Sun shining, birds singing and blue water beckoning. We drove down to Helford Passage and took a short ferry ride across to Helford Village. 
Small boats and buoys float on the Helford River.
A narrow lane lined with hedgerows of a ghostly white mist (the delicate blossom of the blackthorn) leads from the ferry point into the village. Finches flit from one side of the lane to the other, others sing merrily in the bushes and all the while the warmth of the sun intensifies the coconut fragrance of the deep yellow gorse flowers.
A pretty white-washed, thatched cottages, cute welcoming pub, type of Cornish village greets you, with even a General Stores! If only all Cornwall’s villages were this pretty.
Walking around the village only takes a few minutes – it isn’t big. But you can stroll through woodland, at this time of year delightfully sunny, wild primroses, violets, wild angelica and early ransomes with their light garlic fragrance, line the banks. Periwinkle in shades from white through palest lavender to deepest purple clamber over the dry stone walls, and red and white campion, yellow celandine and the common daisy are raising their heads to the sun.
A circular walk takes you to Kestle Barton which has a cultural centre (closed on a Monday) and on towards Frenchman’s Creek. Now anyone who is a fan of Daphne du Maurier will have heard of this place and I had to have a closer look, despite it involving a steep walk down (and naturally back up) a rather steep track.
Finding the creek though was magic. Especially as there were several white egrets feeding there. Of course as soon as I appeared with camera in hand, they flew away. But I enjoyed a short walk alongside the water with its tantalisingly flashes of blue and green appearing to me between the trees. I could have continued around the headland back to Helford, but as I had left the OH on a particularly lovely granite bench at the top of the track I had to head back the way I had come.
Back to the other side of the river we spent a pleasant hour or two at the Ferryboat Inn, supping ginger beer with ice and lime slices and watching hardy children play in the water and the fog rolling in from the south. An agreeable way to spend the afternoon.
If you enjoy a walk, long or short, then have a look at Jo’s site where you are welcome to join in. And I am sure she will forgive me using a boat on part of this walk as I know Jo is extremely partial to boats and water 🙂
TRAVEL WORDS 
Gorgeous photos that make me want to be there… I love Cornwall but have never visited this part… I most definitely will now! 🙂
It’s a lovely gentle area, as though time has stood still.
A lovely post!Didn’t you time it well Jude, how long are you down?
A couple of weeks 🙂
All in Cornwall or are you coming to the best county? 🙂
Haha… no, sorry, all in Cornwall this time 🙂
A glorious day to be out and about. Thank your for all the views. Every picture is postcard perfect. I love how and where you’ve taken us this day. ❤ ❤ ❤
Nice to have you with me Tess – how are your sea-legs?
They used to be fine as long as I sat on the floor of the deck. 😀
I know what you mean! This was just a very small boat – the red one in the header picture and the river was very calm (plus it was only a 5 min crossing) even I can manage that sort of trip on water 😀
The l.a.s.t. time I was in a boat, we crossed from Ontario to Fort Erie. Water was calm. On the way back we had six and seven foot waves.
Oh
😀 😀 😀
I enjoyed this beautiful walk in rural England in spring time Jude.
It was lovely PP and very warm too. I hope this weather continues 🙂 Are you in NZ now?
Yes we are in NZ for 2 more weeks then it is back to the GC. Starting to cool down over here now. But still warm back home I’m told…
Hope you will post some photos. Are you going to the Hamilton Gardens?
Just spending family time this trip Jude and weather not so good so will not, unfortunately, get to the gardens
That’s a shame. I’m sure you are having a lovely time with the family though and that is the most important thing.
As Sue said, this looks like a storybook village and a pretty place to visit and explore … but my favourite picture is the seagull sitting on the pink float. He just looks rather smug sitting there 🙂
ALL seagulls look smug! Especially when pinching your chips 😉
Helford Village is a picture-book place. Goodness knows how much property costs there! And you’d probably need to have a boat.
Oh that takes me back – Helford River, Ferryboat Inn. Looks like you’re having a lovely time and great weather. House?
Seen some pretty ones which will be way above our budget. Viewed a new-build in Truro itself. Nice enough layout, but plot very small 😦
Very familiar with that scenario. We could probably buy a really nice house between us if we pooled our resources!
That looks like a lovely walk – particularly the discovery of the creek. Those egrets sound like many of the things I encounter on walks – I just have to think about getting the camera out and they are gone!
I swear they watch me and as soon as my finger reaches for the button – whoosh – off they go! Birds, bees, butterflies! Although yesterday a sweet robin practically posed for me, staring directly at the camera and showing me both sides as if to say “is this better?”
You were very lucky with that robin – I find them quite cheeky actually – standing there posing in a very picturesque way until I think of the camera and off they fly!
Maybe it is because I talk to them 😀
That must be where I am going wrong!
All the good things about the English countryside in the warmer months!
Oh yes!
What an enjoyable walk and the weather looks divine.
It was and it was… a tad windy today though (and a cold wind, brrr…)
This is a beauty, Jude – or have I said that before? So diverse – and includes benches (at least a mention), afloat and a Jo’s walk. As an odd coincidence I downloaded “Frenchman’s Creek” for holiday reading, influenced by Roger Deakin’s mention of it in “Waterlog”. Haven’t started it though: too busy holidaying! Good to see your photos.
It has been years since I read Frenchman’s Creek. I was an avid du Maurier reader as a young teenager. I shall look in the library on my return, might be nice to read some of them again.