“I knew we hadn’t been here,” I said to Mr Word Loft. I pointed out the crenellated rooftop of the grand two-storey building of Pentillie Castle as we veered up the driveway. Before leaving home, we had discussed whether we had been there because the beautiful Cornish country estate is so close to both our old and new homes. It only has a few open days throughout the year, which might be the reason.

From the back terrace, arrays of wisteria are alluring. Strands of mauve buds and petals sweep along a wall and onto a covered avenue of flowers, with the most delectable scent. Sweet, musky, with a hint of hyacinth. On a hot day, the walkway provides welcome shade. It opens onto a wooded pathway rich with wildflowers, and through foliage, there are glimpses of the River Tamar.

Overhearing conversations, we discovered that Beyond Paradise was filmed there. Oh my, excitement ran high. It is one of our favourite television programmes, and I couldn’t wait to go down and see the boathouse where Humphrey and Martha live in Shepton Mallet, Devon. However, much of the light-hearted crime mystery series is shot here in South East Cornwall, as many people in the region are aware. In addition to enjoying the entertaining storyline and applauding the actors’ talents, spotting familiar localities is a popular pastime while watching. It has been quite irritating that we didn’t know where the river scenes occurred, and now we do. Excellent!

It was thronging with people when we reached the quayside, but as soon as numbers dispersed, we moved into action with our cameras. There are more photographs on Word Loft’s Facebook feed. Please, take a look.

Further along a narrow road, the hedgerow is speared with foxgloves and from the small, charming waterside church, the views over fields to Halton Quay are superb.

We trudged back uphill after meeting an acquaintance who recommended we have a gander inside the castle. Its history commences from 1698, but the interior is light and airy. Period furniture and art grace the rooms with modern accommodation facilities, as the property is hired out, especially in the summer wedding season.

On the way out to explore more of the surrounding Humphry Repton designed landscape, there is a statue of Sir James Tillie, who was responsible for the castle’s construction. I wonder what he would have thought of the red vintage racing car, its paintwork shining on the forecourt in front of him.

We admired the traditional style sawmill, nestled at the bottom of a track, and peeped into the Victorian walled kitchen garden. It looked as if work was to be carried out, so we continued to the pond, bright with algae and colourful blooms reflecting on the surface. A few minutes passed before we noticed a lifelike crocodile model rearing its head from the watery slopes. It appears that someone on the gardening team has an amusing and mischievous sense of humour. It certainly made us smile.

Until next time,
Sue. X