The concept of spending Christmas away was a new one to me, and one I was curious rather than convinced about. However, Christmas in Cornwall had a certain appeal that couldn't be ignored, especially as we were not intending to reproduce the festivities in a different place, rather the idea was to ignore the commercial trappings of Christmas and to do something completely different, and in my case, break the habits of a lifetime!
With the car boot loaded up to the hilt with warm walking clothes, camera equipment, mince pies and some fairy lights (the latter being my contribution and the only concession to our Christmas-free break) we set off to Church Cove, on The Lizard peninsula. It was quite late by the time we arrived in Cornwall, and as the skies blackened and the lanes got ever narrower we slowed our speed to carefully negotiate the gradually sloping lanes into Church Cove. Even in the pitch dark this place looked idyllic, and after a few more twists and turns along the lane our picture perfect thatched cottage came into view in one jaw dropping moment! It was then I knew that Christmas here was the right decision!
The next day that realisation was re-confirmed when I looked out of the window and saw that our cottage was at the end of the lane, perched at the top of the gentle slope leading down to the cove. Church cove is a picturesque inlet on a rocky coastline, sheltered, understated and small. It used to house the lifeboat, but the original boathouse has now been converted to a holiday cottage and sits amongst a handful of other small, simple and sympathetically renovated buildings such as The Winch House and The Round House, all of which are centred around the steep narrow slipway sprinkled with colourful boats.
Our first day and first walk began with a stroll down to the cove and continued along the winding cliff top path around the craggy coastline from Church Cove, past dramatic views across Housel Bay, Bumble Rock, Polbream and Polpeor Coves to Lizard Point, stopping along the way for copious photographs, misty views of the Lizard Lighthouse and to stroke the shy, slightly scruffy but very cute Cornish ponies. Through the mist the Lighthouse proved it's worth, and workability, by sounding the foghorn (deafeningly) just as we rounded the Point, and before we turned away from the coast and headed off to explore the village of Lizard.
The remainder of the day was spent in one of the most spectacular coves in Britain, and one that remains very special to me. I'd seen remarkable photos of this place before and been completely blown away by it's beauty and mystical quality. To see it for real was both moving and memorable. Kynance Cove is an inlet on the Lizard peninsula known for it's rugged cliffs, white sand and turquoise water. But even more significantly, it boasts islands of multi-coloured serpentine rock with stacks and arches hidden amongst the towering cliffs. An outstanding feature is the fact that at high tide a sandy beach which faces the water on two sides and a small island, which becomes a tidal island, are cut off and thus inaccessible. If you're fortunate enough to be there when the sun goes down behind this impossibly beautiful place, the image will be imprinted on your memory, as it was mine.
That evening in the cottage we exchanged our gifts, a fitting end to a magical first day, and to Christmas Eve. Continuing our non-traditional non-festive theme (but excluding the Christmas hat worn by my partner which, I may say, drew admiring and amused glances from the locals), we spent the 25th exploring the south west coastline from Mousehole to Sennen Cove. Whilst everyone else in Cornwall was knee deep in tinsel, turkey, tree needles and TV repeats, we walked across footprint-less beaches, around deserted harbours, along abandoned cliff paths, and car-less roads until they ran out at Land's End.
Two particular memories of our Christmas Day remain with me. The first was a place we stumbled on by accident after taking a wrong turn (guess who was map-reading). Lamorna is a small cove on the Penwith peninsula, a quiet fishing village comprising a small cluster of houses congregated around a natural harbour. Apart from the obvious beauty of this place it's claim to fame was becoming popular landscape material for many of the painters of the Newlyn School at the end of the 19th century. I was unaware of this history at the time we visited, but like the artists, was drawn to the remote, rocky and rugged landscape of this tiny 'mistake' in our itinerary. The second memory was of 'Telegraph Beach' (as I re-named it), or Porthcurno.
Actually, my memory of this place has been kept alive by the BBC TV 'Coast' Series, which featured Porthcurno in one of it's programmes, before we went to Cornwall. So unlike the accidental visit to Lamorna, Porthcurno was researched, planned and very much looked forward to! Thanks to the Beeb and Neil Oliver I had learned that in 1870, Porthcurno made history under the beach. This secluded bay was where Britain was wired to the world, by a network of fourteen cables stretched from under the beach around the globe. Significantly and for the first time in history, telegraphy made rapid communication possible between Britain and her distant colonies. But history was also made above this beach some years later. In 1932 the open air Minack Theatre opened it's 'hypothetical doors' to performances under the stars, perched on top of Porthcurno cliffs with Oscar winning views across the bay. Hard to believe that such a quiet and unassuming bay harbours such significant and historical events in it's landscape.
Lands End deserves a mention here, due to the significance of its geographical location. We stood at this remote and most westerly point of our island acknowledging the beauty of the landscape but thinking how much better it would have been without the inappropriate commercial visitor attractions - the place would sell itself without the 'help' of humans. So we moved swiftly on to Sennen Cove, a large sweeping bay that 'knocked Land's End into a cocked hat'! Sennen Cove (but more like a bay) is the home of surfers, the RNLI, Bilbo the first canine lifeguard - and photographers! With such a stunning wide landscape, lifeboat station, colourful fishing boats and their associated tackle, it had more than enough material to keep camera shutters clicking ... until it was time to get back to the cottage for some non-traditional Cantonese Christmas Fayre with chopsticks and crackers - a very happy Cornish Christmas!
Conforming (albeit coincidentally) with true Boxing Day traditions, we decided to take a long walk. From Kynance Cove to Mullion Cove and back. It was a dry day but cold fresh winds had whipped the waves up, transforming the previously tranquil scene at Kynance Cove into a cauldron of churning, swelling sea, a frenzy of foam, spume and spray. Finally dragging ourselves away from the spectacle, we walked along the craggy cliff tops with cove to cove views over perilous crumbling cliffs down to the rocky shores below, most of which were stunning but inaccessible.
We eventually reached a National Trust sign at Predannack which informed us that Mullion Cove was another 2 miles on. Having walked 2 miles in as many hours, and with only 2 left in daylight, we decided to be sensible, hedge our bets and head back. This gave us time to mingle with some very shaggy and photogenic ponies before setting off to look for a suitable picnic spot, and we found just the place (centre left on photo). And so, perched on the edge of a deep cut in the cliffs, overlooking the rocky shore below and sheltered from the wind by what remained of a walled pen of some sort, we enjoyed our Cornish picnic of scones and clotted cream!
On arriving back at Kynance Cove the tide was out, revealing the secrets of the 2-sided sandy beach in all it's glory. Like children in a sweet shop, we reveled in the new choices open to us, scouring the beach with our eyes, taking in the patterns and pools created in the sand by the sea as it rushed in and retreated just as quickly, watching the waves as they swirled around the rocks engulfing and transforming them into islands, and the matt sand canvas being given a new coat of gloss with one sweep of the sea. All we could do was try to capture as much of this mystical landscape as was possible before the tide took it away from us. Oh, and did I mention the salmon pink sunset that backlit Kynance cove as the tide performed it's magic on this very special stage.
With the events of each day exceeding our expectations, we had high hopes for another lovely walk and more stunning vistas. This time heading north from Church Cove we walked along the cliff tops towards the picture postcard fishing village of Cadgwith. Even though the sun didn't show it's face, an intensely happy hour or two was spent beachcombing and capturing shots in this delightful little bay amongst the colourful rows of fishing boats, and the selection of ropes, buoys, flags, sails, lobster pots and nets that adorned it. Photos of boats across their bow, under the boom, behind buoys, through baskets; with sea in the background, with brightly coloured fenders in the foreground; from below the stern, up the sail, through coils of rope ... so much variety and so little battery! But I liked Cadgwith! I also liked the Cornish pasty we had in the 'Cadgwith Cove' Inn before we moved on ... .
The second half of our day involved a short drive to Poldhu Cove further westwards around the coast. Famous as the place from which the first Trans-Atlantic radio signal was sent in 1901, but memorable for me because of it's natural beauty. Poldhu is a popular sandy beach located in a pretty position filling a deep inlet, with hills to each side and fields behind. The beach is stunning and entirely unspoilt; the boundary between fields and sand have been blurred by the tall reeds, grass and a small stream which have overspilled onto the beach; the edges of the wide expanse of cream, apricot and taupe sand are studded with large flat stones in every tone of grey and beige. Add to this image shimmering fresh water trails swirling their way around the stones and across the sand, creating patterns on the surface as they trickle their way to the sea. Another remote, quiet and special place.
We made one final stop for the day. Porthleven harbour is the most southerly port in England. It is also unusual because the mouth of the harbour faces directly to the south west and some of the strongest gales. This is because Porthleven harbour was developed in the early 19th century as a safe harbour for ships caught in stormy seas. Soon after the initial construction the inner harbour was created to give further protection for boats from the fiercest storms. Sadly in the 1970s this additional protection was not sufficient to prevent a parked police car and it's two occupants from being swept off the harbour wall and into a stormy sea.
These days Porthleven harbour is a thriving tourist spot where visitors can buy Cornish pasties or cream teas from small, colourful cafes; or local artwork and crafts from unique chic galleries, freshly caught fish from a selection of smart restaurants, or liquid refreshment from a variety of Inns, most notably the ancient Ship Inn (which is also said to offer a ghost too!). And around the headland next to the harbour, but separated by a granite pier, is Porthleven's beach, stunning in the sun and spectacular in a storm (a return visit later in the week gave us a a small insight into the storms around this coastline!). Unfortunately the first rain of our holiday combined with December's short daylight hours meant the camera stayed in it's case here. But it had been a long day and we'd covered a lot of Cornish ground, 'on foot' and 'in car'. Now it was time for sleep, 'in bed'.
Most nights we were lulled to sleep with the regular flashing pulse of the Lizard Lighthouse; occasionally it was accompanied by the regular deep and penetrating warning signal of the foghorn; but on this particular morning we were woken by a magnificent sunrise, it's bright pink and mauve light flooding our cottage and everything in it! Despite getting up, out and across to Lizard Point at breakneck speed, we missed the best of it, but it gave us a good early start for the day ahead.
Our plan was to drive across the Cornish peninsula to St Ives, with expectations of a pretty bay, a perfect sandy beach, a picturesque backdrop of pastel cottages, colourful boats in the harbour and a late breakfast in a bistro! All of the above was achieved and more. The town is an artist's haven, full of studios, galleries and shops displaying works of art that have benefited from the much acclaimed 'quality of light' that St Ives is so famous for. It is no accident that this is one of the few places in the Britain to have it's own School of Painting. In the late 19th century artists such as Whistler were drawn to the place by it's purity of light and warmth of climate. Not unlike Whistler, we were drawn to the photo opportunities, but had to compromise on the warmth of climate!
The next morning (29th December and the day of our departure) the uncompromising climate worked in our favour. We awoke to unexpectedly wild and stormy gale force winds, which, of course, meant only one thing - a delay to our homeward journey until we had captured the stormy seas on camera! At Lizard Point we battled to stay upright as we got out of the car, and again as we tried to get our coats on without them acting as billowing sails ready to whip us off our feet. We were then buffeted by the strong gusts as we struggled to get down the slipway. Our attempts to get closer to the raging seas whilst at the same time protecting our lenses from the violent spray, were met with resistance at every step, but after half an hour we returned to the car wet, exhausted, exhilarated and in possession of some hard-earned stormy pictures! As if to reward us for our bravery, Britain's 'Most Southerly Cafe' was finally open, so we had one last but very special Cornish Cream Tea before heading off home.
Would I spend Christmas away from home again? Oh, I think so, once in while. I do love the traditional aspects and values of Christmas but surely life is also about new experiences, being spontaneous, broadening horizons and breaking the habits of a lifetime! A choice between Christmas 'commercialism' vs Cornwall at Christmas? No contest!
With the car boot loaded up to the hilt with warm walking clothes, camera equipment, mince pies and some fairy lights (the latter being my contribution and the only concession to our Christmas-free break) we set off to Church Cove, on The Lizard peninsula. It was quite late by the time we arrived in Cornwall, and as the skies blackened and the lanes got ever narrower we slowed our speed to carefully negotiate the gradually sloping lanes into Church Cove. Even in the pitch dark this place looked idyllic, and after a few more twists and turns along the lane our picture perfect thatched cottage came into view in one jaw dropping moment! It was then I knew that Christmas here was the right decision!
The next day that realisation was re-confirmed when I looked out of the window and saw that our cottage was at the end of the lane, perched at the top of the gentle slope leading down to the cove. Church cove is a picturesque inlet on a rocky coastline, sheltered, understated and small. It used to house the lifeboat, but the original boathouse has now been converted to a holiday cottage and sits amongst a handful of other small, simple and sympathetically renovated buildings such as The Winch House and The Round House, all of which are centred around the steep narrow slipway sprinkled with colourful boats.
Our first day and first walk began with a stroll down to the cove and continued along the winding cliff top path around the craggy coastline from Church Cove, past dramatic views across Housel Bay, Bumble Rock, Polbream and Polpeor Coves to Lizard Point, stopping along the way for copious photographs, misty views of the Lizard Lighthouse and to stroke the shy, slightly scruffy but very cute Cornish ponies. Through the mist the Lighthouse proved it's worth, and workability, by sounding the foghorn (deafeningly) just as we rounded the Point, and before we turned away from the coast and headed off to explore the village of Lizard.
The remainder of the day was spent in one of the most spectacular coves in Britain, and one that remains very special to me. I'd seen remarkable photos of this place before and been completely blown away by it's beauty and mystical quality. To see it for real was both moving and memorable. Kynance Cove is an inlet on the Lizard peninsula known for it's rugged cliffs, white sand and turquoise water. But even more significantly, it boasts islands of multi-coloured serpentine rock with stacks and arches hidden amongst the towering cliffs. An outstanding feature is the fact that at high tide a sandy beach which faces the water on two sides and a small island, which becomes a tidal island, are cut off and thus inaccessible. If you're fortunate enough to be there when the sun goes down behind this impossibly beautiful place, the image will be imprinted on your memory, as it was mine.
That evening in the cottage we exchanged our gifts, a fitting end to a magical first day, and to Christmas Eve. Continuing our non-traditional non-festive theme (but excluding the Christmas hat worn by my partner which, I may say, drew admiring and amused glances from the locals), we spent the 25th exploring the south west coastline from Mousehole to Sennen Cove. Whilst everyone else in Cornwall was knee deep in tinsel, turkey, tree needles and TV repeats, we walked across footprint-less beaches, around deserted harbours, along abandoned cliff paths, and car-less roads until they ran out at Land's End.
Two particular memories of our Christmas Day remain with me. The first was a place we stumbled on by accident after taking a wrong turn (guess who was map-reading). Lamorna is a small cove on the Penwith peninsula, a quiet fishing village comprising a small cluster of houses congregated around a natural harbour. Apart from the obvious beauty of this place it's claim to fame was becoming popular landscape material for many of the painters of the Newlyn School at the end of the 19th century. I was unaware of this history at the time we visited, but like the artists, was drawn to the remote, rocky and rugged landscape of this tiny 'mistake' in our itinerary. The second memory was of 'Telegraph Beach' (as I re-named it), or Porthcurno.
Actually, my memory of this place has been kept alive by the BBC TV 'Coast' Series, which featured Porthcurno in one of it's programmes, before we went to Cornwall. So unlike the accidental visit to Lamorna, Porthcurno was researched, planned and very much looked forward to! Thanks to the Beeb and Neil Oliver I had learned that in 1870, Porthcurno made history under the beach. This secluded bay was where Britain was wired to the world, by a network of fourteen cables stretched from under the beach around the globe. Significantly and for the first time in history, telegraphy made rapid communication possible between Britain and her distant colonies. But history was also made above this beach some years later. In 1932 the open air Minack Theatre opened it's 'hypothetical doors' to performances under the stars, perched on top of Porthcurno cliffs with Oscar winning views across the bay. Hard to believe that such a quiet and unassuming bay harbours such significant and historical events in it's landscape.
Lands End deserves a mention here, due to the significance of its geographical location. We stood at this remote and most westerly point of our island acknowledging the beauty of the landscape but thinking how much better it would have been without the inappropriate commercial visitor attractions - the place would sell itself without the 'help' of humans. So we moved swiftly on to Sennen Cove, a large sweeping bay that 'knocked Land's End into a cocked hat'! Sennen Cove (but more like a bay) is the home of surfers, the RNLI, Bilbo the first canine lifeguard - and photographers! With such a stunning wide landscape, lifeboat station, colourful fishing boats and their associated tackle, it had more than enough material to keep camera shutters clicking ... until it was time to get back to the cottage for some non-traditional Cantonese Christmas Fayre with chopsticks and crackers - a very happy Cornish Christmas!
Conforming (albeit coincidentally) with true Boxing Day traditions, we decided to take a long walk. From Kynance Cove to Mullion Cove and back. It was a dry day but cold fresh winds had whipped the waves up, transforming the previously tranquil scene at Kynance Cove into a cauldron of churning, swelling sea, a frenzy of foam, spume and spray. Finally dragging ourselves away from the spectacle, we walked along the craggy cliff tops with cove to cove views over perilous crumbling cliffs down to the rocky shores below, most of which were stunning but inaccessible.
We eventually reached a National Trust sign at Predannack which informed us that Mullion Cove was another 2 miles on. Having walked 2 miles in as many hours, and with only 2 left in daylight, we decided to be sensible, hedge our bets and head back. This gave us time to mingle with some very shaggy and photogenic ponies before setting off to look for a suitable picnic spot, and we found just the place (centre left on photo). And so, perched on the edge of a deep cut in the cliffs, overlooking the rocky shore below and sheltered from the wind by what remained of a walled pen of some sort, we enjoyed our Cornish picnic of scones and clotted cream!
On arriving back at Kynance Cove the tide was out, revealing the secrets of the 2-sided sandy beach in all it's glory. Like children in a sweet shop, we reveled in the new choices open to us, scouring the beach with our eyes, taking in the patterns and pools created in the sand by the sea as it rushed in and retreated just as quickly, watching the waves as they swirled around the rocks engulfing and transforming them into islands, and the matt sand canvas being given a new coat of gloss with one sweep of the sea. All we could do was try to capture as much of this mystical landscape as was possible before the tide took it away from us. Oh, and did I mention the salmon pink sunset that backlit Kynance cove as the tide performed it's magic on this very special stage.
With the events of each day exceeding our expectations, we had high hopes for another lovely walk and more stunning vistas. This time heading north from Church Cove we walked along the cliff tops towards the picture postcard fishing village of Cadgwith. Even though the sun didn't show it's face, an intensely happy hour or two was spent beachcombing and capturing shots in this delightful little bay amongst the colourful rows of fishing boats, and the selection of ropes, buoys, flags, sails, lobster pots and nets that adorned it. Photos of boats across their bow, under the boom, behind buoys, through baskets; with sea in the background, with brightly coloured fenders in the foreground; from below the stern, up the sail, through coils of rope ... so much variety and so little battery! But I liked Cadgwith! I also liked the Cornish pasty we had in the 'Cadgwith Cove' Inn before we moved on ... .
The second half of our day involved a short drive to Poldhu Cove further westwards around the coast. Famous as the place from which the first Trans-Atlantic radio signal was sent in 1901, but memorable for me because of it's natural beauty. Poldhu is a popular sandy beach located in a pretty position filling a deep inlet, with hills to each side and fields behind. The beach is stunning and entirely unspoilt; the boundary between fields and sand have been blurred by the tall reeds, grass and a small stream which have overspilled onto the beach; the edges of the wide expanse of cream, apricot and taupe sand are studded with large flat stones in every tone of grey and beige. Add to this image shimmering fresh water trails swirling their way around the stones and across the sand, creating patterns on the surface as they trickle their way to the sea. Another remote, quiet and special place.
We made one final stop for the day. Porthleven harbour is the most southerly port in England. It is also unusual because the mouth of the harbour faces directly to the south west and some of the strongest gales. This is because Porthleven harbour was developed in the early 19th century as a safe harbour for ships caught in stormy seas. Soon after the initial construction the inner harbour was created to give further protection for boats from the fiercest storms. Sadly in the 1970s this additional protection was not sufficient to prevent a parked police car and it's two occupants from being swept off the harbour wall and into a stormy sea.
These days Porthleven harbour is a thriving tourist spot where visitors can buy Cornish pasties or cream teas from small, colourful cafes; or local artwork and crafts from unique chic galleries, freshly caught fish from a selection of smart restaurants, or liquid refreshment from a variety of Inns, most notably the ancient Ship Inn (which is also said to offer a ghost too!). And around the headland next to the harbour, but separated by a granite pier, is Porthleven's beach, stunning in the sun and spectacular in a storm (a return visit later in the week gave us a a small insight into the storms around this coastline!). Unfortunately the first rain of our holiday combined with December's short daylight hours meant the camera stayed in it's case here. But it had been a long day and we'd covered a lot of Cornish ground, 'on foot' and 'in car'. Now it was time for sleep, 'in bed'.
Most nights we were lulled to sleep with the regular flashing pulse of the Lizard Lighthouse; occasionally it was accompanied by the regular deep and penetrating warning signal of the foghorn; but on this particular morning we were woken by a magnificent sunrise, it's bright pink and mauve light flooding our cottage and everything in it! Despite getting up, out and across to Lizard Point at breakneck speed, we missed the best of it, but it gave us a good early start for the day ahead.
Our plan was to drive across the Cornish peninsula to St Ives, with expectations of a pretty bay, a perfect sandy beach, a picturesque backdrop of pastel cottages, colourful boats in the harbour and a late breakfast in a bistro! All of the above was achieved and more. The town is an artist's haven, full of studios, galleries and shops displaying works of art that have benefited from the much acclaimed 'quality of light' that St Ives is so famous for. It is no accident that this is one of the few places in the Britain to have it's own School of Painting. In the late 19th century artists such as Whistler were drawn to the place by it's purity of light and warmth of climate. Not unlike Whistler, we were drawn to the photo opportunities, but had to compromise on the warmth of climate!
The next morning (29th December and the day of our departure) the uncompromising climate worked in our favour. We awoke to unexpectedly wild and stormy gale force winds, which, of course, meant only one thing - a delay to our homeward journey until we had captured the stormy seas on camera! At Lizard Point we battled to stay upright as we got out of the car, and again as we tried to get our coats on without them acting as billowing sails ready to whip us off our feet. We were then buffeted by the strong gusts as we struggled to get down the slipway. Our attempts to get closer to the raging seas whilst at the same time protecting our lenses from the violent spray, were met with resistance at every step, but after half an hour we returned to the car wet, exhausted, exhilarated and in possession of some hard-earned stormy pictures! As if to reward us for our bravery, Britain's 'Most Southerly Cafe' was finally open, so we had one last but very special Cornish Cream Tea before heading off home.
Would I spend Christmas away from home again? Oh, I think so, once in while. I do love the traditional aspects and values of Christmas but surely life is also about new experiences, being spontaneous, broadening horizons and breaking the habits of a lifetime! A choice between Christmas 'commercialism' vs Cornwall at Christmas? No contest!
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