The Cornwall Blog

There is something about St Ives that makes even a few days away feel like a proper escape. One June, during a spell of spectacular weather, I took the opportunity to spend a long weekend there with my mum, and it really didn't disappoint. I had visited the previous September and already knew how much I liked it, but with blue skies, bright sea and a few days to ourselves, St Ives felt like a little piece of paradise. We found a light and airy self-catering place about 15 minutes from the centre. What I had slightly failed to appreciate was that those 15 minutes were mostly uphill. Oops. Still, comfy beds and a garden made the climb worthwhile. Porthmeor, tapas and Tate St Ives We started in style with dinner at Porthmeor Beach Café . Sitting beside the beach with a sea view and a table full of tapas is a rather good way to begin a weekend. We had a little time before our table was ready, so wandered around Tate St Ives and stopped for a coffe...

One very soggy May bank holiday, I took my mum to Ethy House near Lerryn to explore its beautiful gardens and bluebell woods. The weather was rather hit and miss, but we weren't going to let a bit of Cornish rain put us off. A soggy spring day at Ethy Ethy House sits between Lostwithiel and Lerryn, with lovely views across the rolling hills and valley below – at least on a non-mizzely day. The house itself is Georgian, with an almost Italian feel, a romantic balcony and beautiful vistas. When we visited in May 2023, the house and gardens were open to visitors for the day. Ethy House is privately owned and isn't normally open to the public, but the surrounding Ethy Woods can be explored on foot from Lerryn and St Winnow. My mum and I donned boots and cagoules, popped Bren the border terrier on his lead and set off. We wound our way through a little maze and entered Ethy Woods. What a sight! Bluebells...

There is something about the first snowdrops that makes me ridiculously happy. They are such a welcome sight in February, popping up while winter is still very much with us but bringing that first little promise of spring. One of my favourite places to see them is Pencarrow House and Gardens , tucked away between Bodmin and Wadebridge. Pencarrow traditionally celebrates snowdrop season with special garden openings during February. The dates and arrangements can vary from year to year, and winter weather sometimes has other ideas, so it is definitely worth checking Pencarrow's website before setting off. Snowdrops at Pencarrow Snowdrop season makes a lovely excuse to wander through Pencarrow's sprawling grounds and woodland. The gardens cover around 50 acres and move between formal landscaping and ancient woodland, so there is plenty to explore beyond the flowers themselves. February can be a funny old month in Cornwall. One minute there is ...

There is so much to see in Cornwall. I've lived here for years – so still not a proper local! – and there are many corners I haven't explored. Our county is vast, varied and stunning, and having a bit of local knowledge can make all the difference if you want to discover the treasures of coast and moor rather than simply follow the obvious route. That is where a local guide can really come into their own. Cornwall Discovery Tours , run by Cornish guide Barry Pengelly, offers private tours shaped around the places and subjects that interest you. Why explore Cornwall with a local guide? Driving around Cornwall can be an adventure in itself. Some of our prettiest villages are reached by tiny lanes, parking isn't always straightforward and it is surprisingly easy to spend more of the day looking at a satnav than at the scenery. Barry has the local experience, historical knowledge and familiarity with the county to take much of that away. You ...

There is something particularly satisfying about a winter walk in Cornwall. Coastal paths and village wanderings seem made for this time of year, although I don't know about you, but after too much fresh Cornish air I require somewhere cosy to warm myself up again. Luckily, Cornwall does pubs at the end of walks rather well. Sea views, roaring fires, local ales and something good to eat can make the promise of a muddy few miles much more appealing. Here are five of my favourites for mixing the invigorating with the cosy. Rashleigh Inn, Polkerris – walk from Par or Fowey We do love a good pub in the UK, don't we? Local ales, home-cooked food and, increasingly, some really excellent cooking too. A favourite from my neck of the woods is the Rashleigh Inn at Polkerris Beach. The sea view alone makes it worth the trip. When I first wrote this in 2023 it had the full package: a roaring fire and even a resident cat. I often park at Par Beach and walk across to...

Amy Cooper When I first wrote about Rooted in 2022, the exhibition was still showing at Wheal Martyn. Coming back to it a few years later, I realised that these images are worth keeping as a little record of the show in their own right. Rooted brought together artists and makers with very different approaches, but all responding in some way to Cornwall's china clay landscape, its materials, history and atmosphere. It was a fascinating idea then, and looking back at the work now, I think it still is. Rooted at Wheal Martyn Rooted ran at Wheal Martyn in the autumn of 2022 and brought together 17 makers rooted in Cornwall. Ceramics were at the heart of the exhibition, but there was also jewellery, photography, metal, film and other work. The starting point was the china clay industry and the extraordinary landscape it has created around St Austell. The artists responded to the material itself, the history of the industry, its effect on the land and the peopl...