Saturday 29th June:  Weather: 14°C to 19°C: Overcast morning, windy not gale force, sunny afternoon

Newquay Walking:  6k walk around headland in the morning then 6k in the afternoon to Crantock

Time:  6am to 8am and 1pm to 4pm

Accommodation: John’s place Pentire, Newquay

Bell ringing Crantock Church

Timber carvings Crantock Church

Crantock Church

John’s house photo 1948 with separate horse stables.

John and Suzie in their English Garden

Highlight today was walking to Crantock beach and visiting the old St Carantoc church dating from the 6th Century, which has undergone many restorations over the centuries.  We were there at 3pm Saturday just in time to see and hear the ringing of the six bells.  Inside the church is the amazing timber carvings by the three Pinwill sisters in the 1880’s.

Again I’m up at 5am, have a cup of tea, then at 7am walk a 6k circuit around the headland then back down the Gannel and return through the mobile home park, which is really a permament village of retirees right on the River Gannel.  Then back to Pentire and breakfast of nuts and jam sandwich.  I spend the next few hours sorting the 150 photos I have taken over the past 12 days ready to transfer them into my blog.  

Lunch of scone, jam and clotted cream and just after 2pm, we all go for a walk across the Gannel footbridge to Crantock Beach and up into the village.  I've been there several times over the years, but never into Crantock Church.  The 6 bell ringers were in action making a glorious sound heard for miles around. The interior wood carving is beyond belief to think that the three Pinnell sisters in about 1884, carved this intricate timber screen across the nave.  At the back of the church is a set of old stocks, where convicts were held and ridiculed or stoned by the locals.

We return via the footbridge near the Fern Cafe and back to Pentire.  I continue to sort photos when Suzie digs up an old photo of their house taken more than 80 years ago when it was a pretty little beach house with a separate building for horse stables.  Swn-y-Don was the name of the old house meaning Sound of the Waves. 

Dinner is roast chicken and vegetables in the beautiful English Garden