Glendurgan Garden, Cornwall

Situated next to the Trebah Estate are the, probably, even better gardens of Glendurgan. Created in much the same style of typical Cornish valley garden by the same Fox family, it takes full advantage of the mild climate to grow nearly sub tropical plants. It has been looked after by the National Trust since 1962 although the house is still owned by the family.

The famous Glendurgan Maze

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Levant Mine, Cornwall

Since retiring we have spent quite a lot of our new free time wandering around some of the many stately homes and gardens that are to be found all around the country. I have not been a great one for mechanical things, and have generally preferred to ignore steam fairs, motor shows and the like, never really being able to get excited by gleaming metal, piston rods and spurts of smoke and steam.

Back in the Spring whilst holidaying in Cornwall we decided that we would have a look at some of our industrial heritage and so set off to visit Levant Mine near to St. Just, perhaps one of the most famous of the many tin mines. Although renowned for tin production, actually most of the production was copper, tin appearing towards the end of its life. Although many of the buildings are now in ruins, careful restoration by the National Trust of some of them helps to give a clear indication of how impressive the mine was in its prime. And the scenery along the coast is stunning.

We joined a guided tour and I have to admit that I found the guide's enthusiasm for his subject quite infectious and did actually enjoy the moment when we went into the engine house to see the restored beam engine come to life. What was really interesting was the constant stream of facts relating to the lives of the miners in bygone days which really bring home the need for some of the Health and Safety matters that we sometimes find so irksome in our lives today. The excellent Levant Mine web site gives much more information.

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St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

Situated at the South-eastern tip of Cornwall is probably one of the most evocative of all the properties owned by the National Trust. It is an island at all but low tide conditions, and access is by a short boat ride, and whilst it is possible to walk over the causeway when the tide is out, it feels more like you have taken a journey if you use the boats.
One requirement of a visit is that you are reasonably fit as the climb up to the castle is steep and can be slippery in wet weather. A wonderful garden has been created by the St. Auben family on the slopes all around the castle. The effort required just to walk around them makes you realise what it must have taken create them.

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Logan's Rock, Cornwall

Many years ago, too many in fact, I went to Logan's Rock in Cornwall and distinctly remember seeing a "rocking" stone balanced precariously on the cliff top. This year I relived my childhood memories and went back there, or at least tried to. Parking up at the car park in Treen we set off to walk across the fields to see Logan's Rock, and whilst we saw what everyone tells me was indeed Logan's Rock, it was not as I recalled it. There was no "rocking" stone, just lots of magnificent views, and lots of rocks, but not the one I wanted.
Maybe it has been pushed back off its perch, back onto the beach as it was in 1824. After this incident it had to be hauled back up the cliffs, all 80 or so tons of it, and re-sited. Never mind, it was a glorious walk, although some of the scrambling over the rocks made me more aware of the differences between the two visits. Maybe the French are right. Vive la difference!

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Trebah Gardens, Cornwall

A wonderful example of what can be done by the determined retiree. 26 acres of ravine garden restored by the Hibbert family after 40 years of neglect, before handing it over to a Trust.

View to the house from the Mallard Pond

Trebah Valley

Gunnera

Day Lily

Looking across the valley

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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.

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.