still gets hectic, but not so many surfers so better for swimming and paddleboarding, only one shop in the car park.
• Trevone - This is the Padstow side and one of our favourite beaches, here is a beautiful beach nice walks and has a great little shop and café, I do like to paddle over to the next beach, which is Harlyn Bay
• Harlyn Bay - has a lovely beach, and nearby is a local pub with some decent food; if I am feeling adventurous, I will carry on the next beach on my board around the rugged cliffs, Constantine Bay.
At the bigger, more popular beaches there are shops you can hire surfboards, bodyboards and paddleboards.
Cornwall is rich, not so much with its living standards, but rich with beauty, with its culture and its heritage. I challenge anyone to say Cornwall isn't the jewel in the British Crown.
YEGHES DA!! ( Cheers )
Would like to thank Darren Rundle, butcher and photographer extraordinaire for the use of some of his photos ✌
