Mini guide to…South West Cornwall
Overview: Home to pasties, cream teas & crab sandwiches, Cornwall is also famed for its beaches – the stuff of childhood dreams (& sandcastle making). Luckily, it proved to be an equally attractive destination for me now aged mid-20 something, making the perfect choice for a long weekend and a complete escape from city life. Located in the far southwest of Great Britain, Cornwall boasts miles of breathtaking coastline, including the UK’s most westerly point, Land’s End. Everyone knows you have to have your picture taken here, next to the sign, at some point in their life.
Where to stay: Rent a cottage from the tempting array of cottages, apartments and beach houses dotted around the area, available from Boutique Retreats. My recommendation is The Beach House in the tiny but picturesque fishing village of Mousehole. Recently appearing on Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s TV show, the amusingly named Mousehole (pronounced Mow-sel), has acquired a relatively big reputation for its size – famed also for the fishing and its stargazey pie! The Beach House has been recently refurbished in a cosy beach house style and it’s perfectly suited to dinners in and board games curled up in front of the fire, as well as barbecues in the miniature garden out the back and a great base for exploration in South West Cornwall. Everything about it was small but in a fabulous way and the ingenious layout makes really effective use of the space – not feeling like you’re on top of each other at all.
Where to eat: Try The Cornish Range or 2 Fore Street Restaurant, both in Mousehole, for delicious modern British cooking that makes use of all the local produce. Don’t turn your nose up at the local chippy either – fish & chips in Cornwall are the freshest and best you’ll find in the UK. And don’t forget the pasties. The Pasty Shop in St Ives has queues out the door and on our visit they were campaigning against the proposed increased ‘pasty’ tax. I never thought I’d get het up about this particular political agenda but how wrong I was – finding myself getting indignant as we tucked into the warm meat pies. Make sure you’re hungry – the pasties are mammoth. For lunch, you could also stop at The Beach Restaurant at Sennen Cove for amazing doorstep crab sandwiches.
Shop: In the town of St Ives. Described by our waitress the previous evening as ‘very chic’, we couldn’t wait to drive over to see for ourselves and check out the seaside style in St Ives. It didn’t disappoint – St Ives has some high street favourites along its cobbled streets, as well as gourmet shops selling local strawberry wine and specialities as well as independent fashion boutiques and art galleries. Wander the streets, pick up a local painting by an artist and take a picnic cream tea (available at all the shops) down to the beach.
Don’t miss: Breathtaking views from Porthcurno beach. Marvel at the telegraph hut on the way down to the beach (as unlikely a place as you’ll find to receive the first ever telegraphs into the UK from abroad). Take off your shoes and run over the wide expanse of sand, feeling free as a bird! Then climb the rock steps to the right up to the museum and café for incredible views across the bay.
Don’t bother: Visiting Penzance town. A typical small-town high street, with not much on offer. If you do need to kill a couple of hours before your train home, grab a coffee and a sausage roll in The Deli (27 Market Place).
When to go/How to go: Summertime – to make the most of the beaches & ice cream! Although our trip was in May and despite experiencing bitter cold and blustery winds (you are still in the UK!), it still didn’t dampen our spirits, with the beaches being quieter but very atmospheric. It’s an outdoorsy place so if you like fresh air and beach walks, go at any time of year and you won’t be disappointed. Go by train from London Paddington to Penzance (5 ½ hours) – if you catch the 6pm train after work you can be at the Cornish seaside by 11.30pm – although it sounds like a trek, the time flies by. The train offers scenic views (look out for the stone carving of a horse on the left hand side about half an hour out from Paddington) and follows the coastline, at certain points you are travelling centimetres away from the sea. You can then hire a car from Penzance station to zip around the country lanes.
By: Rosalyn van Tol, Occupation: Experiential Marketing