Keep out

A Tin mine shaft near Porthleven is fenced off to prevent accidents but I think the sea has claimed some of the land since it was erected. Cornwall was the world's leading Tin mining area with over 2,000 mines in the 1870's, since that time the industry has been decimated to virtual extinction, with the last mine closing in 1998. There has been much talk of it re-opening but so far the only open mines are now tourist attractions.

Brunel Bridge

Was Isambard Kingdom Brunel the greatest engineer ever to have lived ? Voted the second greatest Britain of all time, this is his Royal Albert Bridge joining the counties of Devon and Cornwall from the Plymouth side. His other achievements include:

• the first tunnel under the river Thames (at Rotherhithe)
• the flattest, widest brick arch bridge in the world (at Maidenhead)
• the longest span of any bridge in the world at the time of conception (at Clifton)
• the longest railway tunnel in the world at that time (at Bath)
• the worlds first atmospheric railway (between Newton Abbot and Exeter)
• the largest steamship in the world (the Great Western)
• the first iron-hulled, propeller-driven ship to cross the Atlantic (the Great Britain)
• laying the first trans-Atlantic cable (the Great Eastern)
  

Someone on the Cornish side was feeling a little patriotic when painting their house (or pub).

Telescope

Sea spay and metal just don't get on well together. A telescope at Mevagissey harbour, did not try it out but guess it does not work so well anymore.

Foam

Stepping back from the view from yesterday the sea had left foam on the shoreline rocks, I was hoping that this was some form of natural phenomenon but the doubter in me thinks that may have been optimistic.

Kynance Cove

For some reason these rocks remind me of coal. This was a stormy day at Kynance Cove, there has been a settlement here since 300BC but not too many people were there on this day. The waves (in the background) were fairly high but the rocks broke them before they reached the shore edge.

Green technology has reached this cove with photovoltaic solar slates, natural wool insulation, solar water heating and biobubble sewage waste system. On a sunny day this must be a very popular place as the superb 360^o view on this site shows.
A better Kynance storm photo by another photographer
Multimap

Sea Tractor

When the sea floods the causeway between Burgh Island and Bigbury-on-Sea this sea tractor takes passengers across the short stretch between mainland and island. This is the 3rd generation vehicle, apparently dating back to 1966....if your car drove through all that salt water as often as this tractor does would it still be running as well as this does ? £1.50 each way for the slowest thrill ride around.

Lobster pot

Life is interesting because people have such different perspectives on the same thing, to a fisherman this is a livelihood, to a vergetarian this is a house of death, but to a photographer it's a work of art.

Blonde

Came across some very friendly horses, obviously used to being fed by people walking past. This one really stood out as it's hair seem to be the sort of blonde that some women would kill for. I feel strangely attracted to it ! :-) (sorry).

To get the "model" effect on the Polperro picture ? ..... try this

Foghorn

A different shot of a different lighthouse. This is the foghorn is on the Lizard lightouse and blasts every 30 seconds when needed. These foghorns are probably about 2 metres tall so would not want to be standing underneath at the time.
Yes, the sky really was that blue...in March...in England....not always grey skies.

Start Point

Another sunny Winter's day. The lighthouse has been at Start Point for over 150 years and was manned until 1993. The coatsline is treacherous for shipping, there are wrecks all around, one lies just 200 metres from the rocks in front of here.
Google satellite image

Polperro harbour

Thanks to Louise for some great inspirational photos and Danielle for the help here is my attempt at the "model village" effect....got a little way to go in practising this technique.

Polperro is a truly picturesque fishing village in Cornwall, dating back to the 13th Century and including much smuggling along the way. In the holiday season cars have to park in the car park at the edge of the village and visitors have to walk or catch the "horse bus".
Bootsnall travel guide
Google Map

Cadgwith

It is still winter and although the sun shines the air is cold at the moment, here was a reminder of warmth with a touch of the Caribbean in the heart of Cornwall. This yellow house is near the harbour in the fishing village of Cadgwith. Even this small place has its own website and was the location for the 2004 film Ladies in Lavender. It is also the subject of a traditional Cornish ballad with an arrangement by Steeleye Span. Not bad for a little place on the edge of England.
Rough Guide to Cadgwith

Rubbish

The sea is our dustbin, and it is emptied out on our beaches. Actually, plastic bottles are the worst, they seem to be on every beach these days.

Gunwalloe Beach

This beach is probably heaving in the Summer but on a beautiful sunny March day it was deserted, not another soul on two miles of sand. Shame that the currents make it too dangerous to swim. Is it my imagination or are those footprints in the sand just single foot marks ?

Rock hole

View through upright rock near Stoke Point.

Not quite Key West

Polpeor Cafe, Great Britain's most southerly cafe, just a few metres from the most southerly point of the country, next stop is France. Anyone for a pot of tea ?
Google Map

Wireless

Walking along the Lizard path we came across this plaque on a wall by a wooden shed. The shed is the restored wireless station where in 1901 Guglielmo Marconi made the distance record by receiving signals from 186 miles away, transmitted from the Isle of Wight. The hut also received the world's first SOS signal from a ship, pre-dating the Titanic SOS by 2 years. This hut is the oldest surviving Marconi wireless station in the world. There is even a Victorian mystery novel based on the murky world of wireless in the early 1900's.

Rock pool

There is a world inside every rock pool, full of life and different colours, even in the winter. This is actually a rock but it seems alive in itself.

Bond's Beach

Holywell Beach, no filters or post processing it was just a murky day.

The beach was invaded by "North Koreans" for the James Bond film "Die Another Day" in 2002.
Holywell as North Korea
Wikipedia's volumes on 007
Bond's UK locations

Lizard Lifeboat station

Looking up and down the Lizard Lifeboat station lift. A 45m cliff descent for every launch. In the days of Hollywood heros always saving the day the people that man this lifeboat are real heros, volunteers risking their lives to save others, any time, night or day, stopping whatever they are doing to launch for a rescue. Many people owe their lives to the real heros of the RNLI. Pity they don't get the recognition that some of the fake heros do. So if you visit the coast give generously to the RNLI, they deserve it.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Lizard Lifeboat
Lizard Lifeboat station

Mevagissey Fisherman

Someone trying to catch some fish on a clear sunny March day in Mevagissey harbour. Mevagissey hit the news headlines because of a controversy over "Hitler Walk", an example of where Political Correctness and people moving into the area affect local life as it has been for over 60 years.
People's views on Mevagissey
Google Map

Going walking

Going walkabout in Cornwall, won't be posting for a few days... unless I find a hotpsot.

Surfing at Bantham

Bantham Beach is a popular spot for surfers in Devon, who go out in all weathers and find the sea warmer than the air in the winter (its 0^oC/32^oF today, sea is probably about 9^oc/48^oF). The surf is not that big in the UK (compared with major surf locations) but 6+ metre waves have been known.

This one is for Annika, my youngest daughter, who has often surfed here and is now on her way to Australia to catch some bigger waves.
Webcam
Beachwizard
Magicseaweed