“I don’t know where it is,” I replied to Mr Word Loft one evening in the week. “It sounds like a place in an Agatha Christie novel.” And we were amazed to find out Crackington Haven in North Cornwall is only an hour’s drive away from home. We’ve been to Bude and Boscastle, and the coastal village is situated somewhere in between, so a day or two later, we set off.
The landscape is breathtaking going downhill, and the headland, Penkenna Point, and other cliffs reminded me of parts of Iceland, dark with whispers of green. But that’s where the likeness to the Nordic Island stops. The sea ahead turned from bluey-grey to turquoise as sunrays slanted through clouds. Surfers mastered waves that crashed and shushed over the amber shore. The beach was busy with walkers and one brave family was enjoying a barbecue, even though it was chilly as they huddled happily around a smokey open fire.
At the top, a river gushes over grey flecked pebbles and branches off in rivulets as it crosses the sand before meeting the sea – sensational and powerful. Some dog walkers allowed their pets into the water and I held my breath until they splashed and paddled back to safety, shaking themselves and even more playful than before their dip.
Coastal paths rove over the top of craggy cliffs on either side of the cove. We chose those to the left on the Trevigue side. The whole area is of geological interest and from that vantage point, undulating strata and folds of sedimentary rock are visible on the opposite side of the bay. Gorse is starting to bloom on hedges bordering desolate campsites, which will be occupied again come Easter; the yellow flowers welcoming and delightful for springtime.
Well, Crackington Haven might not have featured in an Agatha Christie novel, but it certainly deserves to be the setting in a story. With its thatched cottages, rustic properties, and coastal businesses built around the old port. There’s even a derelict, old manor house. Who knows what fictitious characters might be conceived to frequent them one day? I’ll keep you updated.
Until next time,
Sue. X