Not a Cheap Date
⬅ previous ⬆intro next ➡Day 2 ~ Tuesday 3 September ~ Exmouth to Helston
Breakfast is just the two of us.
And as there's a little bit of blue in the sky, we'll take a brief detour to the esplanade just so we can say we've seen the beach.
Powderham Castle is not far from here, although unless you're a fish on a jet-ski, you can't get there without a long journey upstream to find a bridge and then back down again. So that's what we do.
It's a stately home that's more a castle in form than in function. Originally built in the late 14th century as a fortified manor house by Sir Philip Courtenay, his descendants still live here today. They are the Earls of Devon, although that is not to be confused with the title of Earl of Devonshire, which is held by the Duke of Devonshire. It seems complicated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Devon.
Hmm... Subtle minimalism in decorative style...?
No, definitely not.
"1. The Belfry is as much a part of the Church as the Nave or Chancel therefore no improper or irreverent conduct or language should take place there."
I trust we will all take that to heart.
A bit more homely, a previous Earl's army jackets and boots.
Exeter is the nearest town of any size.
Most unusual to be in white.
I have regrettably omitted to make a note of the context, so I can't tell you what it's for, why it's there, or why it might require the use of hand sanitiser. Research hasn't clarified matters except that if you fancy such a thing for yourself, you can buy a brand new one for under £200 today. Try Forge & Foundry or MonsterShop for example.
The house from the rear. At the far left is the chapel.
The chapel interior.
Impressed!
Our own cat flap is a little high on the outside, so the cats have a wooden platform for going in and out. And when we were in our rented house while our fire damage was repaired, the same concept was needed but there was too little space for a permanent platform so I made Theo a drawbridge! Nothing on that scale, though.
Theo was a very elderly cat. I'm not sure he would have been happy with that ladder
The grounds are quite extensive and we have read that there is a fine view to be had from the belvedere, but can we find it? There are various signposts to points in the gardens, but nothing at all says 'belvedere'.
Now, I have my Garmin GPS unit, and Google Maps and the OsmAnd app [recommended: https://osmand.net/ and I don't even get a referral fee!] on my phone, and between these data sources, it seems clear that there should be a route. It's a bit of a walk, but we're in no hurry, so we set off along the lane that leads into the woods.
And here it is!
Close up you can see that it's just a shell now.
And a sadly decaying shell at that.
From the castle's website, one learns that it's been made safe for entry, and is available as a rather special wedding venue. "The Belvedere garden can house a modest marquee for a reception of up to 90 guests" [my italics]. Yeah, ok, that probably is rather modest by most people's standards, but we had four guests and didn't feel the need for more, so I guess we're not the target market.
It would be nice if they could restore it more substantially, but I fear that visitor numbers simply wouldn't justify the expense.
Oh, the view?
Sadly it's not really that great. You can look down over the estuary but you can't see back through the trees into the estate itself, and it's ok but nothing special. Even the picture they use to promote it on the website isn't one I'd personally bother to put here.
[Random aside; it's Grade II* listed, which is the same as Claremont Landscape Garden's Belvedere, very near where we live. The two buildings are by no means identical but far from dissimilar in style, built about fifty years apart in the 18th century. I wonder if "Grade II*-Listed 18th-Century Belvedere" is a recognised category among the cognoscenti.]
We will now continue to Penzance. We're actually staying at the Premier Inn in Helston which is a few miles out, because it's more convenient for the heliport than the town centre, but we'll go to the seaside this afternoon before coming back out again.
So remember Exmouth was a bit dull looking? No great change overnight.
"You dissing my town?!"
"You are here"
We may be starting to flag. [Sorry.]
You might think that, I couldn't possibly comment.
If you're getting the feeling we didn't really think that highly of Penzance, I regret that I have to tell you you're not wrong. I'd stick to Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates" myself. Back to Helston then.
We found some supplies for the evening, though.
Ooh, time for some food porn?
You may need to use your imagination a bit: no Nigella sensually rubbing cheese on her focaccia and slicing cherry tomatoes with that "it could be you" half-smile and -- STOP! NOW!
We have at least been able to buy some local produce for dinner, which was more than we could at Exmouth.
I think I'd better finish there.
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