It’s far enough away in miles and in culture from the North-East of England to be classed as a foreign country. But Cornwall is nearer than you think, as Ken Snowdon discovers.

I DON’T want to be sexist but – generally speaking – the ladies can’t read maps, right? Okay, yes, maybe you can, but I’m afraid I still thought of the missus last week when I set off on the long journey to Cornwall.

Instead of turning left and driving south, I headed in the opposite direction and went north. Was I holding the map upside down? Could I be on the wrong page entirely? Maybe it was panic because the A19 went across a big fold in the paper? No, if you want to get to the South-West quickly, you aim for Newcastle and not Newquay.

And fly there.

Air Southwest will get you to Cornwall in less than two hours, so you can literally make a flying visit to the Duchy. The route lands you first at Plymouth before continuing with the ten-minute hop to Newquay.

Flying low across Cornwall, you leave the city sprawl of Plymouth, watching Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s amazing Royal Albert Bridge across the river Tamar as it disappears into the distance. An extraordinary feat of Victorian engineering, it’s still the main rail link between Cornwall and the rest of the country.

But we’re above it all, heading cross country over the turquoise lagoons of the China clay pits before glimpsing the north Cornwall coast and arriving in Newquay.

With masses to do and hardly any time, I decided the first priority was – lunch. I was only 15 minutes away from fifteen, Jamie Oliver’s Cornish outpost for his restaurant charity.

It’s a stunning location with a view over the beach in Watergate Bay. The restaurant provides training for disadvantaged young people from Cornwall and all profits go to the charity.

Having Mr Oliver behind the venture helps of course, but I couldn’t see him anywhere and the food still tasted great. Suitably re-fuelled, I was ready to explore.

The plan was to head north on the Atlantic Highway, a road that sounds so showbiz it has its own website (atlantic-ighway.co.uk). There are plenty of excuses to stop along its route. The Camel Trail (named after the local river, not the ship of the desert) links Wadebridge to Padstow.

The five miles there and back brings you up close to some fabulous views and wildlife. You can cycle or walk as the fancy takes you and if you set off in the opposite direction (a recurring theme for this trip) you can get all the way to Bodmin Moor.

What I wanted to do was find the sea, so it was back on the A39, the Atlantic Highway’s real name, and off to Boobies Bay because I’m shallow and I liked the sound of it.

In fact, I’m glad I did because as beaches go, this is a beauty. And right next to Boobies is Constantine Bay, and you get two fabulous crescents of soft golden sand that form one long beach at low tide.

Just across from these two is Harlyn Bay, a real draw for surfers, swimmers and sunbathers, which has the added benefit of fine walks along the headland for those who insist on exercise on dry land. These three would be enough, but there’s much more – miles of coves and inlets waiting to be discovered.

For accommodation I went to see Tina Evans who runs a B&B called Symply Padstow. Once the town might have been famous for the May Day celebrations, its picturesque harbour or the National Lobster Hatchery (I thought this was a joke, but it really exists), but nowadays Padstow is Padstein, such is the influence of Rick Stein.

HIS businesses are everywhere, but the daddy of them all is still the seafood restaurant, from where he sprang to international prominence. Thousands of people go there, not to eat, but to simply stand outside and have their photograph taken.

Inside, the food is every bit as good as you’d expect and now, with a seafood bar in the restaurant, you can nibble without booking.

After a refreshing night’s sleep and fabulous breakfast at Tina’s, (eggs from her own chickens, jams from Rick Stein, anything you want from the menu), I planned to journey further up the coast.

King Arthur is everywhere in Cornwall, but in Tintagel you get him in spades, so much so that there’s a theme park feel to some of the places around town. However there is a must-see – Castle Island at Tintagel, reckoned to be Arthur’s birthplace. You’re supposed to be able to see the profile of him in the cliff-face, but that eluded me. You reach the island by a new footbridge which replaced the old bridge that fell to the sea. Try not to think about this as you cross – it’s worth it because the island is idyllic.

For a tourist-style day and knight out, try King Arthur’s Great Halls, a granite building dedicated to the legend of King Arthur. It certainly has contrasts – a round table, granite thrones, 72 fabulous stained glass windows and a laser show which claims to “bring the legend of King Arthur to life”.

A world away from the lasers, between Boscastle and Tintagel, is St Nectan’s Glen. This is where knights were supposed to have been initiated into the Round Table by passing through a hole in the rock.

The China clay industry in Cornwall has left deep scars on the landscape – the turquoise lagoons are only visible from the air, but on the ground you see conical white spoil heap mountains.

But it was to slake the thirst of the China clay workers that Walter Hicks built his Victorian brewery in St Austell. The water for the beer comes from a spring deep underground and you can see how they turn it into real ale on one of the hourly guided tours that end with the inevitable chance to sample what you’ve witnessed in production.

It’s all over far too soon and time to pay Newquay Airport £5 for the privilege of flying home. On the flight, I realised there was another more altruistic point to make. In these credit crunch times, Cornwall has the benefit of being attached to the rest of England, so you can still fly off on holiday, experience some great beaches, learn a few words in a foreign language and do your bit for the economy all at the same time.

Dha weles.

Travel facts

Air Southwest fares from Newcastle to Newquay and Plymouth from £39, including taxes and charges. airsouthwest.com or 0870-241-8202

Symply Padstow from £77 per room per night based on two people sharing.

symply-padstow.co.uk Car rental prices and book online at avis.co.uk St Austell Brewery tours. Adults £7.

15 Cornwall fifteencornwall.co.uk

Padstow Seafood Restaurant rickstein.com

● Dha weles is Cornish for goodbye.