We knew enough not to try to drive right down to the town and had a nice walk down from the car park. It is a lovely village with little lanes and alleyways. 

Port Isaac – fairly early in the morning

Port Isaac

We almost had the place to ourselves for a start

These are two-way streets for motor vehicles – much easier to walk

So many lovely little lanes

We’d come in search of the TV show locations and eventually found a sign pointing us in the direction of the house used as Doc Martins’.

Doc Martin’s ‘house’ is the small stone house in the middle of the picture

Doc Martin’s house – the little one

We weren’t exactly sure which one it was. There was another couple walking around nearby and Wyn asked the woman something like “Is this his house?” and the woman knew exactly what she was asking about and they agreed it was. She was from Canada. People come from far and wide to see Doc Martin’s village and house and everything else. It’s lovely.

Location for Doc Martin’s house located

Bert Large’s restaurant and across the harbour is the Port Wenn school where Louisa taught

Aunt Ruth’s house, with a NZ cabbage tree in front

We eventually found a map of the locations, which helped our searching around. And our wanderings revealed many lovely lanes around the village.

Port Isaac lane and working phone box

It’s like a film set, which it is, but it’s real.

Squeez-ee Belly Alley (and Duck-ee Head Alley?)

A proper sea-food restaurant

You wonder if they’d be allowed to build so close these days. Or is it a better way of living?

My fascination with the lanes extended to doorways and plumbing

One last lane picture. They fascinate me because of their difference to everything I know from New Zealand. I wonder what it’s like living there, getting stuff delivered …

Port Isaac is at pains to point out that it’s more than just a movie (‘Saving Grace’ 2003) and TV show set. It is, but it’s rather like a type-cast actor – it’s always going to be associated as the location for the Doc Martin programme. However, it’s still a working fishing village, which is its saving grace.

Port Isaac fish market

Behind the fish market. Can you smell the fish?

The fish market is on Fore Street. One thing I’ve learned is that where most towns have a High Street as the main street, some have a Market Street, and fishing villages have a Fore Street.

Port Isaac is a delightful village for many reasons. It is quaint and beautiful, it is idylic, and yet it remains real. It’s almost like it’s too small to spoil.

Port Isaac has not been spoiled by being famous – yet.

We could have wandered around for much longer. But the morning was getting on and the visitor numbers were increasing, so we reluctantly walked back up the hill and headed off in search of a castle.

The Robartes family owned Lanhydrock from 1620. The gatehouse is the most significant survivor of the original house. The house suffered a disastrous fire in 1881, which destroyed a lot of the original and modified house. It was rebuilt “with every Victorian convenience” to meet the needs of the large family. The First World War directly and indirectly took the lives of the potential male heirs so in 1953 the house and 162 hectares of surrounding park were given to the National Trust who now manage it.

The day we went the weather was looking ominous, so we decided to start with the gardens, in case the rain started. It didn’t, and the overcast conditions were good for photograpy. It’s an ill wind …..

It’s a nice walk down through the trees to the Lanhydrock gatehouse

Lanhydrock gatehouse from inside. We reached it from the left. The path disappearing straight ahead runs for about 800 metres to the river and a railway station to Plymouth and London.

Lanhydrock House – front door straight ahead

We headed off to the garden first, hoping to beat any rain.

Gardens at Lanhydrock House. This one was a work-in-progress. 

Rhododendron tree Lanhydrock House. I love the carpets underneath.

Allium ‘Ambassador’

Astrantia major ‘Gill Richardson’

Aquilegias (Granny’s Bonnet)

Camelia  – there were still some late-spring ones flowering

Hostas –  Not flowering … I just like the patterns.

Lanhydrock House from behind. I like all the chimneys, here and everywhere. 

Church at Lanhydrock House. 

The rain never came luckily, and it was time for a coffee at the cafe. Then it was off to have a look through the house, after capturing a little scene I’d spotted from the cafe.

Lanhydrock House wall and vines. I liked the tangle of everything, the natural chaos.

A quarter-part of the original front door. They don’t make them like this anymore.

We were stumped by the knife and spoon side – we couldn’t work out what was for which course.

Wallpaper – not original – replaced 1969. William Morris print – Arts and Craft style.  Imagine having to match your cutlery and your wallpaper.

I’m not sure about the mosaic tile floor for a living room – a bit bathroom/toilet vibe for me.

Kitchen. Not a good photo but an awesome BBQ. Self-propelled spit roast big enough for a large animal. Simultaneous roasting hangers for chooks and other things. State-of-the-art in late 1800s. Definitely the industrial model.

Modern kitchen back in the late 1800s.

The copper ‘batterie de cuisine’ was used for important occasions.

This was a big kitchen operation, set up in the late 1800s as part of the rebuild after the fire. Apart from the kitchen, there were separately; The Scullery, The Bakehouse, The Pastry Room, The Pantry Room, The Meat Larder, The Dairy Scullery, and The Dairy.

I wonder if the biscuits were real and if so, does anyone get to eat them at the end of the day?

A bit of decoration above the mantelpiece.  The coat of arms seems a bit over the top. Might the guests have forgotten where they are or who they are with?

The busy little clock on the mantelpiece. The only thing they might have forgotten is the cricketer, although where they might have perched her?

Another cute clock, with the nude workings in case the guests might think it was electric? 

Isn’t there a bit much artistic licence with Jesus standing in his manger, holding a goblet of something … Ribena?

At last a classic statue, although what’s the symbolism of riding the lion about?

The most extraordinary room for me was the Long Gallery, the great room of the house. It’s 35 metres long. “The remarkable plaster barrel ceiling was almost certainly finished just before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642.” It has 24 panels portraying parts of the Old Testament. 

The Long Gallery at Lanhydrock House is long

Part of the ceiling decoration, Adam and Eve. Eve looked a bit younger and Adam a bit older than I’d imagined. With the moustache, it’s a bit creepy for me.

A bit of argy-bargy about something. Or are they ganging up on the harp player?

The Long Gallery is a great and long room

I’d joked when we walked into the Long Gallery that it would be good for indoor cricket. An interpretation board in the room explained it had been used for a variety of purposes, not least playing cricket. Given the price of glass and inconvenience of replacing broken windows, that does seem a bit extravagant. But a jolly good idea. You could have had a full-length pitch, a 5 metre run-up for the bowler, and still had 5 metres behind the stumps for the keeper and slips. Perfection. A hit through a window could be 6 runs, out, and a £50 fine. Sorted!

The Long Gallery was a good conclusion to a very interesting tour of the Lanhydrock house and grounds. We were glad that we’d made the effort to see it after all. It was now time to make our way north to St Teath and our AirBnB for a couple of nights with still more we wanted to see in Cornwall.

We regrouped and drove back again, trying to decipher the Park-And-Ride signs while discussing what we wanted to see and whether we wanted to park anywhere. Somehow we ended up in a small car park beside a big beach near the Tate Gallery. It was predictably full, and I thought our chances of a park freeing up were five-eighths of not very much at all. Wyn thought we should wait a while but that proved unnecessary as a group immediately turned up to their car to leave. We had a bit of a sign/wave conversation with them and the park was ours. Except another hopeful car turned up and immediately thought they’d been lucky. 

I was starting to think this wasn’t going so well but the departing folk had a sign conversation with the other lot explaining that we were at the head of the queue. In England that’s the end of the discussion, because generally English people are such a wonderfully polite and considerate lot. The interlopers drove off, probably to cruise St Ives for the reminder of the day in their quest for the Holy Grail, a vacant car park.

Meanwhile we passed by the Tate Gallery and cruised along the beach without actually venturing on the sand. The sand was mostly occupied, but again by very orderly groups all seeming to respect everyone else’s piece of beach. We stopped for a coffee with a nice view over the beach.

Half-Term holiday crowds enjoying one of the St Ives’ beaches

Google likes making my photos into panoramas, like this one of the beach at St Ives. Click on it for an enlarged view. Where’s Wally?

The beach pictures look a bit gloomy. But it was actually a very pleasant afternoon, and the clouds were more thundery than stormy. It was warm and calm and everyone was making the  most of it. 

We walked on into the town centre, with lots of seaside resort shops and galleries. Come for a wander with us along some of the lovely little lanes of St Ives …

St Ives is a delightful place and is worth more time than we’d allowed ourselves. However, we were pleased to have persisted and at least gained a glimpse.

If this seems to ring memory bells with something similar in France, it’s no coincidence. Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy is a similar occasional island with a monastery which was established first. Edward the Confessor gave the Cornwall Mount to the Norman abbey of Mont Saint-Michel in 1135. Benedictine monks from this abbey were invited to establish a priory in Cornwall, and St Michael’s Mount church is the result. It seems the Cornwall island is smaller, and closer to the mainland.

The weather the day before had been wet and we knew it was forecast to improve, so we planned our visit to St Michael’s Mount for our second day in Penzance. It is just a few kilometres to the west. We headed off early to beat the expected Half-Term holiday crowds. This meant we were ahead of the causeway opening time of 10.55am which wasn’t a problem as there are cool little shuttle boats at £2 each with a bit of history on the way.

Our first view of St Michael’s Mount was a misty one

Shuttle boats to St Michael’s Mount

St Michael’s Mount village and castle from the harbour wall – still misty

While most were rushing up to the castle, we waited around in the village below for an excellent (free) tour of the village. This explained the history of the island and castle and was well worth the time.

St Michael’s Mount map

The castle on St Michael’s Mount from the village below

Soon enough we joined the people heading up the path to the castle on top of the hill. But we were still well ahead of the hordes waiting for the causeway to open.

The terrace and castle and church

I loved how the castle has just grown around the rock it sits on. Here you can still see the highest part of the rock.

Marazion town across the causeway from the top of St Michael’s Mount

Castle interior – first it was the priory refectory, then the Great Hall, then the main Dining Room

The beautiful church on St Michael’s Mount

The lovely rose window in the church

By the time we’d looked around the castle and the church, the causeway was open and lots more people were arriving. In fact as we headed out we had to get past the queue of people waiting to get in. Our plan had been a good one. We headed down for a walk around the interesting gardens, much of it terraced out of the hillsides.

The castle gardens at St Michael’s Mount

Wyn in the castle gardens

Aliums abounded – and became my new favourite flowers

The castle at St Michael’s Mount from below looks magical – or Disney-like?

A bit of home in Cornwall – cabbage trees

The day was warming up and we were running down by afternoon. We figured it was time to be somewhere else and headed back for the mainland, this time via the causeway. The sea was a long way away so there wasn’t a Moses-parting-the-sea sort of experience. 

The castle on St Michael’s Mount as we head back across the causeway

Seaweed and sandflats west of St Michael’s Mount causeway

St Michael’s Mount castle and causeway from Marazion – the mainland

We found an excellent Cornish Pasty shop in Marazion and then a seat to sit and enjoy our late lunch. We’d looked forward to our visit to St Michael’s Mount when we were planning our trip and it probably exceeded our high expectations. I liked the parallels with the French Mont-Saint-Michel, which has always fascinated me. The weather had come right and it was a lovely day out, across the water.

[Here’s a couple more blogs I found with all sorts of interesting information about St Michael’s Mount castle and church:
The Legendary St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall
Castle and Church on the Mount … Part 2 ]

It had  been a fairly wet and cool day, but the forecast was for the rain to stop so we kept the faith. We retreated to Penzance from the tin mines, to freshen up and have some tea. Then headed out again, almost to Land’s End and then across to the Minack Theatre. We were all ready for the cold and wet, but the wet held off and so did the wind mostly. We were shown to our lower seats, beside an organised group from the town where the group performing came from who shared some of their supper with us. 

Waiting for the show to start at the Minack Theatre

It is an extraordinary venue, built in the 1930s by the landowner and her gardener, sort of on a whim. They kept improving it, and now the annual audience is 110,000, at around 700 people per sold-out show.

Jesus at the Minack Theatre

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the Minack Theatre

I assumed it was an amateur production, and my expectations were not high. How wrong could I be? They were wonderful and it was an excellent production. The sound was good, and the story was well told. And compelling.  The backdrop of the ocean and the rocks and cliffs was perfect. We knew the words and we had the LPs of the soundtrack. But this was much better.

As dusk came the setting became even more dramatic

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and the Atlantic Ocean

The story ended as we knew it would, but the performance showed how it got there. The ending was no less compelling than the first time it was told. The performers certainly took us along with them. I’m guessing it was the first time it had been presented in a venue anywhere near as dramatic as this. We were so pleased to be part of it.

It was actually raining. We’d had a lovely spell of weather for the first few days of our travels, warm and dry and sunny. But it seemed to be coning to an end, with persistent rain through the middle part of the day. It didn’t stop us from exploring. We started at Cape Cornwall, mostly because it was on the way. 

Wyn atop Cape Cornwall. In the distance there are are ruins associated with the mining everywhere

Cape Cornwall is marked by the monument on the hill

From there we drove on to first Botallack Mine and then the Levant Mine. The biggest of the tin and copper mines are in a belt not much more than 5 kms long and 2 kms wide, squashed up against the sea with most of the access well above the sea. The seam that they were following dipped out to sea, and the miners followed it, in some cases to more than 300m below sea level and 15o0m offshore. There were stories of miners reporting hearing rocks rolling on the seafloor above them. 

Mine ruins Botallack Mine

Mine ruins Botallack Mine

Wyn and mine ruins Botallack Mine (and a puddle)

The most dramatic of the mine ruins Crown Mine, perched above the sea

Crown mine engine houses, perched above the Atlantic Ocean

The lower of the two Crown mine engine houses was to pump water from the mine. The higher one was for the winding power for the diagonal mine shaft which ran out under the sea. The mines were huge, with many levels and drives as the miners chased the valuable ore. In the early years the men descended and ascended the huge distances on a series of ladders. Imagine going down 300m on ladders and then climbing back up at the end of the day. If someone above you on the ladders slipped and fell, that was probably the end of you as well!

Plan of the mine shaft Levant Mine (click on picture to open a bigger picture)

From the shaft, drives went out either side, chasing the ore along the seam for long distances. Interestingly, the shaft didn’t go straight down. This was because the seam didn’t go straight down and they didn’t want to waste resources on removing non-ore material. Where the ore angled, the shaft angled. They had to invent ways for the mechanics to deal with the corners.

Flowers on mine ruins Crown Mine. There was no reason for them to be there – they just were.

We also visited the Levant Mine. We took advantage of an included guided tour. This provided an excellent background and history which brought the place to life. We were also able to see the huge beam engine in action. This is a steam powered engine that provided the raising and lowering power for the mine shafts, as well as the pumping needed to keep the water at bay. This engine survived the decommissioning and scrapping of all of the things worth anything mostly by chance, a lucky chance. 

The coastal area and the mines provide many of the locations for the Poldark TV series. Which we hadn’t watched, but were vaguely aware of. Not long after we were there the BBC started showing the 4th series. We don’t watch much TV, but Sunday nights we are making sure we’re tuned in for the latest episode. It’s a fun way of revisiting a rugged section of the Cornwall Coast, with a dramatic past.

Crown mine engine house Cornwall

The weather started to show signs of improving as we headed back to Penzance to rest up in readiness for our long-awaited evening entertainment.

We found a car-park building in Truro, and then some shops and finally the cathedral. Walking into somewhere like this takes a while to adjust to the change in light and the change in atmosphere. It is instantly calming, and relaxing. It’s hard not to exhale; to let the troubles of the world out. The designer’s intent was to create a building “that would bring people soonest to their knees”. It mightn’t exactly do that for me, but it certainly pulled me up.

Truro Cathedral entrance

Detail of Truro Cathedral

The Nave, looking towards the West Rose window and the entrance

The Nave, looking towards the High Altar, Truro Cathedral

Truro Cathedral

The ceiling above the Crossing – Truro Cathedral

The High Altar at Truro Cathedral

Some of the many lovely windows Truro Cathedral

Truro Cathedral – detail

Truro Cathedral – detail

Construction of the Truro Cathedral began in 1880. It had been over 600 years since a new Cathedral had last been built in England. When construction began on this one, no one knew if finances would ever allow the Cathedral to be completed. So it really was an act of faith.

It was designed by John Loughborough Pearson. Looking at the detail in the last photo above, I can hardly imagine the skill and artistry involved in a wonderful merging of engineering and art. Then there was Edward White Benson, whose drive and enthusiasm first saw the Diocese created, and then the start of the Cathedral building. He went on to become Archbishop of Canterbury, remaining so until his death in 1896. Sadly he didn’t get to see the Cathedral completed.

The windows were the largest stained glass project ever conceived. They are considered to be some of the finest Victorian stained glass in England, if not the world. They are magnificent.

There are many other extraordinary details; too many to take in or to relate. It was a wonderful place to visit, and we were pleased we did. 

Trelissick Manor is near Truro, in Cornwall. It was home to the Copeland family, who owned and managed the Spode china factory. The gardens feature many rhododendrons and azeleas, which do well all round Cornwall. Much of the china produced by Spode used paintings of flowers grown at Trelissick. The property was given to the National Trust by the last of the Copeland line.

Trelissick House is a work-in-progress.

The house was built to take advantage of the views down the Fal Estuary towards Falmouth. The vista reminding me of the Auckland harbours and Gulf and the Auckland Regional Parks.

There’s nothing quite like a nice chandelier to set a room off …

Spode china with Trelissick flowers

The stylish conservatory at Trelissick House

Bird of Paradise plant in conservatory at Trelissick House

Handkerchief tree in Trelissick Garden – also called the dove-tree

The handkerchief tree has an interesting history. Follow the link to read of the adventures of the early botanists who sought to bring specimens back to England.

Handkerchief tree

Rhododendrons in Trelissick garden

We enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch in the park-like gardens

Beside the Trelissick Gardens, the Fel River is crossed regularly by the King Harry vehicle ferry, which hauls itself back and forwards on two huge chains. We took a trip across and back, because we could.

King Harry ferry landing Fel River. Spot the chains. Obviously there has been a ferry here for quite a while.

Rhododendrons in the Trelissick Gardens

Eventually we wandered back through the gardens, and made our way back to Mevagissey. It was a lovely relaxing day in a beautiful setting. Just what we needed.

Mevagissey is a fishing port south of St Austell, with a population of about 2,000. It is centred in a long valley, as are many of the fishing villages in Cornwall. This means it is significantly constrained, with little room for expansion. This is a mixed blessing but does mean that tourist development has not been rampant. We found our AirBnB and got sorted out. It was up the hill, with a view of the other side of the valley rather than of the port or the sea. 

We headed down the hill for tea, and this was an adventure in itself. Imagine a two-way road, hardly wider than one car, and probably not much less steep than Baldwin Street in Dunedin. Driving down left quite an impression on us. Driving back up made an even bigger impact. We wondered what happened when opposing traffic met. Luckily we never found out.

The evening was overcast, but pleasantly warm. Food was plentiful and expensive, not least because people were at least as plentiful with it being a Bank Holiday weekend. We settled on some fish and chips, and enjoyed them sitting on the waterfront.

Fish and chips (with vinegar) at the harbour, Mevagissey

Mevagissey Harbour

Dusk Mevagissey Harbour

We headed back to our AirBnB, having made the mistake of not scouting the route first. Mevagissey has a bit of a one-way system, but also streets that are two-way but one-way. We thought we’d rely on the GPS which was a bit slow at the crucial intersection, resulting in us heading up a blind road if ever there was one. Luckily we have a small car, so we were able to extricate ourselves fairly easily. Apparently lots of people in motorhomes end up in the same place, and unable to turn around. Such are the perils of Cornwall.

View from our Mevagissey AirBnB window, across the valley

We headed back down to the harbour in the morning for breakfast, albeit by a much easier if more circuitous route.

Deciding which way to go for breakfast in Mevagissey Harbour. Note the two cars turning into the street to the left, which is a two-way street (with a lot of patience and co-operation).

The view of Mevagissey Harbour from outside our breakfast cafe

Narrow lanes of Mevagissey Harbour

We had two nights at Mevagissey. We went off exploring through the day (another story) and returned for another evening meal and wander around the harbour. The weather was in a very good mood for Bank Holiday, and the evenings were calm and warm.

Evening Mevagissey Harbour

“The road was this small” – narrow lanes Mevagissey Harbour

Dusk Mevagissey Harbour

Sunset Mevagissey Harbour

I liked Mevagissey. It has tourists, but it is also a working fishing village. And the geography restrains development, which isn’t the worst thing.

We’d planned a quiet start to our adventures; a road-trip around coasts of Devon and Cornwall. There was  some research and quite a lot of random dart-throwing. We’d pre-booked AirBnBs for the whole trip and that was lucky, given the Half-Term thing. It all worked out OK.

Our first night was at Fernhurst, a small village somewhere southwest of Heathrow, down the M25, the A3 and finally the A286. Armed only with a GPS app on Wyn’s phone, we safely navigated the lot, and arrived just after the pub stopped serving food. We didn’t care, cos we were there.

Our room at the AirBnB behind the King’s Arms Pub in Fernhurst, West Sussex

Next morning at the Fernhurst AirBnB

Our first UK AirBnB at Fernhurst was fun. It even had one of those capsule coffee machines.

Our AirBnB room was behind the King’s Arms Pub at Fernhurst

In the morning we didn’t want the full-English breakfast (extra) so we headed back up the road to Fernhurst which didn’t have a cafe but did have a shop (loaf of bread) and a genuine greengrocer (bananas) so that was breakfast and lunch sorted.

We eventually headed west, taking major roads and motorways where we could. We were more interested in covering the ground than seeing stuff. Lunch was bananas and bread at a motorway service stop place. Here we spotted an AA Road Atlas for England, Wales and Scotland for £1.99 (NZ$4 more or less). After checking the price we bought one. It’s a bargain; it even doubles as a nice big shiny surface to make lunch on.

The traffic flowed well enough and we continued west on the A31 and then the A35. We stopped the night at Lyme Regis on the sea, known as the Jurassic Coast. We weren’t fossil hunting but there is a lot of that done there. I commend to you the fascinating story of the fossil woman Mary Anning now recognised as one of the ten British women who have most influenced the history of science. Sadly, she’d been dead for 163 years before they worked that out.

Our AirBnB was some distance above the seafront. We found some Cornish pasties in a bakery and took them back to eat in the garden. Lyme Regis is in Dorset which is still well short of Cornwall, but they know a popular thing when they see one. In the morning we were served a beautiful breakfast in the lounge.

Our Lyme Regis AirBnB. Our room was the top one on the right with the window open.

Breakfast at our Lyme Regis AirBnB

We wished already that we’d made Lyme Regis a two-night stay. But we had to move on so first we headed back down to see the beach on the sunny morning. 

Beachfront at Lyme Regis – mostly stoney

Lyme Regis Harbour

Lyme Regis Harbour

Lyme Regis seaside – including sand and swimming

Lyme Regis seaside

The narrow streets of Lyme Regis

The narrow streets of Lyme Regis … just when you think you’ve seen everything …

It was the streets and shops that interested us the most. And the little lanes which we have so few of in New Zealand.

Lovely lanes of Lyme Regis. There was even a small Tescos so lunch was sorted…

With not much morning left, and quite a few regrets, we finally tore ourselves away from Lyme Regis and headed west to Cornwall.