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.
