Author Archives: Christine Taylor


About Christine Taylor

Charles and Christine Taylor have hosted Luxury Bed and Breakfast at Ednovean Farm Nr Penzance in West Cornwall since 1991 and live there with three cats and eight horses including a Spanish Stallion called Danni. Christine writes a weekly blog about life on the farm and garden with an occasional series about places of interest in West Cornwall

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A visit to Boscawen-un stone circle

 

Boscawen- un a bronze age stone circle just off of the Penzance to Lands end road quite near to St Buryan

Boscawen- un a bronze age stone circle just off of the Penzance to Lands end road quite near to St Buryan

We visited Boscawen-un stone circle again this week mainly because Charles love to photograph the ancient Cornish landmarks and at one point he had built up a fairly good collection but it was sadly lost down a crack of the computer never to be seen again. The years have gone by and a return visit to Boscawen –un, a well preserved stone circle came to the top of our to-do list at last and the other afternoon we had a couple of hours to spare and so we set off!

We drove along the Penzance to Land’s End road, peering to our left for a small footpath entrance and small lay-by to park in just prior to Crows-an-Wra . Bingo!! We spotted a kissing gate with Boscawen-un carved into one of the posts! Lucy Landrover was left to look after herself all alone except for the traffic speeding towards Land’s End and we set off in the autumn sunshine along a broad, grassy, path. Continue reading “A visit to Boscawen-un stone circle” »

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A visit to Prussia Cove

 

Steps down to explore Prussia Cove - unspoilt cornish cove

Prussia Cove has a still peaceful silence now that hides a shadowy deep history of smuggling days

We made a trip to Prussia Cove today – it wasn’t planned  but we woke up to such a fabulous morning here in West Cornwall.  As i opened the curtains I spotted high thready cloud across Mounts Bay floating in front of Penzance and a silky smooth sea at first light from my kitchen window and knew it would be a special day.

A special day but a busy day too, so it was a nice surprise to find we had a couple of hours to spare and so for once we used the ar and drove the five minutes along the road to explore Prussia Cove instead of walking the coastal footpath to the sea. Continue reading “A visit to Prussia Cove” »

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A September diary visits to Men an Tol, Tregeseal and Nine Maidens stone circles

Red land Rover parked

Our trusty Land Rover took a break from the supermarket run to explore West Cornwall or maybe just admire the sea

My September diary of travels with lucy Land Rover.

You see, we only have a couple of hours to spare most days and the bright fresh days at the beginning of the month were perfect to set off out and about to explore beyond Penzance – with the help of Lucy Land Rover of course!. Charles loves to visit the numerous Neolithic and early Bronze Age sites in West Cornwall and I love to see the Cornish heathland clothed in the vibrant swathes of heather and gorse at this time of the year and so it was an easy decision to combine the two, while choosing places within easy striking distance of Ednovean Farm and Penzance. This week we visited Men an Tol –  a holed healing stone and the stone circles of Tregeseal and Nine Maidens and the Ballowall Barrow overlooking the spectacular coastline at Cape Cornwall Continue reading “A September diary visits to Men an Tol, Tregeseal and Nine Maidens stone circles” »

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Ednovean Farm’s garden in August

Cornish garden

The sinuous curves of the sunken lawn give the green promise of a garden walk

As I walked across the dew laden lawn this morning to feed the mares I heard the lazy flop of the waves landing on the shore from the beach far below and realised that the season was subtly moving onwards. So for my final garden diary for August I’ve explored the different garden areas from the sheltered formal courtyards to the sweeping lawns; from the pathways that weave their way through the plants or meander into a tiny clearing; from a small froth of frou frou flowers to the elegant spare architectural shapes. This month I’ve tried to capture a little of the atmosphere of the living breathing garden as it progresses through the seasons. Continue reading “Ednovean Farm’s garden in August” »

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A visit to Cot Valley

Porth nanven

Porth Nanven

The lure of the heath lands vivid now, with purple heathers and bright yellow gorse proved too much today and we set out beyond Penzance to follow the road towards St Just.  I mentioned in my last blog the lure of the fabulous autumn on the sweep of the Penwith moors is not to be missed now and I’d heard of a spot, quite near to Cot Valley with an amazing depth of colours. Well that shouldn’t be hard to find should it? Continue reading “A visit to Cot Valley” »

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August bank holiday

Sunset behind the date palms at Ednovean Farm

The sun is still setting far to our right as we look out across the Date palms in the courtyard

We’ve reached the final days of August with the last Bank holiday of the year and it always brings a poignant moment for me as I realise that summer is slipping away. Too soon the long heady summer days have slipped away and I always pause to reflect on their passing before settling down to enjoy the long somnolent days that lead into autumn. Maybe there will be still time in the next couple of months to take a trip to the  beach and relive the childhood enchantment of paddling along the seashore as the warmth of summer lingers on.  Yet I’ve noticed in the countryside around us there is a small but subtle change of the seasons as the harvest begin to be taken in

Continue reading “August bank holiday” »

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A summer snap looking towards Perranuthnoe and Penzance

West cornwall coast

Looking back towards Perranuthnoe from the coastal footpath

This morning I thought I’d brighten the morning by sharing a summer snap taken on a walk from here at Ednovean farm when we walked along the coastal footpath east of Perranuthnoe. The last photos I shared were taken way back in April so I thought I was time for an update!

We walked along to Stackhouse Cove with a picnic the other day on Charles’s birthday – it is just so relaxing to sit on a silent cove and listen to the sea.  Of course there was a short swim (brrr!) to our chosen beach but it was a wonderfully relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Continue reading “A summer snap looking towards Perranuthnoe and Penzance” »

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The August garden – A window into summer

Agapathus and Fennel below a shelter belt of Palms

Agapanthus and Fennel frame the entrance to the small formal sundial garden beyond the main terrace

The August garden at Ednovean Farm is a window into a summer’s day this month, unfolding gently chapter by chapter with each day that has dawned. This month I’ve watched the dancing sunlight on the foliage and felt the warm sultry shadows of mid summer. This month the garden has seen the whole unpredictable yet satisfying drama of the summer days played out in this window into summer and so I thought I’d start my garden diary early too, just in case the camera should suddenly give up its task of recording our days! Continue reading “The August garden – A window into summer” »

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Ednovean Farm in this months Homes and Gardens

Ednovean Farm in Homes and Gardens

The view from the Apricot bedrooms private terrace is the opening photo for the article

 

“Spectacular views of St Michael’s Mount vie with bold architectural planting and neatly clipped green rooms in this exotic Cornish Garden” Carole Drake, September 2015 Homes and Gardens.

I’m so excited to tell you that Ednovean Farm gardens are in Homes and Gardens this month (September issue) ! I mentioned it the other day in my blog “Don’t put your daughter on the Stage Mrs Worthington” after this years interior shoot. Carole Drake came here to take the photos for this magazine feature, last September –  magazines work so far ahead.  I’ve already bought two copies of course. I think our B&B guests are stocking up too, with copies of the glossy magazine as a lovely souvenir of their stay at Ednovean Farm. Continue reading “Ednovean Farm in this months Homes and Gardens” »

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July in the Ednovean Farm Garden

Ednovean farm and Echiums frame the lawn

Golden Oat grass frames the urns with the sweep of the lawn beyond

Ah July and the garden begins to party. Our usual contrasting leaf shapes and textures have been joined by an explosion of colour this month in celebration of the zenith of the year. I’m afraid though I must now admit that the photos will be few and far between for this months diary ad our camera has had a minor hiccup and only took black photos –true it has been ailing for a while but this month it finally succumbed to a version of Canon Berrie Berrie and is in intensive care at the camera hospital even as we speak. Still maybe I can describe the garden to you this month in its summer finery along with the few photos I did manage Continue reading “July in the Ednovean Farm Garden” »