CORNWALL, ENGLAND

                                    Cornwall in a Nutshell

Although Cornwall is geographically close to the Cotswolds it is a world of its own with spectacular landscapes and stunning rugged coastline. Hedgerows climb the hills defining and dividing the rolling green pastures.

The River Tamar separates Cornwall from the rest of the country making Cornwall almost an island.  The once prosperous tin mining industry is no more, and at the time of my visit, the area was somewhat depressed with rather high unemployment.

 Small quaint fishing villages are found along the rugged coast in sheltered coves. The mild climate is conducive to sunning on the many beaches, and there are many good surfing areas.

         Cottages and churches are made of a grey stone, and English gardens continued to abound adding color. Rhododendrons were in bloom everywhere including growing wild along the side of the roads. We often passed under natural green arches over the roads where the trees and vines on each side had grown over the road and entangled with those on the opposite side. The hedgerow-lined meadows became part of panoramic views as the bushes and flowers along the roads thinned. Wild flowers were bloomed everywhere.

            Our guide told us, “Falmouth is the first port of arrival on the coast. In the 1700s the first ship to arrive with a cargo of tea from China received the highest price. The Cutty Sark won this unofficial race many times. Tea was a highly valued commodity and was kept locked in a wooden tea box. There is a large Celtic influence in Cornwall, and names of Celtic saints are evident. The Cornish language basically has been dead since the 1800s, but now there are organizations trying to revive and keep the language alive. The prefix Tre in a place name means village or field.”

            King Arthur resided in north Cornwall. The area has been the home of writers and artists for decades---Daphne du Maurier and Agatha Christie are but two writers who lived in Cornwall. George Bernard Shaw wrote The Doctor’s Dilemma  in 1906 while living in the picturesque fishing village of Mevagissey.

Most roads in Cornwall are narrow two-lane ones, with one lane going in each direction. Some roads are no more than a one-car lane and it got real interesting sometimes when our van met a vehicle going in the opposite direction. It is easy to understand that people living in this part of the country would want only a small vehicle. It was not uncommon to have stone walls at the edge of the road which eliminated any pull off—someone had to back up! Every once in awhile we’d find a small village or a thatched roof house, but we saw no tourists, buses, or fast food restaurants.