Cornwall: Mousehole.
Parking | Tide Times | Dogs - not on beach and on lead elsewhere. Very dog friendly in shops and pubs.
As I left Lands End behind me, the Cornish landscape started to take on a different feel. As you start to head east along the south coast of Cornwall it starts to feel more maintained. It’s still wild in places but we enter into picturesque territory. Mousehole is the epitome of this - a fishing village a few miles west of Penzance.
Even on an autumn weekday I struggled to get into Mousehole (very important: pronounced Mauzell) and park somewhere, driving round the village isn’t easy, especially in a van, with folks wandering aimlessly clutching ice creams and narrow, cobbled streets. It’s not a criticism in any shape or form but it is something to be aware of.
Mousehole has a lot to tell you about itself - it should be proud of it’s rise after being burned to ground, all but one house (which still stands), in 1595 by a Spanish raid. It also had the residence of the final speaker of the Cornish language, Dolly Pentreath, who died 200 years ago. In more recent history Mousehole is still bruised from the 1981 tragedy where a whole lifeboat crew was lost trying to carry out a rescue in hurricane winds.
These days it’s a thriving tourist hotspot, but manages to keep it’s charm with a lovely deli and good ice cream. I sit on a bench and soak up the sun on my face as a chirpy woman from the Midlands (my tribe!) sparks up conversation with me. She’s delighted when I start sharing my bap with Monty and she eagerly recounts her experiences with family dogs while her husband sits silent staring out to the harbour. I loved her and six months on smile when I think of her.
I started to feel the tingling sensation of too much sun so we went for an explore round the back streets of Mousehole. I note a lot of the properties here are holiday cottages so I press my nose against the window of those that are empty and am pleasantly surprised with the decor and vibe - modern and calming.
I was glad of a few hours checking out Mousehole and while I’m an advocate for giving things space, I felt a few hours was enough, a perfect lunch stop for your road trip before you head on to the destination.