Port Eynon Bay – Gower

 

This bay is an award winning sandy and safe beach and suitable for waterspouts in an area designated of outstanding natural beauty.

• Lifeguard on Duty May – September
• Carpark
• Seasonal Dog Ban on some parts of the beach

 

The bay is a popular beach resort beside the village of Port Eynon. To the south west of the bay and is the most southerly point of the Gower Peninsula. Port Eynon is situated on the Wales Coastal path and being well signposted from Rhossili and Oxwich.

At the far end of Port Eynon Bay stands the eighteenth century ruin of the old Salt House, originally extracting salt from the sea, it is thought that the business was run as  cover for smuggled goods. Possibly a goof theory considering that most of the local population of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries appeared to have been involved in smuggling, and on one occasion hidden in the church.

Take time to visit the Churchyard where there is a memorial to the three lifeboat crew who lost their lives at sea in 1916. The lifeboat station was closed in 1919 and a new one opened in Horton in 1968.

Port Eynon is well worth a visit – put it on your to do list!

 

 

How True Is This?

Nothing soothes the soul like a great walk on the beach

Rhossili – Gower Peninsula, Swansea

Rhossili is a small village and community on the tip of the Gower Peninsula in Swansea. In an area which has been designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Although it was a slightly murky day and had been raining, I thought on my first visit this bay was truly amazing!

And I am not alone, for it has been voted Wales Best Beach 2017 and one of the UK’s top beaches for five years running in the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards. The views are breathtaking overlooking the golden sand of Rhossili.

At low tide there is a huge expanse of beach  approximately three miles long, and it is possible to walk across the bay to Llangennith or across the Worms Head. The views which are spectacular from many of the walking routes and you may be lucky enough to see some dolphins or basking seals.

The bay is reached via steps from the small village of Rhossili and whilst quite a treck will be certainly worth it!

 

Gardens To Visit In Cornwall – Apologies If I Have Missed Any Out

 

Cornwall has many lovely gardens to visit, if you want a day away from the beach . With the warmth of the Gulf Stream, many gardens in Cornwall offer rare and beautiful plants .

Here is a list to help guide you and in no particular order.

• The Eden Project
• Trelissick Garden
• Abbey Garden, Tresco
• Bosahan Garden
• Tregrehan
• Lanhydrock House
• The Lost Gardens of Heligan
• Lamorran Gardens, St Mawes
• Marsh Villa Gardens
• Pinetum Gardens
• Trebah Garden
• Cotehele House
• Antony Woodland Garden
• Trewithen
• Glendurgan Garden
• Trengwainton Garden
• Trewidden Garden
• Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
• Tresco Abbey Garden
• Kimberley Park Garden
• The Japanese Garden

 

Take all the time and stroll around beautiful gardens admiring the plants and scenery, throughout the seasons which will all offer a special time and a variety of wonderful plants, flowers and trees.

 

As Rick Stein says “I am still amazed by the variety of plants, not just the exotics of Tresco or Trebah but the lush inland woodland gardens wth their spectacular rhododendrons and camellias”.

 

Which garden is your favourite?  – I know which mine is!

 

 

St. Mawes – Cornwall – A Great Place

 

One of my favourite places to visit is St.Mawes in Cornwall which I fell in love with a few years ago. It is a old fishing village and I think simply idyllic at any time of the year. St.Mawes is situated on the Rosalind Peninsular on the south coast of Cornwall.

In 1536 in anticipation of the construction of St Mawes Castle a stone pier was built in St Mawes, in 1854 the St Mawes Pier and Harbour Company was formed and granted an act of parliament to develop a new pier and deepen the harbour.

Places To See

• St. Mawes Castle built by Henry V111 – #English Heritage. Built to protect the Carrick Roads it is beautifully decorated, stunning sea views and an audio tour is available.
• Catch the St. Mawes ferry for a twenty minute journey (approx) to Falmouth, a wonderful journey across the Carrick Roads, you may even see some seals or dolphins
• Take the Place Ferry which operates a regular service  between St. Mawes and Place Creek on the Rosalind Peninsula, this will provide some stunning walks particularly down to St Anthony’s Lighthouse – remember your walking boots though or sturdy shoes!
• Two beaches – Tavern Beach and Summer Beach
• Lamorran Gardens – A four acre mediterranean garden surrounded by sea and with views over Falmouth Bay.  www.lamorrangardens.co.uk

 

Places To Eat

• The Hotel Tresanton which is an absolute must, it is the perfect place for breakfast, lunch or dinner overlooking the most amazing views! Sit outside on the terrace, if the weather is kind, you won’t regret it. #tresanton.com
• The Idle Rocks www.idlerocks.com
• St. Mawes Hotel www.stmaweshotel.com
• Cafe Chandler
• The Watch House
• The Rising Sun
  

  

  

 

Places To Stay

There are hotels, bed and breakfast and many self catering holiday homes both in and around St. Mawes you will be spoilt for choice, but book early if you want the middle of Summer as they get booked up very quickly!

• www.portscathoholidays.co.uk
• www.helpfulholidays.com
• www.cornwallcottages.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Before You Get On The King Harry Ferry!

Before you get on the King Harry Ferry to take you to St Mawes, stop off at the beautiful #National Trust Trelissick Gardens. Open every day, except 25th and 26th December.

The garden lies within the Cornwall area of outstanding natural beauty and boasts a fantastic collection of tender and exotic plants set within 40 acres. With the most amazing views, restaurant/café, book shop, plant shop, art gallery and National Trust Shop to add to your day! A real must see.

nationaltrust.org.uk/trelissick

King Harry Ferry

The King Harry Ferry is a vehicular chain ferry which crosses the Carrick Roads, established in 1888 and connects St.Mawes and The Rosalind Peninsular with Feock, Truro and Falmouth, avoiding the alternative 27 mile route through Truro and Tresillian. It Carries 300,000 cars every year! and is one of only five chain ferries in England, departing every twenty minutes from each side and runs seven days a week.

Once on board you can step out of your car and enjoy the most magnificient views across one of Cornwall’s deepest and most beautiful rivers – the Fal River.

I travel to St Mawes at least twice a year and for me one of the best moments is the start of my holiday across this Ferry, even just waiting for it to arrive you can soak in the beauty and calmness around you.

The Ferry’s 270m long chains are amazingly strong but with up to 80 crossings a day, seven days a week the chains have to replaced regularly due to wear and tear!

 

A lovely old view of the old ferry (I wonder who could age this) ? The current ferry has been in use for ten years and has travelled over 54,000 miles. http://www.falriver.co.uk/khf for more information.