We arrive with pictures in our heads and take different ones home: harbour towns and cliffs, tidal paths and ruins, shop windows and amusement arcades. In between, people sit on the beach, boats wait for the tide and a gull watches over its own warning sign. Our photographs from Cornwall follow the journey from St Ives to the coast, on to Tintagel and finally the Eden Project.
St Ives — the harbour and the houses beside the water, our first view of Cornwall.The Sloop Inn in St Ives — “Quality B&B”, says the sign. The façade catches our eye.St Ives — sitting together on the beach as the light over the water fades. Wind and weather seem to make little difference.St Ives — the sun sinks behind the coastline.Gullz R Loud in St Ives — Cornwall in a shop window.St Ives — in the evening, the harbour view loses its strong colours.Lizard Point — only the cliff edge separates grass from surf.Lizard Point — the boathouse sits close to the surf.St Michael’s Mount — at times, the path to the island belongs to the sea.Marazion — opposite St Michael’s Mount. Sitting on the harbour wall is part of life in Cornwall.St Michael’s Mount — at low tide, the crossing becomes a footpath.Mousehole — a little house for the teacups.Mousehole — the boats wait for the water.The Mousehole — turquoise against white render and grey stone.Mousehole — clock tower and red telephone box on the corner.Land’s End — at the end of the land, the signpost still points far beyond.Land’s End — the eye follows the rocks out to sea.Land’s End — the great view needs no sign.North of Land’s End — only the person by the water reveals how big the wave is.On the beach north of Land’s End — the rescue board is ready.Jackets, folding chairs and a dog are part of beach life here.North of Land’s End — this is Cornwall too: wide beaches. From the hillside, the waves form long white lines.Cape Cornwall — surf in front of the Brisons rocks.Cape Cornwall — ropes, baskets and a boat.Tintagel — a church, sheep and plenty of open sky.Tintagel — the bridge leads across to the ruins.Tintagel — away from the walls, the coast still draws the eye.Tintagel — the sea framed by a narrow gap in the wall.Tintagel — ruins from different periods, connected by a present-day path.Tintagel — the coastline continues beyond the ruins.Tintagel — crown, cloak, sword. King Arthur.Tintagel — from below, the gap spanned by the bridge becomes clear.Tintagel — the sign shop seems to have a saying in stock for almost any situation in life.St Ives — at low tide, the harbour becomes a wide expanse of sand.St Ives — behind the harbour wall, the boats rest on sand.Tate St Ives — blue and glitter instead of surf and rocks.Tate St Ives — a composition of curves, straight lines and blue sky.St Ives — the same harbour, this time without water beneath the boats.Patsea Arcadia in St Ives — “Since 1934”, and people are playing inside.St Ives — the gull has found its place above the warning sign.St Ives — pool, billiards and colourful lights on the harbour front.St Ives — the lifeboat in its boathouse.St Ives — one more look at the harbour before we move on.Eden Project — “You are in dragon territory!”Eden Project — among the plants, there are stories and figures too.Eden Project — a very different picture of Cornwall to finish.
