Does Cornwall live up to the hype?
Posted by georgiemaex@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 59 comments
I’m landing in London in a few days to start my traveling in Europe! There are so many places I would love to see, like the different cities and cute little villages. When doing my research, all I would see is stuff about Cornwall, but damn getting there will take me like 7 hours and it doesn’t seem to be near anything else. So my question is, do I make the trek or do I try and see as much of the rest of the UK as possible?
Narrow-Tree-5491@reddit
Cornwall is beautiful. The special places for me are Mevagissey, St. Michael’s Mount, especially the Lost Gardens of Heligan, all the Nation Trust parks and buildings, Tintagel, Looe. For me it definitely lives up to the hype.
Simple_Oxygen_Thief@reddit
Mousehole and St Ives too IMO
fractal_pilgrim@reddit
In addition to the other places suggested in this thread, when I first read "London" a couple of nearby beauty spots popped off in my head.
Firstly, the Thames Valley with its gorgeous little towns like Marlow and the nearby heights of the Chilterns.
Secondly, the run up to Norfolk / Norwich through Cambridge and Ely. Norfolk often has reminded me of Cornwall, absolutely tranquil place, but actually quite a bit more affluent.
Well anyway, if you want to really see as much of the country as possible, better go to places with a bit more of a cultural pull- that's just what first came to mind! And if you decide if you like the UK enough to come back, Cornwall is an excellent destination- the pace of life is a bit slower down here, plus it's hard to get to, and I so think it rewards a bit of a slower-paced trip. You can also get really good value out of the campsites here, if you wanted to save a bit of money.
Maximum_Ad_5571@reddit
"Norfolk often has reminded me of Cornwall"
Personally I think it's difficult to think of two more different English counties.
Tim-Sanchez@reddit
I wouldn't include it on a trip as a foreign tourist with limited time. It's popular for Brits because it's the sunniest part of the UK with nice beaches, but as you say it's a long way to go for someone who has limited time.
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
Well surely it’s doing something right if all brits go there? Can you see why I’m in a little pickle :)
thecuriousiguana@reddit
It's not an amazing place for autumn, it's an outdoors sort of place and the rain is starting to come. It has quite a few attractions, the coast is stunning, there are gardens and castles and the Eden Project (over-rated imho) but you'd need a car to get around them.
You'll also need a car.
rossburton@reddit
Apart from the scones bit that’s spot on though. It’s a national disgrace how there are people living in Redruth/Pool/Camborne who have never gone to the beach because they can’t afford a car and the bus network is mostly terrible.
thecuriousiguana@reddit
I WILL fight you.
But yes. It's partly geographical - it's a bloody long way, out on its own. It may as well be an island. It's not like there are neighbouring places with cities and large towns within reach, and it doesn't make sense as a place to build your big factory. Employment is always going to be an issue, because, well where do you commute to?!
Tourism is vital, but that money doesn't reach everyone. Second homes extract it. And it dies in October.
But you're right, it's neglected.
rossburton@reddit
Based on material flow, it's _obvious_ that it's jam first.
thecuriousiguana@reddit
Obvious to imbeciles!
Jam is quite CLEARLY a TOPPING.
rossburton@reddit
Tell that to a cake. Jam in the middle, cream on top.
thecuriousiguana@reddit
Shit
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
There seems to be a lot of passion around these little pastries! Guess I’ll have to have one and see what I naturally put in it first
thecuriousiguana@reddit
I was with someone at a country house once who was adamant that it's jam first. It had been a heated discussion.
We sat down with our scones. She cut it open. She spread the cream onto the scone, and added jam as a topping. I just stared at her and laughed.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
The majority of Brits who go there will drive. I am seeing increasing numbers of Dutch and German tourists going but they tend to be in a camper van (and some TV series they like is set there I believe). It is probably the difference, if someone flies to London then spends a long time getting there by public transport they simply won't be able to access a lot of it easily. People here may stay by a small local beach and be happy exploring small villages which isn't the usual thing an international tourist would do. They may not get it or be wowed by it I guess.
spidertattootim@reddit
All Brits go to the supermarket every few days, that doesn't mean you have to do it while you're on holiday here.
Lazy_Age_9466@reddit
No not all Brits go there. Scotland is far more stunning than Cornwall. Cornwall is warmer than most of the UK, so a popular place to holiday.
OurSeepyD@reddit
I'm actually not so sure about this, Cornwall often seems cooler than other places during the summer, and I think it's because of the air coming from the Atlantic Ocean keeping temperatures milder.
Cornwall definitely has some very nice locations, particularly harbours, beaches, coats, gardens etc, but when rammed with tourists can be much less appealing.
hairychris88@reddit
Yep this is true, Cornwall has the mildest winter temperatures (although we get a good walloping from every Atlantic gale that comes through) but summer temperatures are lower than the south-east.
RuneClash007@reddit
A lot of Brits go to Leysdown, Blackpool and Skegness, but I wouldn't suggest people going on day trips there if they're visiting from abroad
dbxp@reddit
Brits went there a lot prior to budget flights because it was cheap
fractal_pilgrim@reddit
To be fair, based on how much of a pull Cornwall has for people like the OP, if Newquay airport ever wanted to do transatlantic flights, it could do well to bill itself as "the gateway to a journey through Europe" or some other such marketing ploy!
Now, all we'd have to do is get train tickets down to some sort of sensible pricing, rather than costing over £100 just to get to London, and it could be an amazing start to a lot of people's grand tours.
ToriaLyons@reddit
What's your budget like? Are you driving or dependent on public transport?
West/Mid Wales may be a better use of funds.
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
Public transport but there doesn’t seem to be many train stations near the beaches
rossburton@reddit
If you’re relying on public transport, I’d say don’t bother. It’s a bit too spread out and you’ll spent days on buses or waiting for trains, as there’s just one mainline with a few branches. The Peak District had a better rail network and is beautiful in a different way.
Trifusi0n@reddit
I’m partly Cornish and have a lot of relatives down there. We go every year to see them and Cornwall has a special place in my heart.
Do not go down there on public transport. You will miss almost all the best places as they aren’t accessible on public transport. It’s the sort of place you need to slowly explore in a car over the space of a week.
If you absolutely insist on going by train then go to Penzance wander out to the beach and walk out to st. Michael’s mount. It’s the most magical thing accessible from a station.
ToriaLyons@reddit
Where else in the UK are you wanting to see?
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
Liverpool, Cotswolds and London of course! And maybe the Lake District but I don’t have walking shoes
ToriaLyons@reddit
Get some walking shoes. Do Cotswolds, then head up to Shrewsbury. Catch train to Machynlleth & use it as a base for a night or two to visit Aberystwyth, Aberdyfi, Eryri (Snowdonia or Cader Idris) and perhaps up the coast to Harlech (castle!), maybe Portmeirion. Then head to Liverpool.
jaminbob@reddit
I would +1 north and west Wales; amongst the most magical places on planet earth.
PM_ME_UR_SUMMERDRESS@reddit
I love Cornwall, but if I had limited time, I'd go to Liverpool via Cardiff/Swansea and Aberystwyth.
You don't get the little towns with their houses and narrow streets like you do Cornwall though. Depends how limited your time in the UK is though.
dbxp@reddit
You should head across from Liverpool to York. The Lake District is nice but doesn't really rank on a European scale, if you want mountain scenery look at somewhere like Interlaken
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
Newquay, St. Ives, Carbis Bay, Penzance, Falmouth and Looe all have train stations mere moments from their main beaches.
Deep_Banana_6521@reddit
no.
We had a family holiday there 2 years ago and it's just overpriced, full of tourists and you can't enjoy anything there. Every beach is swarmed with hundreds of people, every pub is filled with tourists who just want to push and shove and be belligerent and rude in order to get the "best" seats or tables. Staff everywhere are completely fed up with everyone.
for 5 days me and my bf burned through over £2k and the drive back to Sheffield took 10 hours.
If you want to enjoy Cornwall, look at a postcard.
CodeToManagement@reddit
It’s nice but as a foreign tourist I wouldn’t waste the time going there. You’ll spend so much time on a train it’s just not worth the lost time.
Feeling_Phrase1340@reddit
I visited the Bude Trolley Tunnel on my honeymoon, and I can confirm, it completely lives up the hype. I'm not joking.
Vivid_Head_6787@reddit
St Ives and Cornwall is worth the hype but it does take some time getting down there. To get to St Ives, you go from Paddington to St Erth (which is 5 miles from St Ives) then hop onto a local train into St Ives, just in front of Porthminster beach. Roughly 5.5 hours. However, if you are booking a ticket a few days in advanced (see thetrainline.com) then you pay a small fortune. The weather is also changing now, so it's getting colder.
Your best option, if you want to sample an English seaside, is to go down to Brighton.
If you want to go to Oxford for the day, you could get the Oxford Tube (it's actually a coach service - https://www.oxfordtube.com/) near Victoria station.
Exotic-Cod4067@reddit
Cornwall is great, that said you've missed the boat to appreciate it fully now summer has started to decline. It is a great place, beautiful and interesting but its not worth the journey if you have limited time in the UK, you would be better off visiting other cities in England with good connections to London. Travelling to Kernow is a ballache on public transport, I'm from near there originally but since moving I never visit as its such a pain to get there.
hairychris88@reddit
I actually think September is lovely in Cornwall, the weather is often just as nice as the summer, and there are noticeably fewer tourists.
OurSeepyD@reddit
On the plus side, places won't be heaving with tourists
Exotic-Cod4067@reddit
I kinda feel visiting when the tourists are there would make it more interesting, sure you might get called an emmet, but when the emmets are there it is much more lively and you can likely meet other holiday makers to socialise with.
Cornwall when the holiday season ends is very depressing imo, due to the seasonal economy so much stuff gets closed as October approaches and many cornish towns seem bleak with a lack of people.
jimbo8083@reddit
It does but it's busy
rice_fish_and_eggs@reddit
I was very underwhelmed when I visited the other year (st Ives, Penzance, lands end). It's pretty in parts but the general countryside in the area falls short of places like the peak district and Northumberland. The beaches are postcard perfect but small, lands end is a ripoff. Personally I wouldn't spend 7 hours to go there if you have limited time.
Old-Smell-6602@reddit
Hard to say, depends on what your wanting to do when you get to these places? I love Cornwall and they have some fantastic surf beaches, you have the Eden project and of course, cornish pasties there are some really stunning costal views. I'm from Liverpool and there is all the museums, the Albert dock and liver buildings, the beatles history and such but if I was a tourist it wouldn't be on my places to visit! Peak district the lake district Wales are all very scenic but again depends what you want to do there! I don't know much about Scotland so can't comment.
bars_and_plates@reddit
I wouldn't make a UK trip "see as much of the UK" in general, it sounds like the perfect way to basically spend all of your time rushing around from place to place barely seeing anything.
If I had a week in the UK I'd go to London for one or two days, get a selfie in front of Big Ben, then find a nice village with a country hotel and spend 5 days in it drinking tea and going on hikes in the local area.
No_Seat443@reddit
It’s nice, but Scotland blows it away. Get to Glasgow and head to Glen Coe, Fort William, around the North Coast and back down Inverness - go to Loch Ness - and back to Edinburgh down the A9.
If you can fit in Shetland/Orkneys and the Dark Skies Park in Galloway even better.
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
Nah, I am a Cornishman. It is oversubscribed, over hyped and over priced. Although Pastys are nice.
dbxp@reddit
No, I think it's only really notable because it's a place which sometimes gets nice beach weather in a country where that doesn't typically happen. This has lead to some money flowing that way by domestic tourists to make some places nice but it's really not notable if you don't live in the UK.
wardyms@reddit
See the rest of the UK. Cornwall are the nicest beaches in Britain, if you’re going to the rest of Europe I’ve no doubt you’ll encounter much better ones easily.
Narrow-Tree-5491@reddit
I was born in London and it has a special place in my heart but I used to live in Edinburgh and I love it more. As you’re train/flight travelling definitely go - it’s got everything in the space of a few square miles.
ResplendentBear@reddit
I wouldn't bother unless there's a specific thing you really want to see there.
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
No where in particular but I have been told by a friend that a Cornish pasty is a must
lobozangetsu92@reddit
As a Cornishman, a pasty is a must but as much as I love them, I wouldn't say it's worth a 7 hour trip.
ResplendentBear@reddit
You can buy those anywhere. Although they just have to be called pasties if not made there.
(And if you've ever had an Empanada they won't be that stunning anyway.)
Glad-Feature-2117@reddit
It depends on when you are planning on going and how much you like beaches. Personally, I have yet to see beaches to rival Cornish ones (and I've been to a couple in one of the "Top 10 beaches in the world list"). However, by public transport in Winter, I wouldn't bother!
Aogu@reddit
There is much of the UK that is easier to visit and more distinctive. Plenty of cute villages all over.
georgiemaex@reddit (OP)
Yeah that does make sense, maybe I’ll have to see what exact things are in Cornwall and then decide
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