Our morning began with a ferry ride from Falmouth to St. Mawes, a remote little yachting harbour at the end of the Roseland Peninsula, which boasts a clover leaf castle built by Henry VIII in 1542.
The week has been hilly, but today was really hilly, visiting various attractive coves on the route, across the pretty Roseland Peninsular, passing through Veryan (with its round houses) Legend has it they were built with no corners so the devil had nowhere to hide. Fascinating.
Then followed Portloe and Portholland,
And then we came across this Castle and surrounds.
The castle was quite a surprise. A pity it was closed. It seems they own a very large area of farmland and private beaches. Quite the Laird.
Then off we went along more country lanes with some steep hills to the old fishing and smuggling village of Mevigassy where we stopped for lunch. It was humming on a Sunday. The sun was shining and all the eateries were fair buzzing.
It seems I was so consumed by the higher view that I forgot to capture the ground level. It was packed. Nice wee lunch plus a rosé. Horrid coffee. Can’t please everyone! The area was mostly pedestrian. Hard to find a safe place for the bikes but it all worked out.
The hilly route continued to our destination of Charlestown. I think these were the hilliest, steepest and longest climbs we’ve had. In fact there was a moment where we didn’t think the bikes were powerful enough to get us up. My legs know they’ve worked today.
This attractive old port was often used as a location for filming including Poldark and Jane Austin’s Persuasion. Apparently there is usually at least one vessel being worked on in the old dock, which gives the place an old fashioned air but today it is beyond saving and awaiting retrieval to be reused in various forms.
The population of Charlestown is approximately 1200 to 1500 residents. The village is managed under the St Austell Bay Parish Counsel.
When it was founded as a quiet fishing settlement in 1790, it had just nine residents. The population later boomed to nearly 3,000 during the 19th-century china clay and shipbuilding boom. We have seen a lot of pottery shops in the past couple of days.
It was interesting to see how quickly the tide came in from when we first went to the sea shore.
Because we didn’t recognise their name: From Google: Sub Tropika Sauvignon Blanc is a vibrant, vegan-friendly New Zealand white wine. Produced by Boutinot, it features classic notes of ripe tropical fruit, lime, and crisp minerality. Sourced from the South Island, it pairs perfectly with white fish, seafood, or fresh summer salads.
The bottle even mentions indigenous aromatics!
Final words: Bottled by W1740,DH9 7XP, UK for UK FBO: BOUTINOT LTD,SK8 2GG,UK. EU Importer BOUTINOT France. It tasted fine. I wonder where its origins really lie.
After dinner we needed to walk off our Sunday roast pork with Yorkshire pudding so wandered back to the sea shore, only about 5 minutes walk. Music drew us into a pub and another group of Shanty Singers was singing. The locals were really getting into it too. Fantastic.
All and all, a really lovely experience in this town. Being a Sunday, people were out and about aided by the warm 23 degrees.
Another super day, boosted by the sunshine. Strava included the river crossing.
Apple Watch makes it 41.55.
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