DESTINATIONS
Play...the British way
Cornwall's balmy climate, natural beauty and an endless supply of fascinating sights make it an English paradise
Sat Mar 12 2005
By Linda Stilkowski
LINDA STILKOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
St. Ives is a working fishing village.
CORNWALL, England -- The pirates have long left Penzance and you won't see smugglers hiding in the coves.
But when the Brits want to get away to play, they still follow the footsteps of the ancient mariners and head to county Cornwall, which boasts a balmy coastal climate, boundless natural beauty and a wealth of fascinating places to see and explore.
Spring comes early to Cornwall. Warmed by the gulf stream and its position at the southwest tip of England, May and June are the best months to visit this popular destination, before the summer hoards of happy holiday-makers arrive.
England's reputation for rainy weather doesn't apply here, so don't bother packing an umbrella, unless it's a beach brolly. Instead, take plenty of lightweight summer clothing, bathing suit, sunscreen, shades, flip-flops, your most comfortable walking shoes and a swashbuckling sense of adventure.
Whether you choose to spend your time in North Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, the Cornish Riviera, Newquay or West Cornwall, you'll find beaches to stroll, swim, surf or explore the fascinating underwater wildlife living in rock pools when the tide recedes. More adventurous types will want to experience beach bumming to the fullest at Newquay's horseshoe-shaped Lusty Glaze and try their hand at surfing, bodyboarding, abseiling, climbing, tyrolean traversing, zip wire rides, or kayaking.
If something a little tamer is more to your taste there are 10 other sandy beaches nearby to choose from. A head's up during school spring break; a week at Newquay is a rite of passage for young Brits to surf, swim and blow off a little steam, so if you don't like to party hearty, spend that particular time in a different part of Cornwall. If castles are your thing, Cornwall has more than its fair share.
Most famous perhaps is Tintagel, the birthplace of the King Arthur legends. The castle ruins are about a kilometre walk from Tintagel village. Look carefully along the craggy shoreline and you will spot Merlin the Magician's cave clothed behind the mist of the crashing surf.
Worth seeing in the village itself is the old post office, a perfect example of a modest 14th-century Cornish abode with a rolling slate roof, thick brick walls and tiny windows set amongst the quintessential English cottage-style country garden.
For a taste of how grand life was for a wealthy Cornish family, explore the house and grounds of Lanhydrock. Built in the 17th century and rebuilt after a fire in 1881, Landhydrock's 50 rooms are lavishly furnished and remain just as they would have been used in Victorian times. The estates' miles of manicured and informal gardens, including a picturesque parterre, are enchanting.
Former Benedictine priory and castle, St. Michael's Mount, situated offshore of the town of Marazion, is a another treasure not to be missed. It can be reached by walking the 500-metre granite causeway at low tide or by water taxi when the tide is in. The ancient Mount remains to this day the family home of the St. Aubyn's. The home and terraced gardens are as breathtakingly beautiful as they are romantic.
Marazion features miles of clean, sandy beaches perfect for family forays because of its clean, calm, shallow waters. For first-class accommodations on the mainland facing St. Michaels Mount, or just a great meal, the Godolphin Arms has ensuite rooms, a large restaurant, a family room with a "pirate ship" ball pool and two bars. The influence of the sea dominates life in Cornwall. Tuck a Cornish pasty in your pocket, a savoury tart of beef, onions and other vegetables, to stave off hunger during a hike along any number of rugged coastal trails that stretch for 430 kilometres. The superb scenery provides the opportunity to record many a "Kodak moment." Afterwards relax and enjoy a Cornish cream tea, home-made scones slathered in sweet, rich Clotted Cream and fruit preserves.
Once you've got your second wind, hire a cycle and follow the Camel Trail, a 25-kilometre off-road bike path that runs by the Camel River estuary and bike beyond to Bodmin Moor, an area rich in prehistoric relics.
Land's End is the most visited spot in Cornwall, its main features being rugged cliffs, churning sea and powerful surfs. Beyond are the Isles of Scilly, just 45 kilometres away, a tropical paradise of exotic plants, wildflowers and pristine beaches. Whether you cruise or fly, daytrips to the islands are an opportunity to see puffins and seal pups in a picture-postcard setting.
A family-friendly place is Trebah Garden, 11 hectares of exotic tree ferns and tropical plants worth exploration. The south-facing, steeply-wooded ravine tropical garden falls 60 metres from the manor to a private beach on the Helford River, the perfect place for a swim and a picnic lunch.
The fishing village of St. Ives is nestled in a harbour where working fishing boats still moor after bringing home the day's catch. The old town is a maze of cobbled streets and period buildings that house shops, restaurants and art galleries, including the Tate Gallery, a satellite studio of the famous Tate in London.
Despite its rich history and traditions, Cornwall continues to re-invent itself. The Eden Project is a modern marvel of engineering and ingenuity that bills itself as the eighth wonder of the world. Prepare to spend the better part of a day exploring this educational and entertaining facility.
The Eden project is a celebration of the natural world and our place in it. Without a doubt, it is the world's largest greenhouse, constructed in a 50-metre deep clay pit the size of 30 soccer fields, a functioning global garden.
A 12-hectare outdoor biome features crops and plants native to the Cornish and similar climes. Under its gigantic glass sphere the Humid Tropics Biome is an indoor tropical forest, complete with streams and waterfalls where coffee and cocoa grow alongside banana, papaya and pineapple.
A short walk over to the adjoining Warm Temperate Biome is an experience of the charm of Mediterranean, South African and California climates where you can reach out and touch the native flowers and walk under a canopy of citrus fruits and olive trees.
Winnipeg Free Press garden columnist Linda Stilkowski visited Cornwall last year when she led a group of readers on an escorted tour of Britain.
Visiting Cornwall
Getting there
This summer Zoom Airlines (www.flyzoom.com) will offer twice weekly direct non-stop flights from Winnipeg to London's Gatwick Airport. Air Canada (www.aircanada.ca) provides daily connecting service to London Heathrow through Toronto.
Getting around
* By car -- By far the best way to travel in England is by car. The M4, M5 and M6 motorways make travel to Cornwall quick and straightforward, while from London and within Cornwall the two major routes, the A30 and A38, are fast, divided highways as far as Bodmin and most of the way to Penzance.
* By air -- Air South West, the South West's own low-fare airline, flies to Newquay Cornwall Airport from London Gatwick, Dublin, Leeds-Bradford, Manchester and Bristol. For more information visit www.airsouthwest.com.
* By coach -- National Express serves Cornwall from destinations throughout Britain. Express coaches go direct to St. Austell, Truro, Newquay, Falmouth, St. Ives and Penzance. The service from London Victoria and Heathrow Airport runs up to six times a day. For information go to www.gobycoach.com
* By rail -- Train times and fare information is available at www.travelline.co.uk First Great Western provides high speed services between London Paddington, South Wales, the Cotswolds and the West Country, including Sleeper services from London Paddington. First Great Western bookings 0845 7000 125.
Getting by
The dollar-to-the-pound rule applies. Expect to pay in English pounds what you'd pay in Canada with dollars, but remember that £1 is about $2.40 Cdn.
Getting a room
Choices for hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, self-catering cottages and camping spots abound. A prime hotel is the Godolphin Arms in Marazion, which offers a Winter Weekend Break for around £80 per person. This package includes dinner, bed and breakfast on the Friday night (£15 allowance per person on evening meal) and Bed and Breakfast on the Saturday night (from November to the end of May with some weekend exclusions). Prices rise in high season. Close by are the South West Coastal Path for hiking and the Marazion marshes and Hayle estuary for bird watching as well as horse riding, sea angling, sailing and scuba diving. In addition, the Godolphin Arms has it's own fly fishing lakes. For other options check out www.cornwall-calling.co.uk or type Cornwall into your favourite search engine.
-- Linda Stilkowski --
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Reprinted with the very kind permission of the copyright holder, Winnipeg Free Press
Murdoch Davis, Publisher
MARCH 15/05
