Monthly Archives: June 2012

Constantine Bay

Season: summer

Wild waves crashed onto the rocks and beach at Constantine Bay this morning.  The weather was mild and windy, with families and walkers enjoying the ebb tide, some passing through between Harlyn and Treyarnon, or even Porthcothan, to enjoy a spectacular walk on North Cornwall’s outstanding section of the South West Coast Path.

Summer visit photo gallery

With Steve, sharing his thoughts about the beach and sea, in the context of a life well lived.

Banner for Perfect Stays at Constantine Bay.

Out on the rocks, near the sea at Constantine Bay.

Season: spring

The bright sunshine for this morning visit had brought the early visitors out onto the beach.  Constantine By, at low tide, looked splendid, welcoming and open to all.  The seasonal concessions, selling coffee and renting surfboards, were up with the lark.

Geoff explains what a tonic he gets from his daily beach visits.

Jill explains what the beach means to her.

The beach at Constantine Bay, from the sand dunes at low tide.

Season: winter

It was mild and misty for this re-visit, but the sea was wild and the beach was littered with jetsam at the high tide mark, on a falling tide.  You can see pictures of it on the manonabeach Facebook page.  I was able to get out to the rocks on the small headland, where I enjoyed the surging power of the sea from side-on, seriously elemental.

The beach at Constantine Bay, from above.

Feeling close to the sea, on the rocks at Constantine Bay.

Season: autumn

A Day at the Beach illustration - Rowena SiorvanesA trip during the Indian summer of 2011 to Constantine Bay on a windy but sunny day.  There’s an accessible car park with toilets at the end of the beach, but no shops at hand.  The beach gets very busy during the summer season.  It’s a beach that always seems to have a grander scale than its actual dimensions, feeling rather like Crantock or Watergate Bay in wild weather circumstances.  You can see the off-season side of an elemental North Cornwall beach on display for this re-visit.  Its character is very different from the iconic August scene in the school summer holidays.  Now, local dog walkers and long-standing, regular visitors are the staple beach users and there’s an easy, rustic ambience.

The beach at Constantine Bay, from the shelter of the rocks.

A fine sense of the waves on the North Cornwall coast at Constantine Bay.  Say no more!

Goose barnacles on a much travelled log, washed up on Constantine Bay beach via the Gulf Stream.

Two fun interviews with a Mum and her son who were visiting their home in the village; she would clearly have preferred to live here and he was glad to visit.  Massive wolf hound dogs, as I remember.

My chat to the son, at the car park just behind the beach.

Porthpean

Season: summer

A flat sea and bright morning sun faced me on this return to Porthpean.  The tide was high and I met two regular beachgoers, enjoying their daily morning tonic.

With Mark and Karen, on the beach at Porthpean.

A still setting, near St Austell in the morning.

Season: spring

A blue, grey morning greeted me at Porthpean beach in St Austell, for this re-visit.  The tide was in and the sea was calm, looking across the bay.  Porthpean sits half way between Trenarren and Charlestown, on the South West Coast Path.  This is part of a fine section of walking on Cornwall’s south coast and Porthpean’s a great spot to stop for a break during a walk.

Belinda explains what the beach means to her.

Porthpean beach at high tide, from above.

Season: autumn

This is a real locals’ beach, on the south side of St Austell, with a sailing club just above the beach.  I was there in a wild easterly wind, straight onto the beach, which brought the sea to life.  I had two great chats with people happy to be alive, including a charming young family.  St Austell is handy for any requirements and facilities, as this is really a town beach.

The beach at Porthpean, from the slipway by the Sailing Club.

Here’s a view from the waterline.

My chat with a family who were rockpooling at Porthpean Beach.

Another chat, this time with Tony, at Porthpean Beach.

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.

Loe Bar

Season: summer

A beautiful morning at Loe Bar, an age away from the windy scene that greeted me in the autumn.  A German film crew were adapting a Rosamunde Pilcher novel, filming on the bank above the Bar, so I had a chat with two extras.  As the tide rose, you could see and feel the enormous undertow on this steep sided, lethal beach.  The difference in the water on either side of the Bar, the raging Atlantic and the tranquil Loe Pool, was marked, divided by a thin, sandy bar and a few sea cabbages.

Summer visit photo gallery

John’s affinity for the head space he gets at the beach.

Tim’s perennial love of the sea, which he passes on.

A study in tranquility, Loe Bar in the morning.

Season: autumn

Loe Bar is a raised ridge of beach above the hazardous, steep-shelved Porthleven Sands, dividing that beach from the fresh water Loe Pool, an outstanding nature reserve and beauty spot.  It’s a dynamic place to be.  I witnessed extensive renovations taking place to the main Helston outfall pipe.  I also saw first-hand the damage the sea has done to the cliffs.  Both these observations are in the films.  Access is hard won via a lane down from parking above to the south, or along Porthleven Sands from the village, or through the estate which includes Loe Pool.  There are no facilities but it’s well worth the effort when you get there.

Getting a lift with David and his concrete mixer lorry.

An interview explaining the work being done at Loe Bar.

What the sea can do to the rocky cliffs at Porthleven Sands.

A blustery view from the Bar, across to Loe Pool and back to the ocean.

Porthcothan

Season: summer

This was a chance to enjoy the evening sun, on the North Coast of Cornwall.  As the tide ran in, the sun was framed between the headlands, with the sand dunes behind.  Porthcothan Bay is unspoilt and natural, as it’s always been, little known and wild, a great place to come and see what the tide’s brought in.

Summer visit photo gallery

With Abby and Isaac in the evening.

The sea races in at Porthcothan Bay.

Season: autumn

The best beachcombing beach in Cornwall, home to the late well-known film maker, beachcomber and fisherman Nick Darke, Porthcothan is an unspoilt north coast beach which faces the Atlantic and attracts flotsam and jetsam from as far away as the Amazon.  A deep rather than wide beach, it was being surveyed for erosion damage on my visit.  There is a shop behind the dunes, toilets and plenty of parking to hand in the small village.

A friendly chat with 2 proud local residents.

A chat with one of 2 surveyors, who were collecting data for analysis on coastal erosion.

Peace and quiet at Porthcothan, the beach all to myself.

My first view, from the back of Porthcothan beach.

Pentewan

Season: summer

Gusts of 70mph were forecast for today and the sea crashed in at Pentewan Sands, as if on cue.  It was a mild, southerly wind and the tide was receding for this re-visit.  Visitors staying at the caravan park straggled along the path to the village shop for their newspapers and milk, in the rain.  On the beach, the energising combination of elements touched a deep nerve.

Summer visit photo gallery

The sea, the sea…

Daryl’s tonic, at the beach on his holiday.

Season: autumn

Pentewan Sands is a long, private beach.  Most of the beach is used by holiday makers,  but locals usually use the northern end, known as Village beach.  You can walk to this easily from Pentewan village, which has all necessary facilities and toilets.  There is an industrial heritage here, but I enjoyed the kite surfer in the shallows and a chat with 3 local ladies.  The village has a pub, restaurant and shops, as well as plenty of parking.

My chat with three local ladies from Pentewan village, next to Village beach.

The beach on a blustery day at Pentewan Sands.

A kite surfer in action at Pentewan Sands, near St Austell in Cornwall.

 

Portholland

Season: summer

Wild rain and a strong wind set the scene at Portholland, with waves lashing the sea defences as the tide started to fall away.  Village residents were stockaded behind closed doors, avoiding the worst of the weather.  The vibrant sea and the random nature of the elements made this an exciting place to be.  I chatted to Trounce, in the shelter of his home, about the beach, the sea and the lyrical appeal of Portholland.

Summer visit photo gallery

With Trounce and his recollections, of Portholland and swimming in the sea.

Trounce’s poem.

The sea against the shore, at East Portholland.

Season: autumn

I popped round the corner to Portholland after filming at Portloe.  In my haste, I mistakenly referred to the village as West Portholland, which is in fact a small extention to the West of the actual village where I was.  So, my apologies and the manonabeach film is strictly in East Portholland, or Portholland if you prefer.  The sea was right in, testing the strong concrete sea defences.  The harbour is bordered by charming terraced cottages, including a post office and a small shop, which serves drinks to thirsty coast path walkers.  There is plenty of parking as well as toilets next to the beach.

Towan Head

Season: summer

The mild, overcast morning, on Towan Head in Newquay, coincided with a high tide, just starting to fall back on Little Fistral beach, next to the headland.  A vibrant sea pummelled the rocks that faced the Atlantic Ocean.  Looking back from the lookout post, the party goers of Newquay slept through a vibrant start to the day.

Summer visit photo gallery

Two early morning joggers, at Towan Head.

Next to the action. in the morning on Towan Head.

Season: autumn

The Pentire, with Towan Head at its tip, sits between Little Fistral beach and Newquay Harbour.  It has its own car park and outstanding views both ways, either over Fistral beach to Pentire or along all Newquay’s town beaches and round to Porth beach.  You can get to it by following signs to Fistral beach and turning off right just before the turning to the Headland Hotel.  The car park has toilets and an ice cream van in season.

I met two fisherman, looking for codling and mackerel an hour before high tide.  We were sheltered from the prevailing wind and had a fine view across to the Newquay town beaches and harbour.

Looking back from Towan Head along the Pentire.

The Pentire has a different mood depending on which side you’re walking.  The prevailing South Westerly winds make the Little Fistral side very windswept, but you can always shelter in the lea on the Newquay harbour side, where I chatted to the fishermen.

Trevone Bay

Season: summer

I deliberately came here as early in summer as possible and was greeted with a beautiful, peaceful beach in the morning.  The continuing high pressure subdued the waves and there were the remains of a misty dawn.  This is a stunningly attractive beach and cove, one of the finest in Cornwall, deep set and surrounded by rocks at low tide.

Summer visit photo gallery

A spring visit photo

Catherine’s affinity for the beach.

Banner for Perfect Stays on Trevone beach.

Denis and the release of the sea.

On the waterline at Trevone Bay, on a low tide.

Season: autumn

Trevone beach was predictably empty and mothballed on my off-season visit.  This village has one of the highest percentages of second homes in Cornwall, but these houses are generally not let out to other visitors, as their owners are particularly affluent.  I didn’t expect to find someone to talk to, so just two short films of a very pretty cove and beach.  No facilities except July and August, when there are plenty.

Trevone Bay and the beach, with crashing surf.

Here’s another view of a beautiful bay and beach off season.