Cornish Holiday part 6 - Minack & the Mount

Before we went to Cornwall there was 2 places high on my list to take the boys.

One was the Minack Theatre and the other was St Michaels Mount.

Both magical and steeped in history.

The Minack Theatre is a place of wonderful beauty. Carved out of the rock face over looking the Atlantic Ocean and Porthcurno Beach, a steep amphitheatre of granite seats and beautiful planting.  We made our way tentatively down to the bottom, stepping down the cliff face.  The sunshine blazing away.  At the bottom a small stage with a carved ornate set, behind the sea as a back drop. A place of true magic.  

Rowena Cade bought the craggy headland back in the 1920's and began to carve out a small theatre space for travelling theatre companies... the Minack Theatre was born.  An incredible story.

I had booked our tickets to the theatre before we had left. The show was designed for kids called Skillywidden.  A silly slapstick comedy about Cornish little folk the piskies, fairies, brownies, knockers and skillywiddens. It was hilarious. Silly & captivating. Stories of the fairies, of the hedgerows and of Cornish folk lore. My two boys absolutely fell in love with it's charms.

After lunch we headed along the coast to the National Trust property St Michaels Mount.  

A castle on an island out to sea... to small boys, that is pretty magical!

As we arrived the causeway (footbridge) was covered by high tide, so we caught the ferry to the island. That in itself was pretty special. Sailing out to the castle.

Once on the island the gardens were beautiful. Italianate terraces filled with tropical planting, palms, succulents and far reaching views.

Charlie completed the children's trail that the National Trust has for each property. Ticking off landmarks as we went. His final drawing of the view with boats and a helicopter was pretty cool.

By the time it was for us to leave the causeway was revealed and we walked across water back to the mainland.. rock pooling as we went.

Magic!

x

This is my final episode of our Cornish Holiday. I do hope you have liked it.. I've really enjoyed writing about it. If you have any favourite spots I should check out on future holidays please let me know... or (being very cheeky) if you have a holiday cottage or home you'd like us to 'test drive' please let me know (as if, but it's worth an ask!).

If you have missed the past posts you can check them out here:

Part 1 - National Trust Trenwaington
Part 2 - Barbara Hepworth & St Ives
Part 3 - The Beach
Part 4 - Beach Food
Part 5 - National Trust Glendurgan