Wrapping up summer in West Cornwall

We first visited Cornwall in August 2020 and were taken aback by just how beautiful this part of England is. As a fairly densely populated country, much of England can feel quite busy and like you’re never far from a major motorway. Cornwall is an exception to this, neatly tucked away on the Western tip of Britain. On our first visit, we chose to stay on a farm in Zennor, about a 10-minute drive out of St Ives. We loved this picturesque part of Cornwall, and the beautiful town of St Ives, so we decided to stay in this area again. This time, we stayed at Cowslip Cottage, on a non-working farm just behind the town. The cottage is about a 30-minute walk down to the centre of St Ives, although this did admittedly feel a little far when walking back uphill. There is also the option of getting a taxi back, or driving your car to one of the parking lots in St Ives.

Having been to the area before, we had a good idea of what we wanted to do and made sure we were prepared ahead. The number one thing we booked in advance was a trip to Minack Theatre to see Evita, which was such a great show. We were incredibly lucky with the weather and had a relatively warm and stunning clear evening to enjoy this spectacular theatre. If you want to visit the Minack Theatre while you’re in Cornwall, I’d recommend booking at least a month ahead, if not more, since this is such a popular spot.

My Mum and I both celebrated our birthdays while we were in Cornwall, so we planned a few treats. On my birthday, we had a delicious lunch at The Gurnard’s Head, a pub almost in the middle of nowhere, with delicious food. We also happened to go to Minack Theatre that same evening, so it was an action-packed day.

On my Mum’s birthday, we had been gifted a luscious experience at the Harbour Hotel day spa. The package included enjoying the pool, a choice of treatment (I went for a combination of a facial and a massage), and a high tea. It was a day well spent!

The garden at the Barbara Hepworth Museum

There are so many galleries and interesting creators to visit around St Ives. We visited the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Garden, which we also went to last time, but it’s honestly so stunning that it’s worth multiple visits. We also made an impromptu visit to Leach Pottery, which happened to be on the way back to where we were staying. It was really interesting to read about the potters that had started this studio, and how they built their early kilns. It would be impossible to mention creative places to visit in Cornwall without of course mentioning Tate St Ives. It’s also worth noting that they have a stunning rooftop with a view over Porthmeor Beach.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather on this visit to Cornwall, which was unlike our last visit when we experienced high winds, clouds and rain. We even managed a beautiful visit to Porthcurno Beach, a stunning sandy cove. The waves were, however, a bit intense, so keep this in mind if you’re looking for calm swimming water.

The one day when we weren’t so lucky with the weather also happened to be the one day we had reserved to walk from Kynance Cove to Lizard Point. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the stunning views we were expecting, but it was still a beautiful walk. I was impressed with the walk we did last time along the South West Coast Path, from Zennor to St Ives. This walk was relatively quiet, the view over the cliffs was stunning and there were so many pretty wildflowers in bloom, whereas the Kynance Cove to Lizard Point Walk is mostly just grass (and the view over the sea). We also did a lovely walk up Rosewall Hill this time, which is directly behind the AirBnB we stayed in. It’s not particularly well-signed, but if you’re staying in the area and you walk along Towednack Road, you should find the entrance. Aside from the excellent view, this walk is also dotted with the remains of an old mine, including an old stone chimney/engine house.

There’s so much great food in Cornwall. Since we were staying in a self-catering cottage, we cooked quite a few meals at home but did enjoy the odd meal out. Last time we were in Cornwall. we chanced upon Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar, which does the most delicious seafood in a creative way (not your usual fish and chips). I went back with my Mum and it didn’t disappoint. There are a lot of farm shops around and if we’d been more organised, we would’ve bought our food from them rather than the supermarkets. We did stop at a mini self-serve farm shop on the way back from the Lizard Point to Kynance Cove walk. St Ives is filled with restaurants and cafes, so it’s worth a visit to some of them. You’ll also find Cornish pasties on nearly every street. I found I had limited phone reception in the main town area, so it’s worth doing your research in advance.