E L T I P S V R T
Wild and beautiful Cape Cornwall, four miles north of Land’s End, is the remote point at which Atlantic currents divide.
Enjoying the peace and solitude of England’s only cape, it is difficult to imagine that a century ago, Cape Cornwall was a smoking inferno of tin and copper mining.
A few scars remain but nature has reclaimed this magical peninsula of Penwith, known as the Tin Coast.
Climbing to the summit of Cape Cornwall – marked by an old chimney – serves a reminder of those industrial days, when the county was the chief exporter of tin to the world.
Our apartment, Ocean View, overlooked the cape and far below, the beach at Priest Cove has a natural sea pool for bathers.
A few fishing boats still work lobster pots and the lady who sells mugs of tea from the hatch of a pink 60s-style caravan bakes the best Victoria sponge cake between here and Newcastle.
Once a year, Cape Cornwall has been my little bit of heaven and it is where we began our pilgrimage to Sennen Cove.
Framed by fern-filled gulleys and pretty patchwork meadows, overrun by buttercups and dainty flowers, this stretch of the South West Coast Path is a delight. In the sky, rock pipits, herring gulls and swallows duck and dive while oystercatchers fuss over their mates.
During the night, an Atlantic storm had blown in but under a cloudless sky, the faint outline of the Isles of Scilly, 30 miles away, were visible on the horizon.
Paradise
This is Poldark country, remember, and outside a cluttered smallholding in the next valley there’s a sign proudly proclaiming: “Poldark Eggs Ere!”
Far out to sea, lighthouses Wolf Rock and Longships stand like Neptune himself guarding the gateway to this rugged south-west tip of England. The rocky coastline has
YOU can reach
St Michael’s Mount island in Penzance Bay by foot or by boat. SCENES from Poldark were filmed at Levant Mine. The tin mine is now a World Heritage Site and is a must-see on your visit.
IN Penzance, Polish restaurant The Singing Rooster is a gem, with incredible service and tasty cuisine. The schabowy pork schnitzel and creamy mashed potato really
hit the spot. claimed many ships – the most notorious being that of the Torrey Canyon in 1967, whose cargo of crude oil caused widespread havoc to wildlife along the Cornish coasts.
And while there is no sign of Poldark hunk Aidan Turner, muscle-ripped lads with glamorous girls in tow ride the Atlantic swell at this cool surfers’ paradise.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Penzance. This welcoming place sometimes gets a bad press, but it is becoming Cornwall’s new gourmet capital with lots of lovely bookshops and a rich mix of buildings too.
It is well worth taking a stroll along Penzance’s splendid promenade to Newlyn harbour. A Newlyn watering hole once featured in the TV series