Life As A Daydream - A Week in Cornwall (Part 1).

Recently the blog has been a little quiet as I was lucky enough to escape to Cornwall for the week with my darling Lord Dicely and his wonderful parents. We had rented a holiday home just outside of Newquay where over the course of seven days, we found ourselves climbing up castle ruins, splashing around in waves and visiting with the most adorable penguins. A lot of the earlier photos are shot on my phone, but I was lucky enough to capture some stunning views through my lenses.


As we had visited so many places and of course, shot many, many photos across phone and camera, I wanted to create some sort of holiday diary and couldn't think of a better place to put it than my blog!

It started with Howard and I dragging what felt like half of everything we owned to Waterloo Station. You could tell that we were going on a British holiday as that's the only reason you'd see a girl wearing a sun dress, hooded parka, sun hat and wellies!

Hat: H&M

Parka: ASOS Curve.

Daisy Dress: New Look via ASOS Curve.

Wellies: Jileon Wellies.

We were getting picked up in a car around the half way point of the journey, but with three hours on a train ahead of me, I was so excited! I've always loved train journeys, and with so much time stretched out before us on this one, we decided to make the most of it. In addition to having something of an accidental train picnic, we played some of the less complicated boardgames we'd packed for the holiday and watched the beautiful scenery rush by beside us.

Motion blur trail selfie!

Howard setting up a game of Jaipur.

We were meeting Howard's parents in Sherborne, a market town in Dorset. Having arrived so close to Devon, it felt like most of the journey was behind us but we still had another four hours in the car with a few fun stops along the way.

Oaklands Farm Cafe.

The first place we stopped off at was Oaklands Farm Cafe. Made from wooden logs, it was like stepping into an episode of Twin Peaks and we couldn't possibly resist their cheeky cream tea. Since we were still in Devon at this point, we layered the cream and jam the Devon way (scone, cream, jam) and wolfed them down with a huge pot of tea. One of the many things which impressed me about this part of the country was their dedication to having huge ranges of tea everywhere! Even in this relatively off the beaten track location, I was able to get a lovely pot of decaffeinated English Breakfast which absolutely made my day.

Website: www.oaklandsfarmshop.co.uk

Jamaica Inn.

Next stop was the legendary Jamaica Inn, a historic coaching house and friend to smugglers, pirates and rogues. Over 300 years old, it boasts it's own hotel, museum and restaurant in addition to tales of mystery and haunted spirits. It also had an incredible gift shop where Howard was thrilled to find a skull and gemstone covered goblet. Although we didn't get to fully explore the grounds, we did sneak in a warming rum as a friendly nod towards those drinking here before us.

Website: www.jamaicainn.co.uk

Watergate Bay.

When we woke up on our first full day, a sunny Sunday start at Watergate Bay seemed like a great idea. The beach is filled with miles of golden sand and rock pools, with a few stunning caves for good measure. We turned up amidst a surfing competition, and it's easy to see why it's a good choice for those who love to ride the waves. The clear Atlantic waters sparkled 

Website: www.visitnewquay.org/attractions/watergate-bay-beach-p474773

Padstow.

We decided to stop in a lovely fishing town called Padstow for lunch, and it reminded me of a hill covered Brighton. The streets were decorated with what I first thought was brightly coloured bunting, but they're actually flags for different alerts, warnings and information at sea. I stumbled across my favourite shop name ever - a super cute chip shop called "Chip Ahoy".

Website: www.padstowlive.com

Tintagel Castle.

Hat: H&M.

White Roses: Pearls & Swine.

Dress: New Look Inspire via ASOS Curve.

Cardigan: Primark.

Leggings: F&F True.

Tintagel Castle was our final destination for the day, and I don't think I'd prepared myself for what was going to happen! Howard had been so excited to visit it, and I had imagined an actual building which we could walk around in. Instead we were met with a stunning set of ruins which after climbing MANY very step steps led to the most breathtaking coastal views. As we were so high up, the wind was not my friend and I was dressed in the shortest, least practical dress I'd packed! However my many near-Marilyn moments were very much worth it when I made it to the top. You could really see why the windswept cliffs made the perfect backdrop for the legend of King Arthur.

Website: www.tintagelcastle.co.uk

Lanhydrock.

Headscarf: Vintage.

White Roses: Pearls & Swine.

Cardigan: H&M.

Blue Dress: Dorothy Perkins.

Leggings: Primark.

Boots: Primark.

The weather was still on our side come Tuesday, so we decided to risk a trip to the National Trusts's magnificent Lanhydrock. The gardens themself were well worth the entry price, with ancient woodlands and extensive floral borders featuring an explosion of colour in bloom.

What was really fascinating though was the country house within it. Filled with original features, it perfectly showcased two sides of Victorian life - the upstairs and downstairs dwellings of the family and their team of staff who worked there. Although the tour of the luxurious family areas juxtaposed with the servant's quarters was fascinating, it was the detailing which I absolutely loved. Seeing items such as the gold embossed "New Astronomy" book and the humorous brick-a-brac such as vessels painted with cats and dogs.Despite the grandeur, there was a real human element. It felt like a home - an incredibly privileged yet warm home.

Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lanhydrock

I'll put the second part of my Cornwall adventure up on the blog tomorrow. If you're a fan of cute stuff, you can expect lots of photos of penguins! ❤

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)