We made a pilgrimage to The Lizard Peninsular yesterday to visit Kennack Sands – a sandy beach that held fond memories for Charles as the scene of many of boyhood adventures – although yesterday it might have been said to be a little more crowded than it was fifty-four yeas ago!
The journey to Kennack Sands
We set off with a picnic to Helston and then passed the big navel station at Culdrose. Finally we reached the endless flat heathland with a horizon broken by the iconic, yet redundant, deep space facility of giant satellite dishes. They are joined now by the latest craze – the big white wind turbines in tidy lines – I wonder which will stay the longest?!
The country lanes grew narrower and the prospect of meeting another car more arduous as we reached Kugger before the bay opened before us with the two sandy beaches flanked by soft green vegetation frame by a majestic headland.
We splurged £4 on a car park place but I did notice quite a few parking spaces in cubby holes on the way down ….if you don’t mind the steep climb out of the cove.
Two beaches divided by a headland
The first beach was packed with families and surfing lessons were in full swing in the tumbling waves, as we made our way out across the sand and around the headland to the second beach on the eastern end. This area is designated as a nature reserve by the way, should you visit. The knot of people became fewer until we reached the far end of the sands quite alone and I chose a sheltered corner of soft sand shielded on three sides by the cliff.
A quiet corner – perfect for a Beach picnic
As this was an official day out “Sandy-Beach” day I had even found my much loved, if slightly faded beach bag which tardis like held a couple of sweatshirts just-in-case and a glossy magazine! Charles however had careful packed beef sandwiches and a too-good-for-the-beach red wine with a screw top.
So nothing to be seen in our perfectly peaceful corner but the blue sky, as the waves tumbled on to the beach to make a rhythmic, roaring, backdrop to our day, with just one intrepid family who visited briefly, intent on a crab hunt excitedly gathered around a bucket of sea water.
The footpath back across the Nature reserve
Our day ended as the tide finally claimed our spot and we walked back across Carn Kennack picking up the footpath beyond the sea wall on a timeless route through the bracken that followed the sea sometimes parting enough to show us the sea again and then close in around us in a world apart from a busy August beach.
Finally the busier beach came back into view as we crossed the stream passing a child’s abandoned pail along the way I wonder if it was perhaps left from a game of Swallows and Amazons in this countryside that could have been designed by Enid Blyton herself, for childhood adventures.
There was just time for a traditional Ice Cream from the kiosk as we ambled back to the Land Rover before a careful drive back out of the Cove and back towards the modern world.
Kennack Sands Info
For surfing tuition try the Kennack Sands Surf School
For Diving tuition: – Kennack Diving
Food! There is a small cafe and a kiosk selling a variety of snacks just beside the car park near the main beach.
Public Loos:- Yes discreetly hidden in the bracken just above the eastern side kiosk
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