Charming Villages of Cornwall

After our time in Ireland and Wales, we headed to Cornwall. We had heard much about this stunning area of the UK and were eager to visit. We had planned on spending a week there, and ending our Ireland and UK adventure in London, where I was hoping to arrange a blog-buddy meet-up. However, we had to shorten our time there to just three days due to my upcoming eye surgery. We were quite disappointed, but made the best of it.

Cornwall is famous for beautiful beaches, castles, quaint villages and lovely views. Due to our limited time, we tried to pack in as much as possible. Here are the highlights.

Land’s End

Located at the western most point of Cornwall is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations, Land’s End. It appears as though people inhabited or traveled to the area since the Mesolithic Period, close to 10,000 years ago, and it’s still a popular spot today. Legend has it that King Arthur’s mythical Lost Land of Lyonesse lies just off the rocky coast. Here you’ll find hiking trails, beautiful views and a tourist area with shops restaurants.

St. Ives

Legend has it that St. Ives was named for a young missionary and Irish princess named St. la. Apparently, she sailed to the area on a leaf, and built an oratory on the site that is now the St. Ives Parish Church.

In medieval times it was a busy fishing port which grew over time as the town expanded. More recently, it has been home to many famous artists including, Whistler, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, just to name a few. Today it is a lovely town to explore as you work your way through the narrow, cobbled maze of alleys.

While in St. Ives, we stopped for a drink at the Sloop Inn, a bar, restaurant and inn dating back to 1312.

Mousehole

Pronounced Mowzel, it was also a major fishing port in the Mount Bay area between the 13th and 16th centuries. There are several legends about the origin of its name; the one that seems most plausible suggests it was named for a near-by sea cave that resembles a mousehole.

Dylan Thomas and Caitlin McNamara spent their honeymoon here in the Lobster Pot Apartments. Thomas declared the village to be, quite the loveliest village in England. Today, it is a charming town to visit and a photographer’s dream.

Penzance

Penzance is one of the largest towns in Cornwall. It and other villages in the area were indeed inhabited by pirates beginning in the mid 1600s. The Barbary Pirates terrorized and captured many residents, forcing them into slavery. The pirates were forced out by the combined efforts of English and American soldiers in the mid 1800s. The famous Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance tells the tale of a pirate apprentice who wants to become a respectable member of society. It made its debue in London on April 3, 1880 and ran for 363 performances.

We enjoyed spending a morning wandering the streets and shops, and had a delicious lunch at the Turk’s Head Pub.

After lunch, we drove down the coast to get a closer look at St. Michael’s Mount. The island on which it sits came into the possession of the Benedictine Monks of Le Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy in 1066. Construction of the abbey began in 1135. You can walk to the island via a causeway at low-tide. Click here for details.

Padstow

Our main reason for going to Padstow, was to enjoy lunch at The Seafood Restaurant, a Rick Stein establishment. The food was creative and delicious, but it was quite overpriced compared to other seafood restaurants in the area.

That sums up our three days in Cornwall. We rented a car, since we wanted to make the most of our short time there. Driving in the area was a bit nerve-wracking though, since we’re not use to driving on the left. Also, the hedgerows come right up to edge of the road, leaving no shoulder. It felt as though we’d crash into the bushes when cars were coming from the other direction, even in our tiny rental. It is possible to take trains to some of the villages, but a rental car will give you the most flexibility.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our quick visit to Cornwall. Mid-June was the perfect time to visit as the weather was mild, and the throngs of tourists hadn’t yet arrived.

As always, I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on this post.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia