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February 24th, 2010 Alex
Just one and a quarter miles away from Land’s End, the westernmost point of England, there is a rocky outcrop that spells danger and death to ships and sailors. It’s called the Longships, and the number of shipwrecks there has made it into an excellent diving location, as there’s plenty to see, but that’s of little comfort to the people on board the boats. The lighthouse has become a popular sight amongst those on cottage holidays in Cornwall.
In 1795 a lighthouse was built on the island, its purpose, as with all lighthouses, to warn ships away from the rocky outcrop. It was an excellent plan, and saved many lives. The only problem with it was that the highest point of the rocks, where the lighthouse was built, was only forty feet above sea level. The lighthouse itself was another forty feet, and because the Atlantic isn’t the calmest of waters, eighty foot waves weren’t such a rare occurrence that this didn’t cause problems. In high seas, the lighthouse wasn’t visible, and its light didn’t shine out to warn ships of the danger nearby. This was hardly ideal.
Because of the dangers of high seas to both this light house and the ships that couldn’t see it, Trinity House ordered another built in 1869. Trinity House are the public, non-departmental body that oversees the building and maintenance of lighthouses, lightvessels and buoys. They also, since their use become standard, ensure that maritime radio and satellite communication systems are operating. They do all of this in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, but not Scotland, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man.
This new tower was first lit in 1873, but that didn’t stop the S.S. Bluejacket being wrecked on the rocks right by the light house on a clear night, nearly taking the light house with it. Luckily, the lighthouse remained, and has so up until the present day, though it became unmanned in 1988.
As was mentioned above, the Longships are a very interesting place for diving. This is partly because the number of shipwrecks there, from both before and after the building of the lighthouse, has made it a historically interesting place. It’s also because the rocks themselves are filled with gullies and canyons, and absolutely teem with marine life.
Many places, especially houses or cottages on the nearby Cornish coast, use Longships in their name, recognising the fact that looking out to see the rocks has become something of an attraction for tourists. It’s not uncommon to see Cornish Holiday Cottages like “Longships View” around the coastline.
Posted in Cornwall, Destinations, attractions | No Comments »
February 3rd, 2010 Alex
Travellers around the UK will no doubt already have seen the huge amount of shops and kiosks that sell Cornish pasties on high streets, train stations and cafes, but now there’s a way to take home a novelty item for pasty lovers who aren’t going on a trip, or don’t have any trips to cottages in Cornwall coming up.
Pasties with chocolate in them have been available for ages, but pasties made purely out of chocolate are something new and tasty. This is, however, exactly what the chocolate and fudge manufacturer’s County’s have done. Supplied to pasty suppliers and delicatessens, these solid chocolate pasties, made from high quality cocoa beans and containing 35% cocoa solids, are ideal to take home for a pasty lover. It doesn’t even matter if they go cold.
Of course, it’s not just a tasty treat, but also a reminder of your family holiday in Cornwall. Whereas some people might bring home sticky rock that ends up looking unappetising very quickly, you’ll still have delicious chocolate in a form that is truly Cornish.
There are plenty of other products available from County’s, including Cornish fudge, and tracking these down in delicatessens or gift shops will make your holiday a whole lot more interesting, not to mention tasty.
Posted in Cornwall, fun | No Comments »
January 24th, 2010 Alex
Holidays often provide the opportunity to see outlandish events or practises. Millions of people travel around the world each year to see or take part in various festivals. Pamplona attracts people for its bull running, Rio de Janeiro isn’t alone in pulling in visitors for its Mardi Gras festival, the Lantern Festival in China gets a lot of attention, and even places as small as Mousehole see an influx of tourists to see their Christmas lights. But if you were on a family holiday in Cornwall on the 17th of January, you’d have been able to pop into a whole variety of churches and seen the ceremonies being performed for Plough Sunday.
Admittedly, this isn’t a service that is unique to Cornwall, but there aren’t many places that still have an actual plough brought in for the service. At Helston-St Keverne this year, though, the local Young Farmer’s Club did exactly that.
The plough was led up the aisle, much like a bride would be, and then the ceremony began. Through the various words that are exchanged back and forth, the farmer’s respect for God and hope for a bountiful harvest is established, and the plough is blessed by the priest. It’s similar to most other religious ceremonies, and bears a bizarre amount of similarity to a wedding, with the farmer who owns the plough responding back to questions asked by the priest.
If this sort of thing sounds right up your aisle, then it’s a shame you’ve missed it this year. There were plenty of cottages in Cornwall available that you could have stayed in. Still, there’s always next year, eh?
Posted in Cornwall, Destinations, attractions | No Comments »
January 20th, 2010 Alex
Pubs pubs pubs. Who doesn’t like going to a pub? Nobody! Who enjoys going to a pub? Everybody! Stopping in at a pub you’ve never been to and either having a quiet (or lively) drink is one of the joys of life. Even trying out the food, especially if it’s been recommended, can be great, and few places make a better stop off for a family lunch whilst on holiday than a pub.
Maybe it’s from spending a lot of time in Wales and Devon, especially near areas that tend to be popular areas for family holidays, but if you want to sample local food and learn about some of the attractions in the area, a pub can be a great place to call in at. Admittedly, some are grottier than others, and in most holiday destinations you’ll find extremes at both ends of the scale, but overall I have had good experiences in using them for the brief respite you get during a holiday.
The other advantage, of course, is that if you’re in one of the many places that serve real ale or source their drinks from local brewers, you’ll be able to sample some of what the locals produce. On a caravan holiday in Devon, this will almost definitely include cider.
Many pubs in rural areas also provide accommodation, which can be a blessing if you’re walking or cycling somewhere and it’s starting to get dark. Staying late in pubs will also mean you’re more likely to take part in some local atmosphere, as people unwind, relax and become more comfortable.
Posted in Cornwall, Destinations | No Comments »
January 2nd, 2010 Alex
When you’re in Cornwall, why don’t you pay a trip to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. You’ll learn a lot about boats, we’re sure.
But exactly what about boats will you learn on your North Cornwall holiday? Well, currently the museum has wine tastings, Sunday lunches, Santa’s grotto, and a workshop on kites, calendars and kaleidoscopes. None of that has anything to do with boats! This Maritime Museum is certainly not living up to its name!
Luckily, there is a talk about wrecks and rescues that have occurred on the rocks off the Lizard peninsula. There are a lot! It’s a pretty dangerous place to go if you’re a boat!
Before Christmas, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall also offered Christmas lunches, but now that Christmas is gone they’re not doing that. Perhaps you could go if you decide to rent one of the cottages in Cornwall next year? That sounds like it’d be pretty cool. Learn about boats and then have a Christmas lunch? Sign me up. You wouldn’t have to press gang me into that (that’s maritime humour).
Posted in Cornwall, attractions | No Comments »
December 30th, 2009 Alex
Whereas most people’s minds will jump straight to the Eden project when thinking of gardens on their cottage break in Cornwall, there are a fair few who’ll remember the precursor to it, possibly having seen the television series, and will travel to the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
The Gardens themselves aren’t situated particularly far from the Eden project, but the atmosphere is completely different. Rather than the large-scale creation that the Eden project involved, the gardens were a project of restoration.
During the 1990s, the gardens were part of an immense program to restore them to their former glory, and the project was documented both in books and in the Channel 4 television series.
Following the deaths of sixteen of the twenty two gardeners during the First World War, and the emigration of the owner to Italy, followed by his death with no heir to the estate, the gardens had no real owners and consisted as part of a trust to look after extended family members.
When record producer Tim Smit (or Smitty T as he is known in the industry) was shown around the garden, he realised the potential they had, and organised a group of people to get to work bringing back their former glory.
The gardens are now an international attraction, and have provided valuable employment opportunities and tourism to the region. It’s unsurprising, given how popular they are with people staying in Cornwall at hotels or taking cottage holidays.
Posted in Cornwall, attractions | No Comments »
December 20th, 2009 Alex
Whilst some people have been watching for the Geminid shower over the last week, and the clear skies of the South West can provide a perfect vantage point to see it, others have been looking to the sky trying to see something a little different.
A site dedicated to recording UFO sightings has got a decent collection of information for Cornwall sightings, and the spooky thing? There are quite clear patterns that emerge.
Sightings of groups of orange lights reoccur every few months, and multiple accounts come in of people seeing them from different places at around the same time. People taking trips to try and spot UFOs is nothing new, but maybe Cornwall will start attracting these visitors as well. The clear skies of Cornwall that make for such a good family holiday in Cornwall also provide excellent views for sighting the unknown.
The possibility of spotting UFOs can bring families and friends together, as they all sit outside in the crisp Cornish air, heads peering skyward. Even if you don’t see UFOs you can still see shooting stars and supernovas on a clear night. I saw one of the former last Sunday night in fact.
So, why not book one of the cottages in Cornwall and make use of any cloudless nights to see what you can find. And remember, keep watching the skies!
Posted in Cornwall, adventure, fun | No Comments »
December 19th, 2009 Alex
In the village of Mousehole in Cornwall, which is, incidentally, full of Mousehole cottages, there is a celebration every year to commemorate the legend of Tom Bawcock, though his actual existence is generally viewed as fiction.
Tom Bawcock was a man who, during the approach to Christmas, supposedly braved the stormy seas to feed the village of Mousehole.
The weather in the lead up to Christmas had been atrocious, with huge waves, constant rain and wind that buffeted everything. Nobody had dared go out to fish, and so the village was running out of food. On December 23rd, Tom Bawcock felt he had to brave the waters, and so he set out in his boat and caught enough fish for the whole village. When he returned, the fish was cooked into enough Stargazy pie to feed the entire village.
To remember the brave deeds of Tom Bawcock, Mousehole now light up a magnificent display of lights every Christmas, and it draws visitors from around the world to stay in self catering holiday cottages in Cornwall and admire it.
It’s thought that the name of Tom Bawcock comes from the Middle English usage where it was inspired by the French Beau Coc to mean a fine, upstanding person. But whatever the origin of the legend, the display it has resulted in is unarguably beautiful.
Posted in Cornwall, Destinations, attractions | No Comments »
October 24th, 2009 admin
So you’re visiting Cornwall on your next St Ives Cottage break? Then there is something you don’t want to miss. Of course Cornish ice creams, Cornish pasties and Cider are a great way to get a good feel for the local area, but what other experiences are there I hear you say?
Well, try this for a treat. The Paradise Park is fun for any animal lover. Established in 1973 originally as a tropical bird centre, popularity of the park has gone from strength to strength and seen many new additions come to the park such as the otters, red pandas, red squirrels and the rare Cornish Chough.
The award winning park has proven to be a big hit will all ages of visitors with a ‘Fun Farm’ for the kids and daily events will allow you to get closer to the wildlife than you ever expected. Inside the park you will also find a great range of tropical plants that thrive well in the Cornish climate. 2005 saw the opening of the greatly anticipated Jungle Barn indoor play centre providing a vast amount of entertainment for children no matter what the weather has in store.
For all of you that take a particular shine to the animals there is a opportunity that allows you to adopt an animal for a year. Prices vary depending on the size of the bird but complimentary tickets come as part of the package.
The expansion of the support for the parrots has seen the trust support groups in USA, Africa, Canada, Australia, Benelux, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. The funds that have been raised have totaled over £1 million and helped 23 different species of parrot.
Red squirrels also reside at the park and are in captivity due to a breeding program that is aimed at increasing their numbers and then releasing them back into the wild.
You will also find a few otters living at the park, as the destruction of their natural habitat has seen numbers fall and the park have committed their work to stabilizing dropping figures and even getting them to incline again.
For a grand day out to see red squirrels, talking birds and a lot of otters, head over to Paradise Park and make your Cornish stay a memorable one.
Posted in Cornwall, attractions, isle of wight | No Comments »
October 13th, 2009 Alex
Cornish pastys (PAST-ies. I heard some American tourists pronouncing it PASTE-ie once) are known throughout the UK and are a staple of a family holiday in Cornwall. But what should really go in a Cornish pasty?
A friend of mine remains adamant that a pasty should never contain carrots, and if it does, it’s definitely not a Cornish pasty. Yet I have had pasties with carrots in advertised as traditional Cornish pasties.
Of course, this friend also maintained that he was a train which people followed to the pub whenever he blew a whistle, so who’s going to believe anything he says?
Throughout the history of Cornwall though, pasties have had whatever was available stuffed in them. You can’t be picky about what you eat when you have to go and mine tin every day! This even resulted in a little piece of folklore claiming that the Devil would never cross the Tamar (the river that marks the Cornish border) for fear he’d be placed in a pasty himself.
This seemed to lose its truth at some point, and for a while all you could buy was one of the many forms of the ‘Traditional Cornish Pasty’, Cheese and Onion pasties, or, occasionally, a steak pasty.
Now though, with shops that sell pasties and nothing else, we’re getting back to being able to shove anything in them. Spicy chicken pasties, chickpea and lentil pasties, pork and apple pasties, I even had a chocolate and banana pasty a few weeks ago, but then I went to a funfair and it, combined with the rides, made me feel a bit ill.
So, anything can go in a pasty, it seems, as long as it stays edible. Why not book a stay in one of the self catering cottages in Cornwall and see what recipes you can make whilst there? Book a Christmas holiday and have mince pasties instead of pies.
Posted in Advice, Cornwall | No Comments »
