Sunshine and Scones
This Easter we decided to do the least cliche thing ever, and have a caravanning trip to Cornwall!
Stephen had enjoyed many holidays there as a child, but surprisingly we were yet to visit together, and we couldn’t wait!
We arrived at Trewethetts Farm Caravan and Motorhome club site on the Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the Easter rush, and found ourselves a perfect pitch in a grassy area at the top of the site. Upon arrival we were greeted by Stephens Dad, who had already set up his caravan on one of the hardstanding pitches, and were joined soon after by Stephens brother and his partner in their tent.
I’d heard great things about the scenery but it was even more spectacular than I had expected! From our pitch we had a perfect view down across the sea and the rugged Cornish coastline. It was beautiful, and being in Cornwall I was certain there was more of that to come!
After a breezy night we woke up to glorious sunshine and sparkling waters, and from our pitch we could hear the water gently lapping up against the shore. I couldn’t resist sitting outside with my book for a while before we left on our first excursion- a leisurely stroll around nearby Boscastle.
Arriving in the quaint coastal village at lunch time, our first stop was a cute little bakery that sold all kinds of tasty treats. Stephen decided on a sandwich and a slice of Bakewell tart, then we took a stroll down by the flowing river. Perching ourselves on the waters edge we ate lunch and people-watched, taking in the beautiful scenery around us. I found it fascinating to learn about the Boscastle floods, and to see the markers they left on numerous buildings showing the great height of the water really brought it home. You can only imagine how devastating it would have been to the people who lived and worked in the village.
After our stroll we made our way back to the car, stopping at an adorable little National Trust second hand book shop along the way, before heading back to the campsite for a competitive evening of family card games.
The following day we woke up to even more sun shining through the skylights, and we decided to take a drive out to the Eden Project. I’d missed out on school trips there as a child, and heard great things about the accessibility of it, so I was really looking forward to seeing it for myself!
When we arrived we were directed to one of the three designated disabled carparks, fairly close to the main entrance, and then we made our way inside. After picking up some lunch we headed to a grassy area outside where they were doing “welly wanging” as part of their Easter festivities. It certainly made for some entertaining viewing while we ate and soaked up the sun, which by this point was getting hotter and hotter. Despite the weather feeling like we were already somewhere exotic, we finished up lunch and made our way inside the famous domes, and our first stop was the rainforest!
As we entered it was like we were instantly transported to a foreign country. We were surrounded by tropical plants, from bananas and cocoa pods, to things I’ve never even heard of! As we made our way along the path it grew warmer and warmer. I looked up to see people walking along a canopy walkway, getting an aerial view of everything, and just naturally assumed that the path wouldn’t be accessible. But to my surprise, we continued along the path we were on and found ourselves at the top, with a magnificent view down over the rainforest! I particularly liked seeing the tall waterfall, which is actually rain water collected from the domes. It was really pretty and the cool mist it created provided a bit of welcome relief from the tropical temperatures.
After exiting the rainforest and having a breath of fresh air and a Cornish scone (jam first, then cream), we made our way back in to biome number two- Mediterranean. Not quite as hot as the previous biome we wandered around the tiled flooring, terracotta pots and exotic plants and felt like we were somewhere in Southern Europe. It just made me even more excited about travelling abroad in the future!
By the time our day at the Eden Project was over I was more than impressed. It was a fantastic and educational day out, and their efforts at making it inclusive to everyone didn’t go unnoticed. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t see or do, I could write an entire blog post about that alone!
Waking up feeling refreshed the next morning, we wanted to make the most of our last day in Cornwall. It was another unseasonably hot day and after spending the morning relaxing outside on the campsite we popped into the coastal town of Padstow for some lunch by the harbour and a wander around the narrow streets, stopping at a few of the quirky little shops along the way. Being Easter weekend it was slightly busier than we would have preferred, but that didn’t stop us enjoying it! After exploring the town we fancied taking a stroll, so we made our way along the Camel Trail- an 18 mile stretch of disused railway, linking Padstow to Wenfordbridge. Being mostly smooth and flat it makes a great track for cyclists, walkers and wheelchair users. Not only that but the section we went along gave wonderful views across the bed of the River Camel.
Not wanting our last day to end just yet we took a drive south west to National Trusts Bedruthan Steps. From the name you’d assume it wasn’t ideal for wheelchairs, but it was surprisingly accessible! We parked up in the carpark and made our way down the gravel clifftop path, with the views getting even more spectacular the closer to the edge that we got. The path soon split in two and signs provided guidance for wheelchair users to the more appropriate pathway, slightly wider and less steep than the main path. When they joined up again at the cliff edge the views were breathtaking. We could’ve happily spent all evening there, just watching the waves crash up on the rocks below and enjoying the gentle breeze from the sea, but it was time for us to head back to the site for dinner. And we could practically smell the BBQ from there!
Back on site we all converged at Stephens dads pitch for one last evening, where he did one of his famous barbecues as we had lively conversations and watched the sun set over the sea. It was the perfect way to end a fantastic few days in Cornwall, and it was great to spend some quality time with family.
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Karla x