Newquay in Cornwall is a popular surfing destination.
Cornwall England in Pop Culture
The appeal of beautiful Cornwall all began for me before the age of internet and travel blogs. Daphne Du Maurier and Rosamunde Pilcher used such beautiful word imagery that these seaside villages and coastlines were like nothing I’d ever seen or imagined. We fell in love with the cinematography of our favorite BBC shows, Doc Martin and Poldark. The images in the background of these stories added Technicolor to what I had always imagined. How surprised we were then to add more personal characters when we came to learn that generations ago family ancestors had left this area of Cornwall in order to escape the poverty of copper mining. The history of this area became even more meaningful wondering what it must have been like for them to know they must leave all they had known for a better life that was just as uncertain.
Copper Mining History in Cornwall
Daily life meant working in terrible mining conditions that was a family affair. Women and small children were depended upon to pull their weight to survive the poverty at the time. Mining fueled the economy in this part of England and changes in legislation did very little to improve the conditions of the mines beyond very basic steps. Children often began to work at the mines after reaching the age of 7 beginning to work underground at the age of 12. Life expectancy was low and life was hard due to accidents and lung disease. According to the Cornish Mining World Heritage website, “Their work was arduous, the hours long and the rewards often little. But the Cornish took an intense pride in their work and carried the technology and achievements of their industry throughout the world.”
The Cornwall today is a far cry from images from the past. Today Cornwall is a tourist destination of beach side holiday homes and well groomed beaches with packed parking lots and busy shops in seaside towns. The narrow hedge row lanes to these towns are packed with traffic in the summer time all looking for a healthy dose of seaside air and turquoise waters. The high traffic of the M Roads beyond Cornwall simply don’t exist here. We can see why those authors from so long ago found it the muse for stories that remain loved to this day.
BEfore You Visit
When planning your visit to Cornwall here are some tips that will help you plan your trip that we wished we’d have known!
First, the area of Cornwall is about 80 miles (129 km) long and at its widest point about 45 miles (72 km) wide. This is only a little larger than Rhode Island. Don’t let these measurements fool you. The A30 is the main artery that runs directly down the center of the Cornwall Peninsula. Navigating away to the coast is not as easy as you would expect. This is a good thing in my opinion as it has kept away the modern M Roads and has preserved these coastal towns from heavy commercial influences.
The natural beauty of the coastlines is as rugged and protected as it was so long ago making Cornwall something progress hasn’t ruined as of yet. For example, if you are visiting Looe and decide to go directly west to see Port Isaac (where they film Doc Martin) this will take over an hour to travel even though on a map it’s only a 31 mile (50 km) trip . It’s not the distance but the journey and in this case we’re speaking literally. If you are planning to see such areas as Lands End and Lizard Point it would be helpful to choose lodging in more than one area so you may easily travel to your points of interest and still have the day to enjoy them.
Next, and absolutely a must in our book, is having maps downloaded for offline use before you leave for the day. Cellular signal in this part of the country is very slim to none. A great way to unplug but, difficult for navigation. Google maps has a setting to download maps to be used offline. Here is how to download your google maps for offline use on your Android or iPhone.
Using your phone to navigate will drain your battery heavily so make sure you have a car phone jack or charged up battery packs for the day.
That’s the practical side of things. There’s really more than we can mention in just this article that we enjoyed during our visits to Cornwall. We recommend while you are here to try a famous Cornish Cream Tea, Cornish Pasty and Cornish Cream Ice Cream! The Cornish and Devon cream debate (jam first or cream first on your scone?) spans generations but the cream doesn’t get much fresher than in this part of England and can be considered a tourist attraction in itself. Pasty shops are in every corner of every town but we’ve been told Philps in St. Ives is the best!! Wouldn’t you love to try one to see for yourself?
I hope we have peaked your curiosity to see all the little out of the way places Cornwall has to offer! It’s an area of England that not only provides fascinating history but it’s people are exceptionally warm and hospitable and eager to share all that their heritage has to offer. Which part of Cornwall would you like to see?
