St Ives, Cornwall

A mild climate is how the tourist information describes this famous Cornish fishing village. Actually it was decidedly cold and grey on the day we went to visit, but this was not really a problem as the main purpose of the trip was to see what all the fuss was about at the Tate St. Ives gallery.
The new building has been squeezed onto the seafront opposite the Porthmeor surfing beach, and in spite of, or perhaps because of, its striking dissimilarity with the surroundings, it actually fits rather well. I must say that inside there is a lot of space and not a huge amount of art so that the building does tend to dominate somewhat. Whilst we were there, there was an exhibition of paintings by J W M Turner covering his tours in the South West. Some years ago we saw another Turner exhibition at the Birmingham Art Gallery of his more usual paintings and we were particularly interested in seeing his work from a rather earlier period.
More information can be found at Light into Colour Turner in the South West.

The view from the rooftop restaurant is excellent, as was the meal that we ate there. I suspect that the beach is not usually so deserted, but there were certainly no hardy souls in evidence at all. The huddle of houses which comprises much of the town are mostly former fishing community residences, although today they are either art galleries or else holiday lets.

St Ives is notable for its more recent history as a centre for artists and a fascinating hour or so can be spent at the Barbara Hepworth Museum in the town, where many of the works she created there are on display in the garden. One of the nice features there is that all the works of art are accessible and touchable, so that getting up close and personal are actually encouraged. Seeing these pieces does bring home the scale of the work involved, although some do defy my definition of art.

No visit to Cornwall is complete without a picture of one of the residents.

More pictures from the day can be seen in my galleries.

May Blossom

Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out! I'm not sure who came up with this particular old saying, but I have always understood it to mean the May blossom, and not the month of May. This year our May blossom has been in bloom for some time, but any clouts cast have been pretty soon put back on again.

Perhaps it is the month that is refered to after all. It's nearly the end of the month and the sun is actually shining today, so maybe now is the time!

Mousehole, Cornwall

We recently spent a very pleasant week in the West Country, basing ourselves in Mousehole, a small, former fishing village situated about 3 miles beyond Penzance along Mounts Bay in a westerly direction. Our home for the week was a bungalow at the top of the village with fine views across the bay. Although it was not particularly warm, the weather was mostly dry and perfect for the type of things that we like doing.

Pronounced “Mowzel”, the name for the village is believed, by some, to have originated from the very large cave to be found a few hundred yards along the coast from the harbour. This may or may not be the case, but there is, nevertheless, still much interest in the origin of the name. Looking down over the village we had a good view of the rocky outcrop of St Clement's Isle where it is said that a hermit used to live.

The harbour is almost circular, and is protected from the rough seas by two sturdy breakwaters. The entrance is sometimes closed by wooden beams to keep the force of the sea at bay and to protect the village. There are still a few fishing boats working from here, but mostly you will find pleasure craft.

The view across the bay gives a fine sighting of the castle of St Michael’s Mount. Differing weather conditions create quite different moods, but always there is an air of mystery.

It was in Mousehole that Dolly Pentreath lived some 200 years ago, and said to be the last person to speak the Cornish language as her natural tongue. There is a memorial to her in the churchyard at Paul, a small village just above Mousehole. Although we went through this village most days, I confess to having not seen it. Although it is reckoned that the Cornish language is making a comeback, I can’t say I heard anything of it. Not like being in Wales!

The way down to the harbour took you through narrow winding streets past the many small former fishing family cottages. Many now seem to be holiday lets, or else second homes to wealthy town dwellers. Thomas Dylan (1930) described Mousehole as “the loveliest village in England”, a title that remains true to the present day.

More pictures of Mousehole can be viewed in my galleries.

Killerton House

We recently took a trip down to the West Country, and to break up the journey to the southern tip of Cornwall we stopped off at Killerton House in Devon, close to Exeter which has been in the hands of the National Trust since 1944 when it was given to them by Sir Richard Ackland. The house itself dates back to 1779 when it was built for Sir Thomas Ackland by the acrcitect John Johnson. Ther have been several additions over the years, the latest being the entrance hall in 1924.

As you walk through the woods around the southern boundary you come to the Memorial erected to commemorate Sir Thomas Dyke Ackland in 1873 by 40 of his friends from the all party political dining club, the Grillion, which still exists today.

There are extensive grounds including both parkland and formal gardens, and the somewhat late spring this year, has given rise to better than usual displays.

This is the Bear's Hut, built by John Veitch, for Lydia Ackland as a honeymoon surprise in 1808. It was first called the Hermit's House until the 1860's when it was used to house a pet black bear brought back from a trip to Canada. The was no mention of whether the poor creature was ever allowed out.

To see pictures click here..

The National Trust site gives more information.