Rock, on the Camel Estuary
If Newquay is Cornwall's down-market playground, the Camel Estuary is its distinctly up-market counterpart. This is where the seriously rich gather - the permanent rich all year, the vacationing rich in the season. Come here in the summer and you might be in 'Kensington-on-Sea', an impression especially strong a few years ago when the royal princes regularly holidayed with their friends in Rock. The main activity is sailing and the estuary is often crowded with small boats. Highlight is when the Cornish Crabbers or the small brown-sailed Drascombe Luggers (working-boat look-alikes) are out. Windsurfers congregate downstream at Daymer Bay - though not in summer as it's a family beach then - surfers downstream again at Polzeath. Social life centres around the sailing club, St. Enodoc Hotel and - for the drinkers - the Mariners and the Rock Inn down by the water. Golfers enjoy St. Enodoc Golf Club, one of Cornwall's best - and most expensive! During the day coast path walkers cross the water here, by ferry to and from Padstow. In the evening the foodies cross to Padstow for Rick Stein's famed Seafood Restaurant and several other top spots. One of our favourite short walks takes us from Polzeath via Daymer and across the springy turf to Rock; a short, and legal, golf course detour takes in St. Enodoc church and the nearby Jesus Well. See also Porthilly on my Churches page.
Rock Beach July - missed the Drascombe Luggers
More in Towns & Villages
Ruan Lanihorne
Towards the end of September 2017 I headed down to the Roseland to pay visits to three churches, at Philleigh, Ruan Lanihorne and Lamorran. My memories of Ruan Lanihorne [not to be confused with Ruan High Lanes on the St. Mawes road, or with the many Ruans on the Lizard] are of an early meeting there with Jane and of lunching there with her at the attractive and excellent King's Head. On this occasion I just had a coffee in the King's Head before taking a look at the church. Almost opposite, and a bit below, is St. Rumon's church, mostly 14th century, with a tower of the late 17th century. Pevsner suggests that the font is 14th century, its cover made of wall plates of a previous roof. The pulpit is made of old bench ends and dates from around 1530. A monument of a praying priest is 13th century. Two wall-mounted boards carry the Ten Commandments. Where the ceiling springs from the nave wall there are several painted shields, one noting the restoration of 1866, others with unfamiliar (to me) coats of arms. When I was there a tapestry was on display, depicting "Historical Ruan".
Ruan Minor, Ruan Major and St. Ruan
Here is an odd collection of small villages, all within a few miles of one another on the Lizard. You would expect Ruan Major, named for St. Rumon, to be the most substantial of the three. Instead it almost doesn't exist at all. All you will find there are a couple of farms, a graveyard and the deserted St. Rumon's church, standing amongst trees. Some of the rood screen is still in place, simple carving on it including mason's tools. To the south west of Ruan Major is St. Ruan, a small village with no church but with St. Ruan's holy well nearby and an "incised stone" in the grounds of Westie Way. The largest settlement, just to the north-east of St. Ruan, is Ruan Minor. This is the one with the church, not one of any great significance. St. Ruan's church is of little interest. It's single stage crenellated tower is stubby. The nave is commensurately low. A Norman font carries a simple zig-zag motif. Outside, by the porch is another font, used as a flower pot.
Saltash
Saltash stands across the broad River Tamar from Plymouth. Two great bridges cross the river: Isambard Kingdom Brunel's great rail bridge of 1859, a remarkable feat of engineering, and the impressive road bridge of 1962. A foot and cycle path runs alongside the main carriageway, so you can walk or ride across to the Plymouth side. Saltash itself is one of Cornwall's larger towns with a population of around 16,000 at the last census in 2011. It has a long history, being recognised as a borough by 1201, but has suffered in the 20th and 21st centuries. Still a thriving town and fishing port well into the 20th century, it was badly hit by bombing in the 2nd World War and has been in some degree of decline ever since. Thanks in part to the construction of the road bridge, and a tunnel leading to it, much old housing had to be demolished. What was picturesque housing along the waterfront is long gone, as is the former fishing fleet. The only touch of interest on the waterfront is the Union Inn, its colourful murals by local photographer and artist Mick Lobb, and statues of Brunel and Ann Glanville. Now that the waterfront has lost its former significance it is up the hill in the main part of the town that the worthwhile buildings are to be found. I parked in a reasonably priced car park off Albert Road and found that I had picked the ideal spot. Just to my left was a small memorial 'Peace Park' with interesting memorial seats (and even a memorial WWI litter bin) by David Ogilvie, whose work can be found all over the country. I sat there for a while and realised I had really picked the ideal spot. Directly ahead of me was a war memorial with elaborate gates with two illustrative plaques, to its left the Church of St. Nicholas and St. Faith, to the left again the attractive Guildhall. The Guildhall stands on the corner of Fore Street which leads to pedestrian access to the Tamar Road Bridge and on down to the waterfront. Disappointingly I had managed to pick the wrong day - Saturday- and not only was the church closed but so was the Guildhall. i was later able to visit both; the Guildhall is open on weekdays, the church occasionally. I walked a little way down Fore Street and found the entrance to the pedestrian walkway along the road bridge. At its entrance I was looking across to the lovely "Cornish Cross" that Jane and I had made an expedition to see when it was first erected in 2013. This time, it glinted colourfully in the strong sun. Below the bridge, in a grassy area, there is a plaque by Thrussell and Thrussell. As for the church, its late Victorian period may well reduce its interest to visitors; if so, you should definitely visit Saltash's mother church, St. Stephens, about a mile from the centre on St. Stephens Road, which leaves Callington Road where it becomes Fore Street at Victoria Gardens.