This summer I wanted to spend my time exploring more of what’s on my doorstep. It’s not always as easy as swanning off to the European hotspots like all the Instagram gals do, but with the mad heatwave that we’ve been having in the UK Cornwall has looked like something out of Italy’s countryside, or the sandy tropics. Hurrah! Finally a good summer season. Perfect for exploring.

Firstly I was having major FOMO of all the beach snaps I was seeing on Instagram, so naturally that was my first thought. I live in Cornwall, surrounded by a multitude of beaches, 7 of which (that I know of) are within a 10 minute drive from my home. Why aren’t I making the most of these beautiful beaches! I mean… the entirety of Cornwall, and the rest of the UK, do flock to our beaches in summer, so that does put me off – and I’d rather just bask in my garden, where water and sustenance is within easy reach. But I digress.

I decided to visit a local beach that I’d only recently realised existed in Cornwall… Porthluney Beach (also known as Caerhays). There’s a beach café, and a beautiful castle just opposite (which is open to the public every spring). To avoid the tourists I headed to the beach at 7.30am, bright and early, and it was already hitting 20 degrees centigrade. Hot hot. There were a few others dotted around walking their dogs, but I had the beach to myself and it was bliss. The tide was so far out that it was so shallow, so clear, and so warm. At 8am in the morning I was happily sat in the sea. When does that ever happen in the UK?! What a dream.

I found myself a little cove, with a cave, and set myself up on the damp sand staring out to the bright blue summery ocean. An endless amount of mussels adorned rocks, little pools of water glistened across the riveted sand, and there was nothing but the sound of the waves… and the odd pupper or two.

A morning of shooting done, I noticed how quickly the tide was moving in on my private little cove spot, sob! A lovely lady walking her dog kindly confirmed that I’d be clambering over rocks if I didn’t move soon. Bags packed, I made the walk (and paddle through the shallows) back to the main strip of sand, which wasn’t much by the time the tide had fully returned. The beach didn’t end up being too over-populated, which regularly happens to our beaches in Cornwall, and most of the bodies were holiday makers… a lovely sigh of relief. It’s an odd feeling sunbathing on the beach solo, and I did feel a little uncomfortable every now and again, especially when I got up to leave and found the sand was so hot that I dropped all of my bags in a rush to put my jelly shoes back on haha. Jelly shoes, by the way, (or any kind of ocean-worthy shoe) are a great idea in Cornwall… our shorelines are often annoyingly lined with horrid creatures with bony barbs of poison on their backs – weever fish. If you stand on one of these bad boys, the pain is said to be excruciating. Top tip: soaking your foot in hot water and vinegar tends to expel the barb and reduce the pain (or so they say). Eep!

My next little excursion took me on an adventure to Knightor Winery. I’ve visited twice before for weddings, and it really is a beautiful little out of the way location. It is probably predominately known for hosting weddings and wedding receptions, with its feast evenings coming in at a close second, but it is also open to the public for light lunches and drinks from Wednesday to Sunday. The outdoor courtyard is a perfect spot for sunshine drinks, and the fabulously decorated indoor bar area sits at the bottom of a beautifully restored two-story brick farmhouse.  

Knightor do also offer a variety of winery tours, with those all-important tastings, and a variety of more detailed tours for those keen to know all the ins and outs. I was gifted with a very quick sight-see from Knightor’s General Manager, and was shown some of the fabulous spots behind the main courtyard that I never knew were hidden away on their grounds. The first point of awe is the outdoor pond. It is absolutely ordained with reeds and lily pads, and makes a beautiful backdrop for a wedding ceremony and wedding photos. It’s also super pretty to sit next to with a bottle of bubbly. A few metres away is a young, mini orchard of pear and apple trees, and in our summer heatwave it looked just like the over-heated, sunny landscape of Italy – perfect!

You can’t go to a winery without frolicking through the vineyards, right?! I battled insect bites and stinging nettles for shots amongst the outdoor display vines, but it was worth it, especially to see the grapes beginning to grow. Knightor has a selection of large vineyards across Cornwall where they grow a variety of grapes for their production of still and sparkling wines, and so on Knightor’s winery grounds they grow display vines to offer a little snippet into the vineyard world on their guided tours. It really is amazing to see the selection of grapes they grow, and each row hosted a different variety. I just love grape vines, they’re so vibrant!

But the absolute best part, for me anyway, were the indoor poly-tunnel grape vines. They were beautiful, and so full of perfectly vibrant green life! Everything you expect a vineyard to be. Every little extra bit of heat helps in the UK, and poly-tunnels sure do keep the air hot and humid. I was running in for a couple of shots, running back out for a little breeze, then back in, and out, and in… all the while keeping me eye open for little bunnies! There are burrows all over the floors of the vineyard. Cute!

If you’re interested in visiting Knightor for one of their tours, you can find all the deets here on their website.

Another fabulous few days exploring more of what’s on my doorstep! It’s always exciting to find something new, or to revisit known spots with fresh eyes. A big thank you to Knightor Wineries for allowing me to roam around on one of your closed days… there will be lots more photos to come on my Instagram @perfectlyclaudia – which you can find here. Have you explored anywhere on your doorstep lately?! Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Claudia xo
gdpr note; #ad #giftedpartnership - day with knightor wineries is a gifted collaboration