More of Cornwall

I was tootling along the main road towards Helston when I saw a sign pointing right to an ancient harbour – or words to that effect.  That caught my attention so I whizzed round the corner and followed the road down towards the sea, and there I found Porthleven and the old harbour, with its outer and inner walls to protect the town and inner harbour from the worst of the winter storms..  Despite being tucked away down a narrow road, the town was busy with holiday makers, enjoying the sun.

The weather was beautiful when I was there but look at this photo of waves breaking over the harbour walls.  I wouldn’t like to be working in the Bickford-Smith Institute (left) in weather like this.  It’s home of the town council offices!

Porthleven was also the home town of Wing commander Guy Gibson of Dambusters fame, by the way.

Apparently Portleven beaches are in one of the best known surfing areas in Britain.   It was nowhere near as rough as this on the day I visited. Waves can reach 3 metres and more!

I took a walk along the side of the harbour and looked up at these houses.  They all had different coloured doors and were rather nicely decorated.  Dammit if I don’t have a photo in my lost collection.  I can’t understand why they went missing.  So all these photos here are borrowed for a good reason.  My thanks to the photographers.  They’ve helped me out of a hole.

Right opposite the row of houses, on the other side of the harbour is the Ship Inn, haunted, they say.  Wonder if the ghost is one of the old smugglers who would know this place well!

There are two cannons, one on either side of the harbour,which came from a frigate that was wrecked near to the harbour in 1807. 

So from Porthleven next destination was The Lizard which I mentioned in my first Cornwall post. Lizard point is the southernmost tip of Britain’s mainland – and I read somewhere that primroses flower before Christmas around here.  I actually wish I’d read more about the area before I came to Cornwall, but hopefully there will be a “next time” and I’ll know more about where to go.

There’s a lovely little cafe at Lizard Point where I sat outside on the terrace to eat my cream tea, watch the waves on the rocks below and watch out for marauding seagulls!

I took a walk along the cliff path later, to see the lighthouse buildings on top of the cliff.

The wild flowers were in full bloom, and looking wonderful.

Up at the lighthouse complex I found out that the youth hostel now occupies the buildings I could see in front of me, but since then I have found that the lighthouse is open to the public!  If I had known that at the time I would have taken a look.  There is also a heritage centre which I kind of knew about but the youth hostel signs threw me, and I just came back to the Point for a look around!   I’ve since discovered that the buildings in front,now the youth hostel used to be a hotel and are separate from the lighthouse complex which is where the Heritage Centre is located.! 

The Lizard is so different from the crowded Lands End.  It wasn’t crowded and was very quiet and peaceful.  It was very pleasant  listening to the waves below, and the songs of the small birds.  The gulls were pretty raucous though!

So then it was onward once more to find The Lost Gardens of Heligan next.  However that tale can wait for another day.

Talk again soon.