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Day
2- Tuesday 17th
Luxulyan
A lovely wander through the top end of the village
on the hill. Luxulyan Parish Church is where my
great-great-great grandparents John Lawry and Rebecca
Cock married. Found their gravestone propped up by
yew tree.
Quite
a goose-pimply moment and felt very connected to the
village although somewhat irrational probably.
Don
found other gravestones that may or may not be family
members. John and Rebecca's son William, my great-great
grandfather, isn't there as he moved away to become
a farmer at Bleadon in Somerset where he married Ann
Hurdacre.
Nice
church with friendly and caring well used feel to it.
Food bank and large second hand book area- known
as the W H Smith section!
Continued
down past the church to the Luxulyan Valley (World Heritage
Status apparently). Walked though wooded valley
up to the impressive railway dual purpose viaduct /
aqueducts.
It
was built in 1840s (after ancestors’ time) by a wealthy
landowner to take down mining and related goods- granite
from the quarries to the coast .
Crossed
over it and along part of the Saints Way (with its own
waymarkers and enormous stone stiles) back through the
fields to Luxulyan.
Now
much warmer after a cool start we changed and decided
we needed to see the famous coastline.
But
first to Marsh Villa Gardens. Mustn’t forget this
little gem!
Marsh
Villa Gardens
This
was recommended by two lively guests who were just leaving.
The lady was studying gardening and was going
herself that morning.
It
was near Par Station- the railway line down one side.
Unusual as it was formerly a tidal creek years
ago and gradually filled in with all sorts of material.
In the 80s this couple had moved to the house
(the man had inherited it, I think) and proceeded to
make a garden there from scratch. It was delightful
with “rooms” and ponds and an avenue of birches(?).
The lady (now in her 80s) welcomed us and we made
ourselves tea with delicious cakes / shortbread outside
in the sunshine. Don could have stayed there all
afternoon!
The
old chap had a nice chat afterwards. They still
do all the work themselves.
Polkerris
We
wound our way down to the Polkerris car park. Every
inlet / harbour / beach has a car park above with various
forms of payment- all different.
Polkerris
was delightful, especially with clotted cream ice-creams
and a walk on the harbour wall.
From
here we could look across to the Meacocks.
Charlestown
Moving
on to Charlestown a completely different set of rules
applied at the car park which I leave Don to explain.
Only
takes cash and we had none. Won’t take notes,
no payment by card, no payment via internet, no payment
via phone. Running low on notes and no bank handy
but used my last fiver to invest in some sweeties and
obtained some cash but not exact amount and of course
no change given. It was now quite late on but
you still have to pay by the hour up to midnight. Then
to cap things off M invested 20p for the toilets but
didn’t open the door within the permitted 10 second
so had to pay again. Charlestown gets my award
for Cornwall’s biggest rip-off. We had planned
to eat there but not blooming likely. Not much
else anyway. Certainly don’t feel connected to
it. The place is living of the back of Oldkrap.
Charlestown
was, I think, a purpose built harbour and quays to export
mining goods and china clay. It looked affluent
and pretty although a little smelly by the sea. It
is often used in Poldark filming.
We
had a walk onto the coastal path (the only bit walked
in the end). It’s a busy and dominant part of
the landscape.
After
a loop around the top of the town, we cut through a
footpath then to a narrow path between lovely rosemary
bushes. There are often plants here that grow
in warmer parts like palms and exotics.
Not
wanting to have supper here we went back via Lanlivery-
only four miles from Luxulyan. Another similar
church on the hill with a wooded tunnel into the village.
The Crown pub- a very old establishment and larger than
Kings Arms had a good range on the menu including fish
and chips. And a wonderful scallop dish with rather
a lot of GARL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!C.
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