Tag: Cornwall

Dog Walks in Cornwall – Cadgwith to Kennack Sands

On the first proper day of half term, that didn’t involve driving for hours, Poppy and I headed out onto the coast path. Despite the previous day being ruled by Storm Brian, Sunday turned out to be a lovely day. I didn’t want to drive anywhere, so Poppy and I went for a walk from Cadgwith to Kennack Sands. We had previously done the first part of the walk, to the Serpentine Works at Poltesco, but I really wanted to get to the beach. After checking the tide times, we headed out.Cadgwith to Kennack Sands Cornish coast path Poppydog on the Cornish coast path

It’s not an easy walk, especially as the path was incredibly muddy and there were a few places where I needed to lean on rocks to get down. Poppy is really good on these kind of paths. She now waits for me and will stop walking ahead if we’re on a particularly slippy path. The views along the walk were spectacular, which was lucky because the weather the next few days was foggy and we couldn’t see a thing!

We headed down to the old serpentine works and had a look around. The ruins there are amazing and it’s a lovely place to walk around. Then we headed on to Kennack Sands. The rest of the walk included going through a mini golf course by some static caravans and along part of the road leading down to the sands. The beach was packed and both cafes were open. There was a fair bit of surfing going on and there are plenty of rock pools to explore, much to Poppy’s delight!

Serpentine Works Serpentine mill Kennack Sands Poppydog at Kennack Sands

This walk also ticks off another part of the coast path around the Lizard, which is good as I’d like to walk around the whole of the Lizard, bit by bit. After a walk along Kennack Sands, and a sit watching the waves, we headed back to Cadgwith. Poppy and I enjoyed an afternoon of vegging on the sofa, watching Gilmore Girls. Perfection!

The Walk: As its part of the South West Coast Path, it isn’t easy. There are times when the path is muddy and very thin, but then there are parts which are flat and open. If you’re leaning on things to help you get down, be careful not to lean on any gorse. It can draw blood!
Cost: Completely free.
Car Park: As we were staying in Cadgwith, we had a parking spot with the cottage. There is a car park in Cadgwith and there’s a car park at Kennack Sands, which you have to pay to use. There are a number of parking spots on the road down to Kennack Sands too.
Refreshments: There are two cafes at Kennack Sands, one of which selling Ann’s Pasties. I haven’t eaten from either but they were pretty busy when I was there.
Toilets: There are some public loos at Kennack Sands.

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Half Term Holiday in Cadgwith

Well hello, dear blog reader. It’s been a while. My new teaching job is keeping me very busy, so a half term holiday in Cadgwith Cove, Cornwall was very welcome indeed. We didn’t plan an awful lot, as we all needed a relaxing break, with lots of rest, as the first half term of the school year has been brutal! We stayed at Rene’s Cottage, booked through Cadgwith Cove Cottages, as we have done for most of our holidays in Cadgwith, though this was our first time staying at Rene’s.

Rene's Cottage

Rene’s Cottage is adorable. It has a small, well equipped kitchen, not that we used it much, save for cooking some jacket potatoes and pizza! The lounge boasts a wood burning stove, a small TV and wifi. You can sit and watch people walking up and down the hill, which happened regularly, as Cadgwith has a fantastic inn, which draws people in after a coastal walk. Upstairs is a lovely bathroom (much better than ours at home!) and it has a generous corner bath, which is perfect for soaking in with a Lush bath bomb after getting soaked to the skin in a heavy downpour. True story. The bedroom sleeps two and has one of the comfiest beds I’ve ever slept on in a holiday let.

Rene's Cottage fish Rene's Cottage lounge Cadgwith

Rene’s Cottage is an old fisherman’s cottage, complete with a traditional thatch roof. The walls are incredibly thick, meaning that it keeps cool in the summer and holds the heat from the wood burner in the winter. We took wood and kindling with us so that we could make the most of the wood burner and it was lovely curling up on the sofa, watching Fear the Walking Dead, in front of a roaring fire. On the Sunday, there was quite a strong wind blowing about the cove and it was really snug and cosy in the cottage. While walking about the Lizard, we were talking about how we always stay in Cadgwith and whether we would stay in any of the other surrounding areas. I have to say that I love staying in Cadgwith. There’s just something about it. When I booked Rene’s, I didn’t realise that it didn’t have a garden and worried that it might be difficult with Poppy. It wasn’t at all, in fact, it was quite lovely getting up to take her on a morning loo walk before breakfast around the cove, seeing what was going on.

Cadgwith boats Cadgwith Houses Cadgwith fishing gear Cadgwith cove

The cove is very picturesque and is a great base to explore the Lizard and surrounding areas. The history of the place fascinates me, as does the fishing industry that still goes on today, despite the changes to fishing. Watching the men go out in the morning, whether they are in the larger fishing boats or just going out on their own, is to watch history. Cadgwith is one of the last fishing coves in Cornwall and this is evident everywhere. The whole cove is littered with lobster pots, some of which are now home to a few nesting birds! I love being about when the boats come back after a day on the water and they’re unloading their catch. The cove comes alive with activity. Obviously, as a vegan, I don’t eat fish, but if you are going to eat fish, then it should be caught in the way that the Cadgwith fisherman catch theirs. It has minimal impact on the environment and is one of the most sustainable types of fishing we have.

Cadgwith

During our stay, we managed to spot a pod of dolphins out in the sea, not far from the cliffs, while we were standing up on the Todden. I’d never seen dolphins in the wild before so I was really pleased we were able to watch them. We will definitely be back at Cadgwith at some point in the near future. There really is no where else like it.

Holiday Ideas 2016

There’s nothing like a ever growing to-do list to make you dream of your holiday. Last year, we were a bit slap dash about holidays and didn’t have an overall plan of where we wanted to go so everything was last minute and we didn’t plan them well, with the exception of my birthday holiday to the New Forest. We didn’t spend long enough in Copenhagen and we didn’t go away during the summer holidays, which meant I spent most of them watching Netflix!

This year, I’m torn between going to new places and revisiting a few favorites. I know I should probably explore new places, but we’re lucky in that we’ve been to some fabulous places that almost feel like home. Here are the top three places I’d like to visit again:

Cornwall

Poldhu

It’s been over a year since we last visited Cornwall and I miss it immensely. The Lizard, which is my favourite part, is like no where else I’ve ever been and I could happily spend days walking along the coast, rain or shine, heading back to a cosy cottage for a cheeky Cornish cider and chips.

The New Forest

New ForestI was well and truly spoilt with my glamping birthday present last year. We spent a lovely few days walking along the coast and through the forest before heading back to our little hut. I’ve never walked so far in my life but I enjoyed every single moment of it, even if I needed to climb down a ladder for a wee in the night! Even though we walked a lot, there are still plenty of lovely places that I’d like to explore.

Iceland

IcelandIceland is PCC – Pre Crafty Chai! We booked our holiday about 24 hours before their economy collapsed, just under 10 years ago, but that didn’t deter us one little bit. We visited over Christmas and spent a wonderful few days in Reykjavik. The highlight for me was visiting the Blue Lagoon and experiencing hail while floating in warm and cosy water. There’s a lot of Iceland that we didn’t explore and I would love to go back to see more of the island.

Having said that, visiting new places is always such fun so on my travel wish list are:

  • Berlin – the best place to be a vegan Europe
  • The Lake District – so many great dog walks to be had here
  • Sweden – We were so close to here when we were in Copenhagen and I do regret not popping over to Malmo while we there.

I still can’t make up my mind about where to go, though I do need to see what the budget will stretch to. Doubt it’ll stretch to all those places, eh?!

Tuesday Treat – Cornish Orchards

Our holiday in Cornwall seems like it was months ago. Since we returned, we’ve been busy redecorating my office, both Poppy and my partner have been ill, as has my car, so I’ve been day dreaming a lot about being back on the Lizard. One of the main reasons I love being on holiday there is the great Cornish food and drink. We always have chips from Smugglers Chips on the Lizard point, at least one cream tea (cream first though) and this time, I discovered this delicious cider by Cornish Orchards.

Cornish Orchards cider

I bought a bottle of the Cornish Gold and the Farmhouse cider. Not only were they delicious, but they are also vegan, which is brilliant. While I’m not vegan, just veggie, if I can find vegan products, then that’s great – I wish more places labelled their products so clearly. I love a good cider and I’m just gutted that I didn’t buy more! I might have to get some from their online shop for Christmas. Well, tis the season to be merry, right?!