Charming Cornwall

Caroline and I decided to venture down to the South West of the UK for the few days in early March; we decided to go by coach as we felt it would be more relaxing and stress free (this was mostly true, although there was a slight detour due to M4 issues which meant we got to see the whole of Bristol!).

 

We stayed in Carbis Bay which is a mile north of St Ives at The Cottage Hotel on a half board basis. The hotel overlooked the picturesque bay, which was perfect! Sadly though, this hotel will be no more at the end of the year as the well-known coach company we travelled and stayed with have decided to sell to property developers which is a shame as the views were to die for!

 

We visited lots of places whilst we were in Cornwall:

• St Michaels Mount, which is Still home to the St Aubyn family as well as a small community, this iconic rocky island is crowned by a medieval church and castle – with the oldest buildings dating from the 12th century.

• Lands’ end is a must see place and well worth the visit. Land’s End is the westernmost point of Cornwall, and the scenery is beautiful.

• Penzance is Famous for its pirates, well the singing variety anyway; Penzance is a historic port with an array of coffee shops, pubs and restaurants as well as 2nd hand and charity shops! Caroline had Cornish cream tea and I had another pasty- definitely the best one I ate in Cornwall!   

• St Ives is known as the the jewel in Cornwall’s crown, a picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town, voted one of trip advisors top 10 European Beaches and it’s very difficult to disagree with that! In St Ives you can wander through the maze of narrow cobbled streets, independent shops, Fishermans cottages in the heart of St Ives. St Ives is also home to some of the tastiest award-winning restaurants, cafes and bars in the South West. Make sure you don’t eat in sight of the gulls though, they can be vicious!

• Falmouth which has become the south west night life town, Exeter University has a campus there so there is more of a night life and more commercial shops and outlets here. However, the place is definitely to be visited. With spectacular array of things to do and see, fascinating maritime heritage and coastal culture which hosts sailing events such as the Falmouth Regatta and Pendennis Cup.

 

All in all we really enjoyed our visit and would recommend Cornwall to anyone- families, couples, sea lovers, young and old, Cornwall offers something for everyone!

 

written by Mark Kentfield