I have unforgettable boyhood memories of summers in Cornwall, but back then there were only 4m cars on the road – now there are 34m, so I decided that the best time to revisit was in the depths of winter!
We stayed in a Holiday Property Bond self-catering apartment near Liskeard. Our apartment was in a grand old converted rectory, a spacious suite overlooking the grounds, a few steps from the indoor heated pool, and within walking distance of a cosy pub in Duloe, The Plough. The food in The Plough was good enough to tempt us back for a second meal during our week’s stay. Amateur archeologists would be interested to know that Duloe has an ancient stone circle, which is an easy stroll from The Plough.
Naturally, we visited the Eden Project – somewhere that should be on everybody’s bucket list, but we also went down to the Tate at St. Ives, the Barbara Hepworth museum and the Bernard Leach pottery museum, which were fascinating. The drive – in bright sunshine! – along the B3306 from St Just to St Ives shows wild Cornwall at its prettiest. We also spent a very pleasant afternoon wandering around Mousehole, and had a superb fish supper at the Tolcarne Inn in nearby Newlyn.
There is a wonderful train service from Liskeard to Looe, going down the beautiful East Looe river valley- the best way to get to Looe. For our food shopping we used the on-site shop, but there is a very good Morrison’s in Liskeard, and plenty of Cornish Pasty shops.
It was a week of unusual cold and blustery showers, but also rainbows and brilliant sunshine – and not a single traffic jam.
