Category Archives: Southeast Cornwall

Looe

Season: spring

I encountered a sharp, clear dawn for this re-visit to Looe in early spring.  The tide was high and there was a fine view back to the beach and town from the end of the Banjo Pier, with occasional waves breaking over its surface.  As the town started to wake up, the fish processors, wholesalers and retailers were well under way with their working days.

Spring visit photo gallery

The scene at dawn, from the end of the Banjo Pier.

Season: winter

The sea was flat calm on my winter re-visit to Looe, on Cornwall’s South East coast.  There were lots of visitors in the town, enjoying the many independent shops in the twisting streets.  The harbour was a picture at high tide and I was struck by the clarity of the water, with the seabed clearly visible through ten feet of water at the harbour entrance.  This town feels go-ahead and energetic, but with due deference paid to the fishing community and its roots.  I had a really enjoyable visit.

My chat with Mick, from the Harbour Commision at Looe.

Ernie, who runs the ferry across the harbour in Looe.

The beach at Looe, from the Banjo Pier.

Season: autumn

Looe is a top tourist destination on Cornwall’s south coast, but I found it to be a thriving working harbour too during my early morning visit in December.  You can park right in the centre of town and easily walk down through attractive shops and restaurants to the beach on the east side of town.  The beach is surprisingly large, looking across to the bay towards Looe Island.  There are toilets and all facilities immediately to hand, and there are great walks on the South West Coast Path in both directions.  A great place to visit for nature, shopping and a proper Cornish atmosphere.

A visit to see Angie and Jackie from Looe’s Pengelly’s fishmongers, on the harbour in Looe.

My chat at Nippers shellfish shop in Looe.

The beach at Looe.

 

Hannafore Point

Season: spring

It was a fine scene at Hannafore Point for this early spring re-visit.  From Looe round to the island, the sun laced the dawn skies, filtering through the cloud and mist.  A high tide crashed against the rocks and sea defences, sending spray vertically up, to land on the promenade by the beach.  The interview took place in the lea of Looe Island, its land access covered by the tide.

Spring visit photo gallery

Viv finds herself in a familiar spot.

High tide at Hannafore Point.

Season: autumn

The morning sun drenched the silver sea, outside the harbour and the Banjo Pier, here at Hannafore Point in the morning.  From the town round to Looe Island, it was a scene of tranquility.  This is one of those beaches and strands with a benign atmosphere, particularly early in the day.  Each visit shows a new side to the scenery, this time with droves of sandpipers picking at the seaweed on the beach.

Autumn visit photo gallery

A father and daughter share a love of the beach.

Tristan likes where he lives.

A beautiful morning panorama, at Hannafore Point.

Season: summer

A grey day greeted me for this summer re-visit to Hannafore Point, in South East Cornwall.  Nevertheless, a glass bottomed pleasure cruiser was making its way over to Looe Island and there were small, inshore fishing boats about on the high tide.  Lots of people were taking a brisk Sunday morning constitutional walk, several gazing longingly out to sea.

Summer visit photo gallery

Rod and Sue, with an international perspective on the beach.

Looe harbour, Hannafore Point and Looe Island this morning.

Season: winter

Hannafore Point is a long finger of beach immediately to the west of Looe, interspersed with rock pools at low tide, when I visited.  It has outstanding views of the bay and Looe Island.  Immediately above the beach are robust sea defences that include a walkway along towards the South West Coast  Path, Talland Bay and Polperro.  There is free parking on the road above the beach, and a handy toilet block.  Like a lot of the South Coast beaches, I enjoy them in the mornings and through lunchtime, when the sun provides an atmospheric backdrop.

An early morning dog walker at Hannafore Point, near Looe.

Gaining spiritual balance and inspiration from the beach at Hannafore Point, near Looe

A spin round at Hannafore Point, early in the morning.

Talland Bay

Season: spring

This small, charming beach is always a pleasure to visit.  The tide receded to highlight the arc of the bay in the beach’s shape.  You approach the beach down a steep road, rather like Hemmick on the Roseland Peninsula, so there’s a sense of theatre about the experience, as you turn a bend in the lane to see Talland Bay revealed.  Highly recommended.

Spring visit photo gallery

Polly’s affinity for this beach, over time.

Watching the tide recede at Talland Bay.

Season: spring

This quiet corner of Cornwall, between Polperro and Looe, sits on one of the best walking stretches of the South West Coast Path, the cliffs here allowing a lofty perspective on the beaches, all the way to Polruan in the West.

Spring visit photo gallery

With Charlotte, above Talland Bay in South East Cornwall.

The beach at Talland Bay, from the road down to it.

Season: autumn

This is a charming cove and beach, between Looe and Polperro on the South Coast of Cornwall.  Access to the beach, with some parking, a café and toilets is easy and the South West Coast Path passes by.  Talland Bay is not commercialised, so it has a pleasant, natural feel.  This is a good beach to have a think on, as you look out to the sea.

Two happy visitors to Cornwall, enjoying the fresh air at Talland Bay on Cornwall’s South Coast, near Polperro.

The sea acting on the beach at Talland Bay, between Looe and Polperro in Cornwall.

Great Lantic

Season: summer

A visit to Great Lantic beach in South Cornwall, near Polruan at the head of the River Fowey estuary, is always a massive treat.  The steep descent heightens the anticipation and arriving on this beach is never a disappointment.  It’s totally wild, unspoilt and timeless, without commercial intrusion and usually deserted or sparsely populated.  The geology is outstanding, with creased, folded and eroded rock formations standing proud against the relentless assault of the ocean.

Summer visit photo gallery

Andrew’s appreciation of the beach’s invigorating effect, on all his family.

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Richard tackles a family challenge and Diana enjoys the colours.

An outstanding clash of elements on the waterline.

Season: spring

This unspoilt beach is always a pleasure to visit, despite the steep path down to the sea.  The weekend had brought several beachgoers out and I was able to chat with a group of friends, enjoying the pristine nature.  The beach is set below outstanding walking on the South West Coast Path, between Polruan and Polperro.  This side of the Fowey River estuary has outstanding sea views, looking out from the high cliffs, as well as beautiful, wild beaches.

Spring visit photo

A group of friends, on the beach at Lantic Bay.

Al expands on the allure of the sea.

The unspoilt beauty of Great Lantic beach.

Season: autumn

Great Lantic beach is near Polruan in South East Cornwall, across the water from Fowey.  This is a magical beach, deserted and at the bottom of steep steps; you can hear how tired I was, interviewing the two walkers on my way up, near the top.  This beach is where I laid out the manonabeach stones for the website banner.  It had exotic plants in amongst the pebbles on the higher reaches of the beach, with fires and stone stacks that people had left.  The geology was stunning and it was unspoilt.  Access is difficult, but well worth it.

A chat at the top of the very steep path up from Great Lantic beach, on Lantic Bay.

The view from the back of the beach, at Lantic Bay.

Exploring Great Lantic beach.

The waterline at Great Lantic beach, including evidence of human activity.

A view of Great Lantic beach and the bay, from above.

 

 

Kingsand Cawsand

Season: autumn

On arrival at Kingsand Cawsand, a warship slipped its mooring and headed out of Plymouth Sound.  Although peaceful and quiet, the aspect here, overlooking a busy shipping thoroughfare, rings with historical references.  The sun in the east threw a moored yacht into relief.  This is a place that people have always left from and returned to.  Those that stay can always watch people do just that, perhaps weighing their prospects and rewards.

Autumn visit photo gallery

Thea reflects on the thoroughfare in front of the beach.

helpful holidays

Fisherman David’s place in the jigsaw.

Kingsand Cawsand in the morning, with the sun streaming over the Sound.  You can see interviewee David and his boat coming into port.

Season: summer

Bright sunshine at Kingsand Cawsand lit the way, for this summer re-visit.  Plymouth Sound became a hive of activity as the morning drifted on, the tide rising to meet the influx of day trippers.  The atmosphere was peaceful and the villages seemed at ease with each other, seamlessly linked by their winding, narrow lane.

Summer visit photo gallery

A re-acquaintance with artist Jim Woolley.

Claire’s lifelong love of the beach.

Alles zusammen in dieser welt, am strand mit Marianne, von Bavaria.

On a rising tide at Cawsand beach, a stunning morning.

Season: winter

There is a large car park at the head of the joint village of Kingsand and Cawsand, with a toilet block as you walk down from the car park, as well as plenty of attractive shops and a couple of pubs.  The three beaches that make up the village look east towards the entrance to Plymouth Sound and a warship had just emerged, presumably from Devonport, during my visit.  Also across Cawsand Bay is the factory for Princess yachts, which are often tested in the bay.  There’s a tourist feel here, but olde worlde charm and its smuggling association shines through.

An interview with the artist Jim Woolley, who works “en plein air”.

Looking at Girt beach and towards Kingsand beach

Cawsand

Whitsand Bay

Season: autumn

Whitsand Bay runs North from Rame Head, in Cornwall’s South East corner.  It’s a long beach that faces West and actually comprises several smaller beaches, each with its own character and patrons.  For this re-visit, on a falling tide, I visited the most popular section of beach, in front of the Eddystone cafe, which sits right on the beach.  The beach is staggeringly beautiful and wild.  It has chalets and beach houses that cling to the steep cliffs above, one of which had been owned by my interviewee, Anne.  Due to Plymouth’s proximity, this is also a well visited beauty spot, despite the steep access.

Autumn visit photo gallery

Anne’s love of this beach and its place in her life.

A view of Whitsand Bay from above.

Season: spring

A wild morning at Whitsand Bay greeted me for this re-visit.  The low tide made the pristine beach accessible, including the chance to see the Eddystone cafe and get close to the warship cruising close to the shore.

Spring visit photo

With Sadie, on the beach at Whitsand Bay.

On the shoreline at Whitsand Bay, in the teeth of the weather.

Halfway down the path to Whitsand Bay in South East Cornwall, on a stormy day.

Season: winter

I visited Whitsand Bay on a wild morning in December, with a strong south westerly wind driving breakers onto the beach.  Access is via steep paths all along the Bay, so you need to be reasonably agile.  There are a couple of car parks on the other side of the road above the Bay, but no toilet block or café available.  This bay and its beach are the best way to feel the Atlantic so far east in Cornwall.

A chat with two cold surfers above Whitsand Bay, hail falling in the cold dawn.

A fascinating glimpse of the Victoriana, at Tregantle Fort above Whitsand Bay.

A view of the Bay from above, plus an interesting bench.

 

Port Nadler

Season: summer

The high tide covered the beach at Port Nadler, on this grey morning.  For perspective, I dropped down from the coast path to the other inlet at Port Nadler to my previous film.  This is an unspoilt National Trust beach, between Polperro and Looe on the South West Coast Path.

Out for a morning walk. at Port Nadler Bay

One of the two inlets, above the beach on a high tide, at Port Nadler in South East Cornwall.

Season: autumn

Port Nadler is a small beach on the south coast, between Looe and Talland Bay, owned by the National Trust.  There are no facilities and it’s located right below the popular South West Coast Path.   The beach felt natural and timeless, and I was able to sit on some rocks out into the waves for my second video.

Port Nadler beach, from the South West Coast Path above.

A view from the rocks at Port Nadler beach.

Down on the waterline at Port Nadler beach.

Wilcove

Season: spring

The tide was out for this re-visit to Wilcove in South East Cornwall, situated on the River Tamar, bordering Devon, on the Cornwall side.  The empty creek is a haven for wildlife, particularly birds, when the tide is out.  Although grey, the morning was peaceful and tranquil, punctuated by birdsong.

With Sally, at the water’s edge in Wilcove.

At the high tide mark, Alison explain the appeal of the beach to her.

Looking back at Wilcove, from the beach and waterline.

Season: winter

Wilcove sits opposite Devonport Dockyard, at the foot of the River Tamar in South East Cornwall.  I was greeted by a biting South Easterly wind.  The village is pretty, if a little isolated in terms of facilities.  It’s close to west-facing Whitsand Bay and the National Trust property at Antony, well worth a visit.  The villages in this nook of Cornwall are full of character and very attractive.

With apologies for the wind noise in the middle of the interview, here’s ex-merchant seaman Brian, who uses the beach to retain his affinity to the sea.

The sheltered bay at Wilcove in South East Cornwall.

Polperro

Season: winter

It was a grey day at Polperro for my winter re-visit, with rain about and few visitors.  This is one of Cornwall’s most scenic villages, with an iconic fishing harbour.  Some of the seasonal shops were just starting to open and the village still held its winter sleepiness to the fore.

Chatting to a visiting family from Cheltenham.

The small beach, at the entrance to the harbour in Polperro.

Season: autumn

Although there is a small beach at Polperro next to the outer breakwater, this was really a visit to a fishing village rather than a beach.  I had a great time in Polperro, which is completely geared up for the visitor in terms of all facilities, shops and attractions.  I particularly recommend a visit to the Polperro Arts Foundation, a not-for-profit outfit that supports local artists, featured in my 3 part interview there.  A charming village by the sea, highly recommended for a day visit or longer.

The first of my 3 part chat at Polperro Arts Foundation.

The second of my 3 part chat at Polperro Arts Foundation.

The final part of my chat at Polperro Arts Foundation.

A chat with a young couple visiting the village, one with happy memories of previous stays.

Interview with a much travelled Aussie in the Blue Peter Inn.

A view of the harbour at Polperro.