This week I spent a day with Sam, my third grandchild who has recently moved to Cornwall with mum Charlie, dad Paul and baby sister Jasmine. It was a glorious October day and we spent time looking for telltale signs that autumn has arrived.
Our first stop was at the end of Bosinver’s lane because I knew there were some conkers on the floor under our horse chestnut tree and couldn’t guarantee that we would find any on our walk. Sam loved peeling them out of their prickly shells and feeling their beautiful shiny smooth skins. We put them in our basket as our first trophies.
We then drove on to St Clement near Truro as I wanted to check out the Old Vicarage tea rooms. Some guests had discovered it and said they’d had a lovely cream tea in a beautiful setting. There are some wonderful riverside walks in this area – I have previously walked from Tresillian to Malpas and I knew it was rural and often brimming with wildlife. We walked a little way along the path taking photos of the picture postcard houses with wonderful creek views.
A swan and cygnets came up and investigated us and Sam found a beautiful downy white feather on the edge of the water to add to our treasure trove.
Autumn leaves were cascading off the trees and piling up along the path so we jumped and crunched our way along, finding rose hips, blackberries, beech nuts, sweet chestnuts and a special stick that Sam picked up and proceeded to catch imaginary mackerel over the edge of the river bank.
We then drove down to NT Trelissick Garden and finished up with a stroll down to my favourite spot on the beach where we ate our packed lunch and did some exploring, then crunched our way through the leaves on the Woodland Walk back to the car park. It’s only two miles of flat walking with glimpses of the River Fal – ideal for little legs, and you could even manage with a buggy here.
Getting there
St Clement is approximately 20 minutes’ drive from Bosinver – accessible from the A390.
Trelissick Garden is just under 30 minutes’ drive from Bosinver. There is plenty of parking (free for National Trust members). Postcode for SatNavs: TR3 6QL.
What do you enjoy about autumn in Cornwall? We’d love to hear your recommendations about how to make the most of the season. You can leave a comment below, tweet @Bosinver or post on our Facebook page.
