Cornwall: Spring Motorhome Tour- Part One

Feeling like two sleepy bears waking up from hibernation, we are on the move again. Our first motorhome tour of 2021 is taking us to explore Cornwall during the month of May and with high hopes of good early spring weather.  

Cornwall is a region situated in the most south-westerly point of mainland Britain. This very traditional region has retained a strong sense of identity and is recognised as one of the six “Celtic Nations” along with Brittany (France), Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man (UK). These nations are trying hard to keep their traditions alive and in particular the language, they all still speak a Celtic language to some extent. 

Our itinerary will follow the rugged coastline westward along the southern coast of Cornwall, then back eastwards on the northern coast, and unusually for us we have a firm itinerary with pre-booked campsites along the way, many already paid for. All our past tours have been a lot more ad-hoc with nothing booked ahead and keeping the itinerary as flexible as possible, but this time we were worried there would be a huge surge of post lockdown travelling and we may struggle to find places to stay. We much prefer “off-grid” camping opportunities and staying or leaving as we please. 

Our first stop on this tour was the very friendly Heligan Caravan & Camping site just next door to the beautiful Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Heligan Caravan & Camping site

We have already booked tickets online to visit the Heligan Gardens, but on our first full day in this area, we decided to start by exploring the quaint fishing village of Mevagissey.

Mevagissey

With heavy showers threatening for the afternoon, we set off on Little Bill (our scooter) soon after breakfast. Only a 5-minute ride from our campsite took us down to the pretty harbour and main hub of the village. The narrow roads were perfect for Little Bill and we managed to find parking right by the harbour.

Mevagissey harbour

Little Bill taking us into the heart of Mevagissey.

This small fishing harbour is still being used as a working harbour with fisherman going about their business as they have done for centuries. It did not take us long to walk along the harbour walls and have a good nose around. The colourful cottages up on the hills above the harbour were picture perfect. We bought our first Cornish pastie of this trip at a little shop on the harbor but decided to eat it back at Big Bill (our motorhome) since the weather was starting to change and heavy rain was on the way.

There was heavy rain and strong winds throughout the night, although we did manage to sleep quite well. The following day we were glad to have a beautiful sunny day for exploring The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

These magnificent 19th-century gardens which belonged to Tremayne’s family since 1569 fell into disrepair following their departure after WWI.

William Tremayne built Heligan House in 1603, and the development of the gardens ensued between 1766 and 1914. The family imported a lot of exotic species, including plants for the Japanese Garden (now called Jungle). The Italian Garden was built in 1906/07.

Heligan House was used as a Convalescence Hospital for officers between 1916 and 1919, during the WWI years. American troops also used Heligan House as a base from 1939 to 1945 during WWII.

The derelict gardens were discovered by Tim Smit and John Willis (Tremayne descendant) in 1990 and the garden restoration started. In 1991 the BBC program “Gardner’s World” was broadcast from Heligan and the British newspaper The Times quoted it as “the garden restoration of the century”. In 1997 the gardens received a very special guest, the HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall.

Since the Royal seal of approval and the many Garden accolades and awards that have followed ever since then, The Lost Gardens of Heligan have been on everyone’s must-visit list, including ours. This horticultural wonderland did not disappoint and we spent about 4 hours wandering around.

There are some great art installations along the Woodland Walk such as the Giant’s Head, Mud Maid, and Grey Lady, created by Cornish artists Sue and Pete Hill in 1998.

Giant’s Head

Mud Maid

The area called The Jungle was very interesting with a Fern Gulley and even a Burma Rope Bridge, which was fun to balance ourselves along. Because we were visiting in May the display of Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Bluebells etc was absolutely stunning. 

Burma Rope Bridge

We also loved the Home Farm area, the Paddocks and the kitchen gardens. Although the air was quite cool, we did enjoy our alfresco lunch consisting of some traditional Cornish pasties bought at their café, sitting at the picnic tables provided. Indoor eating was still restricted in England due to the most recent Covid-19 lockdown.

 Before returning home to Big Bill we stopped at the Farm shop to load up on some local Cornish supplies.

The Eden Project

We visited this place a few years ago and really enjoyed it, but as an indoor venue, it was closed in early May. I thought I would mention it here in any case, since it is a great place to visit in this area. Situated at the bottom of an old china clay pit, the huge biomes are filled with exotic plants and are considered the largest greenhouses in the world. Visiting both gardens might be a little pricey, but there are combined ticket offers. Visit their website for more information.

After a 3 nights stay in this area it was time to move on, so we drove just a few miles down the road (being careful to drive on the larger main roads, Cornwall is rightly famous for its narrow lanes, with tight hedges and overhanging trees built hundreds of years ago for horse and cart, not motorhomes) for our stay at the Roseland Peninsula.

Roseland Peninsula

Showcasing a beautiful coastline, the Roseland Peninsula is bordered by the Fal Estuary to the West and St. Austell Bay to the East.

Our campsite was the Merrose Farm CC in Portscatho, offering a large pitch with lovely countryside views. There were all the usual facilities, although we were not allowed to use their showers, which will be closed until the 17 of May when more Covid restrictions are due to be relaxed.

Since Cornwall is notorious for its small roads and single lane tracks we left Big Bill parked up at the campsite and chose Little Bill as the best way of exploring all the local pretty beach coves and fishing villages.

Hidden Hut at Porthcurnick

I highly recommend the Hidden Hut for one of the best “meals with a view” you will have in this area.

Hidden Hut – great pasties

Everything freshly cooked on site, using local ingredients and often the catch of the day from the local fisherman. We absolutely loved this place. It is very popular with the hikers doing the Southwest Coastal Path hike since the coastal path will lead directly to this hidden gem. 

Portscatho

Formerly a busy pilchard port, the sleepy village was very quiet during our visit, but we did not linger for long and after a look around the harbour we scampered on to the next place.

Portscatho Harbour

St. Mawes Village and Castle

Riding Little Bill besides the coastline was a great way to take in all the beautiful views across this peninsula and being able to stop along the way as we pleased.

Views over to St. Mawes village.

St. Mawes is a small, picturesque fishing village nestled at the end of the Roseland peninsula with a working harbour from where the St. Mawes Ferry runs every day connecting this old fishing village to the bustling maritime port of Falmouth (sailing takes approximately 20 minutes). The village has also been the setting for the popular BBC TV series Poldark. 

St. Mawes port and Ferry taking passengers to Falmouth.

This Cloverleaf shaped castle is in fact a 16th-century coastal fortress built by Henry VIII. It is approached via a drawbridge with circular towers and a central keep.

St. Mawes Castle

We had not booked tickets online to visit the inside of the castle, so we opted for coffee at a little place overlooking the Castle and Estuary.

St. Anthony’s Head

We rode Little Bill all the way to the end of the Peninsula to find the 1835-built lighthouse and the remains of an old gun battery. Great views of Falmouth over in the distance and on towards the St. Mawes Castle.

There were colourful sailing boats doing a race through the Fal Estuary.

St-Just-In-Roseland

With a cute name like that we had to visit this place. But another reason to visit is the prettiest church I have seen for ages. Built during the 13th- century it is situated by the water overlooking some old sailing boats. The land around it is covered in gravestones which are in turn surrounded by wildflowers.

Quaint St. Just-In-Roseland church.

The waterside church of St. Just-In-Roseland

Apparently, there is reason to believe that there was probably an oratory here as far back as the 6^th century. The whole place does feel incredibly serene and peaceful. There was hardly anyone there during our visit, and we did also enter the church and found the inside very interesting. I notice a small café near the parking area at the top.

Trelissick Gardens

These elegant gardens were just a short Little Bill ride away, although we did have to go across on a small ferry. The King Harry Floating Bridge cost us £3.00 for return ticket. 

The entrance to Trelissick Gardens was just a short distance from the Ferry Bridge, which is located at the head of the Fal estuary. We parked Little Bill for free at the large car park and set about exploring the formal gardens towards the main house. There are about 300 acres to explore, with formal gardens and woodland trails. 

The main house at Trelissick Gardens is usually open to the public, but unfortunately, it was closed during our visit.

We particularly enjoyed the woodland hiking trail. A circular walk that eventually leads back to the main house.

There was also a lovely café with an outdoor seating area and a yummy traditional Cornish cream tea with warm scones served with cream and strawberry jam. 

We could not resist a traditional Cornish cream tea at the Garden’s Café.

The location and views over the Fal estuary are what makes this place very special, we particularly enjoyed the circular woodland walk. Afterwards, we rode Little Bill via the King Harry Floating Bridge again.

My friend Fiona also recommended a visit to the gorgeous Trebah Gardens, which are her favourite in this area, but unfortunately, we did not have enough time. A good reason to return to this region in the future. 

We moved on the next day for our stay near The Lizard Point at Franchis Holidays campsite, near Helston. 

The Lizard Peninsula

The Lizard is a peninsula in Cornwall with the most southerly point of the British mainland. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, but also an area of special scientific interest set up to protect wildlife and geology.

We spotted seals here bobbing in the water just off the old lifeboat station. 

Views over the old boathouse at the Lizard point.

We spotted seals from here.

Riding Little Bill we were again able to visit some of the lovely secluded beaches and coves of the Peninsula. This untamed coastline is littered with shipwrecks and still has a raw and perilous edge to it. 

Kynance Cove – dramatic jagged rocks, cliffs, turquoise water and a sandy beach. It has often been named as one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, it has also been featured on the popular  BBC TV series Poldark and the film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 

Although due to the high tide there was hardly any exposed beach left when we visited, there is no doubt that it is a stunning location and we loved walking along the cliff tops, as well as stopping for a bite to eat at this stunningly situated café. 

It was fun to avoid getting wet on our crossing to the other side.

We stopped for tea and cakes at this café on Kynance Cove.

Cadgwith Cove –  a quaint little fishing village with a working harbour that still has a few boats bringing in the catch of the day. 

Cadgwith Cove

Picture perfect thatched roof cottages at Cadgwith Cove.

The traditional thatched roof stone cottages are just picture-perfect, and the friendly locals cast an eye over us arriving clad in bike gear and helmets. 

Mullion Cove – our last stop of the day was at Mullion Cove. We stayed here at the clifftop hotel a few years ago to celebrate my birthday, so it was a trip down memory lane visiting this little cove again. 

We moved on the following day, on our way to the Penwith Peninsula and Land’s End. We were looking forward to meeting up with our friends Mark and Marion, who will also be travelling with their motorhome and will be joining us for a week of exploring this area. Stay tuned for my next blog post.