We awoke in the morning at Little Winnick Touring Park to damp and drizzly conditions. We chose not to stay another night at the camp site, but hadn’t found another pitch for later on in the day. We knew the general direction in which we were needing to travel so we had options, but nothing we had committed to yet. We had heard that the Mevegissey to Fowey Ferry was one of the best boat trips in the UK. Mevegissey was literally two miles round the corner from Little Winnick so we considered this as our main excursion of the day. However, after checking on the website we found that due to unsettled conditions in St Austell Bay, all trips had been cancelled 🙁 . Plan B was to drive to Fowey and see what that had to offer.

The day remained gloomy throughout, but it didn’t damp our spirits. We were content to be moving on after a couple of nights in one spot. It only took us about 35 – 40 mins from Little Winnick but climbing the hill to the main car park required us to take a second run up after a car pulled out of a junction at the bottom of the hill killing Wolfgang’s momentum. Quite embarrassing really, but we made it in the end 🙁 .

Fowey is quaint there is no doubt about that. Its twisting streets and alleys give it real character, and there are a raft of small shops and galleries to peruse. I would imagine that had the weather been good we could have gone on a harbor trip, or just sit and admire the boats. We spent an hour and a half looking round and getting our bearings before we decided it was coffee time. We found a nice Pub called the Gallion Inn. The view over the harbor was good so we chilled with a drink and took advantage of the free Wifi to look for a suitable campsite for the evening. An hour later we had polished off our drinks, had a meal and made a phone call to book in to our next campsite. It was still only early afternoon so the day was not over yet..

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We walked up to the van and waved goodbye to  Fowey. The next campsite was in Looe so we plotted a course to included Polperro. We weren’t sure how much time we would have there, but it was good to have the flexibility of pulling in another Cornish fishing village, even if it was on a whistle stop tour.

We were there within the hour, and parked the van in the main ‘tourist’ car park at the bottom of the hill on the way into the village.

From there we caught the Tram down the road to the harbor. It was only a short journey passing some of the gift shops and pub / restaurants. We could have walked but I liked the idea of travelling in this odd looking vehicle (We would walk back 😉 )

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Polperro is just a few miles from Looe,  and is sheltered from the ravages of time in its cliff ravine.  There was a tourist element about the place with the odd tacky gift shop, but that was limited and not overwhelming. I would say that Polperro had a similar genre of shops to Fowey. Some designer shops and art galleries. In total we probably spent about two hours there. Just enough time to walk around the shops and have an ice cream. In summary both Fowey and Polperro are amazing places and well worth a visit if you find yourself in this beautiful part of the UK. For us the lack of time in both places left us with enough reason to want to go back again in the future. Hopefully we will have some sun then, but for now we needed to get to our next campsite. Bay View Farm!

Next Stop Looe

After a great day in Falmouth we headed to Little Winnick Touring Park. This evening was meant to be a wild camp but we decided we couldn’t be bothered with the potential hassle of being moved on…and we liked the idea of having a shower in the morning 🙂 . We had already booked for two nights. However, arriving early we didn’t want to commit ourselves for a full three night, and the campsite was fine about us being indecisive. So we paid for two nights with the option of extending it further if required.

The weather was great late afternoon. The campsite gave us total autonomy as far as the non electric hook up pitches were concerned. We found a spot near a tree to set the van up. My fist job afterwards was to give Wolfgang a clean. However, not long after the sun moved behind the tree and the temperature dropped as a result. Maybe not such a good idea pitching up next to the tree 🙁

Food that evening was done using the Cobb Cooker. Foccia bread, potatoes, salmon and savory rice stuffed peppers with pasta 🙂 . We ate this in the van with the heater on 🙂

To settle the meal we took a stroll a short distance along the main road and over a bridge onto the opposite side of the stream. The stream formed the boundary of the campsite. This path was a part of the Pentewan Trail which lead through a forest to the coast. After 20 minutes we headed back as it was starting to get dark. No great shakes as we ended up walking to the coast the following morning after breakfast and a shower.

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One thing we noticed about the campsite was the very limited mobile phone connection. That twinned with the fact we couldn’t do a great deal in the immediate location without having to pack the van up and use it to get around meant that it was a little restrictive. I guess we had been lucky at the previous locations we had visited and now we felt a little hard done to 🙁 .

The second evening we drove to a pub called the Polgooth Inn about 3 miles from our touring park, but it was very popular and there was more than an hours wait for a table. So we headed back after a drink and got the Cobb Cooker on the go. Suffice to say we decided not to stay for a third night.

Next Stop Fowey & Polperro

Falmouth was a bit of a last minute punt if I am totally honest. Originally we were set for the second of our two wild camps after Lizard Point. However, after the failed attempt at wild camping we  were thinking of bringing the Little Winnick campsite forward a day if they could accommodate us. So we looked at the map and saw Falmouth was en route.

As soon as we arrived the town had a good vibe about the it. As time passed it was apparent there was plenty to see and do for the day. Both Mandy and myself agreed was a good decision in the end.

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We managed to get in touch with Little Winnick campsite whilst in Falmouth and they agreed that we would be able to arrive a day earlier than originally planned 🙂

Next Stop Little Winnick

After St Michaels Mount we departed for our next stop, Henry’s at Lizard Point. We decided to stay there for a couple of reasons.  Firstly It’s claimed to be the most southerly campsite in Britain, & second it just looked too quirky a campsite not to visit. As we pulled up to check in the clouds had started to form and the temperature had started to drop.  Palm trees and Yukka plants are in abundance, and there is certainly a ‘Good Life’ Kind of vibe about the place.

Website Quote:

“The site has mainly level pitches all with hook-ups and most have a sea view. our pitches are all different and have their own character. each pitch is individual with an array of wild and cultivated plants, some have walls partially surrounding them and some are more open. Because of our climate we have some unusual exotic plants and we hope that you feel, when you are staying with us, that you are sharing our garden.”

We set the van up and walked back up the driveway to the showers and toilets to freshen up. These turned out out to be unisex. If I’m honest I quite liked the campsite. Mandy on the other hand was less impressed. I think she likes a bit of luxury in a shower block 🙂 . The night seem to draw in rather quickly as the clouds got thicker, the wind picked up and the rain started to fall.

We had only booked this site for one night as we didn’t know what to expect. If it turned out to be a real gem with lots to discover we might have considered extending our stay. That said, we had a wander around Lizard village in the morning which turned out to be pretty sparse. There was the occasional brightly painted building which may have been influenced Henry’s campsite?

We were hoping to find a local beach to walk to, but there didn’t seem to be any obvious way to get to one even though the sea was tantalizingly close.

Suffice to say we headed back to pack the van up pretty early on, and set off for the next destination…Falmouth

This proved to be one of the best last minute decisions of the holiday. We drove out of Penzance and inland slightly on the A30 before heading to the coast. We stopped to admire the landmark at the first available car park a mile or so away from Marazion.

It was still overcast, quite cold and pretty windy, but a great opportunity for a brief stroll on the beach. We hadn’t caught the forecast for the day but we were all set for these conditions to continue. How wrong could we be? We left the car park and headed up towards the Mount and Marazion. We found the main car park near the beachfront, paid and parked up. As we strolled towards the ferry we saw the first few rays of sun break through the clouds. We crossed using the ferry as it was high tide. Ten minutes later we were on the harbor wall all set to explore.

Over the next hour or so the clouds cleared completely to reveal a blue sky. I must say that both Mandy and myself were totally blown away by the beauty of this place. I find it hard to sum it up in words, but I hope the following photos give a good overview.

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Marazion is the small village on the mainland where the ferry’s depart for St Michael’s Mount. Not a great deal to see there, but its very picture postcard y ..

Next stop Lizard Point (Henry’s)

More information on St Michael’s Mount

Penzance was the nearest place of interest after our Brit Stop camp over in Balnoon . The weather was a little gloomy, so we thought that being in a town and having the safety of the shops close by, with a meal at a restaurant for lunch would be the order of the day. After which we would head over to Lizard Point for our pre-planned stop at Henry’s Campsite. Not knowing the area we used the sat-nav to find a car park near the harbour. First impressions were not brilliant. We had a wander around but it was all slightly disappointing .

Penzance sounds like some magical foreign place you would find in Italy or Southern France. Maybe the name gives a false hope of better things but the reality is It looked slightly run down. I think if it had been a little warmer and the sun was out it may have had a different feel. Suffice to say, after a couple of hours and a coffee we decided it was time to move on . The distinct lack of photos for this portion of our holiday proves how unimpressed we were. Looking back on my photos for that day, this appears to have been the highlight of the stop. A scary looking manikin tied to the wall outside a fancy dress shop 🙁 

Because of the short stop in Penzance we weren’t ready to drive to Henry’s at Lizard Point just yet. So we decided to drive a few miles to Saint Michael’s Mount…

A short 40 minute drive found us at the ‘Inn & Lodge’ pub. We were both pleasantly surprised on first impression. It was close to a busy road which we though may be an issue later on, but it turned out to be mainly rush hour traffic

As you can see from the picture below, the car park was just about as idyllic as a pub car park could get.

In case you didn’t know, the ethos of Britstop is that if you spend the night in one of the locations, its courtesy to provide them with some custom for a free camp over. So it would be rude not to eat there. The meal was really nice and this was washed down with a pint of cider. ?  .

The following morning coffee was the first thing on my mind 🙂

Then we had our porridge and OJ before setting off to Penzance.

Next stop Penzance

We left the security of the last campsite in Padstow with every conviction that we would be wild camping that evening. We were apprehensive but excited about the opportunity. However, we found that the car park had signage that unsettled us which referred to monitoring and “No Camping”. That said we pitched up in a discreet fashion, and proceeded to explore the surroundings. The day was blustery but fine with plenty of sunshine. I convinced Mandy that a walk would be good,  but it soon became apparent that the coastal path was more than a test for my better half.

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We did do a 20 minute stint together towards Portreath Beach (not that I knew where I was heading), but turned back to the van to read her book leaving me to carry on. I must confess, the walk was a great release of energy. I love to walk at a pace that gets my heart going, and the views and climbs making the event even more exhilarating.

The English coastline is hard to beat and this just proves it!

The weather was brilliant, but we knew it was set to change for a period later on that evening and the wind had started to getting stronger. We both didn’t feel 100% comfortable about staying the night wild camping so we referenced our Britstop book for a local place to ‘legally’ pitch up for the night.  We found a really nice pub  called the Inn & Lodge in Balnoon only a few miles away, so decided to give it a try as the reviews were favorable. Next stop Balnoon

We had arranged our next camp over before we left Combe Martin. We arrived at Padstow Touring Park after a brief trip to Tesco’s just down the road. The campsite was very much more regimented than the previous one which meant we had to park our front end in, to the left of the orange marker. Me, not really listening to the chap at reception decided to do the exact opposite as i was tired and it was lost in translation.

So the first night was fine. Mandy watched her Coronation Street on the tablet, and I listened to music on my phone…just like being at home really 🙂

The  following day meant i had to spin Wolfgang around because “I vaz not facing In ze right direction!” The exercise was a total waste of time, but the fuhrer were happy! Other than that it was a nice campsite . Very clean and the shower blocks and facilities were great.

We headed down to the harbor. One mile trek apparently but that’s questionable .

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We trekked through a couple of fields and came out on a road near Tesco. We followed the road down the hill and thrugh an alley way which lead on to the seafront. Another half mile or so takes you to the heart of Padstow.  Its renowned for Rick Stien ,and you can’t really turn a corner without being reminded of that. Top price for eating in his restaurant, but I guess that’s why Betty’s Tea room is a hit in Yorkshire. We are all guilty of wanting the best, and I guess ‘Rick’ is what you do here.

The village is very quaint, with lots of places to eat, drink and peruse. It is very touristy, but no great surprise there i guess.

Mid afternoon we headed back to the camp site. The sun was well and truly beating down on us so we took advantage, listened to some music, read and chilled by the van.

Late afternoon we took another local walk then sparked up the Cobb, had a few beers and watched the sun go down. Fantastic 🙂 .

The sunrise was equally impressive…After breakfast we packed up ready for the next part of the journey…. Cliffside Walk & Portreath Beach

(More information on Padstow can be found at the Tourist Information site)

We did very little in the way of planning for this holiday, but we did need a starting point for the first few days . We decided that a run of four hours or so from our home in Derby was enough for the first day, and this would be more than enough to drop us into an area of the UK we both loved. A Camp site in Combe Martin looked like a good first stop. So we committed ourselves to three nights at Mill Park camp site as it looked like it ticked the boxes for both Mandy and myself. The camp site seemed to be surrounded by trees in the online marketing material (which we prefer), and this rang true upon arrival.

The journey down started fine and dry, but ended in a downpour that became challenging as we weaved our way through the increasingly narrow Devon-shire lanes. The final drop into the campsite village gave me cause for concern as i stepped out of the cab to smell a very hot disk break. After all of the problems with my recent brake issues (yet undocumented), I was skeptical as to whether this issue may bring our holiday to an early end. On refection, it was probably more my paranoia creeping in.

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Combe Martin and Ilfracombe were only a short distance away from the campsite. We wanted the first stop to be relaxing and an opportunity to unwind. Work is work and a holiday is most often the reason for the holiday in the first place. However, the run up to your holiday can be stressful with a camper-van because your also relying on  your vehicle to be your home as well as your transport. Once we had a pitch and were parked up i felt that I could truly relax and kick back. The first afternoon at the campsite was just exploring the facilities, listening to the radio and watching the rain come down. The new DAB radio was proving it was worth every penny of the £100+ I had spent on it. Changing the stereo was a last minute decision. I realized I couldn’t spend the whole two weeks with the previous unit continually tuning into Classic FM!

The following day the weather was better. So much so that we decided to take a walk into Combe Martin. This certainly wasn’t done as the crow flies. We first walked across another camping field until we found a coastline footpath…after a coastal path we popped up at the back of a hotel which turned out to be Sandy Cove Hotel. This had amazing views so we decided to have a coffee break before moving on.

We headed down a twisty path which lead us onto the main road for a 100 yards. Following this were steep drops with lots of steps with a field or two thrown in. I don’t mind a jaunt and a bit of a tab across the old terrain, but Mandy was less enthusiastic. That said she did well with minimal complaints. Combe Martin was nice. The weather wasn’t brilliant and the sun was intermittent. There were only a few shops open for customers and I thought this may be due to the time of year, but i guess it was a Sunday.

One very large ice cream later we set back to the campsite stopping at a very nice pub called The Saw Mill. It looked amazing in it’s setting with a stream running in front, trees at the back and a large log store almost the full length of the carpark. I love to promote places we have been to, especially if they are good. This had recently been refurbished and maybe that had something to do with the quality and service but it comes highly recommended.

The rest of the day was largely uneventful other than the fact we used our Cobb cooker for the first time.

I had only seen this item a couple of weeks before we embarked on the trip, but it looked a great bit of kit for outdoor cooking. This YouTube link pretty much sums it up, but there are a lot of videos and information out there if you need to know more. We used it extensively during the two weeks away…and at home after the trip.

The following day we ventured into Ilfracombe on the bus. We had been there before a couple of times so knew the area. It was slightly overcast again but that didn’t damp our spirits. I think this photo pretty much sums up Cornwall on an average British day taken into account the amount of rubbish weather we get, but it’s still pretty nice!

We had a coffee on the harbour front and walked into the carpark where the Damien Hirst statue Verity stood. It is pretty stunning.

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I said to Mandy that it reminded me of the Jason and the Argo-naughts movie where a bronze statue comes to life after the pirates steal gold. A real life monolith at the gates of the harbor! Well worth a visit!

After a good nights sleep we had a shower, some breakfast and  packed up ready to leave the campsite. It’s great exploring locations, but we am always happy to get behind the wheel after a few days being static. Next stop was on the horizon. But we needed to get off the campsite, and the current rain fall meant that we were not going to be leaving this camp site without assistance.

Next Stop Padstow