Your guide to Cornwall in the spring
Cornwall in the spring is a picture-perfect masterpiece. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and there is plenty to do, so not only is it the most beautiful time of year, it’s the perfect time to visit.
The Wildlife
Spring is fantastic because it means new life, and this is something you can’t avoid in Cornwall. The farm houses across Cornwall will fling open their doors for lambing season and you and your family can get hands on with feedings and meeting the new arrivals.
We spoke to the team at Dairyland Farmland, a farmland adventure park near Newquay about why Cornwall is such a magical time of year for them:” We think Cornwall is gorgeous all year round but Spring is when the colours and wildlife in our countryside really start to come alive. Flowers start to line the nature trail and it’s lovely to see the animals basking in the sun! Plus, lots of very cute new Spring additions start to make an appearance on the farm like lambs and chicks!”
The team also told us why Dairyland is such a great family day out: “DairyLand offers an ‘udderly’ amazing, action-packed day for all the family, as every inch of the park is packed with fun-filled activities, events and things to see. Plus, with unlimited weekly returns, it’s a great value family day out with 7 days for the price of 1!
“With all the wonders of a working farm, you can get up close to the animals with daily milking sessions, bottle feeding, Pat-A-Pet and pony rides. Explore the beautiful nature trails atop the Lambourghini Hayride or shelter from the elements in our giant indoor play area The Bull Pen. From rides, slides, touring the milking parlour and even a fascinating ‘Moo-seum’ – there’s something to keep everyone entertained no matter the weather.”
As well as baby lambs, spring is also a great time for seal watching as it is right at the end of seal pup season. It’s the perfect time to take to the beaches and the coastline to catch a glimpse of the seal pups, or to places like the Cornish Seal Sanctuary to meet some in person.
Falmouth Spring Festival
Falmouth Spring Festival brings the community together for a celebration of the historic town, and has some brilliant, family-friendly events. To start, the town becomes ablaze with yellow as local school children handout thousands of daffodils and decorations to local shops to display in their windows.
Once the festival is launched there are beach cleans, guided rock pooling sessions, science lessons in the pubs and even a cider fayre for the big kids. With so many options it’s a fantastic place to spend some time learning about the Cornish coastline and having fun.
The Looe Valley Line
Sometimes, the best way to see everything is by rail and the Cornish countryside in Spring is no exception to this. The Looe Valley Line travels through some of the south’s most beautiful scenery and stops at a range of idyllic villages.
Rebecca Catterall from Great Scenic Railways explained what makes this journey so striking: “Spring is a great time to visit Cornwall. Nature puts on a wonderful show with stunning daffodils, followed by bluebells to be enjoyed whilst having a woodland walk. The Looe Valley Line is beautiful at any time of year but a trip on the line on a sunny spring day is magical. The line hugs the East Looe River for the last few miles of the journey and there is plenty of wildlife to spot from Little Egrets, to Herons and if you are lucky you may even see the elusive Kingfisher. “
The Looe Valley Line is merely the closest to our holiday park, but there are other lines to discover around Cornwall if viewing the spring scenery by train is something you desire.
Cornish Pasty Week
2018 is a very special year, as it marks the very first Cornish Pasty Week. Yes, you heard us right, a whole week dedicated to the icon that is the Cornish pasty. Cornish Pasty Week is run by the Cornish Pasty Association and is filled with pasty inspired events and activities.
Claire Vickers, tasked with co-ordinating the first ever Cornish Pasty Week, spoke to us about the celebration: “The first-ever Cornish Pasty Week is upon us. From Sunday the 25th of February to Saturday the 3rd of March, there will be a week-long celebration of this humble and honest food. Pasty producers from Cornwall and retail outlets across the country, will be hosting activities, promotions and special offers. Everyone loves a traditional Cornish pasty – it is the people’s choice.”
Kitesurfing & Kite Foiling
One of Cornwall’s biggest draws is its glorious coastline. If you are heading down to the South West in search of adventure, maybe you should try your hand at kitesurfing or kite foiling. The best way to learn either of these sports is with a qualified instructor, where they can be picked up quite quickly and will soon hook you in.
Lee Harvey, British Kitesurfing Wave Champion and director of Pasty Adventures Kitesurfing & Kite Foiling School spoke to us about kitesurfing in spring: “Spring in Cornwall is so fresh after the winter storms with amazing wildlife and great weather. Along with the sunshine we usually get great wind and waves making for perfect kitesurfing conditions on the big empty beaches. Kitesurfing is not only an adrenaline filled activity but a lifestyle where you will make great friends while being at one with nature and the elements. Nothing beats kitesurfing under the shadow of St Michael’s mount.”
St Piran’s Day
Every year in Cornwall on the 5th of March the county erupts with pride for St Piran’s Day, the national day of the county. The day is named after Saint Piran, one of the patron saints of Cornwall, and the day is dedicating to celebrating all things Cornish. A fantastic day to explore the area with parades and celebrations happening all over.
The whole of Cornwall comes together on St Piran’s Day. There is a regional mass pub sing-along, local events and plenty of smaller celebrations all over the county. One of the most popular events on the day is the annual St Piran Play at Perran, which tells the story of their national day.
Barbara Barnes from Visit Redruth spoke to us about St Piran’s Day in Redruth: “Our St Piran’s Festival is a fun filled and mainly free family day, an occasion to shake off the miserable winter weather and meet up with friends and family in a community based colourful celebration of Cornwall’s Patron Saint, Piran. Piran is also the Patron Saint of Tinners and as Redruth’s heritage is so closely linked to tin mining, the celebrations are always enjoyed in the town, bringing music, dancing, activities and sights to see.”
Bluebells & Marigolds in bloom
Spring brings around the bloom of all kinds of flowers but arguably none more beautiful than bluebells and marigolds. In the spring months these bright blue and yellow blooms line the Cornish country site and are a sight to behold for any walker or nature lover. You can find these blooms all around the country side, but also in some of our fantastic Cornish gardens.
Emma Powell-Thomas from Enys Gardens, on the outskirts of Penryn, spoke to us about the spring Bluebells at Enys:” The Gardens at Enys offer a unique, tranquil and unspoilt experience. We offer the visitor a peaceful and relaxing experience with a wide variety of different garden vistas. Within the 30-acre gardens lie the open meadow known as Parc Lye, where the spring show of bluebells is breath taking – they are believed to be undisturbed since ancient times. The ponds, where the waterwheel can be found; the flower garden, which is gradually being restored to its former glory; a New Zealand garden and the colonel’s Garden which reflects J.D. Enys’s plant hunting interests; the stumpery which is a garden constructed with upturned sweet chestnut roots planted with native British ferns they were very popular in Victorian gardens as they emphasize the beauty of nature. There are also many woodland areas, which show different types of planting including many remarkable trees.”
The World Pasty Championships
The World Pasty Championships is truly the most Cornish thing you could imagine, and it actually exists! 2018 will play host to the seventh World Pasty Championships, with people coming from all corners of the world to take part. As well as an overwhelming number of pasties, the day also has live music and pasty workshops.
We spoke to Claire Vickers, co-ordinator of Cornish Pasty Week to tell us more: “The seventh annual World Pasty Championships will be the culmination of the first-ever Cornish Pasty Week. The Eden Project is incredibly excited to be hosts of the ‘Oggy Oscars’, a celebration of Cornwall’s culinary gift to the world. We have entries from across the globe, from amateurs to professionals and it is a great, fun day out for all the family”
Legends Of The Bay
Legends Of The Bay brings some of the UKs best paddle boarders and kite surfers to the Cornish coast to challenge one another for title of ‘Legend of the Bay’. For anyone looking to lie on the beach and watch the waves roll in, this is a great time to head down to the Cornish coast.
2017s event saw brutal weather conditions, and the strength of all the competitors was truly pushed to the limit. This year some local names have already confirmed their entry, including Tina Beresfoot from Newquay who is the current BSUPA Womens National Champion.
Fal River Festival
The Fal River Festival takes place in late spring and is a fantastic 10-day celebration. The festival aims to embrace the culture around the Fal River. The festival kicks off with the beer fleet, which sees locals hop on their boats at Truro and sail downstream to Falmouth, a procession not to be missed!
The festival offers something for everyone and is a brilliant way to experience the culture of Cornwall for the whole family. From yoga camp to gigs from local bands you won’t fail to find something to do if you are in Cornwall for the festival. Events lined up for this year so far include the Fal River Walk, the Film on the Ferry, the opening Beer Fleet Parade, the Castle to Castle Swim and Fal Fish Festival.
So now you have an excuse to book yourself into a Cornish holiday park and spend some time in Kernow this spring, you’ll have to work out what to go and see first!
Image Credit: Mark Lynam, atoach (flickr.com), The Cornish Pasty Association, Pasty Adventures.
