Season: spring

It was a busy time at Mylor Churchtown.  Boats were being secured across Carrick Roads on their swinging moorings, as the yacht harbour transferred them from their winter hard standing to the marina.  Around the corner at Restronguet Sailing Club, it was an oasis of calm, with morning dog walkers enjoying the peaceful strand line all the way on to Trefusis Point.  Summer was on the way at Mylor Churchtown.

Malcolm describes the sailing waters of the Carrick Roads.

Why Julie is at the beach.

Season: spring

A high tide was falling away from the beach by Mylor Yacht Harbour on a tranquil morning.  This is a time to prepare for the new season in the sailing community, with anti-fouling being applied and boats returning to the water from the winter’s hard standing.  Along the pontoon were the sail powered oyster dredgers, coming to the end of their season.  The location is stunning here, affording a clear view across to the Roseland Peninsula and St Just.

Becky’s place in this area.

A life of travel for James and Becky aboard the Eda Frandsen.

A tranquil morning at Mylor.

Season: autumn

The start of autumn brought a favourable change to the weather in this corner of Cornwall.  Settled under a gentle breeze, busy Mylor Yacht Harbour was quite a picture, with weekending sailors preparing to depart for a day’s sailing or working on their boats.  Guests were arriving for a wedding in the ancient church.  All was well with the world.

Richard explains the beach’s place in his yachting routine.

Season: summer

Sitting quietly on the west side of Carrick Roads is Mylor Yacht Harbour, located on the site of the former naval dockyard at Mylor Churchtown.  In olden days there was a naval training ship, HMS Ganges, moored off the creek and even twenty years ago, a small naval vessel moored against the harbour.  Now there’s a sea of yachts on swinging moorings during the summer, virtually obscuring the view across the head of the creek to Greatwood Quay.  It’s a great commercial success story and the ambiance is up-market and well-to-do.  The misty backdrop to my first film lent a soporific air to the scene and this place does feel like a slightly surreal staging point for international yachtsmen.  These are some of the best sailing waters in the UK and of course, it’s a hundred miles due south to Brittany, with excellent access to the Scilly Isles and West Cork.

Ruth’s take on the beach.

Another misty day at Mylor Churchtown.

Season: spring

Misty Mylor was no place for a scene-setting view of Carrick Roads, with the yacht harbour shrouded in thick mist, so I enjoyed two chats by the water and beat a hasty retreat.

Richard tells it straight.

Three generations and a dog on the beach at Mylor Churchtown.

Season: winter

This affluent area in a creek on the Carrick Roads has plenty for all ages and interests.  Apart from the outstanding natural beauty of the Carrick Roads, looking across to St Just and the Roseland Peninsula, there are cafes, parking, toilets, a yacht club, a church and a restaurant, all tastefully clustered around the Mylor Yacht Harbour.  It can get very crowded in the summer, so off-season is a great time to visit, perhaps walking round Trefusis Point to Flushing and looking across to Falmouth, Pendennis Castle and the docks.

With Alice and Toby, representative of the patrons on this beach at a weekend.  There is so much choice of activity at hand, from the popular Restronguet Sailing Club and Mylor Yacht Club to gig rowing or kayaking up the creeks, or perhaps relaxing at the well-appointed cafe, bistro bar and restaurant in the yacht harbour.

A view from St Mylor Church of Mylor Yacht Harbour and the grave of smuggler Thomas James.

A view of the beach and Carrick Roads, as seen from Restronguet Sailing Club.