Cornwall - Prelude

I wanted to make sure that I did something different in the first month of my "retirement". That is to say, something rather more than just taking it easy at home. Something I have not really been able to do up to now. Something a little "adventurous" even.

I have been thinking for a while about spending some time visiting other parts of Britain, particularly coastal areas, and have a vague idea about working my way around the coast. I have also always had a great affinity for the sea, and an appreciation of the importance of Britain's maritime heritage. So I decided to spend a couple of weeks in Cornwall (which must be the UK's most maritime county).

I wanted this to be a fairly 'laid-back' experience, with not too much travelling around between places, and plenty of time to relax, potter, stroll and explore. Cornwall's spectacular coastline and abundance of characterful fishing villages and cheap off-season holiday accommodation made it an obvious location. It is also somewhere that we holidayed in frequently when I was a child, but have only visited once in the last 30 years.

This is not exactly a last-minute trip, as I booked it nearly a month ago when I was still at work, so the itinerary is pretty well set now. Centered around the mid part of the south Cornwall coast, I'll be spending a week in Mevagissey and a week in St Mawes, with shorter stops in St Austell, Truro and Falmouth. In both Mevagissey and St Mawes I have managed to rent traditional cottages in good locations overlooking the sea/harbour for under £300/week, so that should keep the overall cost down to a level I am more than happy with. This is the basic itinerary (not including intermediate bus, train and ferry connections - see map below):

• Train: Paddington - St Austell: £89 return (to/from Falmouth)
• 1 night St Austell White Hart: £49
• 7 nights Mevagissey: £249
• 1 night Truro: £85
• 2 nights Falmouth: £80
• 7 nights St Mawes: £283.50
• Train: Falmouth - Paddington

View Cornwall 2011 in a larger map

What am I expecting to get out of this trip? Well, it is all a bit of an experiment, but a few general things would be:

• to see the sea - every day
• relaxing on my own
• getting back into the habit of reading
• that smell of the seaside (from my childhood)
• cosy pubs and good beer
• walking along cliff-tops and beaches
• visiting gardens and castles
• not being in London

 Further details in following posts.