Epic Escapes
Along the Atlantic edges of England and Ireland, and buoyed by the current of history, Vivian Vassos goes coastal
Swept up in the current of history in England and Ireland
WHO’STHATGUYON Brit TV’s latest costume drama, the one that all the ladies are swooning over? Yes, Ross Poldark, that’s the one. Where’s he from?
Cornwall, England. And Cornwall maintains a residue from back in the day, beyond the Poldark period, when the citizens did not consider themselves English but, rather, Cornish. Ever the rebels, there are a few holdouts preserving the local Cornish language, as evidenced in some place names – port (harbour, not the wine), for example, is porth in Cornish.
Poldark, the series based on the books by the late Winston Graham, follows a long tradition of British literary adaptations for the small screen. Adding to the bodice-ripping mojo: in one scene, Ross, the darkly brooding titular character, whose emergence from the water, shirtless, is caught unbeknownst to him by the story’s working class heroine – Poldark’s scullery maid – the titian-tressed Demelza. A nod to Jane Austen, perhaps? Unlike Mr. Darcy’s dip, however, Poldark’s is in no manor fish pond but in the raw, cold waters off Porthcurno Bay. Yet, the pictureperfect coves and coastline have pale, sandy beaches and crystal blue waves that belie its spot on the map.
More Mediterranean blue than Atlantic grey, the water’s hue seems a little out of place along the coast, with the dark heather-covered cliffs looming above. You almost expect to see palm trees dancing with the ever-present breeze that sometimes gusts and sometimes quiets just long enough to hear the sea birds calling overhead. The combination is a magnet for surfers – for the locals, surfing is nearly as entrenched as a Cornish fact of life as are mining and fishing. It’s not unusual to spot a few octogenarians riding the waves, getting their daily dose.
Cornwall, yes, is more than Poldark, but then again, much of the show’s subject matter is the crux of its history. The mining industry was key to keeping the people fed and, as the ore began to wane, so did the work and the people. The Levant mines are open for tours and provide a fascinating glimpse into a hard yet communitybuilding life. Port Isaac, the quaint town that’s used as the shoot location for another Brit hit, Doc Martin, is the real deal, lined with colourful cottages and pretty, petite gardens – a fine example of fishing port towns in this part of England. It’s also the domain of Prince Charles, as the Duke of Cornwall.
Food is the cottage industry here, with Cornish cream tea with its scones, jam and clotted cream, the meat- and veg-filled Cornish pasties and Cornish hen already part of the culinary lexicon. But seafood is one
of the reasons top chefs have made Cornwall home. Rick Stein, a godfather of sorts of the farm- or perhaps sea-to-table movement in Cornwall, is the local celeb known for his stake in the locavore-foodie town of Padstow. All five of his restaurants there, even after more than seven years and a half dozen other hot chefs having set up kitchens in the fishing villages that dot the region’s coastline, are still the coveted reservation. You can also sleep over, as Stein’s also in the B&B biz, but book lunch; you’ll have a much better chance of getting in and you’ll get to sample Cornish-inspired cuisine at a more affordable price. At his St. Petroc’s Bistro, oysters sit on their half shells alongside barely seared scallops, so fresh there’s a hint of sea salt and brine. It’s clean, unfussy food, left to nature’s devices with just a nudge from the kitchen to enhance the flavours.
While the sea looms large, so does fantasy. The legend of King Arthur and Camelot is alive and well, and a trip to Tintagel is on tap to satiate my long-time passion for the stories I read as a girl about the boy who, said to have been conceived on the castle’s very spot, drew the sword Excalibur from the stone and defended the realm against the Saxons in the fifth and sixth centuries. The site has been so romanticized, it prompted Richard, the Earl of Cornwall, to build Tintagel Castle around 1230.
Standing at this near 800-year-old remnant – now more archeological preserve of crumbling stone walls and archways than fortress – it’s easy to see from its bones that it was once a near indomitable keep. Perched cliffside on Tintagel peninsula, facing the sea with a view for miles of both the water and the neighbouring cliffs and valleys, the medieval fortification allowed for early warnings of invasion. The tidal ebb and flow on the beach below would be an ally, while the constant high winds might be a deterrent. If you make the climb to the top, you’re rewarded by the sight of Gallos, a stunning eight-foot-tall bronze sculpture installed this spring by the artist Rubin Eynon and said to be his vision of Arthur. He is a vision, yet hollow, with open strips in his cloak to allow for the wind to whistle through and, to me, appears as part apparition. It is a powerful sight. Fitting, as his name, Gallos, means power in Cornish. He stands with his back to the sea, his gaze, facing inward, over Cornwall, the strength of the ages.
IF YOU GO www.visitbritain.com
Fly WestJet’s new service direct to London Gatwick from six Canadian gateways including Vancouver until Oct. 21 and year-round from Calgary and Toronto. www.westjet.com.
Book a private tour with local guide James Coulton of Select South West Tours. www.selectsouthwesttours.com
Poldark and Doc Martin air on VisionTV (a ZoomerMedia property).