CORNWALL AND BEYOND: POLDARK DAY!

Hello, my name is Lauren and I am a Poldarkian.

I wait in giddly glee every week to immerse myself in the romance of the late 1700's English countryside in the PBS Masterpiece series "Poldark" starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson. When it ended for the season I had withdrawal symptoms.

So when I saw on Facebook that not only were there others like me, a tribe of us in the Pol-Dark Hole between seasons, and a couple over here who give tours of the shooting sites, I jumped at it.
We took the tour with Chris Barnard and his wife Carolyn, both friendly, living in and loving Cornwall, welcoming and upbeat people with an endless amount of energy.

First stop was Charlestown where Captain Blamey lived , the Warleggan ships were docked and commerce took place. Poldark could often be seen in conversation with bankers here or being broody on the pier. Lots of broody-ness going on.

The training tall ship Phoenix was in port adding to the ambiance and sense of time travel.

Along the Pier

Captain Blameys House, Last on the Right

We moved on to St Agnes Head where Poldark and Demelza stood saying goodbye to their daughter. Demelza holds the ribbon with her baby's name on it and lets it fly in the wind. I wonder how many ribbons they had to use?

Linda and Chris Living Life on the Edge

A bonus to seeing Poldark shooting sites is simply seeing corners of Cornwall you wouldn't see on your own. You don't have to drive, you don't have to navigate, someone tells you what everything is. Sit back and take it in.

There's a lot hidden away on winding roads in tiny corners.

And lunch is a no brainer - a traditional country pub with good food and friendly people.

On the Way to Gunwalloe

I Was Mesmerized by the Muti-Colored Stones at Church Cove

Guide Chris said the try the local RATTLER cider. After 8 of them you can talk but can't feel your legs. I barely made it through one, being a half-pinter, but it was smooth going down.

The beach at Gunwalloe , Church Cove, on the Lizard Peninsula, was the scene of the shipwreck when the villagers pilfered the goods and killed some of the survivors.
Next to it is Dollar Cove, site of many real life shipwrecks and named for the silver dollars still washing up on the beach.

But of probably more interest to me was the surprize of this charming Pilgrims Church of St Winwaloe the Church of the Storms just down the path. Even the name was fanciful. The 12C church is built on the site of a 6C monastery and is part of the Small Places Pilgrims Network. From what I can make out, it consists of a collection of meditation spots where services are held in the "Celtic Tradition."

The info said they seek to draw people as pilgrims, across the boundaries of faiths, denominations and spiritual paths, by promoting small "breathing spaces", where all can feel welcome and pause on their journey through life.

These breathing spaces are characterized by four key elements of Space, Silence, Solitude and Simplicity, encouraging stillness, prayer and reflection. They aren't only church buildings. They can be monuments, open spaces, holy wells or gardens. There's a list of these sites across the country.

Being on pilgrimage involves a sense of curiosity and challenge, introspection. The journey is as important as any arrival. I liked this idea! And I love these small, ancient churches founded on sacred ideas connected to the earth and nature.

Church of St Winwaloe

Carved Roof Truss Detail

Lords Prayer in Cornish

This panel is one of 2 medieval rood screens.

At Porthgwarra we took a much welcomed break at the cafe. Porthgwarra is the scene at night smuggling Mark - who had killed his strumpet wife - to France, also the arrival of the Pilchards and Poldarks naked swim. Turner wore a "flesh suit".

Beautiful Wildflowers Everywhere

Linda, Me, Carolyn and Chris

Homemade Most Excellent Lemon Drizzle!

The Portgwarra Cafe

Many Sweet Holiday Cottages Here

A Country Gentleman

There Was Water Here When Poldark Did His Swimming

There He Is!

From the cafe we walked along the coast path

to above Porth Loe, the spot where Poldark rides up to Demelza and tells her she can no longer be his servant. On the way was some amazing wild scenery and wildflowers. The Thrift is finishing but the Heather will soon be in bloom. I'm sorry to miss that. Here we're almost at Lands End, Longships Lighthouse in the distance, the end of ...well... land! Next stop, Nova Scotia?

Some Standing Stones

Porth Loe

More Standing Stones With Holes in Them

Wheal Crown

The two abandoned tin mines used for Wheal Grambler ( Francis Poldarks mine) and Wheal Leisure (Ross's) are Wheal Crown and Wheal Owles, said 'Oals'. Both are relics now with a tragic history.

At Wheal Owles, in 1893 ,40 miners were working in the undersea levels 400 feet below the sea. Shafts didn't go straight down, they turned and went sometimes over a mile out under water. Men would take 4 hours to climb down, work 2 hours , and climb back up. The drillers accidentally holed into the flooded old workings of a neighboring mine. The sea thundered into Wheal Owles trapping over 30 men. There were some heroic deeds on that day and some miners were saved by quick thinking of their colleagues but there were still 19 miners and one mine boy lost. None of the bodies were recovered and the mine was never reopened. Stories like this abound. The land is a network of shafts, caves, dangerous cliffs and holes, some final burial spots for tragic miners.