Before we went to Cornwall there was 2 places high on my list to take the boys.
One was the Minack Theatre and the other was St Michaels Mount.
Both magical and steeped in history.
The Minack Theatre is a place of wonderful beauty. Carved out of the rock face over looking the Atlantic Ocean and Porthcurno Beach, a steep amphitheatre of granite seats and beautiful planting. We made our way tentatively down to the bottom, stepping down the cliff face. The sunshine blazing away. At the bottom a small stage with a carved ornate set, behind the sea as a back drop. A place of true magic.
Rowena Cade bought the craggy headland back in the 1920's and began to carve out a small theatre space for travelling theatre companies... the Minack Theatre was born. An incredible story.
I had booked our tickets to the theatre before we had left. The show was designed for kids called Skillywidden. A silly slapstick comedy about Cornish little folk the piskies, fairies, brownies, knockers and skillywiddens. It was hilarious. Silly & captivating. Stories of the fairies, of the hedgerows and of Cornish folk lore. My two boys absolutely fell in love with it's charms.
A castle on an island out to sea... to small boys, that is pretty magical!
As we arrived the causeway (footbridge) was covered by high tide, so we caught the ferry to the island. That in itself was pretty special. Sailing out to the castle.
Once on the island the gardens were beautiful. Italianate terraces filled with tropical planting, palms, succulents and far reaching views.
Charlie completed the children's trail that the National Trust has for each property. Ticking off landmarks as we went. His final drawing of the view with boats and a helicopter was pretty cool.
By the time it was for us to leave the causeway was revealed and we walked across water back to the mainland.. rock pooling as we went.
Magic!
x
This is my final episode of our Cornish Holiday. I do hope you have liked it.. I've really enjoyed writing about it. If you have any favourite spots I should check out on future holidays please let me know... or (being very cheeky) if you have a holiday cottage or home you'd like us to 'test drive' please let me know (as if, but it's worth an ask!).
If you have missed the past posts you can check them out here:
Part 1 - National Trust Trenwaington
Part 2 - Barbara Hepworth & St Ives
Part 3 - The Beach
Part 4 - Beach Food
Part 5 - National Trust Glendurgan
This is my final episode of our Cornish Holiday. I do hope you have liked it.. I've really enjoyed writing about it. If you have any favourite spots I should check out on future holidays please let me know... or (being very cheeky) if you have a holiday cottage or home you'd like us to 'test drive' please let me know (as if, but it's worth an ask!).
If you have missed the past posts you can check them out here:
Part 1 - National Trust Trenwaington
Part 2 - Barbara Hepworth & St Ives
Part 3 - The Beach
Part 4 - Beach Food
Part 5 - National Trust Glendurgan
It looks so relaxing there. I love the castle on the island x
ReplyDeleteThank you Lou for your lovely story of your trip to Cornwall. So many of my favourite places. I lived in Penzance for over 30 years and have lots of family there. The Minack is magical as you say and I was fortunate to see many plays there when I was on duty with St John Ambulance (provided no one needed my attention that is!). I also used to be on The Mount most weekends in the summer in the same capacity. Walking up and down to the Castle 3 or 4 times during the day. Very good for the heart. I hope your boys were able to find the Giant's Heart on the pathway up to the Castle and to feel it beating! If they didn't I will tell you how for the next time you go. Thank you again for allowing us to go on your holiday with you. Ann x
ReplyDeleteI have loved reading about your holiday, thank you x
ReplyDeleteI have loved reading about your holiday, I grew up in Hayle and we have just come back from visiting my family for two weeks. We didn't get the lovely weather you did but it was still a wonderful holiday in a magical place. My favourite hidden place is called Nanjizel beach, on the other side of Lands End than Sennen is. You can get there on a footpath across the fields and it is stunning. Then you can walk along the cliff to Lands End and enjoy a well earned ice cream. We used to walk from Sennen to Lands End all the time when we were kids as my parents refused to pay to get in!
ReplyDeleteWow, I think we had parallel holidays. We returned yesterday from our little camping tour of Cornwall and discovered many of the places you did! We had a bit of a rainy day for The Minack and St Michael's but they were still brilliant.
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