Cornish Slate at Trebarwith Strand

At Trebarwith Strand on Cornwall’s north coast, the colours of the sea, rocky coastline and sky often combine to create dramatic or mystical moods in a unique natural landscape. A long valley leads down to the coast, where at low tide, access to the sandy beach is possible over sloping slabs of layered, dark slate. At high tide, however, the surf crashes thunderously against the rocks.

I stayed for two nights at the Port William Inn hotel and restaurant in this beautiful spot. Besides the magnificent views of the coast at sunset, it also offers good food and a bar. Just behind the hotel, a short, steep climb up the South West Coast Path, a coastal walking trail around Cornwall, leads to a lovely viewpoint overlooking Cornwall’s north coast and the next day’s walking route: past former slate quarries towards Tintagel, said to be the legendary birthplace of King Arthur.

Towards the end of the incoming low tide, bathers gather to enjoy the wide sandy beach for a short few hours, riding waves on bodyboards or surfboards, before the evening high tide covers the beach and sends visitors home over the rocks.

More pictures from Cornwall in the Great Britain picture gallery.