The Beauty of the Duchy of Cornwall

The Duchy of Cornwall, United Kingdom.
'We are in a very wild place, which no human being ever visits, in the midst of a most barbarous race, so different in language and custom from the Londoners and the rest of England that they are as unintelligible to these last as to the Venetians.'
So wrote the Venetian ambassador to Castile when forced to shelter in Carrick Roads (Fal estuary) in 1506. Today Cornwall is a very friendly place but still a land apart, with a strong sense of its own separate identity. Geographically and historically it has much in common with the other nearby West Europe Celtic extremities of Wales and Brittany.
The recent and current picture of Cornwall is one of a thriving community enjoying all of its historical advantages and habits, plus more recent activities generated by the tourism industry. One such activity is walking the hundreds of miles of coastal and inland paths, particularly when punctuated by a lunch stop at one of many characterful pubs. Another is surfing and the north coast has many suitable beaches, taking advantage of Atlantic rollers, while paddle boarding and wind surfing are popular along the south coast.
Sailing is a significant feature of Cornish coastal waters, from small dinghies, through yachts and historic pilot cutters to tall ships, with the international Tall Ships Race regularly starting from Falmouth. The north coast is more forbidding for small craft sailing, and is centred at Padstow/Rock in the sheltered River Camel estuary and at St Ives. On the south coast the Fowey and Fal/Helford estuaries are major sailing venues. Here there are nine very active sailing/yacht clubs running hundreds of races and other sailing events throughout the season. Many world class sailors have learnt the ropes in Cornwall, including multi olympic medallist Ben Ainslie.
In summary, there is an endless variety of things to experience and enjoy in the county. The above gives an overall flavour but only scratches the surface of what is available. There are thousands of on-line and hard copy sources providing detailed information, including the Cornwall edition of The Buildings of England by Beacham and Pevsner. All are well worth studying in order to enhance enjoyment of the magic of Cornwall.
For Further Information Visit: www.htiddy.co.uk/