A little Cornish adventure, or many adventures in our case. What I thought was going to be a quiet relaxing week turned into a week of seeing all the sights. Keep reading for lots of Cornwall inspiration.
Eden Project
Predictable, I know. Kinda rude not to though, it’s one of those things that comes with Cornwall. A botanical garden and biome’s built in an old china clay quarry. June surprisingly is off peak, which made this a little quieter, just how we like it. There is plenty to explore outside as well as Mediterranean and Rainforest Biomes. Lots of interesting plants and information. lots of space for lunch or drinks. Tip a glass of wine or beer in the Mediterranean biome could transport you abroad. It’s a cute spot but we missed out having had something in the larger area. A little pricey starting at £33 per person but a nice one to explore. Check them out here.
National Trusts
Because we love a little nosey round the gardens and a sit in the sunshine with some cake. We visited Lanhydrock, St Michaels Mount and Trerice.
Lanhydrock is an enormous estate. Lots to explore around the house. Beautiful gardens, a little church and more.
St Michaels Mount, perhaps one of the more famous National Trusts and spots in Cornwall. Tide permitted you can walk out to the island, alternatively the boat is £2.80 should you need it. An incredible castle that’s actually still home to the St Aubyn family, well a portion anyway. A few houses are also on the island along with gardens a church and National Trust cafe that’s housed in what looks like old stables.
Trerice really blew me away on the gardens front. More lavender than any garden has ever housed, beautiful displays all around the grounds. Photos really didn’t capture the beauty of the grounds. My favourite part if you can buy seeds for some of the flowers like the poppies and the proceeds go back into the garden and producing more seeds. You bet a bought some. There is also some pretty good cake so a great little spot.
Steam Railway
Bodmin General isn’t a massive line but splits in two and worth a visit for the steam train enthusiast. We all know husband is a fan so it was inevitable. Bodmin has plenty of picnic benches for you to sit and have a Cornish pasty from one of the local bakeries.
Helston, a tiny line but actually a really lovely set up. The line is going to be extended subject to a tiny piece of land being purchased or leased. Fingers crossed for them. There is the option to travel on the footplate for an extra charge. We split the ticket one travelling one way and the other travelling back. A really great experience and nice to be able to do it. Often bigger railways don’t offer this so it’s an experience worth grabbing.
Camel Valley Vineyard
What a beautiful spot, gorgeous outdoor terrace to sit and sip on bubbles. The terrace overlooks the vines and is picturesque with lots of beautiful flowers. The wines are delicious and you can order olives and nuts etc. The price point was really great for sparkling wine at £7 a glass. We found everywhere else around Cornwall it was coming up at £13+ so definitely try it there rather than at a restaurant. The only argument is who’s driving..
Portcurnick Beach / The Hidden Hut
One of my lovely clients recommended this and we had so much planned I didn’t think we would go. Then a friend on Instagram messaged and said you have got to go to The Hidden Hut. So we did and let me tell you, I am so glad we didn’t skip it. What a beautiful spot. A lovely little beach/cove. The hidden hut is up on the hill and it is brilliant. So often you get a food hut that serves rubbish and you leave thinking oh they could have made that so much better. This was everything you would want. Delicious hot food, cakes, drinks and Ice creams. It’s a must. We shared so we could try a little bit of everything.
Lands End
Where do I start. What a tourist trap. £6 is the minimum you can pay to park, regardless of the quick visit you might have planned. It has been turned into some tacky amusement park. Then to add a little more salt to the wound you’re not getting a picture with the sign unless you pay £10+ for one. I will leave that there. If you’re in the area sure. If you’re not make sure you know what you’re signing up to.
Minack Theatre
Slightly sad in the end that I didn’t book tickets, the show sounded strange and you just never know with the weather in June. I didn’t want to risk it when it’s an outdoor theatre. You can however buy tickets at £10 per person to explore. We didn’t but there is food and drinks available so you could sit and enjoy the views with lunch if you fancied. It’s an incredible concept and really worth a visit. The beach views are like being abroad, it’s a really great spot.
Emily Scott Food / Watergate Bay
If you’re into surfing or looking for lessons this is the place for you. It’s very much a beach dedicated to surfers. There are lots of cute coffee trucks too if you’re looking for snacks and drinks. The beach isn’t huge but lovely to walk along dipping your toes into the chilly sea.
Emily Scott Food was recommended to me. We had a lot of tasting menus booked so I went with the Lobster lunch. Fairly priced at £45 per person. This included a glass of champagne, lobster an fries. The lobster was beautiful the fries were great and the vinegar mayo was a really well thought out accompaniment. There is a gorgeous outdoor terrace that over looks the beach. You won’t be disappointed.
The Pig
You know we love a Pig. Cornwall was no exception and has been on the hit list since we heard it was opening. We didn’t stay this time because we had other accommodation booked, we did however venture over for drinks and snacks and a visit to the lobster shack. I love a nosey round their kitchen Gardens and they have some beautiful spots to sit and eat the tastiest of snacks and sip on delicious drinks. The lobster shack didn’t disappoint and I certainly think it’s a lovely spot for an over night stay if you have the budget for a hotel.
Port Isaac
We headed here a couple of nights to try Nathan Outlaws restaurants and well they were even better than I could have hoped (posts coming soon). Port Issac itself is a pretty seaside town, very hilly so wear sensible shoes, unlike me. Not really a lot there and as we were on the edge of season a lot was closed. Something to bear in mind when planning. I was a little offended that tourists were pretty much exploited, I’m sorry £5 for soft drinks in what can only be described as a dive (sorry) is quite offensive. It is where Doc Martin is film so if you’re in full on tourist mode there are plenty of tours available.
Final thoughts…
Am I allowed to say I didn’t love Cornwall. Is that too mean. Don’t get me wrong we had a great week and did some incredible things. It just as a place it is too touristy and that’s not for me. Let me know your favourite Cornwall spots in the comments and I’ll see you in the next post.
Rach xx
