Sunday 7 December 2008

Ancient Newquay

Sunday 4 August 1996. I don't suppose many of Newquay's visitors go to soak up its prehistoric antiquities but there are some if you know where to look.

First though: breakfast! Is there anything better than breakfast in a holiday B+B? Fruit juice, cereals, a full English then toast and marmalade with coffee or tea and none of it requiring you to stand at a cooker... Afterwards there's just time for a group photo with Dad's Skoda then we are setting off to walk down the hill into Newquay.

High on the cliffs at the northern edge of the town is the Barrow Field where at one time 17 prehistoric barrows popped up over the landscape like zits on a teenager's chin. Most of them have disappeared, dug into and flattened or fallen into the sea as the coastal cliffs eroded. There are a couple left though to give Fran a chance of saying "But it's just a hill...!"

There is also a low earthwork wall that my niece Heather squealed with delight as she ran up it, then squealed with something else as she tripped and fell down the other side... She'll love being reminded of that... Still, the tears were soon dried and she went back for another run up and down... and then another... and then... and...

One of the saving graces of taking lots of photos during the years is that there are very few of me...! My God, did I really wear that??? Never mind... I'll leave that photo out!

The beaches at Newwquay tend to be at sea level. Which is only to be expected but slightly inconvenient as the path is quite a lot higher than sea level. There's a couple of such beaches to pass before we get down into the town centre. Unfortunately there's a few shops to get past too. It's our first day - can't this be done later in the week? Obviously not. It's dinner time by the time we get to the harbour...

Return to Cornwall 1996 Holiday Index

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