Tintagel Castle and the Legend of King Arthur

 Perched on a high, rocky and jagged headland in North Cornwall stand the ruins of Tintagel Castle. It's location makes it one of the most spectacular historic sites in Britain. As far back as the 5th century a prosperous Roman community lived in a village here.  The discovery of Roman coins, pottery shards and other artifacts dating back to that time show that there was a thriving trade across the Mediterranean between Tintagel and Europe.

In the 12th Century Geoffrey de Monmouth wrote about a legendary King Arthur and named Tintagel as the place of Arthur's conception.  The romantic legend captured people's imagination and grew in popularity over time until in 1230 Richard, Earl of Cornwall, the younger brother of Henry III, chose the site to build a castle.  The site had no strategic value, it was more of a vanity project which required him to sell three manor houses to fund the build. Richard hoped that by associating himself with the highly popular legend of King Arthur it would help him gain the trust of the Cornish people. The castle had a brief period of glory but it was short lived so that by 1337, only 107 years later, it was already falling into ruin.

Nowadays the village of Tintagel is set well back from the headland.  Access to the castle ruins is down a long hillside road to a footbridge which carries you high across the beach and valley below.  If you have a fear of heights it would be a challenge to cross but fortunately I don't and the views of sea, beach, caves and the coastline are worth it.

Foot bridge to the castle. Photo by British Heritage

Below: Excellent signage along the way

The castle ruins are largely crumbled away now but there are outlines of rooms, some parts of the outer walls standing and the best part is the ruins of the Great Hall. Helpful signage along the way indicates what was where. The cliffs down to the sea are high and steep and it is a bit nerve wracking to negotiate the path running along the edge to reach the highest point.  My traveling companion, Liz, and I made it to the top but it was quite a hard slog.   On our way up we saw a group of young people sitting right out on the edge of some rocks dangling their feet over a fall of 100s of feet.  No doubt trying for a good social media shot, but it was a really dangerous and stupid thing to do.

Statue of King Arthur  

 After taking in the  spectacular views in all directions it was an easy walk back down from the top and across the bridge and then rather than walk the long way up the access road to our waiting bus we took a handy jeep ride back.  Visitors can take the jeep in both directions if they wish.

The fascination with the legend of King Arthur lives on making Tintagel one of English Heritage's top five attractions with hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.  I remember the stories of King Arthur well so thoroughly enjoyed my visit.  Although in the legend he never actually lived in Tintagel there is still an air of romance about the place making it well worth a visit.

Port Isaac or Port Wenn, Cornwall - Completely Charming By Either Name

 One of my main aims for my visit to Cornwall was to see tiny, picturesque, fishing villages because I just love them where ever they are.   On our travels around Cornwall we had visited several (I have written about these in earlier blog posts)  Charming and all as they were I have to admit it was love at first sight when I arrived in Port Isaac and found exactly the Cornish village I'd hoped for.

 

Above and below: views from opposite sides of the bay.  Doc Martin's house centre right and the Large's fictitious restauraunt lower centre (top photo)

Port Isaac dates from the middle ages with the current village centre dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. As a designated conservation area with 90 listed buildings and a population of only 700+ it is a joy to wander its quiet, narrow lanes and alleys.   It has always been a fishing village and still is today with a fish market operating right on the water's edge offering fresh fish, crab and lobster for sale.

Below: The quiet main street in the early morning

            

Our good fortune was to arrive early in the morning when few people were around so we had the streets almost to ourselves.  As a very well known film location - TV  series, Doc Martin, where it goes by the fictitious name of Port Wenn, and the movie, The Fishermen's Friends, one of many, the quaint streets and beauty of the village draws in  location spotters and movie fans.  This has brought fortune to the village but can also be rather tiresome for residents when hordes of tourists arrive clogging up the streets.  Incidentally, The Fishermen's Friends was based on a local group of singers, specialising in sea shanties and who have achieved wide acclaim.

The chemist's in Doc Martin. It is actually an ice cream shop - filming 
took place both inside and out. Moveable shelves easily transformed it for filming

Doc Martin's Aunt's house

Squeezee Belly Lane. In the Guinness Book of
records as the world's narrowest lane. Legend
has it that smugglers used it as an escape route
from the tax man.

Our group spent some time wandering the village admiring the tiny, jumbled, white washed cottages, the fishing harbour and the picturesque cray pots stacked on the beach. Later we gathered at a shop with the delightful name of 'May Contain Nuts' to meet our guide, Mike,  who took us on a walking tour of the village.  He was an excellent guide, who  had worked as an extra on Doc Martin, and who plied us with inside stories and anecdotes from the show all the while pointing out the various film locations. But he also entertained us with fascinating stories from the past about ship wrecks, the brave life boaters of the village, smugglers and fishing. He also took us to places in the village that many tourists miss or overlook.  It was a great tour and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the village.

Our guide outside Doc Martin's home and surgery.  Inside shots were filmed elsewhere.

Very old building by the boat harbour. 
Deemed architecturally significant

All too soon our visit to Port Isaac came to an end.  I could have stayed there for days. The idea of renting a cottage for a week ( for Doc Martin fans you can rent his house which is now a holiday home) to enjoy the coastal walks and the life of the village would be a dream that is unlikely to come true nevertheless I will always remember my visit very fondly.  Port Isaac is enchanting, the Cornwall of my dreams.

As an aside, tourism both enriches and destroys villages.  A lot of the long term residents are finding many of the cottages are now being bought as holiday homes for people from London and other places.  This pushes the prices up making it hard for the residents and their families to remain in the area. The holiday home owners arrive in huge four wheel drives  which clog up the narrow streets and make life difficult for everyone. As a tourist I tried to do my bit for the local economy by making a few purchases but it is a real dilemma for tourists; do you visit and help the local economy or do you leave the village a bit poorer but more peaceful.  The tyranny of being beautiful, I guess.

If you do visit there are a number of lovely places to eat and some excellent craft shops to explore.

You Must Visit Dolly's - Falmouth, Cornwall

 If you are lucky enough to have a day in the lovely town of Falmouth, on the south coast of Cornwall, you must end it with a visit to the charming and delightful Dolly's Tea Room, Wine House and Gin Palace.

Recently I had a lovely day exploring this town. With a population of around 24,000 Falmouth is big enough to offer plenty of attractions such as an art gallery, an aquarium and the very fine National Maritime Museum but small enough to feel comfortable and easy to get around. The town is also blessed with several golden sand beaches close by and some great coastal walks. 

Falmouth from the tower at the National Maritime Museum

I work as a part time guide at New Zealand's National Maritime Museum so I make a point of visiting Maritime Museums wherever I am.  It is always good to learn about the maritime history of different countries and the spacious and modern Falmouth Maritime Museum has much to offer.  It also has a tall lighthouse tower visitors can climb to enjoy expansive views across the beautiful harbour. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the museum and then took a walk through the town.

A replica fishermen's hut at the Maritime Museum

I had arranged to meet some of my fellow travelers at Dolly's on Church Street for end of day cocktails.  It was an enjoyable stroll. Church St is a very pleasant retail street with some lovely historic buildings and an interesting and eclectic mix of shops.

Dolly's

Dolly's - the green sign on the left

Dolly's is up a staircase from the street so look out for the sign and sandwich board outside. As a self named Tea Room, Wine House and Gin Palace it covers all bases, there is something for everyone.  Cream teas are served during the day and if you are looking for a late afternoon or evening tipple there is an amazing array of around 300 gins to choose from.  

Some of the huge array of gins on offer

You are transported to an earlier time as you make your way up the stairs, the decor giving a clue to what lies ahead.  Enter Dolly's and you will hear a sound track of old school jazz music on vinyl from the 30s and 40s and find a charming, comfortable space furnished with vintage mismatched furniture including chapel chairs and reclaimed tables. The walls are decorated with old posters, prints, mirrors and clocks. Some of the window side tables give a view out over the street below, a great spot for people watching. Dolly's is an oasis of calm and style and a delightful step back in time. 

At Dolly's with Liz, Tricia and Steven - great traveling companions

Our cocktails came in a vintage teapot and cups

My friends and I chose a table and promptly ordered cocktails, Liz and I both choosing a Hi de Hi which consisted of watermelon gin, lemon and mint, it was refreshing and delicious.  Most delightful of all was that our cocktails were served in teapots which we poured into vintage china cups. It was satisfying to have enough for top ups. 

We all loved the relaxing ambiance of Dolly's and felt happy and content as we discussed the great days' sight seeing we had enjoyed. This was the perfect end to our day. Dolly's is the cutest most charming cocktail bar I have ever visited and I would certainly make it an essential stop if I was ever in Falmouth again.  As I say, you must go there.

Right:  Some evenings you can go and listen to live music, now that would be fun!

Polperro - A Cornish village with a Smuggling Past

 One of the main things that attracted me to Cornwall was the idea of visiting the little fishing villages which tumble down hillsides and open out to the sea.  I love the sea and I love exploring tiny old villages. If you enjoy these things too you will be spoilt for choice in Cornwall.  There is so much to love about this beautiful county and we had already visited some wonderful places but  I was pretty excited when we arrived in Polperro, the first fishing village on my tour.

A great thing about Polperro is that it is carless, apart from the occasional delivery vehicle.  Vehicles must be parked at a carpark up the hill before a walk of about 750 metres down into the village. What joy - no traffic to dodge, no noise, no fumes, simply the wheeling calls of seagulls, the bubbling of the roadside stream and the gentle conversations of passers by.

Note: the hill is quite steep so it is not really suitable if you have mobility issues. 

Dating from the 14th century the village consists of narrow winding lanes and whitewashed cottages garlanded with colourful hanging baskets and fishing floats. But for the tourists it attracts, and the souvenir shops, it is as if time has stood still.  The beating heart of the village is the still busy fishing port, where fishermen keep their boats before heading out to sea to catch several varieties of fish, the main one being the ever popular pilchard. 

Left: Hanging baskets and fishing floats

Right: The Shell House decorated in the 1930s by a retired sailor

In the 18th century Polperro became infamous as a major smuggling centre.  At the time high governmental  taxes meant that the fishermen could not afford to buy even basic goods so  smuggling for extra income seemed like a good idea. They smuggled tobacco, brandy and gin which they on sold cheaply to help with their weekly budget.  When John Wesley visited the village in 1762 he reported that all the locals were involved in smuggling.  Today you can visit the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing to learn more.

The sheltered cove of Polperro - entry point for smugglers back in the day

As for me I just loved wandering the tiny lanes, admiring the cottages, peering in the windows of the antique shops and the ancient taverns and finally arriving down at the bay where the fishing boats head out to sea through a narrow, sheltered opening.  Unfortunately the tide was out during our visit so we didn't get the full glory of the boat harbour at its best. Nevertheless it was good enough for me.

The tide's out.

On my stroll back through the village to the carpark I met up with some fellow travelers and we sat and drank cool beer in the shady garden of the beautiful 18th century Crumplehorn Inn and Mill before heading to the bus.

Polperro didn't disappoint, it was just how I imagined a Cornish fishing village to be and I couldn't wait to see more.

We carried on to the tiny hamlet of Charlestown, famous as  a film location for a number of films and TV programmes, including The Onedin Line, which I loved. It was a brief visit and it was interesting to see the village as it is today, very different from the staged set I was familiar with on TV.

Above and below: The tiny hamlet of Charestown. The small stone building far right in the bottom photo is familiar from The Onedin Line

Plymouth, England - Britain's Ocean City

We were in Plymouth just long enough to have a quick wander and some lunch, (refer my last post), so I was keen to make the most of our short visit.  Fortunately we were dropped off at the boat harbour beside the Barbican, the most historic part of Plymouth. 

 

The Barbican is a quaint, ancient set of streets containing 200 listed buildings, many dating from Tudor and Jacobean times, my kind of place.  The cobble stone streets now offer cafes, galleries and shops and also the Plymouth Gin Company, the oldest gin distillery in England.  Plymouth Gin is housed in a building which dates back to the 1400s and it is said that the Mayflower Fathers spent their last night there before setting sail on The Mayflower to the new world. It became a gin distillery in 1793, well after the Puritan abstainers stayed there. I would have loved to tour the building but time didn't allow, instead I poked my nose in the door to soak up the atmosphere, if not a little whiff of gin! 

   The main street was fairly busy so I decided to head up into the back streets which were deserted.  It was like stepping back in time and I kept thinking "Boy, if these buildings could talk what tales they'd have".  By the mid 19th century the Barbican was long past its heyday and was a rat infested, overcrowded, squalid and disease ridden slum.  Plymouth City Council wanted to clear it and build new housing on the site but fortunately a group of enthusiastic conservationists stepped in and worked hard to ensure its preservation.  They formed what is now the Barbican Trust and set about restoring and cleaning the historic buildings.  Their hard work has provided Plymouth with a jewel in its crown, now a charming  precinct of antique shops, art galleries and tea shops.              

                                          

I enjoyed my stroll around the Barbican but with time running out before continuing our bus tour I headed back down to the boat harbour to view the Mayflower steps.  Actually, the steps are no longer there, however, a granite block marks the approximate spot it is believed they were.

Of particular interest to me, as a New Zealander, were the plaques commemorating the ships that sailed from Plymouth to New Zealand carrying very early colonists including several that went to settle a city in New Zealand they named New Plymouth.

So there you have it.  A fleeting look at Plymouth which has so much more to offer than I had time to see, a town full of naval history with museums, a citadel and as the place Sir Walter Raleigh rallied the navy, led by Sir Francis Drake which set off to successfully defend England from the Spanish Armada. Nevertheless I liked what I saw. It is known as Britain's Ocean city due to its coastal location, large harbour and fresh, salty air. It was a great place for me to ponder history, have a wander and lunch and give thanks to those conservationists who despite opposition stuck to their guns.

The Iconic Cornish Pasty - The ideal lunch for hard working miners

 You can't go to Cornwall without having a Cornish Pasty, can you?   It was somewhat ironic, though, that I had my first Cornish Pasty in Devon, on the Barbican in Plymouth to be exact. To be fair it was completely authentic because in 2011 Cornish Pasties were awarded a PDO, that is a Protected Designation of Origin.  This means that in order to be sold as Cornish Pasties they must have been made in Cornwall and the Barbican Pasty Shop is famous for selling spectacularly good pasties from Bodmin, Cornwall.

Pasties have a long history, King Henry V111 is said to have referred to them and Shakespeare also mentioned them in "All's Well That Ends Well" Act V1: Scene 111.  They evolved in the 1800s as a practical and hearty lunch for the hard working Cornish tin and copper miners and farm workers and today remain as a popular handy, portable meal. The deeply crimped edges were developed as a handle for the miners to hold as their  hands were dirty and often contaminated with arsenic.  After eating the pasty they would throw away the edge.  The crescent shape made them easy to carry in a pocket. Sometimes the pasties were baked as a whole meal with the meat filling at one end and a sweet fruit filling at the other.  

To be authentic the pasty must stick to the following rules:

* Must be made in Cornwall

* Contain only beef, onion, potato, swede (rutabaga) and salt and pepper - no other ingredients or seasoning

* The ingredients must be raw and uncooked, when filled into the pastry and then baked slowly

* The edges of the pastry must be crimped in the traditional Cornish style

Since we were in Plymouth for a lunch break it was my golden opportunity to enjoy this traditional lunch at the acclaimed Barbican shop.  Among their dazzling array of pasties there were all sorts of flavours and fillings but I was there to have a traditional Cornish Pasty because I think it's fun to try traditional foods from whatever country I happen to be in.  I bought a medium sized one and very tasty it was too, just too big and filling for me.  But, yes, perfect for someone who wants a good, handy and satisfying lunch. I can just imagine how much  those hard working Cornish miners and farm workers would have looked forward to this substantial and comforting lunch. 

My pasty.  It doesn't look big but, my, was it filling!

Every country has their version of this portable, quick, tasty meal.  New Zealanders  are big fans of Meat Pies with a wide variety of meat fillings, in South America it is the Empanada, in Greece the Kreatopita, in Russia the Pierogi and, of course the Indian Samosa, but there are many others all tasty and portable and ideal for a lunch box or picnic. If you would like to try baking a Cornish pasty there are plenty of recipes on line, you will find one here: 

www.thespruceeats.com   and type Cornish Pasty into the search box

Land's End, England. Pretty cheesy but worth it for the views

 Land's End is the sort of place you go to to  say you've been there.  I was there recently as part of my tour of Cornwall and was more than happy to visit a place that I had heard so much about. It came as a bit of a surprise  to find that entry to the cliffside and views out over the sea was gained through a funfair, though.  I realise funfairs are a part of the English seaside experience but coming from New Zealand, where seaside funfairs are unheard of, my preference is for  nature to be natural. Fortunately you can walk straight through the funfair for free and the views from the cliffs make a visit well worthwhile.

Entry via a funfair

Land's End, in Cornish, Penn a Wlas, meaning "end of the land", has been in private hands and a tourist attraction for over 300 years. In 1987 the property was bought by a private investor who developed most of the current funfair. Apparently the National Trust made a bid for the property but unfortunately missed out. It is now owned by Heritage Great Britain PLC, an attractions company. The complex contains, not only the funfair but a restaurant with panoramic views, shops, a 4D cinema and snack bars, all perched high above stunning granite cliffs.

Looking out across the Atlantic, next stop USA.

For 12 pounds you can have your home
country inserted in the blank spot

But we were here for the views so my travelling companion and I made our way along a pathway down to the furthest point to take in the spectacular sight of the Atlantic Ocean crashing onto the rocks below the 200 foot high cliffs. It was a perfect day so we were lucky enough to see the Scilly Isles faintly in the distance. 20 miles away is the Longships Lighthouse which can also be seen on a clear day. I loved this dramatic wild and wonderful view and we stood for a while drinking it all in. Back along the path we passed the First and Last shop, built in the 19th century to supply souvenirs to tourists, it now also sells ice creams, and a photographer asking 12 pounds to take your photo by the famous distance sign.  Bypassing both we made our way back to our tour bus. 

In fact Land's End is not the most southern part of mainland UK, it is the most western. If you are looking for natural, unspoilt, and the actual southernmost spot it is at Lizard Point,  20miles (32Ks) further along the coast.

We can tick Land's End off our 'to do' list and the views are certainly stunning but I think, on reflection, and with my aversion to the commercialisation of a natural site of scenic beauty,  I would probably prefer Lizard Point. I can, however, see Land's End as a popular, family holiday destination with its nearby accommodation, amazing cliff top walks, restaurants and snack shops and the funfair and handy animal park to keep the children entertained.  It's just not for me.