To England's End - A Cornish Drive to the Shore... - IgoUgo Cornwall Journal

Partaking in the Almost Overly-Sweet Delight of Cream Tea

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It wasn't until I began writing these journals of my time in Cornwall and Devon that I realized just how fundamental the gastronomical aspects of the trip were. Some trips are obviously meant to be garnished with the lovely local foods, but it wasn't until I had spent some time in the southwest of England that I realized that this was one of those trips. Cream tea, much like the real ale and the Cornish pasty is something you will be excitedly encouraged to try by locals pretty much as soon as you arrive. Tell them you've never had a cream tea (and possibly don't know what it is) and you may well be invited right back to rectify this horrible mishap immediately. Or at the very least you w...Read More

It wasn't until I began writing these journals of my time in Cornwall and Devon that I realized just how fundamental the gastronomical aspects of the trip were. Some trips are obviously meant to be garnished with the lovely local foods, but it wasn't until I had spent some time in the southwest of England that I realized that this was one of those trips.

Cream tea, much like the real ale and the Cornish pasty is something you will be excitedly encouraged to try by locals pretty much as soon as you arrive. Tell them you've never had a cream tea (and possibly don't know what it is) and you may well be invited right back to rectify this horrible mishap immediately. Or at the very least you will be pointed to the best place to do so for yourself.

Oddly, however, unless you ask - they may not think to explain exactly what a cream tea is. I admit, I was completely in the dark about the experience I was about to undertake when I was served my first cream tea (in Devon rather than Cornwall as it turns out - but I'll get to that in a moment)

Having lived in the UK for some time, I was aware that 'tea' is often a relative term and can refer to anything from the drink itself to dinner time, of the food of dinner itself. It can be confusing for a new comer, so when the term 'cream tea' popped up - I was prepared for it to be totally unexpected.

And in many ways, it kind of was.
If you go to a small tea house or cafe or bakery and order cream tea - you may be surprised when you don't get a tea with cream in it. What you will likely get instead is a little mini meal of scones, clotted cream and jam served with milky tea.

It is important to mention at this point that - like many things that straddle the Cornish and Devon border - there is a bit of a regional push and pull about which is the best or correct way to have your cream tea. Though I believe the institution actually originated in Devon, those in Cornwall have their own way of doing it which they steadfastly stand by - and I will leave it up to you to decide which method you prefer.

Those in Devon will cut the warm scone in half and cover each half heavily ( you wonder instantly how any of them are still alive) with clotted cream and then smother that with strawberry or raspberry jam.
In Cornwall, you but the jam on first, and then cover it with the thick Cornish clotted cream.

This dispute is the thing of legends - and though it may seem silly, I suspect even you will taste a difference in the 'tea' depending on which sweet topping you put on first.

For me personally - not being overly keen on sweets - this one cream tea was enough to last me for months. The richness of this is unparalleled, and if you eat it with the locals you may watch open mouthed as they pile as much thick cream and jam on their scone as it can possibly hold. (and occasionally I've even seen them include butter first - although traditionally this is not correct)

All the same - it's a small part of the culture I recommend you try - if for no other reason than to say that you have. And the next time you hear some one mention 'cream tea' you can wryly smile to yourself and know that you know just what they are referring to. Read Less

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The Cornish Pasty Experience

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While you will be missing out on a key aspect of the Cornish experience if you don't sample some of the local Real Ales, you will certainly be missing a vital component of any Cornish trip, if you don't spend a great deal of time gorging on the infamous, glorious, Cornish pasty. I should perhaps begin by explaining the pronunciation of the word. I'm sure it looks simple, but you would be astonished by how many uncertain variations make their way to the ordering counter. And though any local Brit will seem utterly confused by the need to clarify - to save you the uncertainty or embarrassment in making this small error, I'll clarify it now.It's pronounced 'paasty. The 'a' is a short v...Read More

While you will be missing out on a key aspect of the Cornish experience if you don't sample some of the local Real Ales, you will certainly be missing a vital component of any Cornish trip, if you don't spend a great deal of time gorging on the infamous, glorious, Cornish pasty.

I should perhaps begin by explaining the pronunciation of the word. I'm sure it looks simple, but you would be astonished by how many uncertain variations make their way to the ordering counter. And though any local Brit will seem utterly confused by the need to clarify - to save you the uncertainty or embarrassment in making this small error, I'll clarify it now.
It's pronounced 'paasty. The 'a' is a short vowel sound. So you don't pronounce it as if were 'pastry', but rather as if it were 'patty'

That being explained (I had to correct a friend of mine recently who kept enthusing about the pay-stee he had when he was here last after no one here was quite sure what he was referring to) go out and try as many as you can. Seriously. They are glorious.

Meat pies are something that Britain in general is good for, and even though they can't seem to do much in the way of sweet fruit pies (don't even look for one, just wait and have one when you get back home) they are the master of all things meat and pastry related. And nowhere do you get to enjoy that with more zeal than in Cornwall.

To go to Cornwall and not have a pasty would be like going to Italy and not having a coffee or Italian ice cream, or to Maine and not having lobster. It's part of the deal - if you come to Cornwall, you must have a Cornish pasty - with a real ale if at all possible.

There are no end to the places you can find these, often in bakeries which specialize in them, but also in pubs and restaurants. Each place does them a little differently, but after years of only trying the Scottish rendition of the Cornish pasty, I had no idea what a treat I was in for by tasting the real thing.

Pasties are often quite large, one will almost certainly fill you up, even if you are a big eater for any lunch of mid day meal. They are different types of filling, often with meat but also vegetarian versions in a thick, flaky pastry wrap. They are heaven.
Steak and ale is arguably the most well known, but don't stop there. Try anything you can, and try the unusual ones as well. I had one that was a Moroccan curry that was out of this world, as well as a steak and Stilton which I still dream about to this day.

If you're in the southeast, or Plymouth and can't make it out to Cornwall, pop down to the Barbican Harbour area of Plymouth and check out one of the many little pasty bakeries, each of which do pasties which are the stuff of dreams.
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Real Ales, CAMRA Pubs, and the Cornish Coast...

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There are certain things in travel and in the world that are simply made profoundly better by slowing down and enjoying them with whatever the local beverage or culinary delight is. In Cornwall, it's real ales. The term ' real ale' is something you'll hear almost immediately when you arrive in the southwest of England - especially if you know or speak to the locals and ask for advice on where to go and what to do. At some point very early on someone will undoubtedly recommend that you go to a CAMRA pub to sample the brew, or that you must try so-and-so's real ales. It's just a fundamental part of the Cornish experience, and one you should most definitely partake i...Read More

There are certain things in travel and in the world that are simply made profoundly better by slowing down and enjoying them with whatever the local beverage or culinary delight is.

In Cornwall, it's real ales.

The term ' real ale' is something you'll hear almost immediately when you arrive in the southwest of England - especially if you know or speak to the locals and ask for advice on where to go and what to do. At some point very early on someone will undoubtedly recommend that you go to a CAMRA pub to sample the brew, or that you must try so-and-so's real ales.

It's just a fundamental part of the Cornish experience, and one you should most definitely partake in. Even if you're not much of a beer drinker, this is the excellent time to give it a try. There are a vast selection of ales of all different types and flavours in Cornwall and Devon, and you may just find one that tickles your taste buds.
Remember in most pubs in Britain you can order a half pint rather than a pint if you're just looking to sample or aren't accustomed to the heavier beer and higher alcohol content on this side of the pond. (Do be aware of this before you start, it sometimes takes a while to get used to how much stronger the beers can be in Europe than North America)

The term 'real ale' itself may not always be the easiest to grasp. I spent several months in Plymouth tasting a great number of these before I discerned exactly what the distinction was between them and a normal beer or ale.
Real ale is a term used to refer to ales that are traditionally brewed in the old style, usually by the local pub itself.

There's quite a lot of technical fermentation information which differentiates between real ale and 'keg' beer which I won't go into here but that you may like to look into if you're interested, but the basic gist is that the old style involves a still 'living' fermenting ale which needs to be carefully minded by the pub to maintain it's temperature, etc for the best possible flavour. The newer process involves a more sterile version which is lacking in the depth of flavour that you can get from a traditional ale.

This process was in danger of being lost entirely when the CAMRA pub (campaign for real ale) organisation began in the 1970s. They're motivation has been to preserve this way of brewing and selling ales, and in certain places in the UK like Cornwall, it's become a huge marker for where to go when you want really good beer. The locals proudly have their favourite CAMRA pubs they will recommend to you if you ask - and as each one is so different, I highly recommend you try several.

For more information on Real Ales, or CAMRA - check out the websites:

http://www.camra.org.uk/home.aspx

and for lists of local camra pubs, go to:

http://www.realalepubs.co.uk/search.asp Read Less

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Rame Head

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Attraction | "Perfect Plymouth escape"

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For anyone visiting or staying in Plymouth, Rame Head is the perfect little Cornish get away for the day, or even just for a stroll out at dusk. Just 3 miles out of the city, this is a fantastic little drive, and actually a great first taster of Cornwall coming from Devon and the city. You can drive North out of Plymouth on the A38 and take the slightly longer way around, but which gives you a nice view into the country side and where you will pass a few little traditional Cornish towns along the way as you wind back down south to the coastal outcropping called Rame Head. Alternately you can take the ferry across to Cremyll from Plymouth, which is a very short trip indeed. The ferry is cheap a...Read More

For anyone visiting or staying in Plymouth, Rame Head is the perfect little Cornish get away for the day, or even just for a stroll out at dusk.
Just 3 miles out of the city, this is a fantastic little drive, and actually a great first taster of Cornwall coming from Devon and the city. You can drive North out of Plymouth on the A38 and take the slightly longer way around, but which gives you a nice view into the country side and where you will pass a few little traditional Cornish towns along the way as you wind back down south to the coastal outcropping called Rame Head. Alternately you can take the ferry across to Cremyll from Plymouth, which is a very short trip indeed. The ferry is cheap and it's also a nice way to go.

If you're not in too much of a hurry I would recommend the longer scenic drive out, then as the day wanes come back home on the ferry to get the best of both experiences.

Rame head and the coastal walks around it are just a simple, pleasant coastal place to wander and well worth the little drive out. The sea is beautiful here, even when the light is hazy as it often is in the area, and apparently the bird watching here is pretty impressive.

There are wild Dartmoor ponies on the hills that sometimes can be seen - though apparently they are a bit shy here and we never did actually see them on our walks. But there's loads of other wildlife in the area, and you are bound to come across some of it.

Some places more than others really give you the sense of being 'at the edge of land' rather than simply on the coast - and this is one of those places. You can stand on a lush green hill over coastal cliffs looking out past England towards the distant shores of France and really feel a sense of what the place has seen and what has passed by it.

Climb up towards the ancient iron age hill fort for some amazing sunset views and incredibly photo opportunities, and also check out the ruins of the medieval chapel. There are lots of coastal walks here, and you can walk as little or as much as you like, but whichever you chose, it's certainly a little trip worth making. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 19, 2010

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Land's End

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Attraction | "England's End - but What an End..."

Land's End Photo - Land's End, Cornwall, England

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Not long after I first moved to Britain (in the far away North of Scotland) I saw photos of Cornwall, and more specifically Land's End and it went almost immediately into my very selective Life's To Do List. And yet - as these things often work - in the 5 years I lived there I never once made it down the coast to the far south of England to see it. It is true that these days it's often cheaper to go abroad than to travel around Britain, and that the weather is often adverse, and that Britain is so perfect a jumping off spot for sight seeing Europe, that you can actually forget just how much is right on your doorstep. So somehow in all those years of travelling to various cor...Read More

Not long after I first moved to Britain (in the far away North of Scotland) I saw photos of Cornwall, and more specifically Land's End and it went almost immediately into my very selective Life's To Do List.

And yet - as these things often work - in the 5 years I lived there I never once made it down the coast to the far south of England to see it. It is true that these days it's often cheaper to go abroad than to travel around Britain, and that the weather is often adverse, and that Britain is so perfect a jumping off spot for sight seeing Europe, that you can actually forget just how much is right on your doorstep.

So somehow in all those years of travelling to various corners of the Europe and the globe, I somehow ever actually wandered down to my own most southerly point.

When I decided to move back to Britain after travelling around the world for a year in 2008 the first thing I decided to do what make sure I see the south of England better than I had done in the time while I lived there, and highest on that list was Cornwall, and of course, Land's End.

You may wonder why a rocky outcrop and a sign that tells you you've reached this point of the country should make it to such a revered place on my travel list. But if you've ever seen any photos of the coast, you'll understand why a photographer must have it there.

As it turns out, this trip was much more than a simple photo taking expedition (as is usually the case, but that i often forget when planning and packing my various lenses and tripods) We set out with a few friends from Plymouth on a near perfect late spring day on the drive through Cornwall towards the sea. It's actually a really pleasant drive - there's loads of fantastic little Cornish towns to stop in along the way (I suggest you try as many ales in these pubs as you can, assuming of course that you are not the driver) and the farther west you go you start to see the strange sight of palm trees in English gardens. Yes - that's right - palm trees.

The sun was with us the whole day, and was warm if not baking hot (I can happily recommend April as a stunning time to visit this coast) You pass the little town of Penzance, the most westerly town in Cornwall (this is a very good place to stop for supplies before you head out to where the land ends.)

But the highlight of the trip is the simple pleasure of standing on the coast, knowing you are the farthest south you can go in Great Britain.
There's a small selection of shops for souvenirs and post cards and snack food right at Land's End. Get your picture taken in front of the sign (you have to, it's the law) and then wander down and take in the breath taking sight of the rugged cliffs at your leisure.

This - like many great sights in Britain - is not over maintained or manipulated. There are some walking paths, and the common sense understanding (with a warning sign or two) that there are cliffs, and you should be careful, but effectively you can walk wherever you like.

I highly recommend you take the day following the coast down towards the next settlement where there is a small pub you can have lunch if you feel so inclined. Or better yet, bring a packed lunch and some drinks and hike until you can hike no more. The sea spray and the stunning view out over the cliffs really does make you feel as if you've reached the end of the world - something everyone should experience once, if only for a moment.

I also recommend that - if possible - you make it also to John O'Groats, the most northerly point of the country in the north of Scotland (a trip planned for October of this year) It's nice to have stood in these places and seen them for yourself, to have made it the length and breadth of a country, and Britain is a great place to do just that.

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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on July 15, 2010

Land's End
B3306 from St. Ives/B3315 fro Penzance
Cornwall, England

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To England's End - A Cornish Drive to the Shore...

Partaking in the Almost Overly-Sweet Delight of Cream Tea

The Cornish Pasty Experience

Real Ales, CAMRA Pubs, and the Cornish Coast...

Rame Head

Land's End

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