Living next to the sea is something we never take for granted.
In fact, the sea and the wilderness around it, inform our study programmes…
Far and Wild
As well as Surf & Study, we run courses for adults which take our English lessons on the road. We head out to the wild ends of Cornwall – embracing the county’s beauty and the art it inspires.
Here we feature three lesser-known destinations on the North coast to tempt you to join us on an English with Art and Culture course in 2020.
Land’s Beginning
On the very tip of the county, and the country, you’ll find a honey-pot for tourists: Land’s End. Endings depend on your perspective: we like to think of the southern most point of Cornwall as its beginning. The coastline branches in two – north and east – creating one of the most diverse coastal regions in Europe. Whilst Land’s End might be worth a quick look, the gems are found away from the larger tourist draws.
This little spot is accessible at low tide from Sennen Cove, or by tracing the South West Coast Path up over the cliffs.
There are other ways of accessing the beach: but we aren’t giving away all our secrets 🙂 Come adventure with us and we’ll show you more…
Holy Wells and Lost Churches…
One of our favourite stomps is from the common land near Penhale dunes, over craggy headlands to the unmistakable twin rocks which mark Holywell Bay. We love it because it’s a stunning section of coastline, but it’s also awash with folklore, legend and enigma: inspiring stuff, indeed.
Penhale is cited as the place where St Piran – the patron saint of Cornwall – came ashore. A modern cross atop a dune in Penhale Sands marks the area’s significance: an Oratory, buried for centuries in the sand, sits close by, and the remnants of a newer church – from the 12th century! – and possibly the oldest cross in Cornwall (pre-dating 1066, the Norman Conquest) lie on an opposing dune.
Visit on the closest Sunday to the 5th of March – St Piran’s Day – to witness a pilgrimage across the dunes to all of these sites.
Heading over to Holywell Bay, past MOD land, reveals more natural wonders: a fathomless pool below the cliffs, wild ponies grazing and – if you’re lucky – the pod of dolphins which often visit Perranporth bay.
Looking back towards St Agnes and ‘Cow and Calf’ or Bawden Rocks
Holywell is so named due to two wells on the cliffs heading north towards Crantock. One can easily be seen in the roof of a cave from the beach at low-tide and was another local mystical site – thought to cure disease and illness.
If you recognise this beach and the unmistakable Gull Rock sitting close off-shore, it’s not surprising. It’s been used as the location for many scenes from the recent BBC adaptation of Poldark. Read more about the locations here!
Looking south over the beach to Gull Rock
Piskies, Wizards and Kings
You could easily visit the imperious Tintagel Castle, or town itself, and miss this tiny treasure. Nestled in a sheer valley of rare plants and cascading waterfalls, is St Nectan’s Glen.
Whilst Tintagel’s grand claim to be the seat of King Arthur draws the crowds, head off the beaten path to this idyllic site and hope to see folkloric characters of a smaller nature: a Cornish piskie.
St Nectan photo credits: @cjbelle99
A visit to the Glen is the only way to appreciate that seeing a piskie (which is a pixie, sprite or faerie) might actually be possible.
What is undoubtable, is the natural wonder of this place.
