0:00:20 > 0:00:24Hello. Today I'm on a journey through one of the UK's most-visited counties, Cornwall.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Following this stunning coastline,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29I'll be meeting some of the people and places
0:00:29 > 0:00:33at the heart of this wonderful landscape.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40My journey will take me around the southern tip of Cornwall,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43discovering more about the land and the sea.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Starting out in Padstow, I'll peer into the hidden beach caves
0:00:46 > 0:00:49that provide inspiration for a local painter.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52This last little bit's a bit of a squeeze.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58- OK, here we are.- Oh, wow!
0:00:58 > 0:01:01- It's beautiful, isn't it? - This is quite something.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'll then head along the coastal path, dotted with tin mines,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07to Pendeen, to learn about a Cornish hero
0:01:07 > 0:01:12who brought prosperity to Cornwall by supercharging the steam engine.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It's just a short drive to my next location near Madron,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19where I'll delve into the mystical world of the standing stones.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Ooh!- And look at that. There you go!
0:01:22 > 0:01:23That's ridiculous!
0:01:23 > 0:01:27And my final destination is Falmouth, a famous harbour,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31full of fantastic history and home to a very special little boat.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Are you telling me this little boat that's supposed to scuttle out
0:01:34 > 0:01:38to the ships out there has been on the other side of the world?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Believe it or not, yes.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42And, along the way, I'll be looking back at the very best
0:01:42 > 0:01:45of the BBC's rural programmes from this part of the world.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Welcome to Country Tracks.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Cornwall has around 700 kilometres of coastline,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57more than any other country in England,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01which attracts five million tourists to the area each year,
0:02:01 > 0:02:06at its peak boosting the population by 50%.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10My journey focuses on the southern tip, where cliffs, beaches,
0:02:10 > 0:02:15ancient sites and tin mines dominate the very beautiful landscape.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19And it's this very landscape which has inspired local artist
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Sarah Adams to capture it all on canvas.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Sarah has a lovely little studio in the centre of Padstow,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30the perfect place to display her artwork to the bustling seaside resort.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34She also sells her coastal paintings around the country,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37where her creations are highly regarded and appreciated by many.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42With her dog Fluke, she goes on mini-expeditions around the local coastline,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45studying the tide times to see when it's safe
0:02:45 > 0:02:49to go out to normally inaccessible secret caves.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54She walks out onto rocks or kayaks around corners to discover hidden beauty spots
0:02:54 > 0:02:57and, once there, Sarah will sit and paint for a couple of hours,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and then dash back to the safety of dry land before the tide returns
0:03:01 > 0:03:03to cover the land with sea.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08So, Sarah, where are we in relation to Padstow?
0:03:08 > 0:03:10This is Trevone, Rocky Beach, Trevone,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13although this is the sandy bit of Rocky Beach.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17And we're a couple of miles away from Padstow and, as you can see,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20it's a beautiful day here(!)
0:03:20 > 0:03:24We're going to head across there, round the corner.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27You can get there at low tide and have a certain amount of time to work,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and then we'll have to go and make our way back.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- Because normally all this would be covered, wouldn't it? - Yes, absolutely.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36So are there a few gems you can only make it to at low tide?
0:03:36 > 0:03:39There are some places which you can only get to
0:03:39 > 0:03:41two or three times a year.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44This particular one you can get to at most low tides.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45It's just how long you've got.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47We've got a good spring tide today,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51so we'll have a reasonable amount of time to work round there.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53And this suits what you do perfectly, doesn't it?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- It's beautiful, it's rugged, it's slightly isolated... - Lots of rocks.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Lots of rocks! So you must be, sort of, in your element here.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Yeah, it's a favourite place.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Trevone is fantastic and there are some quiet bits tucked away at the far side
0:04:07 > 0:04:12which is New Train Bay end of Trevone, which are just beautiful.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15It's very important geologically and really stunning,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18even, you know, at the height of summer,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21there are places tucked away which are quiet
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and it's a very beautiful place.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28- Fantastic! Well, time to scramble across the rocks. Shall we? - Look, Fluke's there!
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Oh, the dog's in the paddling pool!
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Plenty of paddling pools for him.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39'Sarah will often trek out for over an hour to get to her secret locations.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44'It's a dangerous game and shouldn't be attempted without meticulous planning beforehand.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49'Often, the caves she chooses are only revealed for an hour or two between tides.'
0:04:53 > 0:04:56This last little bit's a bit of a squeeze.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- OK, here we are.- Oh, wow!
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- It's beautiful, isn't it? - This is quite something.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- How on Earth did you find this place?- Oh, just exploring really.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Just wanted to get round the corner and see what was here.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Share your trained artistic eye with me.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16When you arrive, what would you look for?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20What I'm really looking for is really strong shapes, strong, dynamic shapes
0:05:20 > 0:05:23because lots of caves are a little bit amorphous, you know.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27It's nice to have strong lines in it and lovely to have sand and water,
0:05:27 > 0:05:32all the classic components, really, of our romantic idea of the seaside.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- And there's light flooding in from both sides.- That's right.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37That's really great.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41It's very difficult to work in a proper cave with no other light source,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44so these collapsed caves are marvellous from that point of view.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- Brilliant! Well, you set up, scope the place out.- OK.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- I think I'll try and make us a cup of tea.- Oh, excellent!
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I think we deserve it after scrambling across the rocks.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- Yeah, you can come along every time! - After you.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- Stay there, doggie! Now, Sarah, you found your spot.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21What's special about this bit?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Well, I've worked in here quite a lot but, each time I come,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27I find something new about it and I hadn't necessarily worked up
0:06:27 > 0:06:31from the back here and what I'm going to try and do is
0:06:31 > 0:06:34have the arch and then a little bit of skyline as well,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38so you get the whole sense of the cave.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Fantastic. And we've got a few hours before the tide starts coming back in again,
0:06:43 > 0:06:44so is that enough to make a start?
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Low tide is at 1251 today, so I think we're pretty safe till two.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Excellent. OK, well, I'll let you get on with it.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54The tea won't be too long.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05'Sarah uses oil paint on smaller, portable canvases to capture
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'the light and the shapes in these caves as she sees it on the day.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'And, of course, it's always changing,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'providing her with endless inspiration.'
0:07:15 > 0:07:18OK, Sarah, tea break.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Mmm!- So I'll come and join you here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- Oh, that's lovely!- Is it?- Yeah. - And what is it about the area?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28We've talked a bit about this location, tremendous light,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30but there must be a lot for you to explore here.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35Well, I'm a coastal painter, so obviously Cornwall's wonderful
0:07:35 > 0:07:40and lots and lots of coasts going,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44and the more I've got to know the north Cornwall coast particularly,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47the more fascinated I've become because, you know,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50rock formations like this are extraordinary and every corner
0:07:50 > 0:07:53you go round, there's something else that's amazing.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56So there's enough to keep me occupied.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Do you spend as much time exploring as you do painting?
0:07:59 > 0:08:05Er, no. I tend to try and get a full day's work in but always,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08if there's a little bit of time at the end of the day
0:08:08 > 0:08:11when I'm on my way home, I just have a quick peep and plan the next thing.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Does the satisfaction come from the exploring?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Because, I mean, technically you could just sit and,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21it's not what you do, but you could just paint a picture,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24a photograph that someone else has taken, but the fact is,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27you're scouting for little hidden gems, finding them,
0:08:27 > 0:08:32choosing your angle and actually sitting here and getting the sketches done.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I don't work from photographs.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39And when I become unable to come to places like this,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I don't know quite what I'll do
0:08:41 > 0:08:47but there's nothing quite like being here and experiencing directly.
0:08:47 > 0:08:53And, also, it's not just the painting that you do while you're here,
0:08:53 > 0:08:59it's the fact that you're sitting and looking and being here.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And you carry that memory with you,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04so that when I'm back in the studio,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09I'm almost trying to piece together the sense of being there.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17'And, as time is always tight on Sarah's trips,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20'I'd best to leave her to finish her masterpiece
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'while I explore the surroundings and capture some images of my own.'
0:09:29 > 0:09:34- Right, Sarah.- Hi.- How you feeling about this? This is looking good.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's not too bad. I've got quite a lot of water on it,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41so... er, it's not too much of a problem though.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I think I've got enough there for today.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- We've got to move, because the tide is going to come in.- Absolutely.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- In a matter of hours, the water will be past where we're sitting.- Yes.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55- This'll all be covered. - Have you been caught out before?
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Erm, I'm really careful, actually. You have to be.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03A couple of times, I've cut it a little bit fine
0:10:03 > 0:10:07but I don't really want to wade waist-deep around the corner
0:10:07 > 0:10:12to go back to the car so, you know, I don't take chances.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- So you've got a tide timetable. - Yeah.- You know what you're doing.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Yep. And I write it on my hand.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22It's faded a bit with all the wet!
0:10:22 > 0:10:28- OK, great. Well, without more ado then, I think we should probably pack up and make our way back.- OK.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31'Once Sarah is happy with her creation,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35'she nips back around the cliffs before the sea engulfs the beach once more.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39'Then it's straight back to the studio, where she spends months
0:10:39 > 0:10:43'transferring her paintings onto much bigger, beautiful canvases.'
0:10:49 > 0:10:52As with Padstow, many other parts of Cornwall
0:10:52 > 0:10:56catch the hearts and imaginations of artists.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59St Ives, in particular, is famous for the people who paint,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01sculpt and draw it.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03And it's all because of the light.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Artists' love affair with St Ives goes back nearly 200 years.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15It was a 19th-century fashion to paint the picture-postcard St Ives,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18a tradition that still continues today.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25But there are also those like Barbara Hepworth and artists today
0:11:25 > 0:11:28who don't interpret St Ives quite so literally.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Apparently, it's not the scenery that attracts the artists here.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35It's the special quality of the light.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Naomi Frears is one of the many artists who have fallen prey
0:11:41 > 0:11:42to the charms of St Ives.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Naomi, as an artist, what drew you to St Ives?
0:11:47 > 0:11:51What drew me to St Ives is what's drawn artists here for a long, long time.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The quality of the light, the incredible landscape.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57The artist Patrick Heron called the dazzling light
0:11:57 > 0:11:59the sort of light that goes around corners,
0:11:59 > 0:12:00like the light in Greece.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04You know, you perceive it before you actually get round the corner
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and there's the sun, it's incredible light.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It definitely feels as though there's something rather special
0:12:14 > 0:12:15about the light at St Ives.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But I don't know if I'm reacting to the rather beautiful scenery,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22so I'd like to try something a little bit more scientific,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25a bit more objective, to analyse the light here
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and see if the St Ives light really is special.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Beau Lotto is a neuroscientist at University College London.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He thinks he may be able to provide the answer as to why St Ives
0:12:37 > 0:12:40is such a lure for artists.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43So, Beau, what are you doing? What have you got here?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46OK, so what we have here is a vacuum pump.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50And we're basically using this to filter the air in St Ives.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So right down here, what we have is
0:12:53 > 0:12:56the filter paper that I just took out from there.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- Inside this little morsel. - Inside that thing.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04So what you see is the filter paper in London.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05ALICE GASPS
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- That was actually filtered for three hours outside my lab.- Right.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12And this is the filter paper that I just took out from there.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14So this is now Cornish air.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- So it really is much cleaner down here.- Yeah.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19And what that means is that the quality of the light,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22the intensity of the light, is going to be much brighter down here.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24And the sky is going to be much bluer,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26the sun is going to be much yellower.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29And all of that is going to increase the colour of the light
0:13:29 > 0:13:31that's coming off the surfaces.
0:13:31 > 0:13:32They increase the contrast.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35That is the perceived difference between the colours.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37So, Beau, do you think this is it?
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Do you think this is THE explanation why the Cornish light is different?
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I think this is one of the main reasons.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45But it's not the only reason.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48The other reason will be that the light coming from the sun,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50from the sky, will be bouncing off surfaces.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53So, bouncing off the sea, bouncing off the sand.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And, in particular, with St Ives being surrounded by sea,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58much of the light, much of the quality light,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01will be coming from the reflected light of the sea.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06'So, let's try and analyse the light in St Ives
0:14:06 > 0:14:09'under the watchful eyes of the holidaymakers.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14'By taking a photo of a white piece of card
0:14:14 > 0:14:16'reflecting light from the sand...
0:14:18 > 0:14:23'..and then another photograph of a card reflecting light from the sea,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27'we can measure the light as it bounces off different surfaces.'
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I'm not sure you're dressed that this, Beau!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'Some people find our experiment interesting,
0:14:37 > 0:14:43'whilst others aren't even remotely worried about the light of St Ives stopping play.'
0:14:44 > 0:14:48So what you can see, this is the one that's taken from the sea.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54And what you can see is that there is more blue than there is green or red.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And it's sort of coming in in the blue part of the spectrum.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00In the blue part of the spectrum. So we actually have numbers to it.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05We can sample the light coming from the card one of us held over the sand.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08So if I just click that colour,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12now we can look here again at the amount of blue, green and red.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And you see it again,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18there's more blue light coming from the card than there is green or red.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I don't understand, because the sand is not blue!
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- It's true. So the reason is because the sand's quite white-ish.- Yeah.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29And what that's doing is it's reflecting much of the sky light onto the card.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33And because the sky light is blue, and because St Ives is facing north,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38- and so much of the light that's coming on to St Ives is from the blueness of the sky.- Yeah.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41That blueness is hitting the sand and reflecting it back up.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The point is that the light coming off the sea
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and the sand are both blue.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50So it creates a sort of blueness in the air around St Ives?
0:15:50 > 0:15:52That's right.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57So there you have it,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00an explanation as to why the light down here is just so good.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06From Padstow, my next stop is on the cliff tops
0:16:06 > 0:16:08along the Atlantic Ocean in Pendeen.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11Tin mines adorn the landscape down here.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Everywhere you look, these fantastic structures are pushing skywards.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19They are the remains of the lucrative mining that took place here for centuries.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24The last one closed for business in 1998, but these structures live on,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27representing this important Cornish past.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30This particular structure is Levant mine,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34occupying a stunning spot on the edge of the cliff tops.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38It houses the only Cornish beam engine anywhere in the world
0:16:38 > 0:16:41that's still in steam on its original mine site,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44designed to pump flood water out of the mines.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49But I'm not here to tell the story of tin mining.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50I'm here because of a local man
0:16:50 > 0:16:54whose inventions not only helped in the success of mining here,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58but played a leading role in the entire Industrial Revolution.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02His name? Richard Trevithick.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Cornish born in 1771, Trevithick did pretty badly at school,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13described as a disobedient, slow and obstinate boy.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16He grew into a big man, stocky and over six foot,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20which gained him the nickname of the Cornish Giant.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It seemed that, once Trevithick put his mind to it,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27he was capable of incredible things.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Some would even describe him as a genius.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Like his father before him,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33he went to work in the tin mines as an engineer.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36And this is what he focused on.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It was this that helped him make his mark in history.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43The steam engine.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Trevithick was drawn to the mechanics of industry
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and was soon looking at ways of improving the engine which,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52at that time, was thought to be very inefficient.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Steam had been used in the mines for many years
0:17:54 > 0:17:59but it was Trevithick's invention of high-pressure steam
0:17:59 > 0:18:03at the beginning of the 1800s which really changed things.
0:18:03 > 0:18:08Most steam engines at the time were basically a boiler with a fire underneath.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09OK, but quite inefficient.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13And what Trevithick did was design this, the Cornish boiler.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17And the important feature is the hot air, the hot gases, are kept within.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19They circulate below and around the side.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And that means the water on top is heated to an ever-greater temperature
0:18:23 > 0:18:25so you get high-pressure steam,
0:18:25 > 0:18:30which crucially means you get a much more powerful and efficient engine.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34What he had actually developed was the potential for small,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38powerful, self-contained engines, and, in particular,
0:18:38 > 0:18:39self-propelled transport.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44His work laid the foundation for the development of the steam locomotive.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48It was now possible to take and use steam power anywhere.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Trevithick was prolific in his ideas and inventions
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and left behind a legacy of various patents in different areas of engineering.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00He was one of Britain's foremost inventors
0:19:00 > 0:19:03and a true pioneer of the Industrial Revolution.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09It's rare in our history that one person's idea or invention
0:19:09 > 0:19:13can so radically alter the possibilities of what lies ahead.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14Perhaps in that way,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18few can match the achievements of Richard Trevithick.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22No longer powered by steam,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25modern trains now carry people around the world.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This particular journey from Truro to Penzance in Cornwall
0:19:27 > 0:19:30provides its passengers with a visual treat,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33as Michael Portillo found while following the journey
0:19:33 > 0:19:37with George Bradshaw's Victorian railway guidebook in hand.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43My first stop is Truro.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49It's the nearest railway station to a very wild piece
0:19:49 > 0:19:52of Cornish countryside called Perran Sands.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58This amazing landscape has some of the largest sand dunes in Britain
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and I'm here because, in 1835,
0:20:01 > 0:20:07the sand parted to reveal an ancient church and Bradshaw was mesmerised.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10He writes, "We come to Perran Sands, where may be seen
0:20:10 > 0:20:14"an amphitheatre and the remains of an old Church of St Piran,
0:20:14 > 0:20:20"an ancient British edifice which has been covered by the shifting sands for centuries."
0:20:20 > 0:20:24It turned out not only to be the oldest church in Cornwall,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27but one of the earliest Christian sites in Britain
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and, before long, the railways were transporting pilgrims
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and sightseers to witness the Wonder of St Piran's.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41But, evidently, it's disappeared again.
0:20:41 > 0:20:46I'm hoping that local resident Angela Penrose can help me to find it.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Angela, hello.- Hello.- Michael. - Nice to see you.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- What a lovely, tranquil spot. - It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I'm looking for the lost church of St Piran.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Believe it or not, it's here, right under this granite rock.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01It was covered naturally by the sands.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06This whole area of dunes shifts and, in the 6th century,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08St Piran came here from Ireland,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12he arrived here on the shores of Perranporth,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15he built his little oratory and for almost 1,000 years
0:21:15 > 0:21:19it was a centre of activity and pilgrimages.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23And, in 1835, did they dig it out or was it that the sands shifted back again?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It was revealed, we think, by shifting sands
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and then William Mitchell of Truro excavated it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32There was great excitement because it was - it is -
0:21:32 > 0:21:35one of the oldest Christian four-walled edifices
0:21:35 > 0:21:36in the mainland of Britain.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42'By the 1970s, sand was overwhelming the church once more.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48'The locals were advised that the most cost-effective way to preserve it was to bury it again.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:50How important is what's underneath?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53It has great significance for the Cornish
0:21:53 > 0:21:57because St Piran, he was the patron saint of tin miners
0:21:57 > 0:22:01and it connects to all this industrial and economic history,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04and the diaspora of the Cornish miners who, in the 19th century,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08had to go off to Mexico, the States, Chile, South Africa.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13And it really has a significance. It's part of the Cornish identity.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19The Cornish took St Piran to their hearts.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20And I'm now heading to Truro,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23the city most closely associated with him.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32In Bradshaw's day, it was the centre for the tin trade.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38Truro flourished with the emergence of the railways.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Many new tracks were laid to serve the tin mines.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44The metals could be carried quickly around the country,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46helping the industry to grow.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Bradshaw's guide says of Truro,
0:22:51 > 0:22:58"It's the mining capital of Cornwall, covered by foundries, blast houses, pottery and tin works.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01"The metal is stamped, previous to being exported.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06"Bar tin is sent to the Mediterranean and ingots to the East Indies."
0:23:10 > 0:23:13When the price of tin went up in the 19th century,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Truro became increasingly wealthy.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19It attracted merchants and bankers, who built grand houses,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22transforming it into a fashionable place to live.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But, today, even though Truro remains grand,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I've nowhere seen a hint of tin.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Hello, are you from Truro? - I most definitely am.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- Is Truro still associated with tin? - Not so much now.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Of course, the money in Cornwall came from the tin mines,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50huge amounts of money in the 17th century.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52So, unfortunately now, no.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- So what's Truro's economy based on now?- Tourism.
0:23:56 > 0:24:01- Obviously you work in Truro.- Indeed, yes.- What do you think of the city?
0:24:01 > 0:24:02- I love Truro, it's great. - No more tin?
0:24:02 > 0:24:05No, I don't think there's a lot more tin around.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08They're trying to reopen South Crofty but otherwise, no.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Well, Cornwall's South Crofty mine is now functioning again
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and aims to be extracting tin by 2014.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I've taken a short trip away from the coast,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23close to the village of Madron.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26This might be the most-visited county,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29but out here on the moors, it feels wonderfully isolated.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I'm following this path to a mystical place
0:24:34 > 0:24:37which has been here since the Bronze Age.
0:24:42 > 0:24:48Men-an-Tol, or "holed stone", is just one of many impressive ancient sites in Cornwall.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51This one is unusual because of the doughnut-shaped stone
0:24:51 > 0:24:53which is still standing here.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58This particular stone has been connected with much folklore and legend.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Andy Norfolk has studied this site
0:25:01 > 0:25:05and has interest in looking after Cornish standing stones.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Andy, what an incredible stone! What is it and why is it here?
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Well, isn't it wonderful?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And the short answer is, I don't think anybody really knows.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20It's thought to be part of a stone circle.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I know it is a circular stone but it's supposed to be part of
0:25:23 > 0:25:26a bigger circle of standing stones, most of which are now gone.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29And it would have been put up in the Bronze Age,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33so we're talking about 3,500 to 4,500 years ago, that sort of time.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39And it's got quite a reputation for being a stone with special properties,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41particularly of healing.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43What do people believe?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46An antiquarian, William Borlase, came here in 1749
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and was told all about this stone by a local farmer
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- and he was told that it was called the Crick Stone.- The Crick Stone?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- It cured cricked backs.- Oh, OK.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58I think you'd get a crick in the back, going through it!
0:25:58 > 0:25:59You might. You might.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02My back's not that great and I've been through it a few times.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05It doesn't seem to have fixed it, but I'm hoping. I might go through again.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08It was also good for curing scrofulous children.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Scrofulous children?! What on Earth is scrofulous?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Scrofula was also known as the king's evil
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and it seems to have been a disease that's now gone completely
0:26:16 > 0:26:18and nobody's quite sure what it was.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- So, it worked.- It worked. It's cured all the scrofula.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It seems to have been a tuberculosis that affected the lymph nodes of the neck.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- So the glands, yeah. - And this was supposed to be the perfect cure for it.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31You said there's a stone circle around. I can't actually see it!
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Yeah, it seems to have been decommissioned.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And it looks as though the stones were broken off and taken away
0:26:37 > 0:26:38and nobody knows why.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41The idea that this was part of a stone circle
0:26:41 > 0:26:46was really only confirmed in 1993 by the Cornwall archaeology unit,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47as it was called then.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51But you can see some of the stumps of stones still.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And it fits the dimensions of the other stones circles in the area,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59and it probably had 19 stones, like a lot of the others do.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00That was a key number, was it?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It seems to have been in west Cornwall here, yes.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06So all these different beliefs and interpretations, what's your interest?
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Why do you like this place? Why do you come here?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I like it because it's so complicated and because I don't understand it yet,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16because it's still mysterious and I think that's rather wonderful.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20So we're definitely in the middle of a stone circle. We've established that.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22And I can see a couple of stones there.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I mean, how do you find the stones, if they're buried?
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Well, you can do one of two things.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31You can go round and poke the ground and see if you find the top of a stone.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Or you can dowse for it.- Dowse for it? How do you dowse for it?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Well, it's like water divining.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Go on.- Have you never tried that?
0:27:38 > 0:27:39- No, I haven't!- Oh, right.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Well, let's get out some dowsing rods and show you how it works.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- These are dowsing rods that most people use these days.- Right.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51They're quite sensitive.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55When you walk over whatever you're looking for, they cross like that.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Ah.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01- OK. Why would they do that? - Are they picking up on...
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Well, I think the best theory is that it's something to do with
0:28:04 > 0:28:07a change in the Earth's geomagnetic field.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11And the muscles in your arm respond to that
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and the movement that they make causes the rods to cross.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Nobody would claim, I think, that this is magic,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19although it looks like it. I think most people would think
0:28:19 > 0:28:22that there is some physical explanation for it.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24OK, so it is the power of the mind here.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26We are sort of focusing the mind on the...
0:28:26 > 0:28:30I suppose in a way it's more a case of tuning in to what you might be looking for.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34I worked for Wiltshire County highways department some years ago
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and they had a set of dowsing rods for use by people in the department.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42- Really?- Yes.- So they were taking it very seriously? This is a modern-day organisation.- Yes.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46And, to help you tune in on what you were looking for, you had little samples,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50and you could hold the sample onto the handle to help you concentrate.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54But, if you just think about what you're looking for, you should be able to find it.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Right. Does it work with the novices?
0:28:56 > 0:28:58I think everybody can do it
0:28:58 > 0:29:01but some people are definitely better at it than others.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03'Right, so it's obviously time for me
0:29:03 > 0:29:08'to put my somewhat sceptical mind to the test and see if these dowsing rods
0:29:08 > 0:29:12'really will work for me, as I track down these ancient stones.'
0:29:12 > 0:29:16So if you come outside the circle and walk in till you....
0:29:16 > 0:29:20Just think that you're just looking for the edge of the stone circle.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I'd get them a little bit up off your fingers, like that,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- so they can swing more easily. - Oh, yeah.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27And just walk gently forwards,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31thinking that you're looking for the edge of the stone circle.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- Ooh!- Ah, look at that. There you go.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38- That's ridiculous!- No, it's worked for you. Why is it ridiculous?
0:29:38 > 0:29:41No, I just didn't expect that to happen.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43I genuinely wasn't doing that myself.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46OK, so we've... Oh, they're still...
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Right, so if you say you want to follow the edge of the stone circle
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and you just have one, you just follow where that points,
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- thinking about the edge of the stone circle.- OK.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00And you just follow that, it should take you along the edge of the stone circle.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I'm going a bit cross-eyed here!
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Ooh, it's bringing me round that way.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Yes, so it's bringing you slightly inside, which I think is right.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11Oh, OK.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15- It's still pointing the same way. - So keep going.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19- Still pointing this way.- Now stop there a minute.- OK.- Hold that one.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Now, start thinking about where there might be a missing stone.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26- Right.- And walk in that direction. - A missing stone, OK.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33- And now look down.- Yeah, I do appear to be standing on a stone.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Very good.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38- How can that work? That's ridiculous!- It's magic!
0:30:38 > 0:30:41No, it's not. I think it is just down to the fact that
0:30:41 > 0:30:44people are sensitive to the Earth's magnetic field.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I didn't realise I was that sensitive.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47That's quite impressive, wow!
0:30:53 > 0:30:57So, Andy, clearly it's a great place to practise dowsing and to learn about it
0:30:57 > 0:31:00but most people come here for quite spiritual reasons, don't they?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02I think they do.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06You've heard about the healing properties of the stones.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11You've seen that there are energies, if you like, that you can dowse for.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13So people come for those things.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17They also come because it's a place that our ancestors built
0:31:17 > 0:31:20to make this a special and different place from the rest around it.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24So they come here to commune with the ancestors in some ways.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26So a place to communicate with other generations.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29A spiritual link to those that have gone before.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30Yes, I think so.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33It's rooted in Cornwall's ancient history,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36to which many Cornish people feel a deep connection,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38but, also, so do the visitors.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41They come to Cornwall partly because of its ancient landscape.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45I feel I should give this stone a go before I move on.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Well, if you have a cricked back or scrofula, I think you should.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52- OK.- A lot of people go through it just for luck.- OK, I might do that.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I've got a slightly tight hamstring, if that counts.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- It's not quite scrofula.- Well, it'll either ruin it or heal it!
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- OK.- I think you should give it a go. - So what's the legend, what are you supposed to do?
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Well, one is that you should climb through nine times against the sun.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09- So that would be from that side through towards the sun.- OK.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12And that should cure you of just about everything.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- The full nine? Definitely nine necessary?- I think nine.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16Not just two for good luck?
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Well, I mean, strictly speaking, you should be naked but I think...
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- Really? - You'd probably get away with three.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- I'll do nine if I can keep my clothes on.- OK.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- Never going to look glamorous, is it? Here we go.- No, it doesn't.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32There we go. That's one.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Have you got good luck? Are you not doing this as well, Andy?
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- Oh, I've been through it more times than I can count.- Two.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47'Yeah, I think I'll be here for a while
0:32:47 > 0:32:51'if I'm going to complete this strange ritual and hopefully cure my hamstring.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56'Meanwhile, there are other secretive parts of Cornwall which Julia Bradbury went to visit.'
0:32:59 > 0:33:04Mevagissey's sleepy suntrap of a harbour is picture-postcard Cornwall.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10But on the outskirts of nearby St Austell,
0:33:10 > 0:33:15the landscape unexpectedly transforms into something almost alien.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Something with a strange beauty all of its own.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44This area has become a stunning wildlife haven.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51Just look at the splash of lilac spotted across the crevices.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53It's gorgeous!
0:34:01 > 0:34:04These are known as the Cornish Alps.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08In the '60s, there would have been about 50 of these cone-shaped mountains
0:34:08 > 0:34:10scattered across the entire landscape,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13the remains of a once-thriving mining industry.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Buried under this slice of Cornwall
0:34:19 > 0:34:22is an especially fine layer of china clay.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24For over 250 years,
0:34:24 > 0:34:28this clay has been mined for the manufacture of porcelain and paper.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33At its height, nearly one million tons of clay a year were being produced.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38It was a lucrative industry
0:34:38 > 0:34:42that radically remodelled the St Austell skyline.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46For every ton of clay there were five tons of spoil,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49spoil that piled into man-made mountains.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Cycling through this lunar landscape,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57you get a sense of the sheer scale of the industry.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03An industry that still continues today.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10But once the miners move on, nature is allowed to take over
0:35:10 > 0:35:13and the Alps take on a life of their own.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Made by man, reclaimed by Mother Nature.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22An unexpected sort of wilderness,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25the Cornish alps are a great escape
0:35:25 > 0:35:28and a monument to a proud industrial past.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39But I'm leaving St Austell and its secrets behind and moving on,
0:35:39 > 0:35:40tracking the River Fowey inland,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43until we reach the forbidding majesty of Bodmin Moor.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47The moor is famed for the Bodmin Beast
0:35:47 > 0:35:49and the smugglers of Jamaica Inn.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55But there's a forgotten corner which harbours a secret
0:35:55 > 0:35:57far older and more mysterious -
0:35:57 > 0:36:01the final chapter in the legendary story of King Arthur.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04It's a secret that's well worth a short detour
0:36:04 > 0:36:07on my trip across the South.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12According to legend, hidden in the depths of this bottomless pool
0:36:12 > 0:36:15lies King Arthur's famous sword Excalibur,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17guarded by the Lady of the Lake.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23As Arthur lay mortally wounded after the Battle of Camlann,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26he ordered Sir Bedevere to chuck his sword into the water.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30What's a knight to do? Reluctantly, he agreed to his king's last wish.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39But before Excalibur hit the water, a lady's hand rose up
0:36:39 > 0:36:43and grabbed it before disappearing again beneath the surface.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49The sword remains hidden, protected by its guardian
0:36:49 > 0:36:54until such time as the country needs its help once more.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57The so-called Bottomless Pool of Dozmary
0:36:57 > 0:37:00has, in fact, dried out many times.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04But just because nobody has yet found Excalibur lying in the mud,
0:37:04 > 0:37:06doesn't mean it isn't there.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Many people come to Cornwall drawn by the legend of King Arthur,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16yet few ever make it to Dozmary.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18It's a precious piece of secret Britain.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Back on the Atlantic coast is a far more celebrated landmark
0:37:28 > 0:37:30in Arthur's story.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Summer visitors flock to the dramatic ruins of Tintagel,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38believing it to be the great king's birthplace.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44But to find real secrets on this stunning stretch of coast,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46you have to look beyond the tourists,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49beyond the castle and beyond the cliff path.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Everyone has a special place
0:37:54 > 0:37:59and one couple found theirs, tucked off Tintagel's beaten track.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Louise and David Osbourne loved Rocky Valley so much
0:38:04 > 0:38:07that this is where they celebrated their wedding.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11We came here about a year before the wedding
0:38:11 > 0:38:15and we were just walking the Boscastle-Tintagel coast path.
0:38:17 > 0:38:23We decided to turn left and go through the forest, really.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26We just sort of went up there and discovered the ruins
0:38:26 > 0:38:30and the maze and the whole of the valley.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Yeah, it wasn't in any of the guidebooks.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38It was just something you just stumble across.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40We got married not far down the road.
0:38:40 > 0:38:46Then we came here, had a nice picnic with pasties and cheap fizz.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Then we took all our guests for a little walk through the valley
0:38:50 > 0:38:53to show them our favourite place.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01Rocky Valley, to me, is the number-one spot in the whole wide world.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Nothing ever would beat this. This is just the most perfect place.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- We'll definitely keep returning. - Yes.- As often as we can.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16I've left Men-an-Tol behind
0:39:16 > 0:39:19and I'm heading on my journey along the southern coast to Falmouth.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Falmouth is famous for its harbour.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27It's a busy place with an amazing history.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31It's thought to be the third-largest natural harbour in the world
0:39:31 > 0:39:34and the deepest in western Europe.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39This makes it a very popular place to sail from and to,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42particularly with its position on the south coast,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45facing out to Europe and beyond.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48It became a port in the 1600s and thrived for many years,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52becoming one of the most significant ports on the south coast.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Unfortunately, it would seem that our friend Trevithick,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59who I learnt about earlier in my journey,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02had an inadvertent role in the downfall of Falmouth.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05You see, with the advent of steam engines,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08ships could make it all the way to London in any weather
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and Falmouth became sidelined.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13It remains busy for the tourist and leisure trade
0:40:13 > 0:40:17and I'll soon be joining the water-lovers on the estuary.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I'm here to see a very special little boat
0:40:20 > 0:40:24which plays an important role in the maritime history of Falmouth.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29This is the lady herself - Curlew, an original Falmouth quay punt,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33used here in the harbour at the beginning of the 20th century.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Captain Pat Crockford and his shipmate Andy Wyke are already on board,
0:40:39 > 0:40:43and ready to take me out on this small but remarkable boat.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46The Curlew is now owned by the National Maritime Museum of Cornwall
0:40:46 > 0:40:49after spending its working life out on the waters
0:40:49 > 0:40:52since it was built in 1905.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56The quay punt boats were originally created to work the waters here in the estuary.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59They would ferry crew and provisions back and forth
0:40:59 > 0:41:03from the larger merchant sea vessels which docked in the busy harbour.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Quay punts were built for speed, vital to gain work
0:41:06 > 0:41:11in a tough and competitive first-come, first-served business.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Quay punts, I know, took cargo and went out to big boats,
0:41:14 > 0:41:16what was special about them? How were they designed?
0:41:16 > 0:41:20They were designed to be a sea boat. They had to be sea-kindly,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24because they worked 52 weeks of the year, winter and summer.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28So they had to be a very sea-kindly boat, able to carry
0:41:28 > 0:41:33a certain amount of cargo and be managed, basically, by one man.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35They were a single-handed boat, basically.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- What were they capable of?- Anything.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40They could go through any weather and do anything
0:41:40 > 0:41:43because they were so draughty a boat and so built,
0:41:43 > 0:41:44that the design was such
0:41:44 > 0:41:48that weather didn't seem to make no difference to them.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- And, being deep, they held their grip in the water.- OK.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54That was the secret, the depth was down in the bottom of the boat.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57But with that depth, would they be quite slow boats?
0:41:57 > 0:41:59No, they weren't slow.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01They weren't slow boats, by any means.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04They were as fast as modern boats.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05These were as fast then.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08I mean, the modern boats haven't gone a lot further ahead
0:42:08 > 0:42:11in development of speed, unless you've got a mega-yacht,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13than what these boats are.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18You get a 28-foot boat the size of this, she'll have a job to catch it.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20But why was speed so important?
0:42:20 > 0:42:25Get to the job, first call, you had the business.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29So if you got the business, you got a week's wages, or whatever it was.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It was all a matter of a living. You had to make a living.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36It was such a business that they had to get there quick.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40'As merchant sail declined, so too did the quay punts trade
0:42:40 > 0:42:44'and in 1915, the Curlew was registered as a fishing boat.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48'Then, in the '30s, she was altered and converted for the leisure market.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52'Designed for their seaworthiness, they now make for great sailing
0:42:52 > 0:42:56'and Pat has been out on these waters sailing them for most of his life.'
0:42:56 > 0:42:59I know you've got one of these boats,
0:42:59 > 0:43:02so what is it you love about the quay punt?
0:43:02 > 0:43:06It's their ability... they look after you.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09I mean, a lot of boats won't look after you.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11But these boats will look after you.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15It's something about them, it's the draught, the design.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19They sort of fit the waves, fit the sea.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22For people who aren't sailors, what do we mean by "look after you"?
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Well, you could bring people out here who have done no sailing at all
0:43:26 > 0:43:29and, for some reason, you would feel comfortable.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33They don't roll over on their sides and go up and down and throw you about.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35They're very gentle in their movement.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37For some reason or other, you feel safe in them.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40- So is this your spiritual home? - It is, really.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44I mean, I've been most places in the world but you can't beat Falmouth.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46Why is that?
0:43:46 > 0:43:50You've got a deepwater port. You can enter in all winds and all weathers.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54And if you can't go outside to play, which I do now,
0:43:54 > 0:43:56you've got plenty of places you can play.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59And you're in your own water. What's better than Cornwall?
0:43:59 > 0:44:01Look at it here today!
0:44:01 > 0:44:03- Yeah.- There's nothing better.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05How do you feel when you come out with the boat,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07you've got a good wind and you see that scenery?
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Oh, where else can I be? What's better in the world than that?
0:44:11 > 0:44:14I think that's another day for Pat Crawford!
0:44:14 > 0:44:19The large cargo vessels that used to dock here brought foreign items
0:44:19 > 0:44:23into the country, many of which established well in the UK.
0:44:23 > 0:44:25In fact, you might say a little too well
0:44:25 > 0:44:27when looking at some of the plant life
0:44:27 > 0:44:28on the shores of the Lizard peninsula
0:44:28 > 0:44:30just a bit further down the coast.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33There, the cliff faces are covered in a menacing plant
0:44:33 > 0:44:35called the Hottentot fig.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Chris Beardshaw went to find out more.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42100 years ago,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46a gardener brought the plant back from his travels around the world.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49Admiring its beauty, he cultivated it and, today,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52it's got a stranglehold over the Lizard's already fragile habitat.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56It's come from South Africa, so, coming here,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58it hasn't got any of its natural predators.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01Nothing much eats it, certainly not the leaves.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03It's a problem because we don't have the frost
0:45:03 > 0:45:05that would keep it in check.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08It's amazing stuff. If it's put into the sea, salt water doesn't kill it,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11so it could wash up somewhere else and root again.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13If the fig has completely smothered everything else
0:45:13 > 0:45:16and there's just bare ground underneath,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19it can take a quite considerable time for it to come back.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Do you introduce species or seed species to help them
0:45:23 > 0:45:25move back into those areas?
0:45:25 > 0:45:26No, we don't do that.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31We get the management right and then allow things to come back of their own accord.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34And, traditionally, coastal slopes would have been grazed
0:45:34 > 0:45:37and the gorse would have been cut as fuel.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41So grazing would have probably been the sheep, traditionally.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44We, ourselves, have a herd of Shetland ponies
0:45:44 > 0:45:46that we use to graze the cliff slopes.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49The fig flowers at the height of the British holiday season
0:45:49 > 0:45:53and its dramatic displays prove a real draw for the tourist trade.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58For this reason, the National Trust aims to keep the plant in check,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00rather than destroying it altogether.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04But even to remove small areas requires a lot of patience
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and a head for heights.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11It's a very labour-intensive process. With a group of 12 people,
0:46:11 > 0:46:15we might pull, I don't know, half a tennis court in a day.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19We pull it by hand, bag it up and haul it to the top of the cliff slope,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22into the trailer and then we take it to a site where we can compost it
0:46:22 > 0:46:25without the risk of it spreading further.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29And, eventually, it rots down to quite a nice garden mulch after three years or so.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32We need another empty bag now, Dave.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36You can see why it's such a good competitor, can't you?
0:46:36 > 0:46:37Pull one small piece
0:46:37 > 0:46:41and you get about five feet of it coming out at you.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I'm amazed, actually,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46how much detritus there is underneath as well,
0:46:46 > 0:46:48all this kind of leaf litter.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50That's part of the problem too. That's so thick,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53it stops anything else from germinating or coming through,
0:46:53 > 0:46:58so when we clear, we have to make sure we get right back to soil level.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01So once you've been through and cleared once, is that it?
0:47:01 > 0:47:05Are you pretty sure of getting everything out or do you have to come back in?
0:47:05 > 0:47:07It will germinate again from seed,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09so in following years,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12we have to come back and take out the seedlings.
0:47:12 > 0:47:16The other thing that's really surprising is just how heavy it is.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20Because it's succulent, its leaves are full of moisture
0:47:20 > 0:47:23and it just makes the process really hard work,
0:47:23 > 0:47:26especially hauling it back up the slope.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30And there's the soil level. Two or three inches below
0:47:30 > 0:47:33is that great mat of all this dead material
0:47:33 > 0:47:37and it's that dead material that's swamping everything.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40There are bits of campion in here.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45This is the remains of a sea campion which is very gallantly trying to stick its head through,
0:47:45 > 0:47:47which has been completely swamped.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Presumably spraying is the very last resort
0:47:54 > 0:47:58because of the widespread damage that that could cause to plant populations as a whole?
0:47:58 > 0:48:04Spraying would work. Some sorts of herbicides would kill off the fig.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06But just killing it doesn't really solve the problem.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09You've still got this thick mat of vegetation.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14Until that's gone, there's no chance anything else can germinate.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17There's no doubt that, sprawling across the cliffs like this,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21you just pick the flowers of the Hottentot fig and it looks quite attractive.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24You can understand why gardeners were interested in introducing it.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26You know, who wouldn't be attracted to it?
0:48:26 > 0:48:31But when you bear in mind that the vast majority of the really problem weeds in this country,
0:48:31 > 0:48:37things like ground elder, sycamore, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam, Hottentot fig,
0:48:37 > 0:48:41they were all introduced by horticulturalists as exotics
0:48:41 > 0:48:46and they've all leapt the garden fence and they're now running riot in the landscape,
0:48:46 > 0:48:49largely because the biological controls
0:48:49 > 0:48:54that would have helped curtail their action in their native lands
0:48:54 > 0:48:55just don't exist here.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58All of which means that, in order to guarantee success
0:48:58 > 0:49:02in getting rid of the Hottentot fig on the Lizard, you need the boons.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Now there's a thought.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09Any non-native, whether it's fig or Himalayan balsam or Japanese knotweed,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12every area that it covers is one less area for our native species,
0:49:12 > 0:49:17so if those species are gone, then the whole food chain is affected, right the way up through.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21As with most of Britain's landscape,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24what we have here is the result of human management over centuries
0:49:24 > 0:49:29and that management here has resulted in us being able to keep
0:49:29 > 0:49:34some of the very rare species that the Lizard is famous for.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39I'm ending my journey here in the Falmouth estuary.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42I'm on board this original quay punt boat, the Curlew.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44I've heard of her early history
0:49:44 > 0:49:47but there's a lot more to her than meets the eye.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52This incredible vessel landed back in its home town in 2003
0:49:52 > 0:49:55after travelling around the world -
0:49:55 > 0:49:58not a simple task for a small boat without an engine!
0:49:58 > 0:50:00After a bit of a face-lift,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03she now lives again in the harbour where she was built
0:50:03 > 0:50:06and proudly represents the history of these waters.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09After the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12I'll be learning more about her incredible journey.
0:51:50 > 0:51:57.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Today, my journey has taken me around the stunning coastline
0:52:11 > 0:52:13of the southern tip of Cornwall.
0:52:13 > 0:52:18Near Padstow, I went to a secret cave to witness an artist at work,
0:52:18 > 0:52:21then I headed along the coastal path, dotted with tin mines,
0:52:21 > 0:52:24to Pendeen to learn about Richard Trevithick
0:52:24 > 0:52:27and the invention of high-pressure steam.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30It was a short drive to my next location in Madron,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32where I stepped into the mystical world
0:52:32 > 0:52:35of the standing stones at Men-an-Tol
0:52:35 > 0:52:37and attempted to cure my tight hamstring
0:52:37 > 0:52:40and my final destination is here in Falmouth,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43a famous harbour full of history
0:52:43 > 0:52:45and home to the Curlew,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47an amazing quay punt boat.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53I've already heard from local sailor Pat Crockford
0:52:53 > 0:52:57about the Curlew's early working days. Now, he's filling me in
0:52:57 > 0:53:00on her more far-flung adventures to Antarctica and beyond.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Are you telling me that this little boat
0:53:05 > 0:53:07that's supposed to scuttle out to the ships out there
0:53:07 > 0:53:09has been to the other side of the world?
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Believe it or not, yes, she has been there.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16Sailed all the way, engine-less with two people aboard,
0:53:16 > 0:53:18took whatever was going to be thrown at it,
0:53:18 > 0:53:21lived down there for several years
0:53:21 > 0:53:24and then she came back on the deck of a ship.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Unfortunately, she didn't come back under her own steam
0:53:27 > 0:53:29but she got there, no problem.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I mean, I remember when she came went what she looked like
0:53:32 > 0:53:35and she's the same now as when she went,
0:53:35 > 0:53:38you wouldn't believe she'd done those thousands of miles
0:53:38 > 0:53:40and come back as intact as when she went.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44So, who were those two people? Who took this vessel down there?
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Tim and Pauline Carr were the owners at the time.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50They rebuilt the boat, she had a serious accent before that.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51They rebuilt the boat
0:53:51 > 0:53:56and then they went globetrotting with the boat all over the world,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59racing everywhere with it and beating all opponents,
0:53:59 > 0:54:02nobody could ever catch them. JOE LAUGHS
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Tim and Pauline Carr lived aboard the Curlew
0:54:06 > 0:54:11for an incredible 30 years after buying her in 1967.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15They sailed around the world and were awarded many medals
0:54:15 > 0:54:18for their remarkable explorations at sea.
0:54:18 > 0:54:23They settled for a while in south Georgia, where they sailed her
0:54:23 > 0:54:26until the Curlew returned to her home in Falmouth Harbour.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31I mean, this kind of boat... Is it sort of mind-boggling for you -
0:54:31 > 0:54:34you're a guy that's lived on the waves all your life -
0:54:34 > 0:54:36that this could go all over the world?
0:54:36 > 0:54:38It is, when you think about it.
0:54:38 > 0:54:43You've got to pay great tribute to the builder, the designer,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45the man who had a piece of wood and a penknife
0:54:45 > 0:54:48and just chipped out a model out of the block of wood
0:54:48 > 0:54:51and that looked right to him.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55It was the men that put love and care into building it.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57They put feeling into the building of it.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00It was wood, it lived, it was a living thing.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Then the main thing is the ability of the people to sail it.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08When you've got to cross thousands of miles of ocean,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10you've got to always...
0:55:10 > 0:55:12You've got to believe in yourself.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14You've got to believe in the boat.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17How important is it now that this boat is back in Falmouth?
0:55:17 > 0:55:20It's been everywhere, but this is where it rests now.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24I think it was of great importance to Falmouth,
0:55:24 > 0:55:28because it was built here, local builders, local men built it,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31it worked here, traded here, became a yacht,
0:55:31 > 0:55:36it went away and sailed all around the world in all sorts of conditions
0:55:36 > 0:55:41and then it's come back again and it's back where it was born.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45She's part of Falmouth history. A lot of people look for her in Falmouth.
0:55:45 > 0:55:50Funnily enough, although she's a different rig, she's still THE Curlew.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54That's amazing! She must be one of the most well-travelled vessels in the whole harbour!
0:55:54 > 0:55:56You've even got a cruise ship out there.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59She's probably been to half the places that cruise ship's been to!
0:55:59 > 0:56:02And she didn't have to get away at six o'clock in the evenings,
0:56:02 > 0:56:04you could stay with her all day! THEY LAUGH
0:56:04 > 0:56:08- It's its own master and it's travelled the world.- Yeah.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15I've explored the secret caves around the Padstow coastline
0:56:15 > 0:56:20and witnessed how inspirational the scenery can be.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23I visited the tin mines
0:56:23 > 0:56:26and learnt of the history of local hero Richard Trevithick
0:56:26 > 0:56:29and his revolutionary invention of high-pressure steam
0:56:29 > 0:56:32and I was very surprised by the technique of dowsing
0:56:32 > 0:56:36at the mystical Men-an-Tol standing stones near Madron.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41My journey around Cornwall of course in no way compares to
0:56:41 > 0:56:45the incredible voyages the Curlew has been on over the years,
0:56:45 > 0:56:48but even so, it's given me a beautiful insight
0:56:48 > 0:56:50into the Cornish coast.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:56:57 > 0:57:01E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk