A Trip to Cornwall - II

So, we had made it to Cornwall and had got ourselves a good night’s sleep, despite the noise from some air-conditioning equipment or something just outside our room. On Saturday morning we were up with the sparrows and decided to have a poke around Porthleven before breakfast; not that we were in any hurry as we were not planning to get to the B & B that BondWoman had booked us into until late afternoon.

We walked out along the harbour, along the beach coming back up onto a road after about three quarters of a mile and heading out into the countryside. We both felt it good to be away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and this was only enhanced by the birdsong and the smell of the spring flowers in the hedgerows. I suppose that in all it took us about forty five minutes to walk from the pub/hotel across the beach into the countryside and back around to the Harbour Inn again, and sad people that we are arrive first for breakfast.

Breakfast over, BW said that she would like to go to St. Michael’s Mount; I was not at all sure, rightly as it proved, that we would be able to get across to the mount itself, but we would be sure of getting a good view of it, which we did. From there we drove through Penzance and Newlyn, both pretty unprepossessing places, but not too bad given that both are working harbours, and headed for Lamorna Cove.

Lamorna Cove is a truly beautiful spot, although we didn’t think so when we got back to the car to find that the parking vulture had swooped and given us a fixed penalty notice; we had no change for the pay and display machine, and I convinced BW that at 10am we would probably get away with twenty minutes or so that we would be exploring - fat chance! But I digress, Lamorna is probably most famous for the artist Lamorna Birch; and, to be honest, that is the reason that I visit this magical place whenever I have the chance.

Onwards and upwards, by this time quite depressed about the fixed penalty notice, we headed for Porthcurno and the Telegraph Museum there; BW likes her odd fix of industrial heritage. Porthcurno has a very important place in the history of, and indeed even of present day, communications with the world. This is a very interesting place indeed, and the collection itself is housed within the tunnels carved into the cliffs during the Second World War to house and protect the installation.

Next stop, St. Agnes and the Blue Hills tin mine, I told you BW like the old industrial heritage. This is indeed a fascinating place, although I did not learn anything from it as I have always been interested in tin mining in Cornwall, and I think that BW came away with a better idea of how tin was mined and processed. She even came away with a pair of tin cufflinks for Junior Bond, long story… This place is just about the best place to learn some of the history of tin mining as it is run by a family of ex tin miners. I have to say I cringed when BW asked the guy “how do you know it is tinstone”, and have to confess that his reply “I just do” made me smile somewhat.

On leaving the Blue Hills mine we drove back across Cornwall to St. Austell and a visit to my brother, this the family stuff I was down there to sort out, all of which was done rather amicably, without me feeling that I wanted to strangle him. Then on to the B & B Boslinney Barn where I was to get quite a shock as it is run by a very old friend, Ginny. We got a very warm welcome and the customary cream tea that everyone gets on arrival. This gave me a chance to catch up on what has been happening in Mevagissey recently, well a bloke has to know who is doing what to who now doesn’t he? After which we headed for The Crown Inn at St. Ewe for a meal and a couple of pints, before heading back to a glass of red before getting our heads down…

Pics

All pictures from the trip can be found here.