Another favourite winter walk and beach

You will have to imagine the sunshine on this beach walk. The sun did eventually reach us, having blessed the north coast and Marazion first, before rolling along the edge of England to reach the dogs and I at St Levan and then Porthcurno. But it was not cold, it was not raining and it was not windy.
That'll do!

Unfortunately the photo session and pasty provisions were done and dusted by the time the sun did roll up, so the photos lack the golden orb's light, but I still think they are worth a showing, if only for the fact that the dogs and I had the luxury of the beach ALL to ourselves.

One of the many pleasures of living in Cornwall in winter. Deserted beaches.

I believe this beach was extremely well visited last summer due to some facebook advertising which went fairly viral. Today it was EMPTY save for us.

I don't mind sharing at all. Sharing is good for us, but it is also very nice, to selfishly have something all to ourselves;)

Up on cliffs we met some Dartmoor ponies employed by an environmental management scheme to eat down the moorland vegetation and they are making a good job of it.

Walking back across the cliff path the Hebe is already out, in all it's purple glory.

Stopping off at Porthcurno to have a wander on the beach, to sink my toes in the shell sand and marvel at the variety of tiny molluscs.  I did have to share this beach with canoeists and surfers, walkers and a dog, watching 'his human' out on his surfboard. Still, a pleasurable place to share.

Shell sand is the comfiest sand to walk on, it sticks to your feet and legs and can be brought back home in your socks and shoes. Unlike most sand, that shifts around in your socks, uncomfortably, shell sand is simply a 'whisper', a reminder of sunshine and summer that lingers comfortably. Tiny, tiny flat fragments of what once was a living home, that attaches itself and then leaves a dusting of shell-glitter to everything..... nature can be quite wonderful.

Mushrooms and Funghi

I know this is a bit out of season, but I have a bit of a thing about mushrooms and funghi.

I love spotting them and photographing them and for anyone who has camped with us in July and August as the field and horse mushrooms start popping up all over the place on the campsite and in the paddocks of the smallholding, you will know I often 'tout my wares' as I walk through the campsite with a basket of mushrooms!

There is nothing like cooking and eating foraged edible funghi.

Well, this winter I took a little trip across the water to Germany and Holland and found some delightful members of the fungus family, some of which did get cooked.

Here are a selection of photos of them. Unfortunately I do not know the names of all of them and only one is edible as far as I know, but they are such wondrous species, that I have to share.

 

Winter Walks when the Campsite is closed

Winter is a time for long walks on the beach........often with dogs!

This is Lelant beach, a short walk across the golfcourse and down under the railway bridge or across the dunes with a picnic basket and the view stretches out before you to St Ives or across to Godrevy Lighthouse. Glorious in winter sunshine.

Across the estuary on the Hayle side, on an evening stroll you can watch the boats going out to check their nets or crab pots.

Another favourite spot, an unmarked lane down to a farmers field turned car park, just outside the village of Morvah and you can follow the footpath down to the wooden bridge and along the concreted bath down to Portheras Beach.

But Gwithian has the dunes. What can you say, with winter sunshine....... glorious!

 

From Easter to October many of our beaches are closed to dog walkers to protect the humans from rowdy dog frolics, sand in your ice-cream, barking canines and poobags or worse

Winter walks are therefore very special for those of us with dogs, because it is a time when dogs and their owners can really revel in the reality of storm shifted sand and swathes of hidden pebbles and boulders, liberated by the shifting sands to feel the sunshine on their smooth exteriors.

Praa Sands is a favourite beach. I just love the rock formations, like folded cream and toffee.

Winter is also a fine time to beachcomb and see what the seas have brought up onto the beaches.

Sadly this year there seems to be a lot of porpoise and seals washed up, but the silver lining to their demise is the gift of seeing them close up and intimately. Which makes one appreciate what special aquatic 'beasts' they are.

Storms in the winter often reshape our landscape. It is a few years ago that this tree lost its clifftop space, but it is a favourite to lean against, or perch in and watch the world go by.

And ofcourse there are the rock pools. Ever changing. You can empty all the pebbles out one day, only to see the pool refilled the next.

Pretty collages of sand, pebbles and seaweed fronds. Natures gift to art.

 Even the fishermen seem to enjoy our winter walks

But not all winter walks are on the beach. Some are in the woods.

And if that is not enough to entice you to cornwall in the winter, or as soon as the campsite is open, then perhaps a sunny picture of the campsite owner and her trusty steed will. Happy wintering!

Happy Christmas from Ashfarm Campsite

Wishing you a Happy Christmas from Ashfarm Campsite.

I have been updating our blog pages and title today amidst christmas day activities. We will be open during Easter this year and the Summer Holidays and look forward to welcoming you to our site.

Hoping our campers have a festive holiday and wishing you all health, wealth and happiness in 2019.

Last of the campers and some family fun

August is our rainiest month, I say it every year and every year I am corrected by learned campers who, having checked annual rainfall statistics for august, assure me that my claim is quite simply not true. But every august I apologise profusely to our campers for the weather and cringe and feel guilty as the precipitation sets in.

However, this year I have to say has been different, I have not felt the same guilt when it rained, in fact I have been grateful for the rain and welcomed it with open arms - quite literally - It has helped the grassland rejuvenate and the crops grow.

One of the crops grown locally is wheat, our neighbours have grown it in the next door field and it has provided shelter for one or more deer who have been visiting Horsefield Wood and eating our saplings. I may already have said, that whilst I love the idea we have deer locally, I am not so happy they are eating our young trees.

So I am very glad that the wheat is harvested, the fields are open and exposed and not so condusive to giving the deer 'cover' and their visitations have been curtailed.

Wheat is not the only thing harvested in august. Field mushrooms start popping up in the pasture where the sheep have grazed and can be collected early in the morning, before they get kicked about by animals or eaten by slugs.

Blackberries are also now bountiful and blackberry crumble is a favourite, especially when the eldest son visits.
And august is the month when the family also visit. It has become an annual event and I LOVE IT......with big their big tents - flauting my regulations this year-

Family means food and campfires and lots of tomfoolery, silly stories and laughter and dreamy evenings watching stars.

 This year my brother and sister have their own family dogs,

So we had even more fun walking on the beach with a platoon of children, adults and dogs,

Beach art is always a plenty in cornwall and this rather spectacular Stonehenge was just asking for a photograph!

Our campsite is the perfect place for my niece and nephews to have fun........

 and only a short hop to the beach to have more family fun.........

.......watch out for small children with rounders bats!