Cornwall 2012 - Random Photos

The sun sets over the 2 mile sandy beach at Watergate bay

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Falmouth Harbour

Harlyn Bay

Harbour Beach St Ives

Herring Gulls nesting

Headland at Harlyn

Male Stonechat

A friendly Gull

Tree Sparrows

A Cormorant drying wings in the sun

Oystercatchers

Cornwall 2012 - Treyarnon & Constantine bays

Treyarnon Bay will always be a special place for me as it is the place of so many childhood memories. Many of these come flooding back as we walk across the cliff tops and I take a few minutes to let them come back to me. Happy days mostly of times past and holidays that I never wanted to end. I have always said that it only takes 5 minutes to hear the roaring surf and to see the waves crashing on the rocks to feel a sense of freedom and peace.

This is a beautiful natural swimming pool that is only unveiled when the tide retreats. I remember taking 50p many years ago off my dad who bet me that I couldn't swim across it.

Along the cliff top there are several benches at various points dedicated to those who appreciated this area. 'The Captain and the Purple Lady' - The sun is always over the yardarm' strikes me as a lovely tribute. I like that sort of thing and can't help wondering what would be on my bench?

Constantine is possibly the best surfing beach of them all, and on this day there must have been at least 20 surfers in the chilly waters. It is named after the 6th Century Cornish Saint Constantine.

Cornwall 2012 - St Ives

The Tate Gallery

St Ives these day is very much a centre for the Arts. The St Ives September Festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in September 2008. It is one of the longest running and widest ranging Festivals of the Arts in the UK lasting for 15 days and includes music including folk, jazz, rock, classical, world, poetry, film, talks and books. St Ives is situated on the shore of St Ives Bay, its harbour sheltered by Smeaton's pier. I'ts streets are narrow and uneven and is a typical Cornish fishing harbour.
Today we have persistent driving rain and definitely not seeing it at its best. In 1993 The Tate Art gallery opened on the site of an old gas works, overlooking Porthmeor Beach. The gallery's artist residency programme aims to develop the professional practice of artists who live and work in Cornwall.

Cornwall 2012 - Padstow and The Camel Trail

The Execution Cell at Bodmin Jail.

The Camel Trail is a disused and resurfaced railway line that runs from Padstow to Bodmin via Wadebridge. It is around 17 miles long and affords some stunning views across the estuary looking towards Rock. The last passenger train was in 1967, freight finally ceased in 1983, when a need to invest in new track forced closure of the line.Its a lovely bike ride with a few interesting diversion options along the way. Arriving in Bodmin you are immediately greeted by the ominous grim stone building of Bodmin Jail. Built in 1779 and closed in 1927, the range of buildings are mostly in ruins, although parts of the prison have been turned into a tourist attraction.

Padstow is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary approximately five miles northwest of Wadebridge. Padstow was originally named Petroc-stow after the Welsh missionary St Petroc. Once a busy fishing port only a handful of boats remain these days. Padstow is best known for its "'Obby 'Oss" festival. Its origins are unclear, it most likely  from an ancient pagan festival such as Beltane.

Cornwall 2012 - Harlyn Bay

Great to be down on the North Cornwall coast again after a couple of years absence. We are actually staying in St Merryn a mile or so inland and closed to the  fishing village of Padstow.

This stretch of surfing beaches is know as 'seven bays for seven days' stretching down towards Newquay.