LOCATION: West Coast to Lizard Peninsula to Penzance
What's happening?
This is getting really silly. Each day is rolling out more gems. This coastline just keeps giving the wow factor. We have officially crossed the bridge at Plymouth and have left Cornwall (official home of the pasty and jam first on scones) and entered into Devon. The rivalry is always so funny.
The Adventure
A busy day of contrasts from natural to manmade.
Some of today's highlights:
Kynance Cove: This was our first stop of the morning and another highlight of the South West Coastal Path and even at this early time, there were plenty of walkers out. Had a chat with one - a lady who has just spent three days walking with her son and now has two days on her own. She was carrying her tent, food and clothing in her backpack. She has done the Path many times, in many stages.
We were viewing the Cove from above- but many family groups were making the walk to the beach below. Black rocks (serpentine??) turquoise water and a ribbon of cream sand at low tide, it is billed as Britain's most beautiful and mist photographed beach. Don't think we would have been sitting on it @Leanne with our bathing caps and wine glass - but it did live up to its billing- in a Cornwall Coast type of way.
The Lizard: Stood on the most southerly point of the British mainland and marvelled at the drop, the boat launch and the endless stretch of rhe Sout West Coastal Path.
This little section of the coast is famous for its dramatic cliff rescues and treacherous seas but @Mac keeps repeating that they should have a lizard statue or sculpture somewhere. He needs to let it go!
Had a happy ending RNLI rescue story here unlike Mousehole. The most famous rescue in RNLI history occurred just off Lizard Point. It was in 1907 when the White Star liner SS Suevic ran aground. Volunteer rowers saved 456 lives over 16 hours without a single loss of life.
Never too early for a coffee and today, even pulled up a seat for an ice cream cone which definitely needed protection from the swooping gulls. Could admire the operational lighthouse but couldn't quite make out the merge of the currents, where the English Chanel met the Atlantic.
Eden Project: Another wow factor here - not so much because of the gardens and art work - more because of the infrastructure associated with the enormous geodesic domes.
Built inside a reclaimed clay pit in Cornwall, it features two vast biomes—the Rainforest Biome and the Mediterranean Biome—each housing thousands of plant species that showcase global biodiversity.
The rainforest comes with prolific warnings about the heat inside the 30 degree dome. There were water stations and sprays at every corner. And even a "cool room" inside where you sit to adjust your body heat.
We spent two hours here - could have spent two days - walked the trails, climbed the walkways and crossed the suspension bridges. There were lectures and tour guides all adding to the experience - we didn't have time to join any - but they were popular.
Everything so cleverly set up and presented. Lots of visitors, so many school groups and everything including eateries and toilets done on scale!! And absolutely pristine - loads of workers tending the gardens and trees. Everything sign posted, loads of information and interactive displays. Plenty of engagement points for the children.
Definitely wish we had more time here but used every minute we had to explore. Did reach one dead end - couldn't go to the lookout in the rainforest - it was closed because heat was 36 degrees and humidity was 50+%. Sure we tough Aussies could have managed it.
Charlestown: The Harbour is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cornwall and another location where movies and TV series have been filmed - this time Poldark (of course), Alice in Wonderland and Dr Who. Our movie list is growing!
Enjoyed the background story here because this harbour was "engineered" and we were introduced to two more names: Charles Rashleigh and John Smeaton (apparently the man who put the word "civil" in engineering and who we will see again in Plymouth.) Charlestown constructed originally to increase the volume of shipping to handle copper exports, timber and coal imports and more significantly the "China clay" found in this area.
Today, as the last open 18th-century Georgian harbour in the UK, it operates as a working port (recently had a new lock installed), a seasonal hub for tall ships, a very busy pub and entertainment precinct and home to the local doves.
Was busy in the early afternoon of our visit - people getting their spot early for a Friday night "session." A definite pub and "have a pint" culture along the Cornwall coast.
Strange to see what is labelled as the "Cornish Alps." These where what appeared to be snow capped mountain peaks in the distance. In fact, they were man made mounds left over from mining the "China clay" or kaolin (a soft white clay used in paper, ceramics, cosmetics, medicines, and even toothpaste!)
These iconic “Cornish Alps” are spoil tips - huge mounds of quartz sand and mica left over after the clay was washed and refined.Their pale colour comes from the high quartz content, which reflects sunlight and makes the hills look snowy! Definitely confused us and @Mac still asking how they get the "spoils" to the top!
And then it was the push to get us into Plymouth and with the weekend calling and traffic building there were plenty of vehicles on the road. The Tamar Bridge, linking Saltash to Plymouth was our official exit from Cornwall and entry into Devon. Just crossing the bridge first impressions - industrial, naval with high imposing fences, wider streets, lots of layered mixture of architecture (not rows and rows of the same) - a busy urban area.
Very happy to open the door of our room in the Imperial and see SPACE! Such a big room and even a double shower. The room and bathroom so big, I need to put one of the luggage trackers on @Mac to find him.
Walked down the hill to grab some dinner, closing our eyes and avoiding any referference to The Hoe and the Barbican (part of @Nigel's highlights for tomorrow) and then tried so hard to cheer the Socceroos over the line. Darn.
A moment 💋 for our vicarious adventurers the @Littlens
Survival Barometer
Steps: 15 845
Weather: 19 but 30 in the dome and 16 in the car!
Can you believe that?
A little background from Co-Pilot.
🏔️ How spoil heaps grow in the Cornish Alps
Intentional and carefully managed — trucks, engineered haul roads, layered tipping, bulldozer shaping — is exactly how the big white peaks around St Austell are still built.
But Cornwall adds a few distinctive twists:Spiral haul roads are cut into the sides of the mound because the slopes are steep and the material is loose.
Ultra‑bright quartz sand makes the tops look snowy, so fresh layers are visually obvious.
Terracing is more pronounced here than in many mining regions because the heaps sit close to towns and need long‑term stability.
Progressive restoration happens at the lower levels — planting grasses and shrubs while the top continues to grow.
🏗️ What you’d actually see on a working heap
A slow procession of 40–60 tonne dump trucks climbing the spiral road.
A bulldozer at the summit pushing spoil outward in controlled sheets.
Occasional misty plumes of white dust when the material is dry.Lower slopes already greened over while the top stays stark white.
🌱 Why the process mattersThe Cornish Alps aren’t accidental piles — they’re engineered industrial landforms, shaped deliberately so they don’t collapse, flood valleys, or blow dust over St Austell.
... watching the Socceroos ... darn!
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