© Going Postal 2025
It must be close on 20 years since we last holidayed in Cornwall. We used to go every summer when our children were young but the lure of foreign holidays and the dread of getting stuck on the M5/A38/A30 for hours on end rather put us off until we decided to book a stay in Porthleven this June.
This time it would be Mrs Reggie and me and her stepdad. A lovely chap who is in his 70s and still able to get about and enjoy life. We decided on Porthleven as he had visited there as a child and was keen to rediscover some memories from decades ago. The accommodation we booked was just a 5-minute walk from the harbour. A nice old cottage, although the stairs to the first floor were extremely steep, causing a bit of concern with all members of our party. Parking was available immediately outside of the cottage.
The trip from Reggie Towers took a little under 4 hours, including a couple of stops for lunch and comfort breaks. I’m glad to say my fears about heavy traffic and roadworks were completely unfounded, although travelling in June probably helped as we avoided the school holiday period.
After settling in and sorting ourselves out we went for a quick explore of the harbour area, taking the opportunity to enjoy an ice-cream and walk to the end of the harbour, with a view over the beach – which looked nice and sandy and was obviously popular with both locals and tourists.
Heading back, we decided to grab a bite to eat in one of the many eating establishments on offer, followed by a visit to one of the two pubs for a few ‘refreshments’, before finally returning to our accommodation and bed.
The first morning we were greeted to a lovely sunny day and decided to make the most of it by visiting Mullion Cove, about a 30-minute drive away. Thankfully we arrived quite early as there is limited parking available and we were one of only a handful of vehicles there. We walked from the car park to Mullion and then to the end of the harbour, at which point the heavens opened and we retraced our steps and headed to the café, which had just opened. A few other people had the same idea and we sat down and ordered some drinks and a bite to eat. Mrs Reggie had an omelette and her stepdad and I had (of course) a Cornish pasty. Having recharged our batteries and dried out we headed back to the car. Thankfully the rain had stopped by then and the sun made a welcome return.
Heading towards the Lizard we headed towards our next stop, Kynance Cove. Ample parking was provided at the site (National Trust) for £5 a day and a leisurely 15-minute walk later we were arrived at the cove. A pleasant enough place with refreshments available in the beach café / shop. It seemed very popular without being too crowded. After a mooch about we retraced our steps and headed back towards the car. For those with mobility issues, a word of warning, the path can be quite steep in places.
We decided that was enough excitement for the day and drove back to the cottage for a cup of tea and a sit down. Once again, Porthleven provided us with both an evening meal and alcoholic refreshments before retiring to bed.
I can’t remember exactly what we did on the remainder of our week in Cornwall, but some of the highlights included:
Trebagh Gardens – a wonderful place with lots of interesting plants and a lovely walk through woodlands and more open areas, leading to a beach. During the Second World War, Trebah was used for military purposes and the assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy was launched from the Polgwidden Beach, at the foot of Trebah Garden.
Gwennap Pit – where John Wesley preached on 18 occasions between 1762 and 1789. A fascinating site, with a rich history and some interesting people who we chatted to for some time. The pit was caused by mining subsidence in the mid-18th century. After Wesley’s death the local people turned the pit into a regular circular shape with turf seats and on the day of our trip there was a school trip for the local junior school, where the kids sang a few songs. A thoroughly English affair with a total lack of diversity. I can imagine most of Britain looked like this 70 years ago.
Fowey Valley Cider – located in Lostwithiel. A fantastic cidery offering a range of cider, spirits and local snacks. We purchased a selection of their produce, all of which has been consumed and enjoyed.
Wheals – a wheal is a Cornish word for mine or working and Cornwall is well known for deposits of copper, tin and lead. Gwennap parish was once known as the richest square mile in the Old World, such was the value of the copper being mined there. We visited several mines, including Wheal Rose and Wheal Amelia. The landscape still showing signs of the men and women who worked in incredibly hard conditions there, often for little money.
Helston Railway – a heritage railway, proudly proclaiming to the be most Southerly railway in Britain. One the day of our trip the train was limited to running to the next station only due to bridge works being carried out. We had a chat with one of the owners of the railway. A businessman who has ploughed considerable sums of money into keeping the project going and who has a vision and passion for the site. During our chat he explained that they had sold their steam engine as it costs several hundred of pounds to run just for one day, whereas the shunter used on our trip cost about £50 in diesel a day. The costs just don’t compare.
The Lost Gardens of Helligan – having visited the Eden Project several years ago, I had long had this place on my wish list. It was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting and to be fair it wasn’t terrible – I just expected more.
Cuckoo Valley Cider – yet another cidery, located well off the beaten track, a few miles from Portreath. A fabulous independent cidery run by a husband and wife team who moved there 20 years ago and planted apple trees, eventually growing enough to open up the brewing operation. Again a selection of ciders was purchased and subsequently consumed. Highly recommended.
These are the main highlights of our week away, however there were many other places we visited which didn’t warrant a particular mention. Thankfully the weather during our stay was mostly warm and dry, without being too hot to enjoy.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Cornwall and will definitely be going back before too long.
© Reggie 2025
