This time last year I was in Cornwall! I have such fond memories of this trip because it was spontaneous and for November, the weather was great. My friend and I first stopped off at Newquay where we stayed at the Quintrell Downs Premier Inn. It was cheap and cheerful and only a short drive away from the town which was exactly what we were looking for. While there, we explored Newquay and the surrounding coast, visiting the following places:
Newquay Beach
Crantock Beach
Bedruthan Steps
A little bit of a trek to get to and not so obviously spotted from the road – the car park is nothing more than an open space in a field with some toilets and a small cafe, but the views are definitely worth it!!
From Newquay, we travelled down to Falmouth to stay with a friend studying at university there. With this as our base, we visited the following places:
Falmouth
A small but pretty town with a harbour, a few shops and some nice eateries. We stopped for Fish and Chips in the Harbour Lights Restaurant and would highly recommend it!
That evening we wanted to watch the sun set on the sea, we heard that Gylly Beach just outside Falmouth town was a good spot and blimey, it certainly did not disappoint. I would go as far as to say that it was probably the best sunset I’ve ever seen. All 3 of us sat on our bottoms in the cold sand and stared in awe. The photos below were taken on an iPhone 5C so the quality is not spectacular but I feel they still portray to a good degree just how pretty it was.
St Ives
St Ives was a fleeting visit in which we walked through the cobbled lanes, ventured in the little seaside shops and of course, bought a lot of fudge 🙂
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Due to their quirkiness and beauty, these gardens were the highlight of the trip for me. It’s not the easiest place to find as it involves driving down lots of narrow country roads but this is all part of the adventure.
Inside you’ll find sculptures made out of stone and plants – look out for the Mud Maid and the Giants Head! There’s a jungle, a Burma Rope Bridge and even a small farm! This place is full of surprises and everything is beautiful. Once you’ve finished exploring the gardens, there’s a fairly large shop and a lovely cafe serving a range of hot and cold food. The day we visited there was a small band playing in the restaurant and everyone crowded round to listen.
It was a wonderful day but my regret is not taking any pictures! However, my friend recorded a lot of footage on her camera of the whole trip, including the gardens, and compiled it all into a video. If you would like to watch, scroll to the bottom of the post.
Trebah Gardens
Trebah Gardens were smaller than The Lost Gardens of Heligan and it didn’t take long to walk round the entirety of it. However, this place was just as beautiful with its own pond and bridge surrounded by Hydrangeas and also…a pebbly beach at the bottom! Trebah is a whole family affair but particularly well suited to small children as there are a number of play areas and activities for them to do whilst walking around. Personally, Fort Stuart was my favourite play area, but Tarzan’s camp was also great… For the adults, there’s a garden centre, gift shop and cafe.
I would love to return here in the Spring or Summer because I expect this is when Trebah really comes into it’s own. Visually, it’s a hive of colour and almost eccentric in that there are so many different types of plants and trees all thrown together in a fairly small area. It all felt rather exotic.
Below are photos of the beach and sea view.
Before this trip, I’d never explored Cornwall in the way that we did. We literally Googled attractions within a 50 mile radius of our current location, jumped in the car and drove there. It was exciting and impulsive and as a result, one of the best holidays I’ve had. Cornwall is a county of extraordinary natural beauty, no matter the time of year or weather. It’s without doubt one of my favourite places to explore and I hope to return in 2018.
Video: Alison Winser
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