Sunshine Brings Out The Magic Of Charlestown Cornwall

Surprise, surprise, the sun was shinning so we made our way to Charlestown in Cornwall. It's been a small harbour since the late 1700s and is named after Charles Rashleigh, a large land owner back then.

We parked our car in a free space on the road leading to the harbour and, of course, it was outside of a cottage numbered 76.

We then meandered our way to the sea passing craft shops and the likes ...

... before getting our first glimpse of the sea and the Tall Sailing Ships which frequent the harbour.

The harbour was originally used for exporting china clay all around the world. It was known as white gold back when the harbour was created and made fortunes for the entrepreneurs of the day. There is still a china clay chute on one of the harbour walls. The wagons would unload and the clay went down the chute onto the waiting ships.

The Pier House, seen to the left of the photo below, was built in 1794 and is now a pub, restaurant and hotel.

The entrance to the Charlestown harbour isn't very busy nowadays, so much so that ...

... local boys jump from the walls into the water - strictly against the harbour rules and regulations, of course!

Next to the harbour is a small pebble beach ...

... with, er, lots of pebbles and stones.

Looking west and east are cliffs which help to shelter the harbour.

But it's the Tall Ships which dominate most of the harbour views ...

... from all directions.

After spending several hours around the harbour and walking the coastal path we made our way back to our car - passing the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre ...

... several restaurants and pubs offering many fish dishes ...

... and we finished the visit with a look at the local church St.Paul's

As for the Tall Ships of Charlestown they have been used in many movies including: Moll Flanders, Return to Treasure Island, The Eagle Has Landed, Shackleton's Endurance, Frenchman's Creek, Odyssey, The Onedin Line, The Three Musketeers, Mansfield Park, Longitude, A Respectable Trade and Rebecca.

Several movies have featured Charlestown including Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, The Curse of the Black Spot, an episode of the Dr Who television series and the fantasy adventure movie Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box, to be released in 2013.

When the sun shines so does the magic of Cornwall!

Other Charlestown Posts:
The Magical Charlestown Old Cornish Sailing Ships
Neptune And The Little Harbour In Cornwall
Also see:
10 Mystery Posts About Cornwall

Neptune And The Little Harbour In Cornwall

We were out and about in Cornwall, on a cold, grey winter's day and came across this new carving of the Roman Sea God Neptune at the harbour village of Charlestown.

The carving has been created from a tree outside one of the old cottages. It was carved by Peter Martin and commissioned by Sarita and Jason Miller. Neptune has a purpose, and it is to raise funds for the new local Little Harbour children's hospice - picture takers are welcome but are asked to pop some money in a box for the charity. Please, if you are passing and take a photo, leave some money to help terminally ill children. Thank you.

I like Charlestown. It sticks in my memory because we visited the village on the morning of this millennium. It was quite foggy and as we looked back from standing on the harbour wall it was like being transported back to the 1700s when it was first built.

As with our recent visit the tall ships were in, as they often are and create something more akin to a film set, but this is all for real.

One of the things about being out and about - even on a cold, grey day - is that you never know what you might see: Neptune, tall sailing ships, harbour from the 1700s and ... a fairy house, built into a part of the harbour wall.  Most people will never see this unless they are very sharp-eyed (and believe in fairies!)

Below is a video showing the new Little Harbour children's hospice I mentioned at the beginning of this post. Having a fit, robust little grandson it breaks my heart to think that we need such places. But we do and such hospice's do a wonderful job. If you are in Cornwall or England please support your local hospice - thank you.