The Cornwall Blog

June is alive with many a festival, the Royal Cornwall Show to name just one. But this month I want to draw your attention to the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. Quite a mouthful but a really charming event in our Cornish calendar. Running from 16th to the 18th June 2017 this festival is a real celebration of community where the whole town comes alive with music. I was a student in Falmouth and the Sea Shanty festival was lots of fun. Now it is one of the largest in Europe with loads of free music all over the town. Falmouth is a gem of a destination festival or not, with a thriving high street, an ample sprinkling of pubs and eateries, the harbour, a castle, the beach! The roots of the festival started in 2003 when a group of singers wanted to keep alive the stories of the Tall Ships and the tradition of performing sea shanties and Cornish songs. The music with its rhythmic beat served to keep the sailers working together as they did their chores at sea. The

Godolphin's bluebell woods   One of the things I love about Cornwall is the fact that Spring comes here early and does so vibrantly. May is the best time to take a stroll through the bluebells and we have plenty of places you can enjoy the delicate blue haze of wild flowers. Lanhyrock House and Garden , owned by the National Trust has bluebells a plenty on their 1,000 acres of land. Formally Victorian gardens gives way to ancient woodland worthy of a wonder. Enys Gardens filled with bluebells Enys Gardens near Penryn are a popular spot to see floods of blue, the gardens include a meadow called Parc Lye which is a sight to behold. Heading Camborne way you will find Tehidy , 9 miles of paths and 250 acres of idyllic woodland and lakes. A café and picnic area make this an ideal spot to wile away some time. Another National Trust gem is Penrose Estate near Helston. Boasting the largest freshwater lake in Cornwall, the grounds are beautiful and this time of year the bl

April is a busy month in Cornwall, the weather is usually pretty good (as it is today). The attractions open up and the coast becomes even more inviting. Barely a month goes by when we are not celebrating our great cuisine, and this month is no different! Here are three events you can enjoy in April in Cornwall. Falmouth Folk and Cider Fayre  14-17 April Falmouth is a great place that I love to visit, but this festival sounds great. Come to the festival and find over 70 ciders to try! Some great folk talent including FolkLaw, Alex Hart, Jonah's Lift, The Other Band and Sarah McQuaid. As well as folk and cider there are of course food stalls, arts and crafts and local fare. Portleven Food Festival 21-23 April Near Helston, this foodie event is quite a draw. There are over 90 stalls of food and craft all along the harbour with great music to complement. All ending in dazzling fireworks! Michelin star chefs will be doing demonstrations, there’s plenty to inspire and a real bu

You may have seen the recent TV commercials for Chanel 4 's reenactment of the famous Mutiny on the Bounty. Head to Falmouth and you can see an exhibition all about the Cornish born Captain Bligh and his impossible voyage. For those who don't know, Lieutenant William Bligh was the commanding officer aboard the HM Bounty in the Pacific and he was cast a float by a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian in April 1789. Bligh and his men were left to die in a 23-foot boat. He managed to sail across 3600 nautical miles of treacherous water from Tonga to Timor in a remarkable survival story. The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth hosts this exhibition, running from the 17 March - 31 December 2017. You can see some original artefacts, like Bligh's coconut bowl, bullet-weight, horn-beaker and magnifying glass used to light fires. There is also a reproduction of the boat the 19 men squeezed into! This story has been passed down, twisted and romanticised, and the exhibition

Way down in Penzance we have Penlee House, internationally renowned for its collection of British art, in particular, from the Newlyn School of artists. It was in 1997 that the gallery received a much needed refurbishment and has consequently become a leading regional museum. This month until the 3rd of June the gallery and museum are running an exhibition entitled 'A Casket of Pearls: Celebrating 20 years of collecting' . You can see how their collections have developed over the two decades with a chance to view fine and decorative art, social history, photography and archaeology. There is also free family fun with drop-in workshops every Saturday from 2.30pm-3.30pm, great to get the kids involved! Oh and you can get a locals pass too. Do check out their website to find out about the Newlyn School of art , fascinating to think in 1884 this little fishing village could count 27 skilled artists among its residents!

Cardinham Woods capture that childhood magic. Just outside Bodmin you can find the beautiful tall trees of this Cornish woodland. There are four walking routes of varying challenges, ideal for taking the dogs or exhausting hyper children. Mountain bikers too flock here for the three clearly marked cycle trails of different difficulties, you can even hire bikes on site (though you do need to book in advance). The highlight for me is the Woods café, delicious home made food and tempting cakes are just what you need after being oh so healthy and tiring yourself out in the fresh air. If you would rather sort your own food then by the river you can find picnic areas and static BBQs, ideal for family or group gatherings. One of the trials, Lady Vale, is pushchair friendly and there is a little play area that kids will love too. You do need to pay for parking but we always find a day at the woods puts a smile on everyone's face! You can find out more about Cardinham Woods

We have just had our shortest day (yay) but we still have a long way to go for those bright summer evenings. The dark nights call for cosy nights in, or for glamorous nights out! For a break from the norm head to Truro's Hall for Cornwall and be entertained by ballet, live music and theatre. What caught our eye is the classic ballet of Swan Lake showing on the 18th and 19th of January. Tchaikovsky's score is sensational, the story of Odette who is fated to be a swan by day and a princess by night, meets Prince Siegfried and a story of love unfolds in this well-loved piece by the St Petersburg ballet. You can also find tributes to Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, Abba and The Beach Boys Story! Something for everyone in Cornwall's largest theatre.