The Cornwall Blog

We've taken quite a battering in Cornwall with storm Eunice, and storm Franklin may well bring more damage. Thankfully I've only had sleepless nights and flickering lights but many around me have lost power and lost tiles. My mum's greenhouse, plastic, twisted into quite an impressive modern sculpture. Thankfully no one I knew has been hurt. I can't say I ventured out myself to get any photos but I have sought out some who have. With waves dwarfing defences and monolith trees crashing leaving chaos in their wake, there has been no shortage of drama.  Here are a few pictures that capture the storm perfectly.  Tom Cox caught on camera this casualty of storm Eunice, a tree in Bude thankfully fell away from the road. From The Guardian .  The post office on St Martins, the Isles of Scilly took a great picture of the crashing waves. From the BBC . Poor Porthleven always takes a battering, wonderfully moody photographs from Cornwall Lives ' Greg Martin. A little bit of fun...

Ok this might not be the most seasonal of blog posts, but just in case the dreary cold has got you hoping for sunny times, here is a really wonderful way to see Cornwall. Picture this; the allure of the open road, the vintage camper, breath-taking beaches and quality family time - sounds rather perfect to me! Wild and Free Cornish Campers are a little company based in Wadebridge, North Cornwall, who offer the chance to do just that, borrow Pip the beautifully restored T2 WW camper and take off! This stunning retro classic is not just for surfers. 'Pip' is a 1974 VW Westfalia and sleeps 4, the company provide pretty much everything you might need (even a bluetooth radio and sat nav!) for a lovely, movable, holiday in Cornwall.    I do love these camper vans, a friend had one when I was at art college in Plymouth and we would all pile in for an adventure. Pip has been thoughtfully and beautifully restored and the family-run company seem to have thought of everything, you can te...

Photo credit Bazil Arden via Wild Swimming Cornwall Have you been caught by the wild swimming bug? Yes I know it is December but for some the shock of the cold is part of the fun! I am relatively new to swimming in the sea to be honest, but walking to my favourite cove with just a couple of friends and only wildlife for company was sublime. The wetsuit helped, I loved bobbing around with the birds, the stillness, the peace and quiet and the exhilaration of it all.   Photo via Wild Swimming Cornwall If you are thinking of embracing winter wild swims in Cornwall, it's good to be informed, there are actually quite a few groups and clubs you can join to make sure your are being as safe as possible. Swim Wild Cornwall can give you training to build confidence and help you swim safely. The open sea can be challenging, especially in winter, luckily Cornwall we have lots of tidal pools, which offer more security and just happen to be beautiful to boot! A few favourites are the Song of the...

With the shorter days and darker evenings it can feel like the animals have it right, time to hibernate! There are some things worth venturing out for though, take The Lost Garden's of Heligan and their annual Night Garden event. Such a great idea, the famous Liverpool Lantern Company create these amazing displays throughout the garden taking you on a trail of 'oohs' and 'aahs'.  The lighting helps you appreciate this varied garden in a completely different way. The natural planting is transformed by striking projected images while owls, hares, butterflies, robins and foxgloves all play their part in capturing imaginations. It's brilliant for kids, wheelchair friendly and outdoors, so handy when it comes to reducing covid risk too. You can book a slot at their website, ensuring everyone can wander at their own pace.  

Surely the best thing about Autumn is the trees - woodland walks, that crunch under foot and the golden leaves highlighted by low October sun. I love this time of year, getting outdoors is a necessity!  But there is actually something helpful we can be doing whilst we tread through ancient woodland (where are your favourites? I love Cardinham and Respryn), get involved with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Autumn Seed Search .  The idea is to sign up, get informed and collect seeds that fall to the ground and help them grow into saplings, eventually to be planted. Normally wildlife does a pretty good job of this, birds especially spread seeds far and wide (I have a few trees in my garden that just appeared!) but in Cornwall we are short of trees so it's time to give nature a helping hand. Their website is informative, with videos showing you what seeds to collect each month and how to look after your seed and sapling. Signing up also helps them track what is growing where. This m...

Ok, so it may only be the start of September but already I am feeling quite autumnal. Kids are going back to school, the evenings are closing in and there is just that hint of cosiness, 'hygge' if you will. Cornwall has been very popular this summer, so it is quite nice to welcome the slower pace of life we are famed for down on the coast. If you are not quite ready to let go of summer, never fear because there is always an ice cream cone to grab, a wave to catch and plenty of oportunities for alfresco dining still to come. Welcoming autumn in Cornwall really has a lot to do with food, we do it well here, which I am sure you have heard! Just the other day I was sitting in the orchard garden at St Kew Farmshop and Cafe surrounded by apples ripe for the plucking, a great place full of atmosphere and tasty treats. You should have seen the size of my cinnamon bun!    There are some brilliant events to attend this month if you fancy it, St Ives Food and Drink festival is from the 1...

I thought this month I might focus in on one the areas of Cornwall I love. If you are  coming down here on holiday then I think people tend to head to the coast, and with good   reason, our coastline is world-class. However, I think if you head a little in land you can   get the best of both worlds. Take Camelford for example, it's ancient market town with a   real community feel. From here you are on the doorstep of the brooding Bodmin moor and  within easy reach of some of Cornwall's best beaches.  Ideal for walkers, you can ramble a plenty along the river Camel. The name having nothing to do with those desert-dwellers, 'Camelford' is believed to be derived from ‘cam’ meaning ‘crooked stream’ in Celtic, and ‘alan’ meaning ‘beautiful’ with ‘ford’. It lives up to its name, the river is beautiful cutting through the valley providing calming places to while away the day. Many believe that Camelford might be connected to legend's ...