Summer is the perfect season to take some time out and make the most of long, balmy days. Eating outdoors with friends or family, whether it’s an elaborate feast or a simple sandwich is a simple joy that we should all make the most of during these extended, dreamy days.
July is National Picnic Month and to celebrate, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite places around Cornwall to enjoy a picnic.
The Minack Theatre is a unique theatre in South West Cornwall, perched on the cliffs where it was built by Rowena Cade in the 1930s. With plenty of shows and events throughout the year, there’s something for everyone. It’s a fabulous place to take a picnic and enjoy a show, with the sea as a stunning, unpredictable backdrop.
If you’re looking for more outdoor theatre this summer, then Miracle Theatre is staging King Lear at various venues around Cornwall, with a range of parks and gardens featured in the schedule. Take a picnic, a chair and a blanket and settle in for a fun night of entertainment.
Made famous by Virginia Woolf’s novel To The Lighthouse, Godrevy Lighthouse sits in St Ives Bay and is surrounded by beautiful coastal walks and beaches. Godrevy beach is a gorgeous sandy stretch of beach, best walked at low tide, and the cliffpath above the beach is the perfect summer evening spot to watch the sunset and enjoy a picnic.
There’s often plenty of seals around, so keep a look out for them snoozing on the rocks or playing in the water.
The stunning view from the Stepper Point Daymark is an excellent reward and a halfway stop on this circular walk from Padstow. The old daymark tower was built as a navigation aid for sailors and the viewpoint provides a view across to Trevose Head Lighthouse.
Take a picnic for your halfway stop on this gorgeous walk that passes the infamous Doom Bar on the Camel estuary with Rock and Polzeath across the water, before coming back cross country into Padstow.
A gorgeous and secluded circular walk on the Fowey Estuary with two ferry crossings at either end, Pont is an ideal halfway stop and picnic spot on this popular route. The walk along the creek provided Daphne du Maurier with the inspiration for her first novel and she arrived by boat in Pont for her wedding in the 1930s.
A tiny little hamlet at the end of a creek, which dries up at low tide, Pont is a private Quay, with several holiday cottages owned by the National Trust. Watch the birds on the water and listen to the sounds of nature as you enjoy your sandwiches or flask of tea.
Lose yourself in the gardens at Heligan and enjoy a picnic in one of the many spots around the garden. With plenty of places to enjoy a picnic, from the lawn at the front of the gardens, surrounded by the giant, ancient rhododendrons that are beautiful in full bloom, the shaded tree area around the Stewards Cafe, to the magical other-worldly jungle, you’ll find a spot that suits you perfectly!
There’s also an extensive children’s play and picnic area, with plenty of activities taking place through the holidays.
Bodmin Moor
Head inland for an adventure on the moors, where you’ll find stunning views and plenty of picnic spots. Park at Roughtor for a short walk and plenty of history. You might recognise some of the landscape from the recent adaption of Poldark, and nearby is Jamaica Inn, the location for Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name.
At Golitha Falls you’ll find stunning waterfalls in shaded, ancient woodland, which provides a magical cover for this dramatic landscape, and you're sure to find an atmospheric spot for a picnic.
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With plenty of gorgeous places to picnic around Cornwall, we’re really spoiled for choice. Why not get outside this summer with a picnic and celebrate these fabulous, long days.