Britain 2011 - Day 11

Introduction

From Tavistock we drove west into Devon and Cornwall. We were headed for Penzance and thought we could take in some of the scenery on the way. The weather had a different version of the script, so we saw lots of low cloud and drizzle. Nearing the coast at Helston, and feeling rather hungry, we decided to detour to the small coastal port of Porthleven. The mist had cleared, but not for long. We then continued on to Marazion, were we planned to stay for the night and to visit St Michael's Mount. Low tide was for late in the afternoon. Again the mist and drizzle settled in, so after a quick walk across the causeway we settled into the bar of the hotel, looking at the Mount and consuming local ale.

Porthleven

Porthleven is a small seaside village and fishing port on the south coast of Cornwall. We crept into the town through the mist and found a car park beside the harbour. The village was typical of Cornwall seaside towns, with tearooms and attractions aimed at the summer holiday market. We found a likely place despite its name ("Nauti But Ice") and had warm soup for lunch. Then it was on to Marazion.

Misty view of Devon	Scenes from the road
	We saw quite a bit of this view......
Porthleven.	Blocks of apartments or holiday flats above the harbour
Across the harbour to local cottages	The Ship Inn
The church tower at the entrance to the harbour	The breakwaters..
and the signal cannon.	The harbour entrance.

Marazion and St Michael's Mount

We reached Mount Bay a bit west of Marazion and stopped on the foreshore to look at the view and the Mount. At least that was the idea, but the rain returned. From there we drove through Marazion and back again along the narrow street to get to the Godolphin Arms Hotel. This place is right on the beachfront facing the Mount. It has what is probably the best location in the area, but the hotel was showing some signs of age. There were areas that had been renovated, but more was required. Even so, the view was fantastic, the beer very pleasant and the dining room was of a good standard. Our room had clearly had a recent refit, with good internet access and even an ipod docking station. After settling in I ventured out into the drizzle. The tide was dropping swiftly and the causeway across to the Mount was appearing from beneath the waves. In a few minutes I was able to walk over to the Mount. It was too late in the day, and too wet to justify the expense of entering the main buildings and climbing to the top.

From Marazion towards Penzance.	Marazion on the point..
Brave visitors.	St Michael's Mount in the distance.
Closer to the Mount and the tide had dropped....	to expose the causeway.
	The entrance to the harbour at the Mount.
Information board on the Mount.	Looking up to the top of the Mount.
and the church.
Residences near the harbour	Fuschias grow well in this climate
Boats left high and dry by the tide.	Looking through the harbour walls to Marazion.
The strange wheeled boat that ferries people to the island..	The causeway now all dry....
offers a path back into the mirk...
These vehicles had backed up after going around on the sand.	This stone stops most vehicles.
The causeway is paved in local granite.	including this very coare-grained one .
The Godolphin Hotel from the sea..	and a sign pointing up to the road.
along these stairs.	Inside the hotel the passage was narrow
and each room had a number and name - ours was Taran...	A final look at the view from the outdoor deck beside the bar.

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Last updated: 19/06/2017