HIDDEN GEM Great Pub! Great walk! and home of The Cornish Wonder A nostalgic walk Mithian Cornwall

We follow a 2 mile circular walk from the Miners Arms in Mithian in search of the home of The Cornish Wonder, or John Opie.
John Opie was Cornwall's most prolific painter producing 500 portraits and 250 other works during his short lifetime. He was recognised as a genius when only a boy and, despite his father's misgivings, pursued his love of art and drawing under the guidance of Dr John Wolcot, alias Peter Pindar.
On reaching Mithian, we take a nostalogic look at the village with the aid of some old photographs - how much has it changed?
Join us for a fabulous pub meal to round up the day!
Music Credit- ‘Heavenly’ by Akashi Gandhi
The standard description bit…
We are Sarah and Andrew and we film our walks around Cornwall and publish on KZbin, usually weekly. Sometimes we stay in accommodation in Cornwall and upload our vlog. Sarah is fascinated by sea glass and likes to collect it so there may be the occasional sea glass video too. The channel is a hobby and we both have normal day jobs!
Unfortunately we cannot answer comments coming in more than a week after the publishing date of the video.
Frequently asked questions:
Do we do meet ups?
We regularly receive requests to meet up from viewers and subscribers, but unfortunately we do not have availability to be able to do this.
The channel is a very time consuming hobby, fitted around our employment and family commitments. Setting aside time for meet ups, means that we are not able to film and edit our weekly videos that you love to watch.
If you happen to bump into us while out and about, we will be more than happy to have a quick chat!
Sarah and Andrew
What camera do we use?
Since December 2018 we have used: Canon Powershot G7x MkII
How do I find the books you use?
Most are still in print although some we pick up in charity shops and may be available on Amazon secondhand. Please refer to the video for the book titles. Every video shows the book three times. Sorry but we can’t put a link in every description.
Best time of year to visit Cornwall?
We love May, June for flora and fauna, July and September for spectacular scenery.
What is your dog’s name?
Sorry but we do not release the name of our dog, perhaps you can make up your own name for him.
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[@cornwallparanormalresearch2378]

Big like awesome watch ⌚ like and shared out. 👌

[@elizabethmcleod246]

Sarah, in Western Canada where blackberries grow in abundance, IF the berries are too tart we make a salad dressing with them. Wash and dry berries. Push through mesh to rid the juice of seeds. Put the juice into a pot, add balsamic vinegar and honey to taste. Let boil gently until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Enjoyed that guys! A gentle stroll. Nice bit of editing....Andrew: "there was ladies of the night" , > Sarah - "Tart"!

[@johncurtis1003]

Love your videos and love Cornwall been on holidays there for many years and always enjoyed them love watching you both

[@delta250a]

Great video about Mithian, I think we are all fed up of the rat run now! 😂

[@barleyarrish]

All the best you two from Sancreed , right On!

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Hello there! 😂Sarah :)

[@suerobertson5132]

you live in the wonderful spot,, all your walks are gorgeous thanx for sharing it LOVE the out takes. xoxoxoxo🦘🦘🐨🐨

[@MySteamChannel]

Hi from South Australia. My family heritage is from Cornwall & my surname starts with TRE. I would love to visit but can't travel due to illness. I do enjoy your content to see what i am missing & where my ancestors came from. Thanks & best regards.

[@sammysteel7449]

Love the Thatchers

[@JoannaLouise200]

Just wonderful!...Friday isn't Friday without Sarah & Andrew ~ always something fascinating being discovered! What a beautiful village, and so well preserved. I like it that these remoter parts of Cornwall remain largely untouched. I so enjoy the old photo comparisons!...and often wonder if any of the people depicted have descendants still living there. The story of John Opie really caught me, and I now want to do some more reading about him. The portraits you highlight show such sensitivity & depth in the way he captured his sitters' moods and expressions...especially the eyes. Lovely video ~ thank you Sarah and Andrew x

[@gazzertrn]

Couldnt agree more 👍

[@JoannaLouise200]

Not surprised.@@LudicrousSpeedGaming

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Thank you! Friday feels strange to us when we don’t release a video! We have been doing KZbin so long!!! It’s scary! Sarah :)

[@JoannaLouise200]

You're doing brilliantly! I know how much time & energy goes into making and editing these videos, so we're always pleased whenever you can release one :) @@CornishWalkingTrails

[@fordcortina3730]

Looking at your photo of The Old Post Office (the building with the black windows) it looks as if it has been altered since the photo was taken. The doorway has been moved to the left and now occupies a place where a window was. Where the door was is now a window. The Post Office sign would have been above the current doorway. Thank you for yet another great video.

[@shaunfeatherstone1]

'Nother fab vid. That gate isn't the only thing swaying!~ 🥴

[@debdavet-cornwallandbeyond1649]

Nice and interesting video guys. Debbie used to live in St Agnes, so is more familiar with the area, but we will have to have a wander around, next time we do the St Agnes to Perranporth walk. Definitely like the idea of a pie and a pint in the Miners Arms.😊

[@thomashaynes9487]

I am grew up in Mithian I live in the USA now, looks like you walked through my fathers land at 5.20 lol

[@annajeram9251]

So interesting to know more about Mithian…I didn’t realise that the Miners Arms was so old, however I knew about it being haunted 👻

[@clives344]

Thanks for the video when visiting the UK we always stay in Perranporth so will give it a visit in June 2024. Love the Food Bon Appetite from here in Switzerland 🇨🇭 Cornish/UK food is Massively underrated!!

[@esthermorrissey1454]

Whats not to like about this video - A good pub within an lovely little village - a tranquil walk - well until you got to the style suitable for a local giant ha ha!! The best cider and great food. So impressed with the 2 artists featured - John Opie a superb portrait painter and Sarah a wonderful landscape painter - brilliant

[@TheWalnut47]

Loved the video. You made me laugh a lot. Greetings from the wild bit of Bodmin Moor. 😎

[@gabischmidt2753]

Hi Sarah and Andrew! Thank you very much for the wonderful video about the small town and the excellent artist. It was wonderful that John Opie's skills were supported and he didn't have to stay with his father. Probably very unusual in those days. Every hand was needed at home. His portraits are fantastic. It's always nice when you see the comparision of the past and the present. I'm glad you had a good meal:). Maybe we'll go to Cornwall again next two weeks and follow in your footsteps:). Take care, and have a lovely weekend. Gabi:)

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Very good food served at this pub, it always been good! Sarah :)

[@colindaysh640]

Brilliant video. I've just got in from Mithian Allotment!!

[@stevestone1171]

Excellent video, as always, thank you. You may know already but in Norwich Cathedral, where I am a guide, there is a large painting by John Opie, “Presentation of the Christ child in the temple”. It is a fine piece of work.

[@thelastpilot4582]

Great video, I love all the of history. Pleas do not cut any of the awful jokes out I always look forward to those. A Cornish Man drinking thatcher's Cider and not scrumpy. I drink a pint of Scrumpy every night although I can't get real Cornish up here I'm afraid.

[@heatherdepasquale9803]

I love how you point out houses and other points of interest that I would miss if I were to walk the trails. Well done and thanks for the history.

[@philw7580]

Hi Both, not sure if you missed it, but inside the pub is the doorway to the passage with quite a detailed plaque explaining the story of it.

[@wendysayers3080]

Can I just say that you both bring a little bit of Sunshine ☀️ to my day x

[@dianewetherill185]

Delightful video! Fun to see you having fun! Loved both wonderful artists, Chopie and Sarah!

[@amazinggrace4036]

Enjoyed this walk with you … it has history and I absolutely loved the Blue Boy portrait too … wow absolutely lovely…doesn’t compare to my tiny portrait I have in my living room and small figurine of the Blue Boy that I have put on the side…love that painting of old! Thank you for taking us along. Be well Sarah and Andrew! Missing your doggies! 🐶Ana🌼

[@daizyflower272]

There's a door that leads to the tunnel in the pub, in a small room amongst other dinning tables where there's a small dinning table. The present owner, Anuska, also says its haunted where the ghosts does things like "breathe on her ear" and push glasses down. This was only when she was new to the pub, the ghost gave up after a while. She is now selling the pub, not due to this but she also owns the Red Lion in Blackwater. The new owner will get the same treatment, she says!

[@Dujfjfo]

Happy Friday everyone. Hope you all have a great weekend 🎉

[@bonitawyke7259]

Foraging with Sarah!😍 Endless chuckles here in North FL 😉 Beautiful paintings…chiaroscuro..💜 Beautiful Hydrangeas(my bush died in the heat 😔)..our clime here also changed ..like that! 🫰 Earliest Fall we’ve had in 34 years , started first weekend in September..Hooray! And Hooray for another delightful amble through Cornwall ..much love to you Sarah and Andrew..and to everyone there.. the Wykes 💐☮️

[@sandrawoodall6545]

This is short and sweet 😂 but interesting I especially liked the cat joke 😂😂

[@marieryan2541]

Hi Sarah and Andrew. I loved your peaceful walk with snippets of history and a famous Cornish painter.

[@bernicebest]

Another very interesting walk, we holidayed in ‘Perranporth’ for several years in 70’s but never heard of the Cornish wonder John Opie or, ‘Mithian, I was cringing when you sampled natures bounty Sarah, next time if in doubt don’t, couldn’t help but laugh 😅 when Andrew miss read the plaque stating John Opie’s date of birth, your laugh Sarah made it all the funnier 😂 his portraits are stunning no wonder he became a favourite of Royalty…..just had a thought 💭 I wonder if the ladies of the night met up with the smugglers in the underground tunnel when the local pub was no longer available 🤔 thank you 🙏 for another very entertaining video in which you always find delicious meals 😋 ten out of ten for me “👌”

[@hengist1740]

Hi Andrew and Sarah! Love your channel and just returned from a week in beautiful Cornwall. You’re great ambassadors for your lovely county. The village that I grew up in in Kent had a triangular network of tunnels connecting the church, the pub and the (sadly no longer extant) Manor House. That’s a long way from the coast too (20 or 30 miles). I heard everything from smugglers to catholic priests offered as explanation but I don’t think anyone actually knows

[@gordonsimpson3235]

I too grew up in Kent in a Wealden village. There was supposedly a tunnel from our house (The Manor House) to the pub and Church opposite. I am sure it was filled in as we never uncovered it. It went from the cellars. There were many gangs of smugglers despite the distance from the coast....it had to be transported inland by the gangs for sale/distribution. Furious fighting between the gangs (Hawkhurst, Goudhurst etc) over territory.

[@hengist1740]

My village was at the foot of the North Downs but I know about the Hawkhurst gang. I’ve enjoyed a drink or two in their old HQ, the Star and Eagle in Goudhurst. Always wondered why no-one made a film about them. Their demise at the hands of William Smart and the village militia reads like the plot of a Clint Eastwood movie

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Yep, our tunnel went straight to the Star and Eagle, and on to the church!@@hengist1740

[@yvettewinstone7926]

Fantastic as always xx

[@JontyLand]

Another great video, guys! Loved the walk and the humour that permeated it. "See what else she puts in her mouth!" 😂 So funny! You'll have to visit a pub before EVERY walk from here on in.

[@brianaveriss7972]

Thank you both for another lovely village walk ( missing the dogs)

[@SpanishEclectic]

A nice breezy walk! I had heard of John Opie, and seen some of this paintings, probably in books mostly. Really interesting to learn his history. I do wonder if he had a row or two when separating from his mentor. Fifty percent of profits clearly became a bigger deal as time went on. I love that style of painting, with strong light on the face in a portrait. The villages and lanes are so lovely. Beautiful hydrangeas and clematis. As always, I appreciate your efforts to find before and after views from old books. Old photos are so fascinating.

[@kevinweatheritt]

Hi Sarah and Andrew as usual another lovely walk filled with interesting content. We would love to live in such a lovely village. Outtakes made us chuckle, tip for future videos walk first pub last.

[@kevinknuckey7289]

What a great little walk and history like the idea of a cider 🍺 or two and Hake looks delicious will do this walk tomorrow once again great video thanks 🙏 😉👍

[@sallydingle321]

Sweet little town 👌💖😁... Must have a visit 👍. Poor chap to not be taken seriously later.. talent is talent isn't it 🤷. Enjoyed the outtakes 😂👌💖😘

[@MRaquelGarciaValero]

❤

[@TheFowey]

My chair is in exactly the same place by the fire

[@cebusapella9125]

A really interesting walk in a really beautiful part of Cornwall. I know, Mithian, John Opie's house and that blackberry footpath from doing Bob Acton's Perranporth-Perrancoombe-Mithian-Jericho Valley -Cligga walk numerous times, one of my favourite walks. Joh Opie was an amazing portrait painter. Many years ago i visited Haddo House in Aberdeenshire, home of the Gordon family, and they had a number of Opie's portraits, as does Brodie castle near Inverness. Wonder if he did a portrait-painting tour of Scotland? Elderberries are meant to be slightly poisonous unless cooked (or made into elderberry wine), but I've eaten them without any bad effect. Hawthorn berries (those red ones) are definitely edible and very good for you - however, they're not particularly nice tasting, creamy and starchy and slightly bitter. Hawthorn leaves are lovely though when just a few days old. I wouldn't recommend raw blackthorn berries (sloes) - incredibly dry and sour - BUT if you make sloe gin - absolutely delicious - well worth doing if you have the time!

[@clivemacken552]

Elderberry make wine with them nice

[@cynthiastogden7000]

Lots of blackberries in my garden but not very tasty either. SE Cornwall. Lovely walk .

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

So bitter this year - too much rain, no sun! Sarah :)

[@TravellingTorunn]

That was a beautiful and interesting video 😊 So much history in those small villages. And what has happened to the blackberries this autumn? We saw a lot of berries; hawthorne, elderberries and blackberries through our whole canal walk from Edinburgh to Glasgow the last week. I tried a couple of blackberries and they were not very sweet. Didn't dare trying the other berries 😁

[@colinbaker3415]

I quite like a thatched cottage, but like you two I prefer Thatchers 🍎Glad to see that the foraging didn't ruin your appetite.

[@busterguff1068]

The devil's peed on the blackberries

[@CornishWalkingTrails]

Ha! Ha! He definitely pee’d on this summer! Sarah :)

[@julianhawker7672]

Nice afternoon out. I think the Hoss was probably a donkey?

[@annbuckle5880]

A think a drink before did you good 😊