Day-tripping on the Helford River
This is why I love living in Cornwall, a routine appointment can turn into a beautiful adventure! I had to take my mum to the hospital for a check up, as it was so early in the morning and already a bit of a trek for us to get there, we thought let's make a day of it. Mum wanted peace and tranquility so the Helford river came to mind.
It really is that perfect escape, a little bubble of old-world beauty that I just love to explore. I did my studies in Falmouth at the art college and had popped across the water to explore this area a little then, but it had been a while. This corner of Cornwall boasts the beautiful Trebah and Glendurgan gardens, stunningly cultivated landscapes both with little beaches. Glendurgan has a wiggly maze as well that is as captivating to adults as it is to children.
After following the winding roads we decided to stop off at Helford Passage. My thinking was to find a way mum could enjoy our surroundings that didn't involve too much walking. There are some enchanting walks around here, especially in Spring with woods carpeted in bluebells, but for mum I knew what we needed was a good pub with a view and a boat trip!
Lovely to find an all day carpark that is so reasonable, so we parked up and gently made our way down to the pub, which is a bit of a descent. It's a lovely place, The Ferry Boat Inn, dating back 300 years, with beautiful surroundings inside and out. The staff were so accommodating to our dietary peculiarities. We chose fish for lunch, far from cheap but delicious and fresh, the perfect accompaniment to our view.
I love sitting in Parisian cafes and watching people busily go about their business, I get just that joy sitting by water and watching people 'messing about on the river'. Rather ancient-looking couples in their kayaks, children rock pooling with glee, gig rowers perfectly in rhythm and enough dogs to keep my mum smiling!
It was hard to pull ourselves away for our sun-drenched spot on the terrace but we decided on a boat trip to the other side of the river, to the village of Helford.
The ferry is really rather little and on both trips we were the only passengers but our skipper was friendly and helpful as he expertly motored us around the boats and safely to shore. I love the calling system! Simply opening a board on the jetty shows the boat that you would like to be picked up, the orange circle easily viewed across the waters.
The pub here is The Shipwrights Arms, part of it dating back to 1660, over many levels with views to savour this popular pub is full of life. We sat happily with our drinks watching the wildlife below. Helford has a hotchpotch of thatched cottages and plenty of charm. It's hard to believe this little village was once a bustling port, commerce and hast all feel a world away. Soon it was time to catch the last boat back, reliant on tides we just made it across but it was close, the water was very low!
After purchasing some ice cream tubs from the boat kiosk (mum enjoying the Lizard's finest Roskilly's Ice Cream, me a dairy-free chocolate caramel that was oh so good) we sat ourselves in dappled shade on the beach to relax once again in the warm May sun, neither of us wanting to leave.
It was a slither of a visit but it certainly whet our appetites. We'll be back to explore more I am sure. After all, this is the Cornwall that inspired author Daphne Du Maurier with her Frenchman's Creek novel, here also you can meet the seals being rescued and rehabilitated at Gweek and there are plenty of gardens I would love to visit another time.
This is the land of smuggler's tales and myth and legend. You feel like you're dipping in to the pages of Wind in the Willows, or Swallows and Amazons! The Helford river is just a lovely place to while away some time before heading back to the hubbub of daily life.
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