Back End of Beyond
“There is a rapture on the lonely shore
I love not man the less,
But nature more.”
Much like receiving National Park status in the US, nearly one third of Cornwall is designated and protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Unsurprisingly, much of this natural beauty lies on the rugged coastline.
An aerial perspective of Mousehole, a harbor town just south of our place in Penzance.
Standing on the seawall looking dapper with a fresh beard trim. Mousehole is aptly named; you can walk and explore all the town has to offer in about 30 minutes! 😊
I will add, though, that the enclosed little harbor must make a wonderful place to swim in the summer.
Tranquility, thy name is Penberth Cove
The Cornish coast is dotted with tiny villages that emerged organically in deep valleys cut by streams flowing to the sea—a fresh water supply and the fishing trade an essential combination. One such place is the idyllic little fishing hamlet of Penberth Cove. With its clutch of granite cottages, cobbled slipway, and a working capstan—it must have seemed like an obvious choice for the Poldark series.
Old-fashioned red pillar post box built into the hillside.
Penberth Cove was used as Sawle village in Poldark, home to Demelza's two brothers, Sam and Drake Carne. As such it was featured in many scenes involving Demelza and Doctor Enys.
The cobbled slipway leading to the cove.
The enormous wooden capstan, used to pull fishing boats up the slipway.
On the hillside looking down on Penberth.
Minack Theatre
At the end of WWI, Rowena Cade moved from the middle of England and built her and her mother a house at Minack, a Cornish word meaning “rocky place.”
During the early 1920s, Rowena hosted many informal productions at the house and she found she had a talent for making costumes for her family and friends.
Then in 1929 she was involved in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, held very near her house in Minack. It was such a success that they planned to repeat the play again in 1930; the seed of outdoor theater was born. Thoughts turned to what play they should do next and The Tempest—Shakespeare’s masterpiece set on a storm-lashed rocky island—was suggested. Certainly the meadow where the previous plays were held would not do.
A true visionary, Rowena worked hard to create an outdoor theater in the massive boulders between her house and the sea. Through dedication and perseverance, that vision is now the Minack Theatre.
The setting is as dramatic as you can imagine: a steeply terraced hillside with endless sea views and waves endlessly pounding the rocks below.
750 seats are arranged around ten terraces.
Do views come any better than this?
The world’s most unique stage and backdrop.
Our day-after Valentine’s Day made-for-Instagram photo.
Looking up from the stage.
There’s Statler, where’s Waldorf?
We’ve been surprised to learn that much of Cornwall has very unique microclimates that are not subject to freezing, allowing a wide range of plants to thrive that would otherwise not do well in England. The flowerbeds throughout the Theatre are lovely and maticulously maintained.
Not only are these flowers beautiful, but they grow helically and the plant has a conical shape—gorgeous on so many levels.
Tea with quite a view!
Porthcurno and Pedn Vounder Beaches just north of the theater.
Minack may never make the Wonders of the World list, but it has all the hallmarks: humans with a deeply held beliefs carved into the earth a lasting memorial to their values that will forever be inspiring to behold.
We passed this field of daffodils on our way to our final stop in Porthgwarra.
Spring is coming
Porthgwarra & Gwennap Head
Porthgwarra is where one of the most memorable scenes from the first series of Poldark was shot. This is the scene in which Ross (Aidan Turner) goes skinny-dipping in the crystal clear waters off the beach, while Demelza secretly looks on from the cliffs above.
A local farmer carved two tunnels into the rock so he could more easily load his cart with seaweed from the beach and the fishermen had access to the other side of the beach.
Amanda looks for Aidan Turner from the cliffs above Porthgwarra (also part of the South Coast Trail).
St Michael’s Mount
We rounded out the day by making a quick stop by St Michael’s Mount. We have a tour set up for Monday, but wanted to walk around and get a feel for the place before then. The tidal island is so unique, which makes it a fun place to visit.
The village itself is closed to tourists until Monday.
The Monastery
Parting Shots
You may recall from our post titled Bath that we stopped in Shaftesbury and visited Gold Hill, where Hovis bread made a famous commercial with a boy pushing his bike up the hill to deliver bread. This is a loaf we purchased today…it still has the iconic image on the bag.
Some beauty for you…
