I’ll let Jo explain: “It’s not a challenge, you see. Walking is one of the great pleasures of my life. Ever since I began my blog I have enjoyed introducing people to new places, and the walks are another way to do it. Many of them are local and well known to me in my north east of England home. Others are a bit more exotic. So, how does it work? Every week I will publish a walk on a Monday. If for any reason I can’t make it, I will let you know. When the walk is published, anyone is welcome to leave a link in my Comments, to any walk that they have taken. It doesn’t have to be on a Monday. It can be at any time and of any duration. The amount of detail/photos, etc. is up to you. Free and easy, you see?”
This is a gentle, level one mile walk along the river to the ‘blow-hole’ and has lovely views of the village and the harbour. At the end there are some steps to climb and the rocks here can be slippery when wet.
Now I could fancy one of these cottages. What about the pink one? It already has a bench in the garden for me.
We’ll walk along one side of the river to the next bridge (footbridge) passing by the witch museum, a lovely National Trust shop, a tea-room and the YHA. I love the Cornish walls in which you can plant a host of flowers, including these beautiful tulips (header photo). Look out for wild flowers too, such as the Danish scurvy traditionally considered a coastal plant with its love of salty places, salt marshes and sea shores grass. Full of Vitamin C, it gets its name from sailors chewing it to avoid scurvy.Continue reading Boscastle Harbour Walk
The Lizard peninsula is the most southerly part of the British mainland, a place apart from anywhere else. Dramatic and historic coastline, complex and unique geology and interesting flora and fauna.
The Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre with its distinctive twin towers marks the most southerly point of mainland Britain. It is open from March to October and you will find interactive displays and exhibitions about the history of the building. A tower was first built here in 1619 at the expense of philanthropist Sir John Kilgrew. The current beam can be seen for 26 miles. For those of you who love lighthouses, (Jo, I hope you are reading this), you can climb up to the top of the tower and even sound the foghorn or send messages in Morse code. Continue reading Lizard Point
Kynance beach is probably one of the most beautiful in Cornwall set in an area of outstanding natural beauty AONB. In fact I have seen it voted as being one of the most beautiful in the world. It is certainly one of the most remote as it is practically at the end of the Lizard peninsula (the Lizard is Britain’s most southerly mainland point) and it is not a beach that you can drive up to. Oh no, getting there involves a short (10 – 15 mins green route) hike down a fairly steep narrow trail , littered with loose rocks and steep steps at the end, or a longer, winding (20 – 30 mins red route) stroll along an uneven track with exposed bedrock and slightly loose stone surface which brings you out at the back of the cove near the toilets and tea-room. We opted for the longer route suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs without any steps.
The trail winds itself down the cliffs to the beach passing through swathes of golden gorse and outcrops of rocks, some covered in the deep egg-yolk yellow lichens. The views over the bay are stunning.
At low tide the white sands are revealed contrasting with the dark green and red serpentine rocks and the incredibly clear turquoise water. It is probably the most photographed and painted spot in the county. You can explore the towering rocks stacks and the caves with names such as The Parlour and The Drawing Room.
There is an excellent tea-room serving pasties and cream teas as well as sandwiches, drinks and beach stuff. We stopped for coffee and a cream tea and sat mesmerised by the colour of the sea whilst chaffinches hopped around our feet. I felt as though I had stepped back to New Zealand for a while.
From Kynance there is a fantastic 2 mile scenic walk around the coast to Lizard Point, but as the OH is not a cliff-top walker we drove there instead. I’ll show you what that looks like in another post 🙂
If you enjoy a walk, long or short, then have a look at Jo’s site where you are welcome to join in.
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.
Periwinkle
Wild Angelica
Primroses
Best wear good walking boots…
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.
Steps and a gate
Countryside views
Blackthorn hedge
A pretty house
Cornish walls
Frenchmans Creek
Aqua
Almost there…
Wild violets
Fresh eggs?
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.
Returning to the village on a higher level
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 🙂
Apparently this is on 30 March, so make sure you get outdoors on Monday 🙂
Attingham Park is a popular place to visit as it is very close to Shrewsbury. Famous for snowdrops and the deer park, we popped in for for a brisk walk in the early spring sun a couple of weeks ago.
Through the stable yard
Carpet of snowdrops
Snowdrops in silk
First stop, the walled garden. Work-in-progress as they have only recently begun to renovate this area. The aim is to re-create a productive kitchen garden with organic fruit and vegetables. It is a lovely sheltered spot to sit and bask in the sun.
This is a gentle, level one mile walk along the river to the ‘blow-hole’ and has lovely views of the village and the harbour. At the end there are some steps to climb and the rocks here can be slippery when wet.
Now I could fancy one of these cottages. What about the pink one? It already has a bench in the garden for me.
We’ll walk along one side of the river to the next bridge (footbridge) passing by the witch museum, a lovely National Trust shop, a tea-room and the YHA. I love the Cornish walls in which you can plant a host of flowers, including these beautiful tulips (header photo). Look out for wild flowers too, such as the Danish scurvy traditionally considered a coastal plant with its love of salty places, salt marshes and sea shores grass. Full of Vitamin C, it gets its name from sailors chewing it to avoid scurvy. Continue reading Boscastle Harbour Walk
TRAVEL WORDS 