Season: spring
An uncharacteristically languid scene greeted me for this spring visit. Sea pink, wild garlic and bluebells adorned the banks behind the cliffs. There’s a fine 180 degree vista here, stretching north from the cove to Porthleven via Loe Bar. There’s also a popular section of the South West Coast Path to enjoy, this spot marking tired walkers’ first view of Porthleven and a bed for the night on their treks up from Lizard Point and Mullion Cove.
A release from the claustrophobia of everyday life for Ray.
Season: autumn
Named after the Cornish “Als Yfferin” or “Hell’s Cliffs”, Halzephron Cove is a storm-lashed enclave on the west side of the Lizard, torn from the high cliffs by the Atlantic Ocean. Although it was a calm morning on this occasion, gazing down into it provoked a chilling sensation. If you like your nature raw, this is the place for you. Others might prefer to just glimpse the cove through the cloak of the tamarisk and pittosporum above as they pass on their way along the South West Coast Path. I went round Halzephron Cliff to the relatively benign atmosphere at Dollar Cove for my interviews, although, as the name suggests, there’s a shipwreck tradition here too.
My chat with Julie at Dollar Cove next to Halzephron Cove.
What pulls John to the beach in the morning.
Gazing into the dark foreboding chasm of Halzephron Cove.