The Cornwall Blog

I don’t think we quite realise how many there are in Cornwall. Up and down the county, our wild and rugged scenery, as well as our elegant old houses and gardens, have played an important role in entertaining us for decades. The unsung supporting cast to A-listers, costume dramas and more than a few National Treasures. Where to start? How about the quintessential ‘if walls could talk’ setting of Charlestown. Charlestown Famed for its tall ship harbour, Charlestown near St Austell has long been a favourite with both the small and big screen. The popular series Poldark filmed many scenes here, as did the BAFTA-winning Cornish film Bait (2019). If you cast your mind back a little further, then Doctor Who , The Three Musketeers , Hornblower and The Eagle Has Landed have all made use of this wonderfully atmospheric location too. It is one of those places that barely seems to need a set designer. Bodmin Moor Head up onto the moors and the mood turns a little darker and more mysterious. O...

Charlestown harbour It was so lovely to have my brother visit in December. We enjoyed some proper sibling time, revisiting a few favourite haunts and indulging his passion for good coffee and beer. I thought the best plan was a little tour of some fine local establishments, enjoying the wonderful views in between the showers. Having grown up in Cornwall, my brother is no stranger to these parts, but these days it is a modern metropolis that he calls home. Well, Coventry actually, up country. Trips down here are rare but thoroughly enjoyed by us all, so I was glad to hang out with my kid brother and catch up. Coffee and cobbles in Charlestown The first chance we had to head out together came on a soggy and rather cold Saturday. He is not a great early riser, so my first thought was coffee. We headed to Charlestown and managed to squeeze into Short & Strong, where my brother thoroughly enjoyed a V60 pour-over coffee. I had a vegan hot chocolate with ha...

Up and down the country communities are celebrating with their carnival weeks, this being Cornwall we also have plenty of regattas to enjoy. Regattas are more than just boat races, with all sorts of competitions and entertainment, yummy food and music. Fowey's one is the closest to me and is probably one of the best, people come from miles around. From Sunday 13th to Saturday 19th of August, Fowey's Regatta is the place to see some beautiful boats. There will be dingy races, fishing boats, cruisers and Troys - a sailing boat built only in Fowey. This event has seen a few royals attend in the past, including our late queen and Victoria and Albert, it dates way back to 1835.  Another place I just love to go (especially in the warm summer evenings) is Charlestown. Famed for many period dramas as the go-to harbour location, they always have some beautiful boats to peruse. Already in full swing, Charlestown's Regatta runs this year from Saturday 29th July to Friday the 4th of ...

I am completely loving this Spring weather! It was a really lovely Easter weekend in Cornwall, and as the holidays roll on the sun is still smiling on us.  One of the best ways to enjoy the landscape is definitely by bike, we have lots of trails all over the county that make use of the disused railway lines or tram ways. A place I want to explore more is the Pentewan valley, it always looks so inviting when I drive past the cyclists below peddling along the pretty river, it is actually really ideally located for cycle hire in Cornwall .  Pentewan itself is a lovely little village, two cafes that provide delicious ice cream and gorgeous cakes. The pub as well is always popular and looks the perfect spot for a cool shandy on a sunny day, watching the ducks in the pond.  At the holiday park you have Hubbox, such a yummy burger bar that I often return to with friends. Right on the beach, you can't beat it for location. The other asset this pretty village has is cycle hire. Th...

Trerice  December has got off to a cracking start here in Cornwall, with stunning pink sunrises and burning gold sunsets. There is a different feel to the county in the Winter season, a combination of bracing walks with family and friends, empty beaches and very happy dogs (so many beaches become available to dogs out of season) coupled with the cosiness of traditional pubs and the plentiful craft markets. The Longstore, Charlestown Last weekend I headed to Trerice, a National Trust house near Newquay. Despite being mainly closed for the winter you can go on a guided tour of the house with the conservationists. This is quite fascinating, seeing a different side to the grand operation and hearing the more recent history of this ancient home that inspired the writer of Poldark. learning about the centuries-year-old-clocks and precious paintings was a lovely way to spend a grey day. Most of the National Trust houses have events going on through the winter, the private h...