Western approach

THERE are two principal advantages to Cornwall in the winter, namely parking and people. There is plenty of the former – thanks to seasonal restrictions being lifted – and mercifully not too many of the latter.

At this time of year, the county still has plenty to offer. Just remember to pack a raincoat instead of a sun hat, as the biggest gamble of any winter excursion to the South-West is the weather.

My brother Richard and I headed to Newquay for a short getaway, arriving in Cornwall at about lunchtime on a January Thursday, and while it was cold with a bracing breeze, the sun was out and the clouds looked atmospheric rather than ominous.

The A30 to Newquay took us past Jamaica Inn, and it has long been a desire of mine to dine at the pub made famous by Daphne Du Maurier’s smuggling story. However, the food was a bit disappointing, lacking the chunky, rustic Cornish approach I had hoped for.

But the bar was dark and cosy and you could easily imagine yourself sitting there 200 years earlier, swapping stories of life at sea with rum-soaked blaggards. It is certainly worth a visit, and while the gift shop is open for limited hours and the museum is closed throughout the winter, the bar and hotel are always accessible.

Forty minutes later, we were in Newquay, a town spread across several headlands, the Atlantic having eaten its way inland at various points to create its beaches, Fistral, Pentire and the intriguinglynamed Lusty Glaze (about which more later).

The Carnmarth Hotel overlooks the town’s golf club and Fistral Beach, which was being pummelled by some impressive rollers ridden by a small crowd of surfers.

It is on the road to the Headland Hotel used in the film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, and while an impressive building, my inner ten-year-old shook a little, imagining crones holding their childkilling conferences within its grand walls.

Having deposited our bags in our second-floor room, with an impressive sea mural covering the wall behind the twin beds, we headed to Newquay Zoo on the outskirts of the town. Although not big, it is a delightful place to spend a few hours. Two lions, Sampson and Connie, are a particular highlight.

The Carnmarth Hotel, Newquay

We arrived in time to see feeding time for Sampson, a five-year-old with, as the name suggests, a magnificent mane. When he really puts his lungs into it, his roars can be heard five miles away.

We enjoyed seeing an animated “parcel” of Humboldt penguins and there is also a fine collection of Asian otters, adorable and playful creatures who clamber over each other in a bid to get a hold of the cherished snail shell that seems to provide most of their entertainment.

NEWQUAY town centre is quiet during the winter, but most of the shops are still open, my favourites being the boutiques which smell of sweet surf wax, a scent that pervades the streets.

Lusty Glaze Beach is a private beach at the north of the town and home to what must surely be a contender for one of the most unusual restaurants you are likely to come across. A steep flight of 133 steps hewn into the rock leads from the clifftop to a beach hut with space for a dozen tables, a kitchen with a large open window through which the cheery chef can chat with diners and comfortable couches around a blazing woodburner.

Thursday night in winter is pie and mash night, and I opted for a fish pie served with a glowing green pile of mashed potato that had been mixed with Cornish Yarg, a nettle-wrapped cheese. It was exquisite, but not too expensive. Afterwards, a chocolate board dessert featuring a burner to melt marshmallows, chocolate chunks, fruit and slices of rocky road and caramel slice could be enjoyed with a little less guilt thanks to the knowledge that a steep climb back to the car awaited.

It was a perfect place to end a busy day and we hoped, somewhat naively, that our luck weatherwise would follow us into the second day, forgetting of course that this is the land of sea fog and an allpervading dampness.

One of the hotel’s murals

The following morning, after dining on a hearty breakfast in the Carnmarth’s delightful restaurant overlooking the green links, we had been planning to head to OceanCrest, in Newquay Harbour, to engage in some vigorous sea kayaking.

However, the wind rattling the windows and the rain lashing against the panes put a dampener on our enthusiasm. While others were heading to the beach, boards beneath their arms and clad in black wetsuits, we set out instead to find a good pasty for lunch.

And for what we found we have to thank an amorous butcher who married a baker in 1860 in the small town of St Just, out on the Penwith peninsula a few miles from Land’s End. For me, there is no better pasty-maker than Warrens, with thick crusted potato and steak filled creations epitomising all that is great about this Cornish culinary delight.

There is still plenty to do in the rain (the weather kicked up some great waves for the hardy surfers, who are mere black specks on the white swell), as Newquay boasts a new cinema complex and plenty of shopping options.

Padstow, home to Rick Stein restaurants and the National Lobster Hatchery, is a short drive away, while the national Maritime Museum, in Falmouth, offered hours of fun and interest. The highlight is a tall tower from which to look out on the River Fal.

We left for home just before the big tidal surges hit the county and subsequent national headlines.

Rabbits at Newquay Zoo

While precaution is advised on a winter jaunt, Cornwall is well worth a visit at any time of the year, and there is nothing quite so satisfying as munching on a warm pasty in an empty car park overlooking a wave-hit harbour, with Sampson’s roars reverberating in the background.