Cornwall is the most South Western county in the UK, and is a beautiful part of the UK, full of greenery, beautiful country side and lots of amazing coastal walks. The entire county is peppered with small towns and villages, with there only being one actual ”city” in the region. It’s easy to tell that there is a ”Cornish” identity, in the accents, the general way of life in the area, and the use of the Celtic language on signs all around.
This long weekend started in the town of Cheddar, which is actually in the county of Somerset, not Cornwall. The reason to go there was, of course, because it is where Cheddar cheese is from. I did have some cheddar with my lunch at the pub, then it was off to the Cheddar Gorge, which is the largest gorge in the UK and has been the site of human settlements since Neolithic times.
Port Isaac is a small fishing village, which is very pleasant to walk around.
Land’s End is the most south westerly point of the UK, and the most western point of the English mainland. People often walk from here, 1,349 kilometres away to John O’Groats in Scotland, which is the longest distance between two points in the UK. In recent years the area behind the building in the picture immediately below has had a lot of gimmicky things installed but there is no need, when the area is so naturally stunning.
Just west of Penzance is the Minack Theatre. In 1929, a local village group of actors had staged A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream nearby, and the owner of a nearby house offered to stage their next play, The Tempest in her garden overlooking the ocean. Over the years Rowena, along with her gardener, slowly built the garden up into the present day theatre, which is still used today.
Lizard Point is the most southern part of the the English mainland.
Falmouth is one of the larger towns in Cornwall.
Padstow was traditionally a fishing port, but is now a popular tourist destination, with restaurateur Rick Stein having several establishments here. I had a traditional English breakfast at his cafe, which while decent, was nothing spectacular. His patisserie however, was very good and on our group’s quest to find the best scone in Cornwall, the best by far was from here. The walk along the coast, which forms part of the ”South West Coast Path”, is stunning.
