| Gribben Head - Day marker - used as a navigation point. |
Hello Dear Reader,
If you are reading this, either via the net at home or 3G on your phone, then you have access to discovering free days out, free walks, free parking and free activities where you live. We took ourselves on a two hour walk today. We drove, almost to Fowey, and turned off for Polkerris, but kept going to Menabilly and then kept going on foot to Polridmouth Cove and eventually to the Gribben. All of these coves and beaches were my childhood playgrounds and I still get that thrill of wide open spaces and can not name anything better than a good walk.
There are no facilities on the beach, a real piss in a field kind of a day out, and I did! It doesn’t have easy access, you can’t take a push chair, you can’t buy an ice cream and there’s no golden sand. Result? Peace and quiet and the place almost to ourselves, other than hardy ramblers.
Anchored off the mouth of the Fowey harbour, was a huge cruise liner; they have paid thousands to view what I can have for free. It was quite a sweaty walk, although it was grey, it’s been warm and the sun came out on our walk home.
I even took a photo of the grid reference in case anyone wants to go on this walk themselves. There is a farm at the top of the hill, which opens a field for people to park all day for the princely sum of 50p. I think that’s good value.
Here I am, almost at the Gribben. The air was full of larks and swallows and we often stopped to watch a kestrel who was hovering in the thermals. Just idyllic. I did have a Julie Andrews moment and found myself running up and down, just because I could!
Behind us is the coves of Fowey, Polridmouth and Lantic - the cruise ship looks tiny here.
It was pretty steep and if there had been a body shop along the way, I would have bought new knees and new lungs. It was worth it in the end.
I made it to the top, found a grassy knoll and got our flask out and sipped hot tea whilst taking in the view. Not bad for 50p!
We aimed to get back for lunch (chicken and salad) and a lot of the walk was through sheltered paths.
I would encourage everyone to set aside a day, whenever they can, to get outside. To me, it’s a cure all. If I’m stiff with the joint pain that I can get, then I exercise it off. If I’m feeling low or sluggish, or bored, or frustrated with a project, or just with life……….getting outside cures it. If the housework is piling up, to be honest, it will still be there when I get home! Just get outside and find some space, and light and empty air, breathe deeply, don’t walk………stride purposefully. Make your lungs and legs work equally hard and what ever was bothering you, boring you or just frustrating you will be gone in a couple of hills (buggered if you live in East Anglia!)
On that note, I’m going to spend the afternoon in front of the ironing board with the radio on and a pot of tea not too far away.
Happily not spending any money this weekend,
Love Froogs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How beautiful, love to walk we get one in every day, but I'm terrible at hill climbing, strictly a bog lady.
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Its been a lousy day here, but even so we took the car down to the bents at Longniddry and sat for 2 hours by the sea watching the birds, the boats moving in and out of the Firth of Forth, reading and drinking tea…….A lovely way to spend a couple of hours, it got us out of the house, we were getting cabin fever.
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True, here in Norfolk we don't have many big hills but we do have quite a few small ones. Most of our weekly walks involve going up and down steep slopes, old railway cuts, or places where glaciers and ancient seas carved through years ago, leaving behind quite tall sea cliffs - now marooned inland. The fen area of Cambridgeshire, now that is flat but still a joy to walk. Can't beat a good walk, I'm with you on this one!
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I think i will add that to my list of to do when in Cornwall. I despair at parking prices and hunt high and low for the cheapest. St Ives is a rip off as is the park and ride there. We paid the ticket only to find out the trains weren't running-no notice, only found out after a half hour wait and no refund! But have discovered some lovely places, my daughter lives in Helston so we try to do something different every time we visit.
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it is always a surprise to me that folks dont just go for a walk… good all round .. and as you say.. CHEAP xx
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gillibob - please email me and I will let you in on a free parking secret - not for publication
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It's not very good for walking over here, unless you take the car. There's lots of 'country' but not many paths, and IT'S FLAT! I used to take the car to a place not far from Bolton (near Winter Hill) and walk on the moors. I used to do it a lot, on my own but seem to cycle nowadays.
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Hi Campfire - google walks in your area, you will be surprised how many there are
http://www.walkinginlancs.co.uk/bolton.php
http://www.boltonramblers.org.uk/
http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_b/1001/ as I said, if you have the internet - you can find walks
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Just love the Julie Andrews moment!
Go Girl…
Vicky x
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Hell, I thought “The Gribbin” was the name of the headland forming Solva Harbour in Pembrokeshire (West Wales)!
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lovely. Our family loves to ramble around the same way. Our kids often ask to go on a “family walk.”
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Thanks for sharing the lovely views… love your Julie Andrews moment!!
I'm currently researching disabled friendly places, bot hubby and I have serious mobility issues and Benedict can hypo on the flat after a twenty minute walk!! It makes for an interesting life for sure!
Wishing you a great day.
san xxx
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The philosopher Kierkegaard said that 'you can walk yourself out of anything', meaning troubles in your head and I do believe that to be so. Reading your blog made me want to be back in Cornwall and do Hall Walk from Polruan to Bodinnick and back through Fowey where my Grandma (daughter of a sea Captain) was born and lived.
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How lovely…i take the tots to our local National Trust place..Belton House.They love it..we go around the normal places that others go to but we have a secret..we go to the old woods at the top of a hill..wow i am shattered by the time we get there..we sit in the woods under huge conkers trees and have a picnic..watch the deer and stags..we see rabbits by the thousands..we love exploring in there..then we go to the top lake..its totally surrounded and very hard to find..we find another spot and have drinks..watch the ducks and geese with their chicks..its all on my doorstep , i have asked them everytime do you want to go in the adventure playground? the answer is no there is too many people..can we go in the woods…pleeeaassseee…
A great free day out..
love
sara
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Campfire i live not too far from Rivington and surround places as well. Have you tried White Coppice? Lovely walk around there- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Coppice
I don't think the pictures do it justice TBH but it is beautiful.
Thank you froogs, i have sent you an email. x
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Brilliant, the 'Julie Andrews moment'….. that is !!
There really is something about a day of exercise and fresh air to recharge the batteries, I definitely feel better for just being outside.
Sue xx
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I am so pleased there are still larks… I'm about to bring my teenage kids down to Cornwall camping, to see the places I loved when I was growing up, to see where my grandparents & aunts & uncles lived & are buried. And I was almost afraid, that it would have changed, that there wouldn't be larks any more, or sea anenomes, or campions nodding by the roadside & wild garlic making the woods smell edible. Thanks for reassuring me!
Not that there aren't larks here, or beautiful beaches, wide open meadows & fantastic views within easy reach. But it's different…
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