Out & About Guide

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Walks & Nature

Walking - South West Coast Path

Cornwall certainly offers some of the world’s most awe-inspiring coastline. The South West Coast Path, originally used by the coastguard to track and pursue smugglers, gives access to 630 miles of amazing scenery from Minehead to Poole. It’s the longest and most popular walk in the Britain and considered among the world’s Great Hikes. Some 300 miles of it is in Cornwall.

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Dolphin & Whale Watching, Penzance

If you prefer to keep out of the water, then dolphin watching might be more your style with Marine Discovery in Penzance. From a sailing catamaran you can look out for grey seals, minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises, and leatherback turtles. Sailing is the quietest way to experience an encounter with these fascinating creatures – if you’re lucky enough to see dolphins you’ll be able to hear them whistling.

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Long Cross Gardens, Port Isaac

Long Cross Victorian Gardens at Trelights (the only public gardens on the North Cornish coast) remain in the original Victorian garden layout, with trees, shrubberies, rock garden and pool - all climatically and horticulturally well adapted to their seafront location with strong salty winds.

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Trewithen Gardens, Grampound Road

A solid Georgian country house stands at the heart of magnificent landscaped gardens. Mountains of azalea, rhododendron, magnolia, camellia and countless other species underlie specimen trees; the estate is renowned as one of England’s finest garden parklands. The house has fine plasterwork, paintings and furniture.

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Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan

The now world-famous gardens span eighty acres, with a complex of walled gardens, including a Georgian walled flower garden and a huge vegetable garden. The stunning Northern Summer House has views to St Austell and St Michael’s Mount. Don’t miss Flora’s Green, originally used by ladies for dancing, with the biggest rhododendron in the world.

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Glendurgan Gardens, Mawnan Smith

Running down to the tiny village of Durgan and its tranquil sandy beach and rock pools, the garden has fine trees and plants, with glorious displays of wild flowers carpeting the valley slopes. There’s also a fantastic laurel maze to lose yourself in.

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Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith

A 25-acre woodland ravine garden descending 200ft from the 18th-century house down to a private cove on the Helford River. The cascading Water Garden has pools of giant Koi carp and exotic water plants winding through two acres of blue and white hydrangeas and on to the beach.

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Trelissick Garden, Feock

Beautifully set at the head of the Fal Estuary, Trelissick has commanding panoramic views over the sea, park and woodland walks, and a unique collection of exotic plants. The Manor House is not open, but there’s an interesting art and craft gallery exhibiting work by local artists, and a café.

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Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek

Long-established rescue and rehabilitation centre overlooking the Helford estuary for injured seals, most of which return to the wild. Some are long-term residents, too traumatised to fend for themselves. The sanctuary is also home to sea-lions, penguins and ponies.

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Helford Estuary

Helford is a sheltered village of lush blooms and idyllic thatched cottages, set beside a wooded tidal creek, with much boating activity in summer. Fabulous walking too - wooded combes. dotted with wild flowers, and a complex landscape of estuaries and peaceful creeks can be experienced on a 5 mile circular walk taking in woodland, secret coves, St Anthony church overlooking Gillan Creek and the sleepy village of Manaccan.

Hayle Estuary RSPB Reserve

Hayle Estuary, the most south westerly estuary in Britain, is home to a wide variety of wetland birds. The habitat of sand and mud here entices wonderful wading birds and winter waterfowl, with up to 18,000 flocking here each year due to its mild climate. Look out for flocks of teal and wigeon, oystercatchers, curlews, little egrets, and perhaps the sight of an osprey in summer.

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Bodmin Moor

Rolling landscape, heather moors scattered with granite boulders, forms the 'roof' of Cornwall - it's an impressive, breathtaking area of outstanding natural beauty covering 200 sq km, with Brown Willy at 420m being the highest point in Cornwall. The sense of remoteness and isolation captured so beautifully by Daphne du Maurier in Jamaica Inn, remains. A stunning place to explore on foot and horseback and there's a rich variety of fauna and flora.

Lizard Point

A narrow lane leads along a windy plateau to Lizard Point, a tongue of rocks marking the most southerly point of mainland Britain. Enjoy refreshment and the far-reaching sea views from the cafe and on a short stroll along the coast path you should see the rare Chough feeding on clifftops. They returned to breed in Cornwall on Lizard Point in 2001 after an absence of 50 years.

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval

An inspirational place, set in a beautiful sheltered valley, where large scale exotic and sub-tropical planting finds an ideal setting among woodland and dramatic views. Within the garden, you’ll find an evolving programme of contemporary art installations. An added draw is the excellent food served in the cafe, with its wonderful views across to St Michael’s Mount.

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Golitha Falls, St Cleer

Best visited after heavy rain, the Golitha Falls are a series of spectacular cascades and waterfalls along a section of the River Fowey through the ancient oak woodland of Draynes Wood on the edge of Bodmin Moor. The scenery varies from wide wooded glades to the steep sided, craggy gorge where the falls are at their most dramatic. It also a great place to observe a wide range of flora and fauna.

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Last updated: 19/02/21

Photo credit: Unsplash

From 2023 the Epicurean Club becomes Loupe

Walks & Nature

Walking - South West Coast Path

Dolphin & Whale Watching, Penzance

Long Cross Gardens, Port Isaac

Trewithen Gardens, Grampound Road

Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan

Glendurgan Gardens, Mawnan Smith

Trebah Garden, Mawnan Smith

Trelissick Garden, Feock

Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek

Helford Estuary

Hayle Estuary RSPB Reserve

Bodmin Moor

Lizard Point

Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval

Golitha Falls, St Cleer