A fantastic escape – 8 days out travelling in Cornwall

Last updated on 24 Nov 2022 by Thierry

Cornwall…
If you like castles, rugged coastlines, wilderness, and sunny weather (yes!) then travelling to Cornwall is definitely for you!

We have been looking to explore this part of England for a long time.
We bought Squeaky, our Mitsubishi Delica, in early 2020 for this purpose but couldn’t do it due to the sanitary crisis. And when travel restrictions were lifted during the summer, we drove to France, to see friends and family.
So this year, we decided it was time! Plus that would be the first big trip for our little CEO. 🙂

Using a few days of annual leave, we have escaped our little flat to discover the fantastic Cornwall!

Preparation

Itinerary

We spent (mostly Anna!) some weeks before our trip reading guides and websites to gather information and digest it into a list of things we absolutely wanted to see. Travelling with our van and on a budget, as usual, we have also (mostly Thierry!) identified spots to stay overnight.

Of course, we finished with a very long list – technically a tour of Cornwall by the coast – that could keep us busy for a couple of months. However, we had to shorten it to a few places on the coasts that can be visited during our week.

Logistics

We didn’t change our setup as it works well for us so far. However, we took care to prepare the van for this longer trip with Nelly.

Happy Squeaky received a few extra storage boxes for the kitchen, a cabin-sized suitcase for Mummy and Daddy’s clothes in addition to Nelly’s travel bag, inflatable pillows, an additional sleeping bag, storage nets, toiletries and a shovel for… when it is needed… and a reserve of dry food, jars, nappies, baby wipes.

Feel free to check the Van Conversion section for more information about our 4×4 house on wheels!

Merlin had holidays too, staying with friends for a week, and befriending a 3-month-old kitten.

And here we go, travelling to Cornwall!

We took off with clouds and rain on a Saturday morning, with our little one falling asleep for her morning nap. The quickest on that day was to follow the motorways (M4 and M5). Using her nap time as efficiently as possible, we managed to drive from Slough as far as Burnham-on-Sea before she woke up, for lunchtime.

Burnham-on-Sea is a peaceful seaside resort located on the north coast of Somerset. Its seafront is one neverending family-friendly sandy beach, a 7 miles stretch of sand (11 km), making it the second-longest in Europe behind Monolithi in Greece (15 mi/ 25 km).

During our shortstop, we noticed St-Andrew’s church. It dates back to the early 14th century, with a quite spectacular tower leaning by nearly a meter. We had our lunch in Marine Cove Gardens, next to the church and the seafront.

If you walk along the seafront (the Esplanade), you might notice a series of 6 panels displaying interesting facts about the city and its link with the sea.

Our trip to Cornwall continued after lunch and we finally arrived at our destination by the end of the afternoon, with the sun and warm temperature!

Tip: if you are travelling with a toddler, double the estimated driving time.

The Atlantic coast of Cornwall

The Atlantic coast of Cornwall is approximately half the coastline of Cornwall, with a north-facing orientation.

Tintagel castle

Tintagel, its castle and the coast in the area are a must-see.

The castle is a historic site situated on the clifftops of North Cornwall. We were expecting a WOW effect and we have not been deceived! The area is stunning.

We stayed there for 2 days and 3 nights, with a great view of the Atlantic.

The first day was dedicated to the visit of Tintagel Castle and was completed by walking a bit in the village (and tasting cornish pastries!) and along the coast west of the village.

The day after, we started by visiting the beach and caves (Merlin’s Cave) down the castle. Then we hiked on the clifftops from Tintagel to Boscastle following the South West Coast Path. There are several viewpoints and sites on the way, one of the most notable ones being the Rocky Valley, about 1 mile east of Tintagel. The Rocky Valley gets its name from the river Trevillet, cascading into many pools on its way down to the sea via cauldrons and waterfalls and through angular and spectacular slate. Be careful on windy days, waves breaking into the entrance of the inlet are spectacular, mesmerising and dangerous. People have been swept off by freak waves.

The South West Coast Path (SWC)

For those of us who really love walking, Cornwall has the longest waymarked long-distance footpath in England. It is also a National Trail. The path stretches for 630 miles (1,014 km), between Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and Poole Harbour in Dorset.

It was originally a route created by the Coastguard patrolling for smugglers and going from lighthouse to lighthouse. Because they needed to inspect every bay and cove, the resulting path follows closely the coast. At the same time rises and falls with every river mouth. The trail is therefore challenging but provides unbeatable views.

The 630 miles of Coast Path is the walk of a lifetime, taking in breathtaking heritage, wildlife, geology and scenery along the way. It is referenced in the ‘Epic Hikes of the World’ book by Lonely Planet.

Check the South West Coast Path website for more information.

From Tintagel to St Agnes. Going West!

Leaving Tintagel, we drove west and stopped in Newquay to replenish our food supplies, for us and Squeaky.

That was also a good opportunity for a little stroll across the town. Grabbing excellent fish & chips at The Harbour Chippy, we had our lunch break next to Towan Beach and then went for a little walk along the coastline via the harbour, towards the coastguard lookout and along Fistral Beach.

Newquay is a well-known surfing spot and Fistral Beach (and the nearby Cribbar surfing point) is probably the most known surfing beach in the UK (up to 8ft waves!).

By the end of the afternoon, we arrived at St Agnes Head and parked just in front of the Atlantic again, on top of the cliffs, ready to enjoy the sunset.

St Agnes and the St Agnes Heritage Coast

The area around the large village of St-Agnes is once again lovely. We stayed in fine 4 nights and 2 full days, more than initially planned.

During those two days, we covered the St Agnes Heritage Coast. This stretch of coastline is great for its selection of beaches, high cliff coastline and heritage of tin and copper mining. St Agnes was the mining centre for copper and tin.

We started with a coastal hike toward the east, from St Agnes Head up to Perranporth on the SWC. The mix of colours, with the green of the vegetation and purple of the flowers combined with the blue of the Caribbean-like water and the sky, made the walk extremely pleasant. On the way to Perranporth are Trevaunance Cove and Trevellas Cove – perfect for a little break – and another industrial heritage: the Cligga Head Wolframite mine. The Cligga head site was also an explosives factory owned by the Nobel company and was manufacturing notably hand grenades. The site has been active up to 1945 and the end of World War II.

For the second day, we walked to the west up to Porthtowan. This was supposed to be a circular walk, coming back via another route inland, but the coast there is so amazing we decided to keep on the coast. We passed Wheal Coates, an abandoned tin mine that was running up to 1914. The buildings visible on the site are from 1872, but people have been mining in this area since the Middle Ages. The ruins overlooking the ocean are very picturesque, especially combined with the wilderness of the coastline.

Perranporth and Porthtowan are 2 other great and renowned surfing beaches. We have seen a lot of surfers and surfing schools making the most of the sunny days.

Travelling along the south coast of Cornwall

After already 5 days on the north coast of Cornwall, we decided to head south towards the Roseland Peninsula. We stopped on the way in Truro. Truro has nothing special enough to offer to prevent you to pursue your trip. It is just well located.

The Roseland Peninsula

We spent a single day there, for a circular walk starting (and finishing) at St Just-in-Roseland church. The village’s current church is from the 13th century but was originally founded in the 6th century. It is sitting just above a tidal creek, giving the churchyard a very peculiar and peaceful atmosphere. We walked along the coast up to the village of St-Mawes where we visited the very well-preserved castle built by Henri VIII in the 1540s (worth visiting!), and the village with its harbour, before going back inland to our house on wheels.

We finished the day around Charlestown. Located 2 mi (3 km) east of St Austell, Charlestown is a picturesque little harbour. We discovered this place by chance, thanks to Nelly who needed a break! The working port was built in the late 18th century and you can still feel the past here like transported into a bygone era.

The atmosphere on the south coast is completely different compared to the north coast. It is much more relaxed and chilled, with a coastline protected from the ocean’s powerful waves. In comparison, on the north coast, you can really feel the energy and the brut power of nature and elements.

Our stop for the night was a bit east of Charlestown, close to the coast near Fowey.

St Catherine’s and Restomel castles

We wanted to visit some more castles for our last day travelling in Cornwall (already!!).

First with the visit of St Catherine’s castle at the mouth of river Fowey, near Readymoney Cove.

This little fort is told to be the smallest castle in Cornwall, which might be true! Henry VIII ordered in the 1530s the building of a pair of small artillery forts to defend Fowey Harbour against French and Spanish invasions. This small fortification had a long life and was modified in the 19th century during the Crimean War and again during the Second World War when it became home to an anti-aircraft gun and an ammunition store.

We continued with a short hike along the coast, from the castle to the west up to Polridmouth Cove. We then had a stop for food, and for Nelly to dip her feet into the water. Splish splash!

After our break, we went back to Squeaky, drove to our second visit of the day, and the last one in Cornwall: Restormel castle.

Restormel is a very remarkable 13th-century castle, with its stone walls largely intact.

It is a nearly perfect circular structure, with luxurious buildings against the outer defence walls. You can walk on top of the walls, having a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. Interesting to know that everything you can see from the top of the walls was belonging to one individual/ family! The castle received twice the visit of Edward, the Black Prince, eldest son of King Edward III and a well-known figure of the Hundred Years’ War.

Leaving Cornwall…

We extended our stay in Restormel to enjoy the lovely day as much as possible. Approaching the end of the afternoon, it was time for us to go back. Because there was no benefit in terms of time or distance to catch the M5, we decided to head back by the A30.

But each tale needs a final adventure to stay for long in memories!

Squeaky decided after only 50 miles, near Okehampton, that it was too hot and made us stop at an emergency car park. Squeaky was overheating and there was a puddle of water under the engine… Ouch!

Our initial 4-ish hours trip back became a loooong 20 hours journey! That made us happier to reach home in the end!

The culprit was a burst coolant hose. Fortunately, there is no damage to the engine!

Last thoughts about our week in Cornwall

How to summarise this week’s travelling in Cornwall? Fantastic!

We enjoyed each minute of our escape in Cornwall. The stunning landscapes, the wild coastline with its vivid colours, the jaw-dropping castles and industrial ruins, the nice and welcoming locals, everything was great.

Let’s be honest: we were there just before the end of the school term and despite it being busy in some places the region was not yet overcrowded. Cornwall is a relatively small area (peninsula) and has been for years a family favourite UK holiday destination. If you have the possibility, travel before mid-July or starting September.

Our holiday mode is not hugely impacted by the crowd as there are not as many people hiking as we do.

So, what’s next?

Well, in the short term we need to fix Squeaky so that we can hit the road again soon!

Ok, but what about Cornwall?
We will go back there for sure. There are so many things we planned but couldn’t do!

We hope we have given you the travelling bug and you’re looking to visit or return to Cornwall in a near future.

Which spot would be the first on your list?