With the south west coastal path in mind we set off to Charlestown Harbour in
St. Austell to take a look at the historic 18th century Georgian harbour. Having lived in Cornwall for more than ten years I can’t believe I haven’t yet visited this stretch of coast line and it is pretty spectacular. The Harbour has a unique history and geography and remains a vibrant working port, with classic Tallships, beautiful beaches and great places to eat and drink. It has of course become quite the attraction since ‘Poldark’ sprang into life a few years back, which is great for tourism in the area.
The Wreckers Museum is £11.00 entry – we didn’t go in (that was a standby if it rained). Deciding to take our walk instead we headed to the bottom of the harbor and turned right, following the coastal path admiring the beautiful homes old and new, hugging the cliff tops. There is a bit of an incline but nothing to difficult to manage. We tend to do these days out before the hordes of holiday makers descend on the area.
The day was a little cloudy but not raining. The car park had plenty of spaces and costs £3.00 for up to four hours. The public toilets are on the car park and will cost you 20p. We had lunch at the Gallery, a small lunch cabin with delicious fresh sandwiches and reasonably priced. If you’re looking for something a little more substantial there are a good variety of eateries all offering local fayre.
I’ll be looking out for Charlestown when Poldark comes back to our TV screens this year and may even take another trip up there after the summer holidays.
