Dramatic landscape, coastline and sea – a magnet for artists for the last century or so. Its intriguing towns, charming fishing villages and the gem of a city – Truro, have captured the imagination and inspiration of creative talent. Armed with sketchpad, pen, paints … Cornwall – sauntering with a sketchbook …
… it’s a real pleasure to follow in the footsteps of 1000s of professional and amateur artists who like me have enjoyed the light, lifestyle, climate and uniqueness of this far off peninsular of England.
Cotehele Mill: This working mill dates back to the 19th Century when the Tamar valley was full of mills for the local community. This mill still produces flour facilitated by a hydro-electric scheme behind the water wheel, producing clean renewable electricity and is linked to the national grid.Cornwall – sauntering with a sketchbook
Downderry beach: a hidden gem away from the main tourist sites and beaches.Cornwall – sauntering with a sketchbook
Port Isaac: a small and picturesque village on the north Cornish Atlantic coast. Now bustling with visitors who come to visit its fame as the location to the TV series Doc Martin.St Enodoc Church. No roads lead directly to this church, a walk is required across fields and a golf course. It is now famed as being the last resting place of the Poet LaureateSir John Betjeman.
Truro: Cornwall’s county town, only city, and centre for administration, leisure and retail. Truro’s population was recorded as 18,766 in the 2011 census. As the most southern city in mainland Great Britain, Truro grew as a centre of trade from its port and then as a stannary town for the tin mining industry. Its cathedral was completed in 1910. Cornwall – sauntering with a sketchbook
Eden Project: a popular visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. Inside the two biomes are plants that are collected from many diverse climates and environments. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 km (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell. The project was conceived by Sir Tim Smit and designed by architect Nicholas Grimshaw and engineering firm Anthony Hunt and Associates (now part of Sinclair Knight Merz). Davis Langdon carried out the project management, Sir Robert McAlpine and Alfred McAlpine did the construction, MERO designed and built the biomes, and Arup was the services engineer, economic consultant, environmental engineer and transportation engineer. Land use consultants led the masterplan and landscape design. The project took 2½ years to construct and opened to the public.
Cornwall – sauntering with a sketchbook.
Cornwall’s crest is of the chough bird, once departed from its shores, now returned and thriving on the cliffs thanks to grazing cows shortening the grass exposing leatherjackets and other grubs. The crest also shows a miner and fisherman, symbolically telling the story of Cornwall’s harsh yet at times, affluent primary industries. Now it’s the service industries, the tourist, the visitor, the 2nd home owner, the investor and the professional and would-be artists and crafts people that make the economy work. The gold roundels or bezants – legend has it that these represent the 15 gold coins raised by Cornish folk as ransom payment for the Crusader Duke of Cornwall captured by Saracens. Now the bezants form part of the Duchy of Cornwall’screst.
