England,  Photography,  Transport,  Travel Blog

The Sleepy Shores Of St Mawes

April 22, 2021 /

Approaching St Mawes is in one respect just a little bit like approaching a Greek island, in that the very best view you will get all day is the view you get from the ferry as it turns towards the harbour. Of course it is yet another quaint and picturesque location and is great to explore, but there’s no denying that the first view is the best view.

The little ferry, which can be caught from either of two quays in Falmouth, is itself a picture of quaint tradition and bobs rather pleasingly over the waves as it crosses between the two headlands. Within Falmouth harbour sits a characteristically grey naval warship with much activity on board, opposite a strange craft which seems to have giant construction equipment as a permanent feature, whilst a couple of miles offshore three idle tankers sit waiting patiently at anchor for their next assignment. Yet alongside these towering ships, little ferries shuffle and hired motor boats glide whilst water taxis carry anglers to and from their one-man boats, it’s a seriously eclectic mix of all sizes of craft.

  • St Mawes Ferry
  • St Mawes Ferry

St Mawes is so genteel and laid back that the description “sleepy” doesn’t even get close  – no doubt the COVID influence is playing a part but everything here is very calm and quiet, and from the presence of a very plush looking hotel through to the manicured gardens of private houses you get the feeling that St Mawes will be the last unruffled place when the revolution comes. If there is one.

The row of seafront cottages is lovely, the village has a charming church, a tiny castle dating from Henry VIII’s reign and the steep narrow lanes from the seafront are as attractive as they are typical of Cornwall, but the slow pace seems to have filtered through even to the staff at the pub, who take an absolute age to bring a beer to our table.

Temperatures are still below the April average here, but the sun is still shining. We have one full day left here on this trip, and we haven’t yet seen a drop of rain. In Cornwall, that is pretty unusual at any time, let alone in showery April! We’ve been lucky.

St Mawes Castle

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