Inspired British
Breaks
by Sally Shalam
West Cornwall
Discover hidden hotspots by
car with a new series of curated
itineraries in Britain from Hertz.
Bringing you, the inside track and
all the elements you need for a
successful short break. Weekends
or midweek, let Hertz and British
travel expert Sally Shalam, take you
on your perfect escape... Enjoy the
first edition of our collaboration.
Penzance and West
Cornwall
Some boutique B&Bs deliver such
comfort that tearing yourself from
their confines takes effort. Handsome
Chapel House in Penzance is just that
kind. Pristine acreage of pale-painted
floors enhances the Georgian
proportions. Rooftop and harbour
views are framed by lofty sash
windows, and the balance of antique,
mid-century modern furnishings is
spot on. It feels a very grown-up
place to stay indeed.
In season, owner Susan Stuart lays on
convivial ‘kitchen suppers’ around a
long table in the moodily dark
basement dining room, a contrast to
the light-flooded upper floors, and
since non-residents can also book, an
opportunity is presented to rub
shoulders with whichever local
inhabitants turn up, and glean
valuable touring tips in this far-flung
corner of Cornwall.
There is no likelihood of missing
Land’s End, the splendour of
Penzance’s Art Deco Jubilee Pool or
St Michael’s Mount - best viewed from
the terrace at the Godolphin Arms in
Marazion over a sundowner (followed
by dinner at Ben’s Cornish Kitchen
across the road). The inside tip,
though, was to drive to Cape
Cornwall.
The cape is the wild, wild west of the
county, where the Atlantic Ocean
meets the English Channel. Here, the
wind whipped and the sea crashed
and hurled itself against a rocky
shore. From the sturdy, granite village
of St Just (where McFadden’s
butchers on the market square
dispenses fresh Cornish pasties), a
skinny lane led to the headland and a
weather-beaten National Trust car
park. The blustery day on which I’d
set off, provided a perfect vantage
point to munch contentedly and
watch the blue waves swell below. If
you miss the turning back to the
Location:
Penzance - Tolverth Garage
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30,
Sat 09:00-13:00, Sun Closed
Car hire in Penzance - Tolverth
Garage
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Photography: Mike Newman, Adam Gibbard, Paul Watts
headland, the road from St Just traces
the coastline, across moorland,
eventually reaching The Gurnard’s
Head. No longer a Cornish secret, this
lonely inn sports garish orange exterior
paintwork, a fanfare for the confident
cuisine offered within. It’s a welcome
port after traversing Poldark country,
Cornwall’s Tin Coast. Copper and tin
were extracted for more than 2,000
years and now the stark ruins of engine
houses, chimneys, and no fewer than
three National Trust sites (including a
restored beam engine at the Levant
mine) stand testament to an industrial
past in this World Heritage Site.
The next port of call, Tremenheere
Sculpture Garden, is considerably
more manicured but equally as
memorable. Despite leaden skies, its
grassy hillsides, woodland walk and
exotic planting, provided an alluring
backdrop to large scale modern
sculptures. Michael Chaikin’s perspex
constructions, which flutter and whirl
like tropical birds, are new
installations this year and Penny
Saunders’ Restless Temple is so
extraordinary it is virtually a
destination in its own right. Columns
of tensioned steel, clad in cedar,
conjure up an ancient ‘temple’. By feat
of engineering, they are controlled by
pendulums, and the columns sway
from side to side so gently that at first
you question whether you’ve just
witnessed a ‘building’ move.
Art is an integral a part of this region,
just like the granite which defines the
landscape. In Penzance, Penlee
House, set in lush gardens, is an
elegant gallery and museum, housing
room upon room of glorious work by
the Newlyn School of 19th-century
artists who settled here and formed a
colony. Newlyn itself, a working
fishing port, is abuzz with tiny shops
and cafes (snap up edible souvenirs,
Cornish Gouda from the deli and crab
from W. Harvey & Sons), a stylish
Filmhouse in a former fish merchants,
and the Newlyn School of Art, in
which a modern-day colony of artists
work in studios and tutor a multitude
of weekend and short courses.
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Perhaps it is no surprise that hip hotel
group, Artist Residence, has its
westernmost outpost down here, too.
Just moments from Chapel House,
here is an altogether different
bolthole. You might find work by
Peter Blake or Tracey Emin in your
bedroom and new rooms have just
been added, including a loft suite
called The Lookout. Downstairs, good
food and wines are served in the
low-lit, laid-back reclamation chic of
the bar and Cornish Barn restaurant.
Penzance might be the end of the rail
line but it is also very much a gateway.
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