My Sabbatical in Devon and Cornwall

Home - 13th October

2010-01-25T22:53:00.002Z

So 26 days, 18 beaches and 1200 miles later Ollie and I arrived home in Surrey. And while we toured two of the most beautiful counties in the country, enjoyed countless walks and had the most lovely time - there really is no place like it.

and finally...Rock

2010-01-25T22:51:00.003Z

After our quick trip to Port Isaac we stopped off at Rock on our way back to Polly's.

A lovely long beach, lots of sand and such warm weathr you'd think it was August and not the middle of October.

Port Isaac

2010-01-25T22:48:00.004Z

After a lovely evening in Padstow yesterday, Ollie and I had to entertain ourselves for a few hours today while Polly was at work.

We drove a bit further round the coast to Port Isaac - home of the TV show Doc Martin - but the only really eventful thing that happened was Ollie having a rather unpleasant meeting with a dead crab. Yuck.

Newquay

2010-01-25T22:45:00.002Z

We needed some lunch, so packed up at Newquay and drove the short few miles to Newquay for a mooch about.

Weather was gorgeous, but the town was quite busy and I'm not sure we fitted into the eclectic population.

Had some lunch and then set out for our final stop - a couple of days in Padstow with our friend Polly.

Watergate Bay

2010-01-25T22:41:00.002Z

So time to move on for the last leg of our trip to Devon and Cornwall.

A quick drive round the coast and we parked up at Watergate Bay for a stroll.

Perranporth

2009-10-11T18:54:00.001+01:00

Next stop, the beach at Perranporth.

Although it mostly consisted of an hour long game of find the sand-covered ball in the sand, which become more than a little tedious.

Then we came back to St Agnes and had a lovely roast in the local pub.

Porthtowan

2009-10-11T18:50:00.003+01:00

Looked a bit bleak when we got up, so we set off quite early before the weather got any worse.

We drove to Porthtowan and walked along the cliffs as far as Chapelporth beach, then back again to seek refuge from the gale force winds!

Trevaunance Cove

2009-10-10T17:34:00.004+01:00

Mid afternoon we set out to settle into our next accommodation - a B&B at St Agnes.

We unloaded the car, then went down to Trevaunance Cove and relaxed with a cuppa and a read of the paper.

St Ives

2009-10-10T17:30:00.002+01:00

A completely lovely day today, with lots of sun and not typical of October at all.

We drove into St Ives and sat on Porthmeor Beach for a while, then walked around the town to take a look around.

We grabbed a pasty and sat near the harbour (pictured) to watch the world go by.

Carbis Bay

2009-10-10T17:25:00.002+01:00

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We packed up our stuff this morning and left Breage.

First stop, Carbis Bay, near St Ives, for a run on the beach.

If you look closely, you'll see Ollie in the pic doing his best doggy paddle to try to catch the seagull...

Kynance Cove

2009-10-09T17:08:00.002+01:00

Next stop was Kynance Cove, just a little way round the coast.

Started to rain a little, but we had a quick walk along the cliffs.

This pic is of the cove, with Lizard Point at the far right.

Lizard Point

2009-10-09T16:55:00.001+01:00

It was looking a bit grey this morning, but we took a chance and headed south to Lizard Point.

We parked up (free, thanks to our National Trust membership) and walked round the cliffs to Housel Bay.

Then we stopped at Britain's most southerly cafe for some lunch.

Mousehole

2009-10-08T17:16:00.001+01:00

After all the galavanting around we were starving!

So drove a few miles along the coast and stopped at Mousehole for a walk around the harbour and a lovely fish pie at a nearby pub. Yum.

Porthcurno

2009-10-08T17:12:00.001+01:00

After pottering around on the beach for an hour or so we got back in the car and drove to Porthcurno.

We parked up and walked up the hill to the Menack Theatre, then round the headland to catch this view of Porthcurno beach.

Whitesand Bay and Sennen Cove

2009-10-08T17:09:00.002+01:00

In need of a run (Ollie stayed on the lead at Land's End to avoid any lemming-type activity) we headed a mile around the coast to Whitesand Bay and Sennen Cove.

A lovely long, sandy beach and Ollie had a great time splashing about in the waves.

Land's End

2009-10-08T17:05:00.002+01:00

Beautiful day today, so knowing how quickly the weather can change, we decided to make the most of it.

We set out for a whirlwind tour of the Penwith Peninsula - first stop Land's End.

St Michael's Mount

2009-10-07T17:14:00.003+01:00

Off the coast of Marazion is St Michael's Mount, so we walked along the beach for a better view.

But given it was gale force winds, practically zero visibility and monsoon conditions, we didn't get too close.

You can just about make it out in this pic, but it's hardly going to win any photography accolades is it...

Marazion

2009-10-07T17:07:00.002+01:00

It was practically a monsoon when we woke up this morning, but we were determined not to mope around the cottage again.

And besides the dog was going loopy, so braving the elements seemed preferable to watching him jump around the living room chasing his tail and catching flies.

We went to Marazion, on the way to Penzance, for a walk along the beach but within minutes I was soaked so we barely lasted 40 minutes. It didn't seem to bother Ollie though!

Local footpath

2009-10-06T12:21:00.003+01:00

If I'm honest, we didn't really fancy doing much on Monday.

It had rained overnight and, although it was brightening up, we decided to make a den on the sofa and gorge on tea.

But, as seems to be the case with trying to doss around this holiday, we soon got bored. So we headed out on the footpath outside the cottage for a walk across the fields, stopping by the post office for a paper on the way home.

Loe Bar

2009-10-04T16:22:00.002+01:00

We picked up the coastal path at Porthleven and walked the mile or so along the coast line to Loe Bar.

It's a bank of sand and shingle that cuts off the old estuary and now separates the sea from Loe Pool, which stretches over a mile inland.

On the walk back we took this shot of our view, with Porthleven in the distance in the centre and the Penwith Peninsula to the left.

Porthleven

2009-10-04T16:12:00.002+01:00

Thought about having a bit of a lie in this morning, but decided it was too nice a day to sit around doing nothing.

We packed up and drove to Porthleven for a run on the beach and a walk (granted, we're not really adding a great deal of variety to our daily routines at the moment).

This pic is of Ollie mooching about on the beach at Porthleven, with a view of the coastline to Lizard Point- on the far right hand side.

Third week in Breage

2009-10-03T18:37:00.003+01:00

We arrived at our next cottage at about 3.30pm today, and it's lovely.

Nice enclosed garden for Ollie, walks over the fields just outside the front door and a local pub just 400 yards down the road. Perfect.

Falmouth

2009-10-03T17:40:00.003+01:00

We packed up our stuff this morning and got on the road.

We went from Porthpean to Falmouth and found a great beach for a walk, although Ollie lost his ball after 0.1 seconds - and we've never seen so many dogs!

Falmouth was ok, but I got to thinking it was really Cornwall's equivalent to Portsmouth.

The best cup of tea so far

2009-10-02T15:52:00.002+01:00

Really nice and sunny in Fowey today, so Ollie and I stopped for a cup of tea in The Fowey Hotel, overlooking the estuary.

And what a lovely cuppa it was. All this for just £1.80. Proper leaf tea and enough for three cups!

Fowey

2009-10-02T15:42:00.002+01:00

We went to Fowey today (stopping off at the beach for a run en route - my car now resembles a sandpit).

Parked up and walked to St Catherine's Castle along the cliff tops, where we saw these lovely views of Polruan across the estuary.

Then we then headed back into the town for a walk about and some lunch.

A day of rest

2009-10-02T08:53:00.003+01:00

Mum and Dad left on Thursday morning, and Ollie and I decided to take it easy for the rest of the day after all that running around and sight seeing.

So we watched some morning TV (Ollie was very upset there were no lie detector results), then decided it was all a bit much once we got to Loose Women (how on earth do people sit around all day watching this stuff?) so walked down to the beach to throw the ball around for a bit.

Then spent the majority of the afternoon chilling in the garden (pictured) with the paper and a vat of tea.

The Eden Project

2009-09-30T17:20:00.002+01:00

We took Ollie out for a run along the beach this morning, then dropped him back to the cottage and drove up to visit The Eden Project.

Managed to eek our trip out a bit by stopping for a pasty and cup of tea in the cafe and watching a cider pressing demonstration, but couldn't have spent more than half a day there really.

Stopped off at the shops on the way home to stock up on Rodda's and strawberry jam for a late-afternoon cream tea :)

Bodmin

2009-09-29T17:08:00.002+01:00

By the time we walked back to Gorran Haven it was only 1.30pm, so we decided to drive to Bodmin for a mooch and a coffee.

Not a great deal to write home about to be honest and Ollie's annoyance at having to walk around the town was evident.

Gorran Haven and Vault Beach

2009-09-29T17:02:00.005+01:00

We went south of Mevagissey this morning, with the intention of stopping at Portmellon, but the tide was in and there was no beach and not a lot going on, so we continued on to Gorran Haven.

Picked up the coastal path to Vault Beach, where Ollie played in the water and we ate our packed lunch.

Although a nudist had set up camp on the otherwise deserted stretch, complete with palm tree and deckchair. We averted our eyes and made our way to the other end of the beach!

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

2009-09-28T17:01:00.001+01:00

After dropping Ollie off at the cottage we drove over to The Lost Gardens of Heligan, just inland from Mevagissey.

Not quite sure how they can say you could spend 2 days walking round, but we managed a few hours.

This pic's of Mum and Dad at the 'jungle' area.

Par Sands and Charlestown

2009-09-28T16:51:00.003+01:00

Mum and Dad joined us yesterday evening to spend a few days in Cornwall.

We headed for Par Sands at the top of St Austell Bay this morning, so we could take Ollie for a run on the beach.

On the way back to the cottage we stopped off at Charlestown for a coffee and a pasty - the photo's of me and Dad at the harbour.

Porthpean beach

2009-09-27T19:30:00.006+01:00

After a quick stop at the local supermarket for some supplies we went back to the cottage for a cuppa and then stepped out for a walk down to Porthpean beach.

No dogs allowed until 1st October, but we found a nice cliff walk where we could take in some views of St Austell Bay.

Mevagissey

2009-09-27T19:20:00.004+01:00

We drove a mile or so down the coast this morning and parked up in Pentewan for a walk along the cliff tops.

Then we headed a bit further south and stopped at Mevagissey for a stroll round the harbour and some lunch. To be honest, our days seem to follow the same routine at the moment - walk, tour round a harbour/town, then eat!

Our arrival in Porthpean

2009-09-26T17:28:00.003+01:00

We arrived at last at our week two cottage at around 4.30pm today :)

Polperro

2009-09-26T17:22:00.002+01:00

We drove a few miles around the coast after our jaunt in Looe and parked up in Polperro (which seemed to have the biggest car park in the world!).

A quaint Cornish town so we took a walk to the harbour then stopped for a late lunch.

Lou in Looe!

2009-09-26T16:52:00.001+01:00

We left South Devon and crossed the border to spend this morning in Looe.

We did the usual 'walk about the town' and stopped for a coffee, then we found a little dog friendly cove where Ollie had a quick dip in the sea.

Torquay

2009-09-25T17:46:00.003+01:00

After lunch we drove down to Torquay town centre and had a walk around the marina and watched a few people catching mackerel off the harbour wall.

We then sauntered through Princess gardens near the Pavillion and stopped for a coffee to watch all the boats.

Babbacombe Downs and Anstey's Cove

2009-09-25T17:42:00.002+01:00

We went over to Torquay this morning and walked along the cliff top at Babbacombe.

We then picked up the coastal path for a couple of miles to catch this lovely view of Anstey's Cove.

Dartmouth

2009-09-24T16:02:00.003+01:00

Feeling a bit hungry, we then drove back up the length of Start Bay, past the lovely looking Blackpools Sands beach (no dogs allowed though), and parked up in Dartmouth.

Had a little mooch about the town, a spot of lunch and a walk along the harbour, where we took this shot of the view across to Kingswear.

Slapton Sands and Torcross

2009-09-24T15:57:00.003+01:00

The sun was shining when we got up this morning, so we headed to Start Bay. Parked up at Slapton Sands (would be better named Slapton Shingle!), which the army used to practice the D-Day landing.

We walked the length of the beach to Torcross, stopped for a quick cup of tea and then walked back to the car park along the nature reserve.

It's misty on them there moors

2009-09-23T16:55:00.005+01:00

It was raining when we woke up today, so Ollie and I decided Wednesdays would be our day of rest. We got a bit bored by 10.30am though so headed out to the moors via the footpath next to our cottage.

Now for those of you that know my dog you'll know that:

1) he's not exactly good with horses
2) he's not great with live stock either
3) he doesn't like men carrying bags
4) he likes chasing balls

So I was a little perturbed to find that after only 5 minutes the 'footpath to the moors' actually turned into a trek across an 18 hole golf course stuck in the middle of Dartmoor.

Sheep and wild horses everywhere with golf balls flying overhead, a monsoon and a woman with a mad spaniel trying to navigate the footpath which had disappeared somewhere around the 8th hole. Ridiculous.

We lasted barely an hour before we (well me really, Ollie was having a whale of a time) gave up and headed into Ivybridge to get some supplies.

Bottle of wine and a face pack and we're ready for an evening of Midsomer Murders :)

It's a dog's life

2009-09-22T16:36:00.003+01:00

Today was the first chance to get into the sea since we arrived in Devon and Ollie ran straight for the water!

Burgh Island and Bigbury

2009-09-22T16:30:00.003+01:00

Feeling a bit hungry, we head out of Thurlestone and over to Bigbury on Sea, for a closer look at Burgh Island. Unfortunately, high tide was earlier this morning so we couldn't take a ride on the sea tractor :(

So we walked instead and made it to the other side for a spot of lunch at The Pilchard Inn, which sits just beneath the Burgh Island Hotel, overlooking Bigbury Bay.

Thurlestone Sands

2009-09-22T16:21:00.004+01:00

Indulged in a bit of Jeremy Kyle this morning, then took Ollie out to Thurlestone Sands for a walk along the beach.

Then we hiked a few miles along the south west coastal path over the headlands towards Bantham, where we clocked this view of Burgh Island.

South Devon railway

2009-09-21T17:53:00.002+01:00

After stopping for lunch at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, we headed to Buckfastleigh to catch the South Devon steam train to Totnes.

All very oldy-worldy and gave me and Ollie a chance for a sit down for half an hour.

Although not much doing in Totnes to be honest. A nice walk along the River Dart, but the pavements in town are so narrow that it was impossible to walk a dog up the high street. So we dived into a local pub and had a lovely pint of Otter ale instead.

Haytor Rock and Hound Tor

2009-09-21T17:47:00.002+01:00

We did finally make it to Haytor Rock this morning, which is really just a big lump of rock, but it gave us something to walk to and offered some lovely views.

Then on to Hound Tor, but to be honest, it was much of the same so no need for another picture here.

Bovey Tracey

2009-09-21T17:43:00.002+01:00

Quite frankly, it's just not worth trying to get into Dartmoor from the south in any place other than Bovey Tracey, which seems to be the gatekeeper to the moors.

The roads are like cycle tracks

The signage is practically non-existent

And when you do start thinking you're getting somewhere it seems all roads lead back to the A38

Newton Ferrers

2009-09-20T16:37:00.002+01:00

Fancied a spot of lunch after Salcombe, so headed to Newton Ferrers as there's been much talk about this town at my local pub.

Unfortunately Ollie did a Harry Houdini and managed to escape from his seatbelt harness and started jumping around the car trying to get some air (granted, the Xoot mobile was like a greenhouse) which didn't make the journey particularly easy!

Arrived at 1pm though and had a pub lunch overlooking the harbour, then navigated the walkways in the mud flats to see more of the town.

Salcombe and Snape's Point

2009-09-20T16:20:00.002+01:00

Spent a lovely morning in Salcombe today. Although navigating myself round the town was a bit tricky considering I'm relying on a dog as a co-pilot and an old OS map with a ridiculous scale.

But the sun came out and found a lovely walk at Snape's Point that overlooks Salcombe.

At last we've arrived

2009-09-19T19:36:00.003+01:00

Before I left, quite a few people asked me "Aren't you going to get a bit lonely being on your own for 3 and a half weeks?". "Course not I said, Ollie is such great company it'll be great."

Cue a 200 mile journey this afternoon, where the dog slept for 160 of them and seemed immume to my exclamations of "ooo, there's stonehenge Ollie" and "look at that field of big cows", and turned his nose up at my choice of CD (granted, I had it on continuous play for 2.5 hours).

But now we've arrived in Devon and the cottage is lovely, multi-channel TV is at the ready and we're settling down to a bowl of doritos and a glass of wine/ bowl of water. Life seems very simple this evening.

There's no place like home

2009-09-15T09:35:00.000+01:00

Not a huge fan of travelling abroad, here are my top five reasons for spending your sabbatical in Great Britain:

1. no spending mind-numbing hours waiting in an airport

2. no sitting on a plane getting cramps in your legs

3. no having to arrange pet passports and extra insurance

4. no foreign currency or calling your bank to explain your card hasn't in fact been stolen

5. why bother? I live in the best island in the world

The count down commences

2009-08-02T22:03:00.004+01:00

So, less than 7 weeks until my trip to Devon and Cornwall so time to start thinking about what I actually want to achieve while I'm away.

I don't exactly have high ambitions to be honest:

1) Buy the Guardian every day and try to master the cryptic crossword. If Araucaria is nice to me, maybe I can manage it

2) Teach a not so young dog new tricks

3) Sample a host of English ales so I can become a CAMRA member