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Cornwall had caught my attention after a few articles I had read last year and I had thought to write a post about it since then. When I heard in the news the previous month that the G7 meeting was being held in Cornwall, this was a sign for me not to delay this post any further.

G7 (The Group of Seven) is a group of developed democratic countries consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, that meets every year to discuss global issues and offer solutions to international problems. The recent G7 summit was held from 11 to 13 June 2021 in Cornwall, England. The leaders of G7 countries along with the heads of EU, leaders of Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa as guest countries gathered in a seaside resort in St Ives, Cornwall for the summit.

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The members of the British royal family and Queen Elizabeth herself attended the G7 leaders’ reception at the Eden Project, Cornwall.

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Cornwall is a county on England’s southwestern tip bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the English Channel on the south. St Ives town of Cornwall first drew my attention in an article I read in September 2020 issue of Condé Nast Traveller. In the article, Booker prize-winning novelist and poet Ben Okri tells about his experience of St Ives, the place he loved traveling to by train with his girlfriend in the early 1990s. He says that he went to St Ives because of the sea, the art and the coastal paths. He tells that the best hotels in St Ives then had secret routes to the sea and that there were art galleries all along the main roads. He mentions their walking through the town breathing in the sea air, long walks along the coastal path, stopping at pubs for a drink and late lunch, the beach and the bookshop he’d visit. As I look at the warm photos of his St Ives experience, I realize how the town then served as inspiration to his holiday writings he tells about in the article.

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If you are an art lover, you can visit the popular ‘Tate St Ives‘ art gallery in St Ives and ‘Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden‘ managed by Tate. You can also take a sea safari boat trip to ‘Seal Island‘ a few miles west of St Ives, to see the grey seals in their natural habitat. (sostives.co.uk)

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Cornwall is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, secret swimming spots, cliffs, campsites, cycling routes and nice paths, which may most probably end up in its characteristic pubs where you can order fish’n’chips or tea rooms offering cream tea with tempting English scones. By coincidence, I noticed there is a total guide of Cornwall in September 2019 issue of The Sunday Times Travel magazine that I have. I will share some of my notes from the magazine as well as the notes from by additional research below.

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The article explains that Cornwall’s beaches are among the best in the world which are easy to access. Gorran Haven and Polkerris beaches near St Austell are suggested on the south coast. On the north coast, Perranporth where Watering Hole beach bar is located, Penhale and Porth beaches are listed. For surfers, Kennack Sands on Lizard Peninsula, Sennen beach in Land’s End and Praa Sands are suggested whereas Gwyner beach near Sennen (for surfing) and Lansallos Cove near Fowey (for families) are highlighted as popular wild beaches. I also took note of the beach on the Helford River near Falmouth and Whipsiderry beach near Newquay, suggested among secret swimming spots.

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However, there are abundance of beaches on the rich Cornish coasts you can prefer according to your taste. You may take one of the many narrow paths in a Cornish sea side town or follow a route to the sea and might eventually discover your own secret swimming spot.

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Coastal walks in Cornwall, as also highlighted in Ben Okri’s experience of St Ives which I have mentioned above, offer breathtaking views. The route starting with Sennen Beach to Land’s End, Britain’s most southwesterly point, and the route from St Ives to Zennor are among the suggested. You can also head to the Lizard Point, Britain’s most southerly spot on the Lizard peninsula known for its outstanding beauty and home to a marvelous beach at Kynance Cove. Further north, you can try Roseland, Polperro Heritage Coast or Bodmin Moor. Both Roseland and Bodmin Moor are designated as AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)

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Roseland (Peninsula) near St Austell has lovely wide beaches as parts of its beautiful coastal scenery. Polperro is a large village and fishing harbour within the Polperro Heritage Coastline famous for its ancient fisherman’s cottages. Hiking from Newquay to Bedruthan Steps is also suggested along which you can have the chance to stop by “Carnewas Tea Rooms” overlooking the north coast by the Bedruthan Steps. (Both Kynance Cove and Bedruthan Steps are ‘National Trust‘, the places protected for their historic value and natural beauty).

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Cycling routes in Cornwall also offer wonderful scenes. Flat and largely traffic free Camel Trail from Bodmin to Padstaw is suggested, where Bedruthan Steps is halfway. The ride from Marazion to Mousehole (Mounts Bay Route) is also suggested as the route of Cornish wonders such as St Michael’s Mount whose silhouette seems like a tale land. St Michael’s Mount is a National Trust with its medieval church, lived-in castle and exotic gardens. It can be reached by boat from the beach at Marazion or on foot at low tide by a stone causeway.

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You can also enjoy the wonderful view of St Michael’s Mount from the harbor of Mousehole, a picturesque fishing port village with cobbled streets, cottages and art galleries. The village was also the setting for “The Mousehole Cat” – an awards winning children’s book written by Antonia Barber telling the tale of a cat who goes with its Cornish fisherman owner on a fishing expedition in rough and stormy seas.

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The picturesque seaside towns of Cornwall listed in Sunday Times Travel are St Ives and Padstow on the north coast, and St Mawes and St Just-in-Roseland, Mousehole and Fowey on the south coast. St Mawes, near the small pretty village of St Just-in-Roseland, is a fashionable fishing village with a castle constructed by Henry VIII. Fowey is a small, Edwardian and Victorian harbor town. It is suggested to savour local mussels in restaurants here especially in “Fitzroy” and to enjoy the views from the Headland Garden nearby. Padstow, a nice port town with sandy beaches, is said to be a foodie spot owing especially to its suggested Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant. Cornish Wine Tours offering full and half day tours around the beautiful Cornish countryside, run daily from Padstow. (Sunday Times Travel, visitcornwall.com)

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Regarding Cornish wine tours, a trip to the award winning “Camel Valley Winery” in Bodmin is among the suggested activities in Sunday Times Travel. When I checked the website of the winery, I was affected by the green beauty I have seen. I think it would be pleasant to have a glass of wine on the sun terrace of the winery watching the vines in front of you. You can also join a tour to see the vineyard or book a stay in their lovely cottages. It is stated in their website that Camel Valley has a private access to the Camel Trail available to the cottage guests. (camelvalley.com)

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The gardens of Cornwall also drew my attention during my research. I will mention some of the ones I came across. The countryside and the views of the sea from the Trelissick Gardens in Truro close to Falmouth, look enchanting. There is a café (Crofter’s Café suggested for its cream tea and fresh scones), shop, plant sales, second-hand bookshop a crafts gallery and holiday cottages you can stay at in the gardens. (nationaltrust.org.uk). The fabulous Trebah Garden and Glendurgan Garden both around Helford River are also close to Trelissick.

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Tregothnan Estate and gardens near Truro, home to the same family since 1335, has the largest historic botanical garden in Cornwall. It is said to be the pioneer of the UK’s tea gardens and has the only Manuka plantations outside New Zealand. (tregothnan.co.uk). Caerhays Castle and Gardens closeby, set on the coast of Cornwall near St Austell is also noteworthy with its woodland gardens, camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons. The gardens and castle, where the owner family still lives, are open to the public in the spring. (visit.caerhays.co.uk).

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You can also enjoy your cream tea and scones at the cafe in Duchy of Cornwall Nursery near St Austell as you visit this area. Besides its cafe, gift shop and plant sales, Duchy of Cornwall Nursery is an activity center with different workshops, children’s activities, and even barbecues and weekend jazz festivals on its terrace in summer. (houseandgarden.co.uk)

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Trengwainton Garden near Penzance is a woodland garden with exotic trees and plants and several walled gardens. Trengwainton House in the garden is private property and belongs to Bolitho family. Trengwainton Tearooms in the garden is known for its cream tea, scones and homemade cakes. (bolithoestates.co.uk) Trerice garden near Newquay is home to a historic Tudor manor house with fine interiors.

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I found out that Cornish pasty -a baked shortcrust or puff pastry filled with beef, potato, fish, sausage, vegetables or seasonal flavors like cranberries- is as popular as the scones in Cornwall. Sunday Times Travel mentions Philps Pasties (philpspasties.co.uk) which has multiple branches in Cornwall and Sarah’s Pasty Shop (sarahspastyshop.com) in Looe as the addresses for good pasties. St Buryan Farm Shop near Penzance (stburyanfarmshop.co.uk) is also suggested especially for its exquisite beef pasties. You can also drop by a bakery to check for a Cornish pasty.

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Cornish Cottages

I liked the cottages in Cornwall as much as its gardens. Cornish cottages are a charm within the beautiful nature they are in. Besides the hotels, there are many holiday cottages in Cornwall where you can stay at. The enchanted village of St Ives is said to be home to some of the best holiday cottages in Cornwall.

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Cornish Pubs

The cosy inn or cottage type pubs of Cornwall look very inviting for pleasant breaks during a country walk or for jolly hang outs in the evenings. Cornwall’s most famous pub is Jamaica Inn, built in 1750 and known to be a smugglers’ stopping point then. The pub’s fame comes from Daphne du Maurier’s best-selling novel ‘Jamaica Inn’- a tale of Cornish smugglers- following her stay in the inn in 1930, and the book’s adaption film also named ‘Jamaica Inn‘, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The pub is in Bolventor on Bodmin Moor, a moorland and an AONB with prehistoric forts, in northeastern Cornwall.

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Jamaica Inn today serves as a hotel and a restaurant as well as a pub. The inn also has a Smuggling Museum and Daphne du Maurier Museum. (jamaicainn.co.uk). I have also noted St Kew Inn and Blisland Inn as the other suggested traditional Cornish pubs in Bodmin Moor.

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The pubs “The Gurnard’s Head“, a dining pub with rooms on Cornwall’s Atlantic coast, and “The Tinners Arms“, a cosy pub dating back to 13th century with an open fire and a beer garden, both in Zennor, St Ives are also notable.

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“Rasleigh Inn” is a beachside pub in Polkerris and “Blue Peter” is a typical Cornish pub overlooking the harbour in Polperro. “Ferryboat Inn” is a 300-year-old waterfront gastropub on the banks of the Helford River in Falmouth. I also liked “Pandora Inn” in Falmouth. “Ship Inn” overlooks the pretty harbour of Mousehole and “The Tolcarne Inn” closeby is a maritime pub in Newlyn with good seafood and live jazz on Sundays. (Sunday Times Travel, cornwalls.co.uk)

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Most of these suggested pubs are gastropubs notable for their good food and most of them offer rooms to stay at. Several of them are rewarded with various travelers’ awards. You can check their websites for more details.

Hotels

There are a lot of hotels or cottages you can check in Cornwall. I have noted “The Idle Rocks, St Mawes” and “Driftwood, Portscatho” (has a Michelin-starred restaurant) in Roseland suggested for stylish stays, “Coombeshead Farm, Bodmin” for farm-to-fork food, child-friendly “Watergate Bay, Newquay” for families, “The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth” for SPA lovers and “Chapel House, Penzance” for art lovers.
For more budget pleasant hotels, note “Old Quay House Hotel, Fowey” and “The Sandy Duck, Falmouth“.
I also liked “The Nare” hotel in Roseland, a suggested place for cream tea and scones. (Sunday Times Travel, Sept. 2019 issue)

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Carbis Bay Hotel, the place of this year’s G7 summit in Cornwall, is a glamorous hotel in Carbis Bay, St Ives. The leaders involved with the G7 summit stayed at”Tregenna Castle Hotel“, at a 15-20 minute walking distance to Carbis Bay downhill. (uk.news.yahoo.com)

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I read in the website of Carbis Bay Hotel that Goldrevy Lighthouse in St Ives, which is visible from across the hotel, had inspired the novel of ‘To The Lighthouse‘ by Virginia Woolf, who stayed at the hotel for a few weeks in 1914. The hotel is also said to appear in Rosamunde Pilcher‘s some of novels as ‘The Sands Hotel’. (carbisbayhotel.co.uk)

You may also want to take note that John le Carré (pen name of David Cornwell), best selling author of Cold War spy novels like ‘The Spy Who Came in From The Cold‘ who had also worked as an agent for MI5 and MI6, lived in Cornwall. Le Carré’s house was in Land’s End near Lamarna Cove, Penzance where he resided for more than thirty years. He died at the end of last year in Cornwall. (cornwalllive.com)

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The Pig at Harlyn Bay, Padstow, Cornwall

I came across “The Pig at Harlyn Bay” hotel in several articles and websites recently which drew my attention with its lovely surroundings and charming interiors at first sight. For this reason, I wanted to mention it under a separate heading.

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The Pig hotels is a group with many hotels in different parts of England including the beautiful counties of Dorset, Somerset, Sussex and Devon in the English countryside. Robin and Judy Hutson, the founders of The Pig hotels, opened The Pig at Harlyn Bay last summer in Padstow, near which town they have a house. The hotel is about half a mile inland from the Cornish shore within a beautiful countryside with magnificent gardens – at a short walking distance from Harlyn beach and Constantine Bay beach and a 10-minute drive to the port of Padstow.

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It is a rustic hotel consisting of a main house, huts, stone outbuildings and a distinguished mansion. The historic stoned-manor dating back to the 15th century looks warm. The bedrooms in the Main House have views of Harlyn Bay or the gardens. The Garden Wagons (huts) around the gardens have rolltop baths inside and rainforest showers outside.

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Fruits and vegetables for the restaurant are grown in the hotel’s 19th-century garden. The sustainable kitchen supports the nearby producers, farmers and fishermen. I liked its ‘Scullery Restaurant‘, dining room and the bar, which all look elegant and warm. Even the boot room catches your eye with its Cornish stone wall and stylish door.

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It is evident that the hotel is decorated with utmost care and all the details well thought contribute to its warmth combined with the beauty of the nature surrounding it. The article in Condé Nast Traveler states that the Hutsons have recruited the best surf teacher in the country, George Stoy, for their hotel guests. (Condé Nast Traveler, Oct. 2020 and June 2021 issues)

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Cornwall seems very pleasant with its beaches, harbours, light houses, coast paths, scenic routes, cottages and picturesque seaside towns. I would probably opt for St Ives to stay at, the place of this year’s G7 summit as well as the choice of Ben Okri. It would be pleasant to take a walk along its coastal path, spend some time at its beaches, wander in its pretty streets and drop by its bookshop, art galleries or pubs. I would also visit the small fishing village of Fowey, Mousehole Cat’s town Mousehole and The Pig Hotel’s and Rick Stein’s pretty Padstow not missing a tea room to enjoy Cornish cream tea and scones.

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And if it ever rains when I am Cornwall, I would hold my face in the rain to test ‘Cornish facial‘, name for Cornwall’s unique fine rain I read about, and the soft Cornish air hydrating the skin.

Notes: You can find Ben Okri’s “Famished Road” novel, for which he won the Booker Prize, here in Amazon.

For the book “Jamaica Inn” by Daphne du Maurier check here and for the film “Jamaica Inn” directed by Alfred Hitchcock (DVD-75th Anniversary Edition) check here.

For the novel “The Mousehole Cat” by Antonia Barber, check here. For the novel “To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf you may check here.

You may check here for the collection of books by John Le Carré, a nice book set. Regarding film adaptions of Le Carré books, check here for the DVD of “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” starring Richard Burton and here for the DVD of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

Finally, for delicious Cornish pasty recipes check the book titled “How To Make Cornish Pasties: The Official Recipe” here.