Author Archives: manonabeach

About manonabeach

On a beach…welcome to manonabeach.com, where I’ll regularly add video of my beach visits, so you can enjoy a flavour of the beach, even when you’re not there.

Porthcurnick beach

Season: winter

A rising tide was bringing in more kelp to Porthcurnick beach, a natural legacy of the recent storms that had gripped Cornwall’s coast. The benign conditions made a walk by the water a sheer pleasure, with gentle waves lapping against an unspoilt shore. The bright, low winter sun lit the back of the beach and its sedimentary geology as visitors and dog walkers gazed wistfully out to sea.

What the beach means to Kate and her family.

A winter morning on Porthcurnick beach.

Season: spring

Bright sunshine greeted me for this morning visit to Porthcurnick beach. A high tide played on the slipway and grey blue, viscous waves lapped the higher reaches of the beach, almost meeting a waterfall running down to the sea. The new spring growth on the headland was lime green against the low sun. It was a great start to the day.

With Alex and Matthew by the water at Porthcurnick beach.

A high tide in the morning.

Season: summer

Bright morning sunshine greeted me for this summer visit. The flat sea shone under the reflected sun and waves gently lapped the shore at this crescent-shaped beach. It was a time for dog walkers and strolling by the shore at the start of another day.

What the beach means to Alex.

With Joan, seeking solace on the beach.

Another beautiful morning on the Roseland Peninsula during the summertime in Cornwall.

Season: winter

This is the local beach for Rosevine, but there’s also a pleasant clifftop walk from here to Portscatho. The popular Hidden Hut café sits discreetly at the back of the beach and there’s a pleasant arc to the bay at low tide. There are rock pools to explore by the northern end of this beach and you can look across to Portscatho from the water’s edge to see the houses and small harbour lit by the morning sun.

The appeal of the beach and its location to Richard, a long way from the City.

A panoramic view of Porthcurnick beach, as seen from the shore.

Season: winter

It was a mild, gentle morning on the Roseland Peninsula for my winter return to Porthcurnick beach. A beach clean was in full swing, organised by the National Trust, and I was also able to learn from RSPB volunteer Jo about the successful program to re-introduce the cirl bunting to this area . You can approach Porthcurnick beach on foot from the north or south, usually the latter from the car park on the outskirts of Portscatho. There is a good view of Portscatho from the sea, showing how most of our Cornish villages are designed to be approached in this way. Convenient facilities can be found in nearby Portscatho.

Chatting to RSPB volunteer Jo at Porthcurnick beach.

My chat with local resident Sue at one of the regular beach cleans organised by the National Trust.

Porthcurnick beach, as seen from the slipway.

A glimpse of the marine ecosystem on a low tide at Porthcurnick beach.

Carne beach

Season: winter

Carne beach always looks spectacular at low tide, as was the case on this occasion. Dawn light was emerging behind the Nare Head in the east and a falling tide left a sheen on the pristine beach. This is a flat beach, which increases the sense of space, but there are plenty of rock pools at the eastern end of the beach to enjoy too. Dramatic winter storms had impacted on the soft cliffs behind the beach since my last visit.

The relaxing effect of the beach.

Carne beach on a winter morning.

Season: winter

Mild weather and a high tide were the order of the day at Carne beach. As the sun came over the Nare Head, it lit the waves on the upper reaches of the beach and the strand that stretches right round to the far end of Pendower beach in the west. This was a calm period between winter storms, with debris stacked under the sea wall and kelp laid across the road from the recent onslaught. It was a vibrant environment in which to start the day.

What the beach means to Gareth.

High tide at Carne beach.

Season: autumn

The seasonal wheel turns now, from summer to autumn. Mornings like this, with a frenetic mixture of the two, are commonplace. It was warm on this occasion, but there was a precocious breeze that gusted through the scudding black and grey clouds. The white tops of the waves were set in relief by the grey tones around them. This is a time of temperate flux in Cornwall.

What Norma loves about the beach.

A time of seasonal flux, as seen from the water’s edge.

Season: summer

The summer solstice brought a wet, grey day to Carne, so the colours were subtle and blended on an ebb tide. This is a flat beach, well suited to those who prefer a gentle stroll.

With Alan and Enid.

Viewed from the road above the beach, Carne beach on the longest day.

Season: spring

As the seasons change, the gaze of people I pass on the beach moves from the sand and the water’s edge out towards the sea and the horizon. A gentle southerly breeze offers reassurance that summer is on its way. Evidence of the violent erosion to the cliffs at Carne seems unfeasible. All is new, hopeful and restorative.

A reflection on the varied nature of Cornwall beaches and their collective restorative effect.

The energy of the beach rejuvenates a landlocked visitor.

Season: winter

An hour or so after a high spring tide, I could see the Nare Head to my left, with Pendower beach just out of reach to the west and the excellent, traditional Nare Hotel behind the beach. This is a fine beach for swimming or for a morning walk, with its southerly aspect and there is handy parking just by the beach. You’ll find it signposted, along with Pendower beach, from the village of Veryan on the Roseland Peninsula.

A chat with a young family on New Year’s Eve.

Carne beach, as seen from the road.

Readymoney Cove

Season: winter

Recent storms that coincided with spring tides and an onshore wind had scattered kelp and other marine debris over the beach at Readymoney Cove for this winter visit. Several of the many visitors to Fowey gazed out to the open estuary from the beach, as people have done for countless generations. While the town bustled, this was an oasis of calm, a place for reflection at the weekend.

What this and other beaches mean to Sylvia.

The aftermath of winter storms at Readymoney Cove.

Season: autumn

It was a breathtaking morning scene at Fowey’s Readymoney Cove as the spring tide started to fall back. The cove is at the mouth of the Fowey River Estuary, yet it has its own secluded ambiance. With autumn leaves beginning to fall, I could glimpse Readymoney Cove through the trees as I climbed to St Catherine’s Point and the castle. Large shipping passed the estuary. Readymoney Cove felt like a different world.

Rachel compares beaches at either end of the country.

Tom’s reference point as he works.

Looking back to Readymoney Cove from St Catherine’s Point in the morning.

Season: summer

A serendipitous high tide on a calm morning showed Readymoney Cove in a different guise. People were swimming and the cove was protected from boats by a boom. There’s always a tranquil atmosphere here at this wonderful beach.

With Wendy and Caroline, enjoying the nature of the beach.

Readymoney Cove at high tide.

Season: spring

A sunny morning greeted me on my return to Readymoney Cove in Fowey. Sitting by the estuary of the River Fowey, the Tudor St Catherine’s Castle still commands the entrance to Fowey, just above the beach. There is a peculiar, detached romanticism about this place, tranquil, yet in immediate proximity to a busy town.

With Pat and Dave, explaining how this beach has featured in their lives.