We were in St Ives recently, staying at the impressive Treloyhan Manor , which is part of the Carbis Bay Estate - and I was remembering the first time I wrote about the town just over a quarter of a century ago. I have put the article up here because, in some ways, it now acts almost as a historic document. St Ives has changed quite a bit since I went there for my Hesp’s Harbours series, which appeared in the Western Morning News for a whole year. The Magic of St Ives , Cor

Discover a stunning spring walk in the Quantock Hills AONB With Easter arriving this month, now’s the perfect time to extol the virtues of staying at home — especially if your home patch happens to be the West Country. Easter falls late this year, and if the weather is even halfway decent, West Country roads will be heaving with holiday traffic. So, what better time to enjoy the pleasures of your local area? And what a patch we have. I’ve just spent a lovely weekend in West C

Any Excuse to Head West: A Journey Through West Cornwall The Meaning of Hesperian The Oxford Dictionary defines "Hesperian" as an "inhabitant of a western land," making it a fitting term for someone named Hesp. Especially when that land is bathed in Atlantic salt spray. Exploring West Cornwall In keeping with the spirit of these pages, it was time for another westward journey—this time to West Cornwall. The trip included a visit to Porthleven for the relaunch of Jude Kereama’

A comprehensive guide to the tiny village of Trevalga on Cornwall's north coast

Few of us ever put the places we visit into categories, but if we did they’d probably come under headings covering the locations we have to visit, like local supermarkets, shops, dentists, hospitals, whatever, and destinations we really like visiting, such as favourite holiday spots, theatres, cinemas, hiking locations etc. There’d be another category for me entitled, “Places I cannot resist visiting when I’m on my way somewhere else”. The Irresistible Charm of Appledore, Dev

There will be many people reading this newspaper who love their own patch; the place where they were born and bred or the location where they’ve chosen to spend their lives. The problem is that you can become a bit snooty about other areas, like I did as a youngster when I had difficulty in understanding how anyone could feel any kind of affinity for any other part of Somerset. Childhood Memories and Early Misconceptions About the Somerset Levels I lived - and still live - in

Some of the best ideas are simple and straightforward. Take the selling of freshly prepared food… There is a temptation to offer a wide and extensive menu with the idea that it’s going to both impress and offer a selection which can’t be seen or tasted anywhere else. But is that always a good thing? Not according to one young Westcountry woman. How MasterChef Finalist Kate Attlee Created a Salad Empire . Kate Attlee, a former MasterChef finalist, was thinking about dishes tha

Many years ago (more than a quarter of a century, for certain) I was up at Simonsbath in the heart of Exmoor on a bitterly cold day to meet local man and Exmoor expert, the late Stan Curtis. Here’s the video we shot with Exmoor ranger Mike Leach all that time ago. Listen out for Stan’s wonderful Exmoor accent - you won’t hear one like it often nowadays.

Embracing Long-John Weather on Exmoor It’s been long-john weather of late. That’s the best way to describe the biting chill that cuts through even the sturdiest mole-skin trousers from country clothing shops. Winter has firmly settled over Exmoor, and nowhere is it more evident than on the slopes of Dunkery Beacon. A Frosty Encounter on Dunkery Beacon Yesterday’s attempt to enjoy a brisk walk atop Dunkery Beacon quickly turned into a retreat. The late afternoon promised panor

A Journey Across the Remote and Empty Chains This hike was originally the idea of Dr. Nigel Stone, who at the time was Chief Executive of the Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA). He invited me to join him to explore some of the work done to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Two Moors Way. Britain’s Hidden Long-Distance Gem If there were a competition for Britain’s most beautiful but least known long-distance trails, the Two Moors Way would likely win. A new logo promise

Many years ago we went to live in a rambling old manor house situated in the Brendon Hills. It belonged to my old friend, Sir Edward Malet, and I had lived there before in one of the apartments at the rear of the house. Befriending Sir Edward Malet in a Servant’s Flat That is when I’d befriended the old Knight of the Realm. And I lived there quite happily—in what was a rather small and dingy little flat—which had once been occupied by the servants. It was during my tenure the

A Truly Varied & Scenic Walk 🚶‍♂‍ I've had the pleasure of doing this hike half a dozen times myself, including once with a TV crew and all the heavy equipment. Recently, I've heard from many others who have enjoyed every scenic inch of this wonderful circular walk. You could probably write a book about what makes a truly classic walk. And if you did, you might want to include a chapter titled: "Great Hikes that are as Varied as They are Beautiful." The Fowey, Bodinnick, Ha

Discovering the Wild Delights of Cornwall Whatever floats your boat… There are folk who prefer spending a November day in a crowded shopping mall , but I am not one of them. Give me a clean, remote, rocky, Cornish beach and a couple of top chefs to go foraging with, and I am one happy old newspaper hack - one who happens to love the idea of cooking with wild ingredients . 🐚 The Joy of Cooking with Wild Ingredients One of the joys about being a keen home-cook is that there’s

Exploring the countryside is one of the greatest joys of walking. You can revisit a place you know intimately and yet find a footpath that leads you into a part of it you've never experienced before — suddenly revealing breathtaking views you never knew existed. Another enchanting aspect of walking is discovering unexpected connections: a familiar town or village approached from a completely new direction, allowing you to see it with fresh eyes. 🌲🏙 A Magical Walk Around Min

They call it the view that launched a thousand crashes, and tragically, it's all too true: Dunster Castle has claimed lives as motorists slam on their brakes to take in the breathtaking sight. The Spellbinding View of Dunster Castle 👀 The view appears as a stunning surprise when driving on the A39 towards Minehead from Carhampton. Suddenly, there it is: the great castle hanging above Dunster Lawns, as if straight out of a fairy tale. This panorama truly captures the essence

Discover Selworthy: A Sanctuary of Nature and Tranquility 🏞️ Home of a hundred hikes, each more picturesque, dramatic, and ruggedly rural than the next, Selworthy boasts deep, moody woods, swathes of high moorland heather, vast Exmoor panoramas, rolling vistas of Porlock's perfect vale, and wild salty glimpses of the Severn Sea. All of these wonders are on offer within just a mile or two of this extraordinary village. 🌲✨ So why not follow me up along the intricate footpaths

For centuries, we despised bogs, doing everything in our power to avoid or drain them. But increasingly, people are beginning to appreciate the value of these squelchy wet places – an idea I once witnessed at an event called Past in the Peat , part of the Festival of British Archaeology. This exhibition aimed to show not only the environmental importance of healthy peat bogs but also the rich history such landscapes contain and protect. The Secrets Within the Peat 🌍 Peat is

A Magical Estate Full of History and Beauty Cotehele is one of those places that draws you back time and again. Nestled on the Cornish bank of the River Tamar, this National Trust property is steeped in natural beauty and rich history. I first discovered Cotehele not on its winding paths but in central London, at the Tate Gallery, where Turner's evocative painting "Crossing the Brook" led me to wonder: where can that be? That very brook is a tributary of the Tamar, not far

Discover the Enchanting Valley of Rocks: A Walk Through History and Natural Beauty ⛰️✨ What can one say about the Valley of Rocks that has not been said before? This mystical landscape in North Devon has inspired countless visitors over the centuries. The poet Coleridge referred to the "commotion of the elements" here, while William and Dorothy Wordsworth called it "The Valley of Stones." R.D. Blackmore immortalized it as the setting for Mother Melldrum's cave in Lorna Doone

Exploring the Dundon and Compton Dundon Walks in Somerset What Can You Do When the Weather’s Hit and Miss? ☁️☔ Read a book, would be a sensible answer… But for most country-lovers, the urge to get outdoors is hard to resist – even when the weather isn’t cooperating. So, you have to grab the chance while you can! And that is exactly what I did one day recently while driving through central Somerset with a friend. The sun peeked out, the skies looked promising, and we decided t