Beauty and the Beach - Rock, North Cornwall

Cornwall’s relaxed charm and great climate brings thousands of holiday-makers here each year and I am lucky to be one of them! I’m staying in blossoming Padstow, which has also become known as Padstein due to the success of celebrity-chef Rick Stein’s restaurants and seafood school!

Testing in Rock
Sitting on the Western side of the river Camel, it hides from the prevailing winds which make it a pleasant and ‘balmy’ place to stay. However, this morning over in Rock, it was another story and it may have been a bit too cloudy for my little machine to take any blue sky readings which is a shame, but we’ll have to wait and see! The sun decided to appear a little after 1pm and it turned out to be a glorious day, albeit not much use when it came to the testing!

Daymer Bay and Cassock
After the testing I went for a walk on the honey-coloured beach at Daymer Bay and Cassock. The low tide made it feel like I had a huge expanse of honey-coloured sand all to myself. Some couples and families were sunbathing, professionally equipped with wind-breakers, blankets, flasks of coffee, and so on, taking advantage of the sunshine.

St Enodoc
Walking over some sand dunes and a busy golf course, dodging speeding golf balls along the way, I arrived at the church of St Enodoc where the famous Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman is buried. It’s a pretty little church with a crooked spire and stunning location and it was the perfect place for me to sit on a bench and take in the views. The sun was beginning to force its way through the cloud and it was heavenly.

Rock is an appealing place to visit and it must be lovely to live there, as while there are quite a few houses, it’s not too overcrowded. It also has the advantage of being a stone’s throw away from Padstow by ferry.

Padstow
I took the ferry back over to Padstow at low tide so was dropped off at a different point to where I had embarked which meant that I was able to pass the Great War Memorial, which by this point was set against the most beautiful purpley-blue sky. I then strolled on past a huge grassy field where dozens of people were enjoying the evening sun. There were also a couple of artists taking the opportunity to paint and make the most of North Cornwall’s famous bright light.

Cornish Ice Cream
I arrived at the lovely harbour in town, plonking myself down at one of the outdoor cafes for an ice cold drink and a bite to eat. I watched as almost everyone walked by with an ice cream cone in their hand (Cornish ice-cream is the best!), huge seagulls hovering above waiting for the right moment for attack. How quintessentially British, I thought!


Some other cool stuff to do in North Cornwall might include:

• Some of North Cornwall’s best surf spots can be found near Padstow, including Harlyn and Trevone Bays, and New Polzeath.

• Padstow has a small museum which is worth a visit

• There’s a Crazy Golf course located in Padstow providing a fun hour or two with the kids!

• Visit the beautiful Elizabethen mansion, Prideaux Place (a much sought after film location) or Victorian country house, Lanhydrock

• Walk or cycle the Camel Trail towards Wadebridge, passing farming communities and wildlife along the way

• Those who enjoy their food can choose from an abundance of excellent restaurants, from classic fish n’ chips to top class establishments that serve fresh crab, lobster, and freshly grown vegetables

• Or, if you fancy catching your own tea, head out on a fishing boat and fill your basket with mackerel, eating it from a barbeque on one of the fine sandy beaches

• Arrive in July and August and you will be joining 1000’s of others with the same idea. To avoid the crowds, come at the end of June when I did, or after the schools go back. It won’t be overbearing with tourists!

• Walk the rugged coastline and get the chance to see basking sharks - just remember your binoculars!

• Lovers of nature will flock to the Eden Project in St Austell, a horticultural wonderland with ethical roots. It is also the largest rainforest in captivity.

• St Ives, only a 40 minute drive away from Padstow is home to the Tate Gallery

• There are lots of golf courses here, many right on the seaside. Only Scotland has more courses per head of population!