Club Arnage

I planned a holiday with my girlfriend and kids in Looe, 4 miles west of Plymouth. At Le Mans, some people geva me some tips about do's an don'ts, but of course I can't remember them all. I recall sofar:

Eden project.
Tintagel.
Dartmoor national park
Lands end, go there, but have a drink in a place a few miles away, somebody named it, but that is a blurr.

Anyone any more tips? I'm leaving 14th of July in the evening, a week before the schoolholidays in England brake loose. ;)

DON'T eat a Cornish pasty.   

Don't believe them when they tell you they are far superior to the ones you get from a petrol station or anywhere outside Cornwall - they are ALL cack!   :-\

Scones with Cream and Strawberry Jam!  :P

Clotted cream Rick.  :P :P

Depends what you like:-

Picturesque Harbours (Ok to walk around)

• Padstow (North Coast)
  Mevagissy (South Coast)
  St Ives (North Coast – long way from Looe but near to Lands End)
  Boscastle (North Coast – nr Tintagel))
  Fowey – (South Coast not far from Looe)
  Polperro - (South Coast not far from Looe)

Beaches

• Whitsand Bay (South Coast – Near Looe towards Portwrinkle / Torpoint)
  Watergate Bay ( North Coast nr Padstow)
  Newquay - Fistral Beach (North coast, can be busy)
  Newquay – Lusty Glaze (North coast – smaller than Fistral)
  Perranporth (North coast)

Other To Do’s

• If you are going surfing, I would always get a wet suit if it is not sunny. Won’t last long otherwise. You can hire them and the beach (or near to it)
  Have a cream tea (Jam and clotted cream)
  Try a pasty for yourself. I think they are OK and certainly better than the ones I get in Surrey

Towns

• Newquay - (North Coast) Normally very busy, shops, pubs, etc. Not a brilliant place at night with kids though
  St Austell – Typical Market town
  Falmouth – Typical Market town

If you get the weather you’ll have a great time.

Cheers,

Tony

Cider farms!    :D

You forgot Port Isaac (although it's been "Doc Martin"ed a bit) and Port Gaverne (try the Port Gaverne hotel's crab soup).  Kids might like Dobwalls country park with a better-than average ride on mini-train ride if that's their bag.  North of St Austell.
My advice would be to avoid St Ives in the summer as you can hardly move there at this time of year - save it for an early spring visit.

Lands End, is a long trip from Looe, was not impressed last time I went. May have changed.

A good place 60 km from Looe is Burgh Island. Near Bigbury on Sea. Use to go there as a kid, before it was a trendy hotel. But liked the beach, the sea tractor and the small pub - The Pilchard Inn. A nice beach day out. Not been there for a few years may have changed thou.

Any body else been there?

For extra points What was the 60's film that ended at Burgh Island?

Don't bother with Lands end, totally spoilt by the lands end company who have made it into a sad commercial venture.

There are some very nice national trust houses in the area which are well worth a visit. I think they are indicated by acorns (or some other symbol) on the likes of AA maps.

I have to disagree with you Fran about the pasties, i always thought they were crap until i ate a proper one.
TonyT has covered most good places i would add the tin mine near lands end  http://www.geevor.com/ . Chatted to the gardener at the campsite i stayed at who used to work there. Working on one of the shafts which went out to sea he could hear boats passing overhead :o :o
At Tintagel (King Arthurs alleged birthplace) visit http://www.kingarthursgreathalls.com/ it,s on the right as you come into the town and doesn't look much as the front is a bookshop, but the tour round the hall is really impressive. And if you want a good pastie, the shop on the right just past the turning to go down to Tintagel castle sell some of the best.

Ok - I am prepared to be out voted on the pasty thing.... I just dont like savoury pastry foods or prepared meat products... ...so I am never going to be a pasty fan.

Anyway - you gotta try the local food everywhere you visit - how about a nice Cornish crab salad  :)

Looe itself has a working harbour and fish market. You can go mackerel fishing in the bay for 2 hours, that's pleasant on a nice day. You'll see people fishing for crabs with a line over the over the harbour wall. Close to Looe there is a monkey sanctuary - another enjoyable memory from years ago - http://www.chycor.co.uk/monkey-sanctuary/index.htm

Don't bother going to Trago Mills which is an over-hyped shopping trip

Eden project suffers from traffic problems. Going anywhere from Looe, but especially west, takes twice as long as it should. Definitely skip Lands End (from Looe) - would take way too long for not much interest.

There is a coastal walk all the way around Cornwall. The walk from East Looe to Polperro is reasonably easy and quite spectacular, and Polperro is a very quaint place (yet another harbour...).  See http://www.jbutler.org.uk/e2e/sccp/w13/index.shtml

Looe itself is cute but is mainly tacky tourist souvenir shops but there are a couple of nice pubs (avoid those on the front) and the pasty shop about half way down the high street has a wide range of fillings.

If you'd been there a few weeks later (17 August) you could have seen the Red Arrows over Fowey harbour - saw them once and it was stunning. But you are too early for that.  (2004 pics here http://www.raf.mod.uk/reds/archive04aug.html)

Can't think of much else now but will post again if I do...

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the wonderful Lost Gardens of Heligan at Mevagissy. It's great for browny points from the GF. The Eden Project is best in the winter when there's far less traffic, but if you persevere it's probably just about worth it.

http://www.heligan.com/flash_index.html

I'm disappointed so many folk have mentioned Tintagel in a positive light. It must be the worst place in the whole county. I've not been for years but I remember it as a disgusting tourist trap. It's all King Authur themed, the high street is lined with plastic knights and maidens, and it's tacky beyond belief. You can stop at the King Arthur's Car Park, fuel up your car at the Lancelot Service Station and Minimart and go to Guinevere's Post Office. The Castle is owned by the National Trust and is utterly ruinned, they've let it get into a terrible state of disrepair. Incidentally, historically the castle has absolutely NOTHING to do with King Arthur but you'd never know that if you didn't ask. TINTAGEL IS A HATEFUL DUMP!

Try these they are great ;D

The Minack theatre, outdoor theatre with fantastic cliff top views, if the weather is good and you get to a show, even better. Just down the road from there, Porthcurno Telegraph centre, this is where the very first transatlantic telephone conversation took place, fascinating. There are still cables from this remote beach that are connected to every continent on the planet. Finally for a bit of wildlife, the National Seal Sanctuary in Gweek near Helston, worth spending most of the day there. Have a great time.

Thanks alot for all your tips! Showed them also to my girlfriend, who is wondering whether there is some kind of a amusement park in the region. Might be usefull with a nine and a ten year old boy, ;)

Dobwalls. Not a brilliant park IIRC but some great re-creations of shops from the 50s or something like that. Isn't too far from Looe IIRC. You can usually get discount tickets from camp ground shops or free newspapers (that's true of many of the attractions)

St Michaels Mount
Falmouth Castle
St Mawes Castle (catch the small passenger ferry there from Falmouth across the bay)

Sorry Fran, but Pasties and Padstow, get 'em there and eat em in the bus shelter facing the harbour. very good when hot.

Bigbury on sea! Been in so many films and telly programmes you could get away with almost any answer...

The Burgh Island Hotel was for sale about eight years ago for 3 million pounds, wish I'd just had my redundancy then! The hotel was in the Agatha Christie movie of the Ten Little Coloured Geezers IIRC, the Pilchard (still a nice pub) was in Lovejoy just before the series ended.

Gweek in Cornwall is a fantastic day out, makes you want to murder SOME fishermen though.

There used to be the Aeropark and Flambards at Helston too near the Culdrose Naval Air Station.

In fact (although Looe is a bit more than four miles from the border with England!) Cornwall doesn't have many "not Good" places at all.

I think I'll go and live there!

 ;)

Morwenstow (East of Bude) has the best cream teas on the planet and the pub (The Bush) is one of the most unspoilt.  Feels just like an English pub should  - slate floor, oak beams, gleaming brass, blazing log fire on cold days, great local beer and good, if basic, menu.  Unless somebody has ruined it in the past couple of years...  Great coastal walking round there too as it's still not been too "discovered".  Bude down the road has a huge beach, populated by surfers in season.

this is just the best site for...anything,
Anyone got a foolproof money making scheme??Black Granny?
Got to agree with Zarse,Tintagel is complete cr@p and to make matter worse,last time we went,we legged it all the way up to the crappy castle remains only to be met with a ticket booth!!Had to pay to see them!!!Sh1te!!
Pasties are great as too is Padstow.
Im goign to Cameltoe..i mean Camelford in August,so will be doing all the Cornwally things too
PM

Burgh Island - Films - true been in many, but the one I know, was Dave Clark Five - "Catch us if you can" 1965.

Showed the Island before it was developed. What happen to the small arcade on the main land opp the Island.

Use to love seeing the sea tractor, the only time I was going to go on it, it was stuck on the sand witht he tide rising.

Still think its a nice place (or use to be)

showing yer age there Nopanic!!  ;D

heres my age, I was 3 when it came out. Now thats my IQ these days. I blame the dutch and there beer and hospitallty.

I mean who else would a game of hitting nails in to wood? and the sad bit, it was a good game! - well I'm off to cut a tree down.

Watching an American film the other day – Dirty Dozen (one of my favourites)

But where the heck is Devonshire?

Just the old name for Devon, nowt exotic!

Hi LangTall,
                  I recommend Widecome in the moor when you visit Dartmoor and also let the kids walk up Hay Tor. I also suggest a cream tea in Devon with clotted cream. try the locally made icecream too.
In Cornwall look for Doom Bar if you fancy a nice pint.
Canada Phil
 been there done that ;D

Lang tall

Try visiting Polperro,it is a typical Cornish fishing village and renouned in the past for smuggling activites.

Charlestown is also worth a visit.

There are also a number of olds tin mines you can visit .One that comes to mind is the Poldark mine although a bit OTT in the touristy way but still worth a look.

And at St.Austell you have the china clay pits.

"But where the heck is Devonshire? "

Where the Dook of D comes from?

Or goes to?

Or summink!

Bigbury and Kingsbridge area generally, fantastic...

But not in Kernow dammit! :D :D :D

Seriously thinking of emigrating to Cornwall... :)

Hey LangTall,

What is your schedule and route?

You will probably pass within 3 miles of where I live (just off J23 of M5).  If you want to call in on the way down or back, give me a shout.  Can put you up if necessary, although can't promise a long-enough bed!  Can show you some REAL cider places here in Somerset where the proper cider is made - after 3 pints of 'Natch' you make your own amusement (although probably not good in front of the kids!!).

PM me the details.

Del

And look out out for Brown Willy on Bodmin moor!!!

My personal fave is St Ives, we go there atleast once a year, having said that it is best avoided in the summer as it gets a bit manic, it`s starting to get some modern ponsy wine bars pop up but you can still go for a bint in the Sloop which is circa 13th century, you can also visit the Tate art gallery but I guess that not one for the kids. Hayle beach is nice although it can be a bit of a trek from the car park. Lands end is a pit but you it`s one of those places you have to go to just to say you`ve been.
Have a good one ;D

Dirty Dozen, I actually went along to watch that being filmed. It was mostly made in Albery, a small village near Tring in Hertfordshire. I was there all day and I think they 'canned' about ten seconds worth of action. I saw some very famous faces, but was more interested in the tanks and army vehicles. (Sorry off topic but couldn't resist)

Dont ya just love those quaint British traditions!!!

The village of Aldbury is used for all sorts of productions, "The Avengers" used it quite a bit too, fond memories of drinking there.

I think they used RAF Bovington for the airfeild scenes, lots of 2D Dak's for the background.

The village of Aldbury is used for all sorts of productions, "The Avengers" used it quite a bit too, fond memories of drinking there.

I think they used RAF Bovington for the airfeild scenes, lots of 2D Dak's for the background.

FS you are right of course (and you know how to spell too!)
I saw them film the Avengers there too, in fact Diana Rigg (The delicious Emma Peel) walked into me on her way to the set. She was wearing a purple cat suit. Made my day!!!! I was eight at the time. The pub by the pond to which you refer is called the Greyhound and has been in so many films and programmes including ‘Morse,’ most recently.

many moons ago I had a house in Tring, so know the area reasonably well.  Did you ever see the film "Went the day well" ?

Another well used local village, any ideas as to its actual name?

Sorry FS you have lost me on that one, I know of the film,  based on a book by Graham Greene I think but don't recall where it was shot?? I lived in Tring from 1962 til 1969.......

Turville, would be the name of the village and very pretty it is too.  The Eagle has Landed uses a very similar story line.

Do you mean Weston Turville FS????

No my little fruit pastille,  Turville.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turville

the pub is here,

http://www.thebullandbutcher.com/

Oh you mean Turville! ;D I am about four miles from that very spot would you believe ;D ;D

well, we went last year, maybe just put a few pics up to get in the mood LT ;D

First of all the Eden Project, hot and humit inside, that's why the plants are "rather large"

leisure time in Mevagishy, worth wile going unless you want to go crabfishing when all water has gone from the harbour :-\

the boat rental is nice, especially for the children :)

St. Ives. Definitely worth wile, and with the oldest pub I ever drank a pint in!

Also very famous for their huge seagulls, watch your food! ;D

...and then Lands End. Just take a picture and get away from there as soon as you can. Completely destroyed by the tourism industry.
Maybe it's better to copy photo underneath and photoshop it into '06 :-\

The drive to it is nice, but then most of Cornwall is a decent drive :)

you must know it very well then ;)

By coincidence Turville, Bucks got a mention on Uni Challenge tonight! 

Its the location for the exterior shots in Vicar of Dibley apparently   ;D

Another part of the chain Emma Chambers who plays the part of Alice Tinker in the vicar of dibley, we use the same local. ;)

Someone has to say it - I suppose Dean knows it very well   ;D ;D ;D

Del

Fran you are right it did. FS mentioned the Dibley conection earlier I think and as a result it was about the only questionI got right in the entire show!!!(Mind you 1 is not a bad score for me.) As for 'knowing the place well' I don't really I work in a place near there called Watlington and while I often visit Henley I have only been to Turville a couple of times. How dd we get from Cornwall to Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire???  ???