February Days In England
The stillness of a windless February day in England is a stillness unlike any other. Even the most stirring of places becomes a sensory underload, sound deadened by the absence of birdsong, colours diluted like too-thin water paints, no breeze to carry scents, no leaves to decorate the woodland. Gorse splashes its yellow blotches on to the clifftops but carries no fragrance, its delectable musk scent absent yet for another month or two.
Gulls’ cries sound forlorn and lonely, the occasional rasp of a jackdaw only serves to accentuate the stillness. If a skylark takes flight, its song is truncated, a burst of panic more than a trill of joy. The Atlantic rumbles rather than roars as its waves roll in slow motion towards the shore, caressing and not pounding the mighty cliffs. Cornwall’s beauty is understated today, drawing in only those of us who love her already. Nature is in first gear.
Unlike other times of year, we pass almost no one on the coastal path between Treyarnon and Porthcothan: the grasses stand unmoved, dewdrops hold steadfastly on as lunchtime approaches, no wind or passers by to dislodge them. It’s fitting that at Porthcothan, one single surfer rides the waves, a black speck against the white surf – the surf which, on this day of subdued colour, shines a bright white, making its own statement of defiance against the day.
As we approach any village – Treyarnon, Porthcothan or Constantine but it could be anywhere – the sounds which greet us are not natural, they are the sounds of wood saws, drills and hammers, as older properties are renovated and new houses rise from the earth with their expansive, view-capturing windows and large, inviting balconies. The hunger for second homes in Cornwall shows no sign of being satisfied, even now. Crisis? What crisis?
We are back here in Cornwall, back where my soul is always at peace and where we are able to recharge before our next globetrotting adventure.
North of our base in Padstow is the seaside town of Bude, only just inside Cornwall and facing the Atlantic just at the point where it loses some of its venom as the Bristol Channel tempers its anger. This is probably my first visit to Bude in over 40 years. At first glance, Bude is a bit of a dull town, a town falling short of the surf hotspots of Newquay or Polzeath yet equally failing to assert itself with any alternative character. Dig a little deeper though, and Bude has plenty to say.
The River Neet winds through town, alongside the high street and across one of the town’s several large beaches before meeting the rolling waves at the shoreline. Watching over the river is Bude Castle, not strictly speaking a true castle but the former home of Cornwall’s “forgotten genius”, the wonderfully named Sir Goldsworthy Gurney, inventor of the Bude Light which found its way into such exalted places as lighthouses, the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square.
Gurney was an interesting character, scientist, architect and inventor, not short of a bob or two and a regular contributor to London’s upper social echelons despite his Cornish location. With a reputation for flying in the face of convention, he constructed his castle entirely on sand, saying “let’s see what happens” to those who felt the project was doomed to failure. The fact that the castle is still in use today tells us something about who was right.
Inside the castle these days is a brilliant heritage centre and museum detailing histories of the 100+ shipwrecks in the area, the relatively short lived railway, and Bude’s status as a Victorian seaside resort. It’s a fascinating little museum with many absorbing features, including several old photographs of the remarkable Bude Canal.
The canal is still here, the sea lock, one of only two sea locks in the UK, still operational. Visible in places at the side of the canal are some narrow gauge rails, a clue to the highly unusual processes involved with this little known engineering marvel. Bude’s sand is high in mineral content, yet much of the agricultural land in Cornwall and Devon’s interior is historically of poor quality: the primary purpose of the canal therefore was to transport lime-rich sand for use as fertiliser on the fields.
What makes the canal amazing is that it rises 433 feet from sea level to its highest point, yet utilises only two locks, including the sea lock, to achieve this elevation gain. The rest of the climb was on “inclined planes”, featuring those rails. Remarkably, the tub boats had wheels, and were lifted out of the water and on to the rails, hauled up the rails pulled by chains driven by waterwheels, then placed back into the water at the top. Ingenious or what!?
The somewhat circuitous route of the canal totalled 35 miles and featured six of those inclined planes. Ingenious as it was, it isn’t hard to see why road transport was to take over from what must have been a difficult and laborious exercise.
Returning to Padstow, the harbour gates are open yet the water in the harbour is like glass, not a ripple to disturb the sleeping fishing fleet. Out in the estuary a dredger scoops tons of sand from the harbour channel, a solitary heron flies low across the waters of the high tide, the lights of Rock reflect in uncharacteristically straight lines on the calm surface. Dusk brings yet another level to the February stillness.
No doubt the winds will soon return, the mood of the Atlantic will change, those cliffs will once again be pounded by raging seas – but for now there is a wintry tranquility with a character all of its own.
32 Comments
Mike and Kellye Hefner
So beautifully depicted by images and words. Thank you for sharing a piece of Cornwall with us.
Terrie Chrones
Your writing and photos are better and better you two, especially from a place you know and love.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Terrie
Heyjude
A wonderful description. I have yet to spend any time in Bude, but it does appeal to me.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Jude
Alison
Amazing photos and lovely descriptions of Cornwall. Love the grey skies with blue peeping through. It’s a completely different place in winter, much nicer to visit without all the crowds.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Ali x
WanderingCanadians
It’s funny how even though we love to travel, there’s something nice about returning home. Cornwall looks so peaceful and quiet in the offseason.
Phil & Michaela
Yes there is…but these days I really do think of Cornwall as more of home than our actual home is…
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Your opening paragraph sets the tone of silence and what follows is pure poetry, both in pictures and words. I admire globetrotters who ‘sell everything and hit the road’, but there is something to be said for having ‘home’ to return to. It’s good for the soul.
Phil & Michaela
Yes it is, Suzanne, though these days I miss Cornwall more than I miss our actual home, whilst travelling. “Pure poetry”…..wow, thank you so much for such a lovely comment.
Toonsarah
Beautifully written and photographed. Your heading, ‘February days in England’, gave away nothing of how lovely this post would be, indeed I expected gloom and depression. Maybe I’m too recently back in the country to find much joy in February weather, but you have found it in spades! Thank you for reminding me how lovely my own country can be 😀
Phil & Michaela
What a lovely comment to receive, thank you so much, Sarah. I was actually worried that this post may come across as too downbeat, clearly I needn’t have worried!
Andrew Petcher
A very poetic piece. I enjoyed it.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you, Andrew. I know you’re not Cornwall’s greatest fan but it does have a habit of bringing out the writer/poet/painter/artist in all of us!
Andrew Petcher
I like the fact that Cornwall is so popular and so busy, it leaves the rest of the country for the rest of us.
Phil & Michaela
It’s a long time since I’ve been down in the summer season so it’s a good 10 years since I saw it busy down here. That may change this year so it’ll be interesting to see.
grandmisadventures
What a lovely and poetic walk through Bude- all the more so with the lack of visitors. I love the moody skies set against the water. The museum looks really interesting to wander through. Looks like a perfect place to take a break before your next great adventure 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Thank you so much, Meg…we are feeling 100% recharged now…!
leightontravels
Such beauty in Cornwall, even at this time of year. I love these moody scenes, the light, colour and slightly menacing feel to proceedings. If you’re using the word “tranquility” to describe winter, things can’t be too bad. Goldsworthy Gurney looks like a cad, he has the touch of Mr. Darcy to him. Sounds like he was quite the man back in his day. “For those in peril on the sea” suddenly brought back memories of hymn time at boarding school. Psalm 107 I think it was. Glad to see you’ve been out and about and making the most of your “between adventures” time.
Phil & Michaela
I almost called this post…”Oh Still Small Voice Of Calm”….those morning assemblies obviously lodged in our memory cells!
TCKlaire
February in England is an interesting time! Btw, I have been reading your posts for a while, but for some reason, I am not able to follow you. Your follow button and email subscribe buttons don’t work too well
Phil & Michaela
That’s a bit concerning. Have you tried following via the “reader” in wordpress?
wetanddustyroads
I love seeing Cornwall through your eyes (and Michaela’s lens) … it’s stunning and you describe it so well. I also liked your walk through Bude and what a lovely shot of Padstow Harbour.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you guys
ourcrossings
From dramatic coastlines to bleakly moorlands, pretty harbour villages to lush tropical gardens, and industrial-age relics to places of myth and legend, Cornwall is a feast for the eyes! I hope to visit one day 🙂 Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Aiva…you too x
Dave Ply
That canal still has me scratching my head. I don’t think it’s by accident Cornwall keeps showing up in movies and TV shows. It’s very atmospheric. A beautifully written post, we can tell this place is special for you.
Phil & Michaela
Yes I get that, the whole construction and concept of the canal is the mindset of engineers, not of practicality! Crazy but genius, genius but crazy!
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Lovely, you can almost smell the briny air!
Annie Berger
You mention your concern of the post possibly being downbeat, Phil – not a chance. Dreamy is the “d” word I’d pick.
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Annie!