The Cornwall Blog

Welcome to 2026, and to a cold but beautiful January! On the last day of 2025, I took my mum to Par Sands to soak up the sun and really just be thankful for the year. Par is actually one of the beaches I head to most, and it’s becoming a favourite. It’s not the kind of beach where you sit and sunbathe all day, or even really gaze at the view, but it’s definitely a great beach for a refreshing walk on a bright, sunny day. As you drive in, you have a choice of car parks. I tend to pick the middle one so I can say hello to the geese and ducks at the lake on the other side of the road. Then you get to walk through the sand dunes, which is a great approach. You can hear the sea but not see it yet, making the reveal all the more special. Or perhaps park right at the end. If it’s a cold day, or I have been out doing errands in St Austell and just want to gaze at the sea for a bit, I head to the far end. I can sit on a bench, or stay in the car, wind down the ...

I do always seem to find myself in Mevagissey in the Winter, but I love it though. So quiet and peaceful with just the most wonderful light. It's just down the road from another favourite place, Pentewan beach and near the famous Lost Garden's of Heligan. This was an impromptu trip with lovely friends, a chance to bring comfort and beauty into a tough time. The sea didn't disappoint.  I always leave wanting to linger longer, to explore more. This time we took in a few shops, filled with enticing treasures (gloves in every colour!) and delicious fish and chips. We went to Ben's Plaice, nice vibe and I happily found it gluten free.  Really it's just the chance to dip your toe into the atmosphere. Fishermen getting on with their work, boats bobbing safe within the harbour walls and seagulls sitting in puddles. People-watching and of course greeting every dog that joyfully comes our way. It's a calmness that can only really come from this time of year.  Mevagissey ...

It's been a busy summer! With my sister's wedding and plenty of guests (living in Cornwall you are guaranteed a constant flow of house guests). It's been lovely but I am looking forward to quieter times and that balm to the soul - a golden September. Hope so! Looking back though I wanted to share a favourite place we love to visit in all seasons, Golitha Falls . It's actually where our little Lostwithiel river runs through, the River Fowey, but nearer to its source, on Bodmin Moor. This is the ancient woodland of Draynes Wood, mentioned in the Domesday Book. The river cascades over giant rocks, best to visit after heavy rains because then you see these falls in all their beauty.  This year was rather dry but the river was still a beautiful walk. You follow its path as momentum builds, the drop is more than 90 metres in total. The area is a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, partly due to the stunning wildflowers ...

Considering it's not that far from me, I hadn't really explored Mevagissey. It's a classic Cornish fishing village that still feels authentic and alive rather than perhaps just existing for holiday makers. I had a recent Monday off work and decided to make the most of the stunning winter's sun with my mum and sister, exploring the streets and enjoying the bobbing boats. I found my wander around the harbour all the more poignant when my mum let me know this was one of my Grandad's 'most favourite places in the world'. He had travelled with the Navy but had lived most his life in London. I loved imagining him here, with his hanky knotted on his head tucking in to a pasty and fending off seagulls. I felt close to him, and I could see his smile in my mother's face. Honestly the best thing I can do for my mum is take her somewhere that has little boats to draw, plenty of dogs to adore and the odd seagull. She just loves this kind of place and it was wonderful...

Autumn is all about golden leaves, woodland walks and making the most of the fleeting daylight. There is something about the shorter days makes me want to squeeze all I can out of the golden light and (very) fresh air. But rather than the coast, this month I am taking you inland, to Cardinham Woods .  One of Forestry England's gems, this tranquil place is just outside of Bodmin and has multiple trails for all kinds of walks. My friends who are more limited in their ability, or those with children and pushchairs, love the largely flat Lady Vale walk. You can cut across the river making the shortest route just 0.9 miles (1.45km) or 1.7 miles (2.75km) if you take the whole flat route. It's great for kids with the Gruffalo characters along the trail and activities little ones will love. This season they also have a 'Forest Walkies' with Wallace and Gromit which looks great fun. You download an app and complete challenges with your dog, the £5 pack gets you a bandanna for y...

The Beach below the Hidden Hut, Porthcurnick on the Roseland © Emma Julian If there is one part of Cornwall that feels like an escape, to me it's the Roseland. Even the name given to this peninsular feels romantic! About 40 minutes from me but a world away, life stands still and I feel I'm immersed in the beauty of Cornwall.  There is still plenty of nooks I am yet to explore, and I do tend to stick to my favourite haunts, but it truly feels like the sun always shines and cares are cast away. Of course the sun is no guarantee, especially as we breeze in to October, but I spent an idyllic afternoon walking round some coastal path with my friend recently. The sun on our face, the waves lapping and the bunnies leaping. Yes bunnies, as we took a short cut over the fields, treated by a panorama of ocean view.  Delicious Spanish inspired chicken with chorizo and a warming tomato sauce. I had a gluten free roll instead of couscous, lovely. © Emma Julian The menu changes daily and is ...

What we refer to as 'clay country' in Cornwall is the rugged landscapes that sits above St Austell. A landscape that has been mined and carved since the early 18th century. The richness of this landscape was discovered by William Cookworthy, and the fine white china clay is still mined today. There's a hotchpotch of villages with tight-nit communities where rugged hills provide far-reaching views and dug out valleys provide pools of turquoise waters.  After a stunning drive through these villages on a sunny day I wanted to delve a little deeper into the history, and what you can do here. When we first moved to Cornwall over 20 years ago, my dad joked that the little clay mound seen from many vantage point was my mum's 'mountain'. She had always wanted to live near mountains, and it seemed finally she would be! This relatively little mound is part of the legacy of an industrial past, but it's the glistening water-filled pits that really catch the eye on a sun...

Well May has been filled so far with pageantry and picnics but the weather has been rather hit and miss! The bank holiday just gone was a bit of a wash out, not to be discouraged, I took my mum to Ethy House in Lerryn to explore just the most beautiful bluebell woods.  Rarely open to the public, Ethy House is on the road between Lostwithiel and Lerryn and has views (on a non-mizzely day) to the rolling hills and valley below. My mum and I donned boots and cagoules and popped Bren the border terrier on his lead and set off. The house is Georgian and has an Italian feel with a romantic balcony and lovely vistas.  We wound our way through a little maze and entered Ethy Woods. What a sight! Bluebells as far as the eye could see. The scent hang in the air accompanied by bird song.  Rhododendron trees displayed their vivid colour, magnolias too, such stillness and delight everywhere you looked. We quietly explored disappearing into the mist, other people there but it was like w...

  And we are off! Easter holidays are in full swing, this is the time all Cornwall gears up for - the start of the warmer weather, and the tourist season. There's so much see and do, I have just picked a few events up and down the county that will hopefully provide something for everyone! 1) Have you heard of Discovering42? An award winning art and sustainability museum in Bodmin, perfect for kids this Easter with science experiment mocktails!  Find out more  at their website.  2) For those who are marine minded, at the National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow kids can learn how to be Mini Marine Biologists! Running throughout the holidays, find out more  here .   3) For the artistic head to  Penwith Gallery  in St Ives and view Mark Verry's wooden reliefs. Eight years in the making and a great opportunity to see these striking works altogether.  4) Challenge your tastebuds with Knightor Winery's  Chilli and Beer Blowout . Teaming up with Ha...

Pencarrow's Snowdrop Weekend is such a happy fixture in the calendar. It marks the promise of spring and the soon to be end of winter. This year the event falls on the 11th and 12th of February with a suggestion of £5 per person supporting two great charities. The Pearl Exchange and CLEAR, both focussed on helping young people.  Great causes but also a beautiful place to explore. If you don't know Pencarrow House and Gardens , just outside Wadebridge, then you are missing out! This ancient house is still family owned by the Molesworth-St Aubyns and is a wonderful day out. The snowdrop weekend makes the most of the sprawling grounds and woodland, but I would encourage you to come back when the house if fully open to book a tour and see the layers of history in every room. The gardens are charming with grottos, and iron age fort and Italian styled vistas with a cafe that serves delicious light lunches and cakes. I just love the wondering peacocks showing off their plumage.  ...