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.
I love the wonderfully English sight of people promenading along the sand on Sunday afternoons.