A week in the West Country
 

Greetings, All :)

I will be visiting the UK again in May 2009 and a week down around Devon and Cornwall appeals to me.

My current thinking is to take a train from London to a station somewhere in that area, hire a car, check into a nice B&B in a convenient location and do easy, gentle day trips to explore.

Can anyone suggest a good place to base myself for exploring the region? I am considering Penzance at the moment because it has a railway station and it might be nice to do a day trip on the ferry to the Isles of Scilly. My only reservation is that Penzance is not particularly central to the region which might result in some fairly long day trips to reach parts of Devon. Of course, if the scenery (I will be taking a LOT of photographs) around Penzance, Land's End St Ives, etc is spectacular enough, I may not need to venture further afield.

What are the 'must sees' in the region?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

Sounds like a very good plan! I'm not sure there is really a central spot to really see the West Country--it sort of breaks down more into counties with North and South Cornwall being fairly large areas requiring much peninsula dipping to enjoy fully.

You might want to, in a week--just settle in Cornwall--perhaps staying where you are most interested in being (sounds like St Ives--a great choice) and enjoying the region nearby.
Devon is also very lovely- with Dartmouth and Dartmoor both excellent destinations depending on your interests. The walking is excellent throughout. May will be hedges full of flowers...

Cheers,
Meg
Up the Ben and Down the Boozer
http://megrobb.typepad.com/britishtravel/

I love the St Ives area. Penzance is a bit far out of the way IMO.

Thanks for your kind replies. Further research has turned up Bodmin as a possibly more central base. Can one do a round trip to Land's End from Bodmin in a day? It looks as though one can reach most other places from there and it is also accessible from London by rail.

What do you think?

I don't think you will manage a day trip to Scilly by sea. You can fly from Lands End or Newquay.

We spent four days in Penzance this past fall. We saw trips to the islands advertised. Also, we made a one-day, round-trip visit to Land's End. A woman we met stopped off on the way and walked the coastal trail to Land's End.

We really enjoyed St. Michael's Mount, easily reached by bus from Penzance or by walking along the bay.

Also, the Minack Theater is well worth a visit. For something out of the usual there is a telegraph museum nearby.

We didn't have time to go, but we were told we could easily reach St. Ives from Penzance.

If you do stay in Penzance or thereabouts, be sure to take a tour with Harry Safari. He's a hoot.

Thanks for your responses :)

I have discovered that one can do a day trip to The Isles of Scilly from Penzance, going one way by air and the other way by ferry, giving about 6 hours on St Mary's.

I'm trying to work out how far I could reasonably drive from Penzance on a day trip. Does any one know if I could get from Penzance to Polperro and back in a day? How about Tintagel or Bude?

Would it be better to spend say 3 nights in Penzance and 3 nights somewhere like Bideford or Clovelly?

I don't know this area well, so any advice would be greatly appreciated :)

Hi Yelpir - With a car you can certainly day-trip to Polperro, Bude ... or anywhere else in Cornwall. Personally though I'd possibly choose Falmouth as a base rather than Penzance.

If you want a few days in Devon too I'd suggest Lynmouth (N. Devon) or Dartmouth (S. Devon) to base rather than Clovelly or Bideford.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Hi Steve, thanks for your help :)

The plan so far:
Arrive Heathrow (from Cape Town, so no real jetlag problems) at about 7:00am on May 6th. Take a 10:00am coach from Heathrow to Taunton in Devon, arriving at about 1:00pm. Pick up a rental car and drive to Lynmouth for the first overnight.

From there I want to spend about 10 days doing a slow circle of Devon and Cornwall, finishing up back at Taunton at about 1:00pm on May 16th. Drop off the rental car and take an afternoon coach back to Heathrow.

This will give me 10 nights for which I will need to find stopover places. I could do 5-5 nights in two places, 3-3-4 nights in three places, 2-3-2-3 nights in 4 places or 2-2-2-2-2 nights in 5 places.

2-3-2-3 in 4 places looks good to me at the moment. If Lynmouth and Falmouth are two of those places, I would still appreciate suggestions for two more nice towns (or farms) to spend a couple of nights in. I am especially looking for beautiful scenery and quaint villages. I will be staying in B&Bs all the way.

Thanks :)

Yelpir - I think Dartmouth is one of the nicest places in Devon - a good base IMO for South Devon/Dartmoor.

So my 4 would probably be Lynmouth, Fowey, St Ives and Dartmouth.

If you want to see E.Devon/W. Dorset, consider Sidmouth.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

Yes, Fowey and St. Ives are interesting.

If you go as far as Fowey and St. Mawes, detour through the beautiful St. Just in Roseland.

Thanks for your advice. With your help, my stopovers are now more or less settled :)

Now I am wondering if in early May I need to book B&B accommodation or whether I can just wing it. Previously I have always planned down to finest detail and had everything booked way ahead of time. Now the idea of just drifting wherever the wind blows is appealing to me.

Would I be correct in assuming that there is no shortage of good B&B accommodation in Devon and Cornwall and that I would never find myself stuck for a bed?

Just a thought. The area of Devon and Cornwall isnt that big - so why waste so much time uprooting, unpacking and travelling. I would consider just two bases - one of which would be Lynmouth (suggested by some other).

You've had some good advice here. Just a couple of thoughts: I think it makes sense to have a couple of stops because otherwise you'll end up backtracking a lot. Cornwall and Devon might be 'small' by US standards but distances which look short on the map actually take a long time to traverse - those winding country lanes are beautiful but slow. So I think you have the right idea, to move on after a night or two. I'm unclear whether you want to base yourself in beautiful villages/scenic countryside. Those places you've listed are largish towns. And why limit yourself to B&Bs? Have you considered inns/pubs with rooms? There are some great places - Here's a link to a place that was named pub of the year:http://www.cornwall-online.co.uk/gurnards-head/
It offers B+B and great dining. It is in a beautiful spot outside of St. Ives (which is really quite a big town). There are fantastic walks along the headland. Just a thought! And I hate to sound like a disloyal Brit but Clovelly has turned into quite the rip-off - you have to pay to even enter the village! Lands End has long been comletely shameless about being nothing more than an expensive car park - better to look into some of the stunning walks in the area, eg. from Tintagel.Ignore the Arthur/Camelot tourist tat in the town and set off from the ruins for a breathtakingly beautiful walk along the cliffs, looping back to a pub in town. And remember, it may be May but be prepared for any kind of weather!

In 1998 we stayed at the Garrick in St. Ives--don't know what it's like now but the view off their bluff was great.

Tresanton in St. Mawes was one of the loveliest places I've ever stayed--but pricey.

Tor Cottage which is tucked away near the border of Cornwall was a lovely overnight.

I enjoyed the walk down to the ruins at Tintagel. I wasn't aware there was a walk along the clifftops there. If there is, the view rivals the Oregon Coast.

If you're buzzing up and down the dual carriageway, stop off for a drink at Jamaica Inn (especially if you (or passenger) are a Daphne duMaurier fan).

Wow! Thanks folks. Great advice. I will research all those suggestions :)

My preference is for small villages and country roads as far away from crowds as I can get. Last year I spent three days in the TINY village of Near Sawrey in the Lake District and I loved it. You could step out the front door of the guest house and see sheep grazing in the field across the road. You could walk in any direction through beautiful countryside. Heaven. My time in Scotland was spent exploring the back roads up the north-west. Again, my idea of heaven.

I am not at all keen on big towns. Small country villages or even farms are more my style. I try to avoid larger towns if I can. Early to bed and early to rise. Dew on the grass and birds singing. Sunrises and sunsets. Green fields, streams, woods, cliffs, seascapes, deserted beaches, fishing boats. Definitely my thing.

I would be quite happy to stay in inns and pubs with rooms. I just don't like large, impersonal hotels. I am also on quite a tight budget. I would rather not have to pay more than 50 pounds a night for bed and breakfast. And I do like ensuite as I visit the loo often at night (I get frequent flusher miles :) )

My plan is to keep as much as possible to the little back roads and to enjoy both the inland and the coastal scenery. The walk along the cliffs at Tintagel sounds divine. I am not a long distance hiker, but I can manage up to a 5km walk to see breath-taking scenery.

All suggestions gratefully received :)

If you prefer smaller villages, Yelpir, you might want to consider Polperro as one of your bases.

And your original idea of Clovelly fits the bill too - although I think the scenery is nicer and you have more options around Lynmouth.

Unless you're here over Bank Holiday I don't think you'd have a big problem just stopping wherever appeals to you and finding a B&B.

Steve

Check out Portmellon which is a tiny village just past Mevagissey. It can be reached without going through Mevagissey (you will understand why this is a good thing if you go there). Beyond Portmellon is Goran Haven, also quiet.

We rented a house literally hanging over Portmellon cove in 2006. There were smaller places to rent and the pub is also a B&B--it looked well, average. There are some wonderful coastal paths through Portmellon and it's quite close to the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Mevagissey is okay to explore but using its streets as access to Portmellon means going up a very long, steep hill which is single lane with infrequent and difficult pullovers. Sort of good fun once or twice but it was also good to have an alternative route.

Also stayed a week in Polperro--its physical setting is pretty and the coastal paths are great BUT it teems with daytrippers and the pedestrian area shops are for the most part tourist tat.

It might be slightly quieter in May than August when we were there. It does get very quiet again in the evening. I wouldn't use it as a base again.

Before your route is totally planned I want to offer a suggestion for sightseeing: Cornish gardens. Trelissick is very nice, Trebah absolutely great. May should be a good time for garden visits.

We also stayed at the Garrack Hotel in St. Ives; we liked it but it sounds not your thing. St. Ives is fairly large. (Good museums and great beaches though.) But the scenery between Lands End and St. Ives and on north is very good.

I'm afraid my penchant for detailed planning has asserted itself again and I have been busy filling in the details in the itinerary. Here is the latest version:

May 6 (Wed)
- Heathrow to Taunton by National Express coach
- Arrive Taunton 1255. Pick up rental car from Enterprise
- Drive to Lynmouth, arriving mid afternoon
- Local sightseeing
- Overnight in Lynmouth

May 7 (Thu)
- Do the Riversmeet walk
- Ride the cliff railway to Lynton
- Take an Exmoor coast boat cruise
- Explore Exmoor National Park
- Overnight in Lynmouth

May 8 (Fri)
- Drive from Lynmouth to Tintagel
- Route: Ilfracombe, Braunton, Barnstaple, Bideford, Clovelly, Bude, Boscastle, Tintagel
- Overnight in Tintagel

May 9 (Sat)
- Visit Tintagel Castle
- Visit Merlin's Cave
- Take a walk along the cliffs
- Overnight in Tintagel

May 10 (Sun)
- Drive from Tintagel to Penzance
- Route: Padstow, Newquay, Perranport, St Agnes, Portreath, St Ives, St Just, Land's End, Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance
- Visit St Michael's Mount
- Overnight in Penzance

May 11 (Mon)
- Fly from Land's End to the Isles of Scilly
- Spend the day on St Mary's
- Return to Penzance on the ferry in the evening
- Overnight in Penzance

May 12 (Tue)
- Drive from Penzance to Fowey
- Route: Porthleven, Helston, Mullion, Lizard Point, Gweek, Falmouth, St Mawes, St Just in Roseland, Mevagissey, St Austell, Fowey
Overnight in Fowey

May 13 (Wed)
- Visit Bodmin
- Explore Bodmin moor
- Overnight in Fowey

May 14 (Thu)
- Drive from Fowey to Dartmouth
- Route: Looe, Saltash, Plymouth, Kingsbridge, Salcombe, Dartmouth
- Overnight in Dartmouth

May 15 (Fri)
- Drive through Brixham, Paignton, Torquay, Newton Abbot, Asburton, Two Bridges (Dartmoor), Buckfastleigh, Totnes and return to Dartmouth
- Overnight in Dartmouth

May 16 (Sat)
- Drive from Dartmouth to Taunton
- Drop off rental car
- Return to Heathrow by National Express coach.

I am currently reseaching accommodation in the 5 towns that I have chosen for stopovers (based on the kind advice that I have received from members of the forum).

I would greatly appreciate any comments on the itinerary, especially with regard to the routes and things to see along the way :)

Hi Yelpir,

well I'm sat here in Cornwall reading your thread and trying to work out the optimum route for you, but I'm sooooo disappointed - with one or two tweaks, you've done it yourself. Darn it!

here are my tweaks:

May 8th -north devon - don't miss Appledore, a beautiful boat-building village on the river Torridge, just outside Bideford. it is a little off the beaten track but a hour wandering its streets [walk north? from the scenic car park along Irsha street] followed by a pint and a pasty or a would be well worth it.

Later in the day, try to pit in a detour to Morwenstow - the clifftop parish of the rev Hawker, who wrote the Cornish anthem "Trelawney", invented harvest Festivals, and rescued many wrecked seagoers. he also married a woman twice his age when he was only 20 or so, and when she died, married a woman half his age. quite a character. there used to be a lovely tea-room there too - don't know if it's still there.

May 10 - don't both with Newquay - the beaches are lovely but the town is just horrible. Instead, head for the area north of Land's end - the pub at gurnard's head is just what you are looking for, and Sennen, about 3 miles along the coast from Land's End is lovely.

May 11th - not sure what ferries/flights are avalable on this day, but IMHO a better plan is to fly on the helicopter from Penzance to Tresco, spend the morning there exploring the island and the sub-tropical gardens, THEN get the boat to st. Mary's [which isn't the most exciting place in the world!] and take the ferry or flight back to PZ.

May 12 - you are cramming a lot into this day. i would suggest driving to Falmouth via Helston [Porthleven is nice but not special] get the ferry over to st. Mawes, and have lunch at the Tresanton - mentioned by another poster - or at a pub, if you pocket is less deep than that requries. you could then explore St. Mawes, perhaps walking up to St. Just, or get the tiny ferry to Piece and walk out to st. Anthony's Head, with its fabulous view over the Carrick Roads. Then carry onto Fowey - it'll take you about 1-1/2 hours to drive from Falmouth to Fowey.

May 13 - DO NOT spend your time going to Bodmin. sorry, but despite the efforts of the local tourist board, it's a dump. and teh moor is nothing special compared with Dartmoor.

instead, spend your day in Fowey. From what you say, I think you would like the "Hall Walk". from Fowey, you take the Boddinnick ferry over to the other side of the estuary, and walk south along the pretty well-marked footpaths to Polruan, where there are a couple of pubs to have lunch and a cafe or two for tea, and then catch another ferry back to Fowey. [that's the best way round to do it, IMHO, as you end up in the place with the greatest number of refreshment options!] there is also a very nice garden there called the Headland, which may be open.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

PS - It just occurred to me that your visit co-incides with the Daphne du Maurier festival in Fowey which is on the week you are there - see http://www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk/

so if you want to stay there, you would need to book your accommodation pretty soon.

Wow! Thanks, Ann, for your comprehensive response. I am going to print it out and hilite all the wonderful suggestions. It is good to know that I am more or less on the right track. I really appreciate all your help. It looks like it's going to be a fantastic trip. I can't wait :)

Hi Yelpir - What route are you planning from Taunton? I recommend the coastal route via Dunster/Porlock. The approach to Lynmouth on this route is very scenic, with great views on the descent to Lynmouth.

Don't miss Dunster and Selworthy (- National Trust village of thatched cottages) - both worth a stop.

The Watersmeet walk is very pleasant - but if you only have time for one hike in the Lynmouth area I highly recommend the 'Valley of the Rocks' walk from Lynton (- some of the best coastal views in England).

Clovelly makes a nice lunch stop en route to Tintagel, I think.

In Dartmouth don't miss the Dartmouth-Totnes boat ride (- Agatha Christie country). You can return by bus/steam train via Paignton/Kingswear.

Hope this helps ...

Steve

P.S. Are you sure the Scilly Isles is worth the expense just for a day trip?

This isn't my manor.

But you're driving round Cornwall on May 8, and not diverting to see the Helston Furry Dance. Now Annhig might say it's not worth the bother, or that the place is so packed you need to arrive on May 7 to park.

But you should at least consider it. Any event that's inspired Terry Wogan, the McDougalls flour ads and the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is clearly a major world cultural insitution.

Steve_James: Great stuff, Steve. I have made a note of Dunster, Selworthy and Porlock. Selworthy sounds like just the sort of place I'm looking for. I have a commission from a friend in Australia to take a picture of a lovely cottage that she can frame and hang on her wall. Perhaps I will find just the right thing there.
I have in mind to do both the Watersmeet walk and the Valley of the Rocks walk but, if I can't fit both in, I will be sure to do the Valley of the Rocks one. Do you start the walk straight from Lynton (after taking the cliff rail up from Lynmouth) or do you have to drive and then park somewhere first?
I have also made a note of the Dartmouth-Totnes boat ride. It is just this kind of thing that I am looking for. Thank you so much.
Yes, I am beginning to wonder about the wisdom of the Scilly Isles trip. I think it is just a romantic notion that I have had for more years than I can remember. It has always struck me as somewhere that one has to go once in one's life (like the Shetlands, north of Scotland). I am very worried that the whole thing will be a huge anticlimax and I will be very disappointed. On the other hand, if I don't go I will probably kick myself for not having gone. It is a quandry.

flanneruk: I have never heard of the Helston Furry Dance but you have peeked my curiosity. I will look into it, thanks.

Now you know why I like to be able to edit my posts.
Peeked = piqued
I saw it as soon as I hit the Submit button :(

The walk starts within a few hundred yards of the top of the funicular if I remember rightly (- we went by car).

But I suggest you go up by car too - then you can drive along the coastal lane from Valley of the Rocks. It's a lovely drive - then you can backtrack and park where you want for your walk.

I'm sure you'll find your thatched cottage photo in Selworthy or nearby :)

Some views

http://www.pbase.com/moorlands/exmoo...rugged_beauty_

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/selworthy/show/

HEEEEELP!!
I am having a huge problem trying to find accommodation in Fowey. Is there anywhere else nearby where I might have better luck?

Steve_James: Thanks for the info, Steve, and for the links :)

hi yelpir,

dealing with your queries in a random order, sorry you can't find anywhere in fowey. It's that darn festival I warned you about. You might try Lostwithiel, Polperro, or Looe. Otherwise, i would scrub fowey altogether, and spend longer in Falmouth/St. Mawes area.

the Scilies - who said to miss them out? - go and wash your mouth out now! If you've never beento the scilies you have missed a treat, particularly the "off-islands" [ie NOT st. Mary's] which is why I suggest going to Tresco. indeed you could miss st.Mary's out and just do Tresco and St. Agnes [the next-door island] were it not for your desire to get the ferry back to PZ ,for which of course you have to get back to st.Mary's. if you are prepared to get the 'copter both ways, you can cut st. Mary's out altogether.

the only snag is that the islands aren't much fun in wind and rain, but my recollection is that you can cancel the ferry up to an hour in advance with no cancellation fee- or you could last time we went.

the furry Dance - I hadn't twigged the date and of course, May 8th is Flora Day. AS i've never been [DH has, he lived to tell the tale but only just] I can't comment from personal experience, but getting there early would be a GOOD idea. here's a link to s web-site with some helpful details -

http://www.cornishlight.co.uk/may-day-floral-dance.htm

you'll see that the first dance is at 7am!! i bet that tune starts to pall by midday, but no-one cares as they are all drunk on spingo. [ale brewed at local pub called the Blue Anchor, which would be a spit and sawdust pub if they could find the sawdust]. here's another link:

http://www.spingoales.com/

don't say that you don't get an education on Fodors.

finally, I like Steve's ideas, apart from lunch in Clovelly - I have an unreasoning prejudice about a village that charges you to go in. Instead, go a bit further along the coast to Hartland point, where the north coast meets the west coast. the pub food is awful, but the beer's OK and the cliffs are fantastic.

hope this helps,

regards, ann

Hi Ann. Your kind feedback is, as always, extremely helpful :)

I think I was limiting my search in Fowey too much. I was basically going by TripAdvisor which does not have many listings for Fowey. Having widened the search I have found a lot of possibilities in the area around Fowey (especially Par). Of course, I still may not find any vacancies, but at least I now have a lot of places to ask.

The reason I was winding up on St Mary's was that I found a nice cheap trip that would pick me up in Penzance, take me to Land's End, fly me to St Mary's and let me come back on the ferry to Penzance; no problems with parking/fetching cars. I think I can probably get a local boat from St Mary's to Tresco and/or St Agnes. I will have a look at the logistics of driving to Land's End, parking, taking the helicopter to Tresco, getting local boats to St Agnes and back to St Mary's, getting the ferry back to Penzance and then, somehow, getting my car back from Land's End (maybe there's a bus to Land's End so that I don't have to take my car down there?)

Yes, I guess bad weather would scupper the whole plan. I'm hoping not to have to make plane/helicopter/ferry bookings until the very last minute. That way, if the weather is lousy, I won't go. I don't get seasick, so a rough ferry trip back wouldn't bother me. A helicopter/small plane in a storm is another matter.

Is the Furry/Floral Dance the one mentioned in that grand old song "The Floral Dance"?

Check. Hartland Point has been added to the itinerary. However, I will probably still pop into Clovelly (even though I will have to pay) because, from my 40 year old recollection, it is a pretty little village.

Many thanks :)

Ann - I washed my mouth out ;)

I think Clovelly's worth the entrance charge - it's unique.

Steve

Hi Yelpir

sorry i wasn't clear - the helicopter goes from PENZANCE!!!

so no need to get to Land's End at all. I'd assumed as you were already talking about it you knew this - silly me.

Here's the link:

http://www.islesofscillyhelicopter.com/page/home.html

the ferry port and helicopter pad are at different ends of town but it's a 20 minute walk or 5 minute drive between the two. if there's a storm or mist the 'copter doesn't fly. they do get booked up so last minute is not a good option if you really want to go - cancelling at last linute with fullrefund would be better IMO but that's up to you.

<<Is the Furry/Floral Dance the one mentioned in that grand old song "The Floral Dance"?>>

yep is sure is. Hence my remark about its palling by midday.

Par as an alternative to Fowey? - possibly, but it's not much to write home about. there a lot of B&Bs in the area, Farmstays, etc. etc.

try www.visitcornwall.com for a comprehensive list of local accommodation.

glad you like the idea of Hartland point,

regards, ann

hi steve,

hope the taste has subsided! what did you use?

Actually Clovelly isn't as unique as you'd think. A little further east along the coast is a place called Buck's Mill that isn't dissimilar - pretty cottages leading down to the sea. the difference is that it wasn't discovered and has therefore faded into obscurity.

But I do agree that clovelly is worth a look. the situation has led to some resourceful ways of dealing with everyday problems - for example, they used to [and still may] collect the rubbish in that same way that they did in Appledore - using mats or sledges. And the donkeys are not just decorative. unlike ours.

regards, ann

Ann - I find alcohol's the best disinfectant ;)
Hey - you have DONKEYS?? Where's that? The curiosity's killing me ...

Yelpir - I second Ann's suggestion - if not Fowey, try Polperro or Looe.

Steve

P.S NB - Porlock Hill is very steep (- 1 in 4 in places) - 1st gear's best from the bottom

Hi Steve,

our donkeys reside with us [actually their stable is the other end of the converted Barn we rent out to tourists, leading me to joke on occasion that they are the only guests with "ensuite" donkeys] near St. Day in darkest west Cornwall. really it's nearest to Redruth, but estate agents tend to describe it as being "equidistant from Truro and Falmouth".

a propos the furry dance in Helston, St. Day has its own Feast Day in June with dancing in and out of the houses, and its own tune played by the village silver band. So far as i know, St. Day and Helston are the only places where this tradition persists, but the Helston one is the only one anyone knows about, St. Day being very "unsexy" as evidenced by the local estate agents.

Where are you?

regards, ann

What do people think of Cockington village which is sort of between Paignton and Torquay? I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet. I think it is worth a visit.

I recently enjoyed exploring Looe, Totnes and Brixham so I can add to the recommendations for those towns. I found the Dartmoor Prison museum in Princetown quite interesting too. We had several lovely meals at the Flagship on the sea front in Paignton (the decor is lovely too). Also had a very nice meal in Totnes at The Royal Seven Stars in Totnes which is beautifully decorated with lovely old furniture. The hotel has an interesting history too. It's in walking distance from the boat dock.
I also visited Torre Abbey in Torquay which I found very interesting.
Your trip sounds wonderful and I am sure you will have great time.

Should I go direct from Ilfracombe to Barnstaple or detour via Braunton?

My road atlas rates the B3230 between Ilfracombe and Barnstaple as 'scenic' while it does not give that rating to the A361 from Ilfracombe to Braunton.

Is it worth driving down to Porlock Weir? My map says there is toll to go down there.

Is it worth driving down to Lizard Point from Helston, or should I give it a miss?

Hi Yelpir,

1. can't help re Porlock weir.

2. Don't bother with Braunton. [i'm not that fussed about Ilfrcombe either, but the road may be pleasant].

3. The Lizard is very weird, IMHO, a world apart. rather than go to Lizard point, the footpath aroung Cape Cornwall is spectacular, as are Cadgewith and Coverack. If you're going anywhere on the Lizard, go there.

regards, ann