The "castle" at Caerhays is actually a castellated manor house. The manor belonged to the Arundell family in the early middle ages and passed by marriage into the Trevanion family where it remained until 1854 when its owner fled to Paris when he was unable to pay his bills. The Williams family purchased it from the creditors in 1854 and are still the owners. The current castle was built between 1807-1810 before the Trevanion family hit hard times.
The pheasant is named after the Ancient town of Phasis (now in West Georgia) and the birds were naturalised in the UK by the 10th Century with introductions both from the Romano-British and the Normans. However, by the 17th Century they had become extinct in most of the British Isles.
In the 1830s, the pheasant was rediscovered as a game bird and since then it has been reared extensively for shooting. The pheasant has a life expectancy of less than a year in the wild and it is only common because around 30 million pheasants are released each year on shooting estates.
The bushes along the lane provide seeds and insects for birds such as the tit family.
The name "tit" is thought to be from a Viking word for "small" and the tit family of birds were also known as the titmouse. This is nothing to do with mice but is from a Middle English word recorded in the 14th Century as titmose. This is thought to be based on Old English word for the tit family of birds - māse - which became mose in Middle English.
There are 2 sparrow species in the UK but only the house sparrow is common in Cornwall.
Sparrows are quite versatile in their diet. Insects are an important source of nutrition, especially for young birds. Their favourite food is seeds, particularly cereals. They will eat bread if they are hungry but whole seeds are preferred as they are more nutritious.
The Ramblers Association and National Farmers Union suggest some "dos and don'ts" for walkers which we've collated with some info from the local Countryside Access Team.
Do
Don't
Primrose flowers provide an important nectar source for pollinators that hibernate over winter and emerge quite early like brimstone and small tortoiseshell butterflies - these are some of the first butterflies to be seen in spring. Primrose is also the food plant for the caterpillars of the rare Duke of Burgundy butterfly.
Buzzards are not quiet birds! Their long, loud "pieeuuu" call can be often be the first thing to give away their presence and is one of the easiest bird calls to remember. It is thought that the original Latin word for buzzard was probably an onomatopoeia (i.e. an imitation of the bird's call) within the constraints of what was deemed an acceptable Latin word (suggesting "pieeuuu" would probably have resulted in being fed to the lions!).
Navelwort is a member of the stonecrop family which are able to survive in barren locations by storing water in their fleshy leaves. In dry conditions, the plant takes emergency measures to conserve water, producing fewer green chloroplasts (so it goes red) and loses it succulent fleshiness. Leaves with red tinges are therefore not the ones to forage.
The settlement is Treveor which is Cornish for "big farm". Place names in the Cornish language usually date from at least early mediaeval times ("The Dark Ages") before the Norman Conquest. The French-speaking Norman gentry then took control of the land and their language soon merged with the language of the Saxons to become mediaeval English.
Brown mustard grows along the field margins.
Brown mustard is used in Asian and African cuisine, both the leaves and the seeds which are regarded as spicier than yellow mustard.
It is sometimes grown by farmers in the UK as a mulch crop to suppress weeds which can then also be used as a green manure to add nutrients to the soil.
Brown mustard plants are also effective at removing heavy metals, particularly cadmium, from polluted soils both due to its ability to tolerate metals in the soil and to store them in its cells.
Sorrel grows in the sunnier areas along the hedgerows.
Sorrel is native to the UK and common in fields and hedgerows. It's salt tolerant so it can often be found on the coast in Cornwall. The leaves resemble small, narrow dock leaves. In summer the plant is often evident in abundance in fields by its red seeds at the top of a tall stalk.
Sorrel is used as a culinary herb in many cuisines and in Cornwall during Victorian times, sorrel was known as "green sauce". Some of the most well-known uses are in soups or as a salad vegetable. In French cuisine it is sometimes used when cooking fish as - similarly to lemon - the acidic juice can soften thin fish bones during cooking.
The first record of Boswinger is from 1301 when it was spelt Boswengar. Bos is the Cornish word for "dwelling" and it is thought the remainder is likely to be the name of the family who lived there during the early mediaeval period.
The English Channel is thought to have been formed by two catastrophic floods from lakes that built up behind a dam of ice. The first was about 425,000 years ago and broke through a range of chalk mountains between the Weald and Artois. Then about 225,000 years ago, a second ice-dammed lake at the end of the Rhine broke through another weak barrier and created another massive flood channel. The waterfalls during these floods are thought to have created plunge pools around 100 metres deep and several kilometres across.
The walk route lies within Veryan Bay. There is some debate about how much of the bay is part of the Roseland peninsula. Some consider the peninsula to begin at Portholland whilst others suggest Dodman Point (covering the whole bay).
The name for the Roseland Peninsula derives from the Celtic word ros which can be used to mean a number of things including "moor", but the meaning most applicable in this case is "promontory".
The plants by the coast are adapted to the salty environment.
Seawater is about 2.5% salt which is about one tenth of the strength of fully saturated brine solution. By the 17th Century, it was found that dissolving impure rock salt in seawater to increase the concentration and then recrystallising this in clean salt pans was a cheaper way of producing salt than evaporating ten times the amount of water from normal seawater.
Hemmick beach is mostly sand with some shingle near the high tide line and rocky ridges down either side. The beach is pebbly at high tide but as the tide goes out, sand is revealed. The series of small coves to the right are cut off on high tides. At low tide, an area of rock is exposed on the right-hand side which contains a number of rockpools. Due to its remote location and limited parking, there are usually not many people on the beach.
Both the flowers and leaves of the common daisy are edible and are high in Vitamin C but the flavour is bitter and medicinal so they are unlikely to appear on the menu of many restaurants.
The headland ahead is Nare Head and the one behind you is Dodman Point.
Dodman Point is the highest headland on the south coast of Cornwall at around 400 feet high. It appears on maps as "Deadmans Pt" or "Deadman Pt" up to the mid 1800s, though the original name was Penare. The 20ft high granite cross was erected on top of the point in 1896 by the rector of St Michael Caerhays to act as a daymark for shipping. It was blown down by a storm in 1905 and had to be re-erected
The small building in an area of metal railings just inland of the point was a watch house - part of a signal station built during the Napoleonic Wars. The whitewashed structure beside it was a lookout platform.
Meadow buttercups spread across a field relatively slowly as most seeds fall quite close to the parent and although it has a creeping root system capable of propagating new plants, this only extends a fairly short distance from each plant (unlike creeping buttercup which has a much more extensive root system). Because grazing animals avoid buttercups due to their acrid taste, this allows them to accumulate over time. The combination of these factors allows the number of meadow buttercups in a field to be used as an indicator of how long it's been used for grazing.
Amongst the species caught of the beach by anglers are flatfish such as flounder.
Flatfish such a turbot and plaice are sand-coloured on their upper surface so they blend into the seabed and can both ambush passing prey and hide from predators.
Flatfish begin life as a normal (non-flat) fish with one eye on each side of their head. As they mature, one eye gradually migrates over the top of their head to the other side. They then spend their whole adult life lying on their side.
Field mushrooms are very closely related to the familiar supermarket button mushrooms and are the most commonly-eaten wild mushroom in Britain. They usually appear in grazed fields between July and November but can be out as early as May. They can sometimes be seen growing in a ring. The gills start out pink and become brown with age and the cap is slightly downy, especially around the edges, often with a skirt left on the stem. As there are a few species of white mushroom that all look quite similar, care needs to be taken to avoid eating poisonous species.
In particular, the common but poisonous "yellow stainer" looks very similar to a field mushroom and consequently causes the most mushroom poisonings in Britain. If the flesh is of a yellow stainer is cut or bruised, particularly at the base of the stem, a yellow liquid starts to seep out (unless the mushroom is very dried-out). This can take a few minutes to be apparent so it might not be until you get them home that you notice yellow patches where the caps have rubbed against something. The yellow stainer also has an unpleasant "chemical" smell (sometimes described as an "elastoplast smell") which helps distinguish it from the more appealing "mushroomy" smell of a field mushroom. A small minority of people have been reported as suffering no obvious ill effects from (presumably accidentally) eating yellow stainers but for the vast majority of people they cause stomach upsets which can be fairly severe including cramps, projectile voting and diarrhoea.
Barnacles and lichens can be used to gauge the position of the high-tide line on rocks and therefore a dry place to leave your possessions whilst you go swimming if the tide is coming in.
Barnacles need to be covered with seawater each day so they grow below the high-water mark for neap tides.
Black tar lichen occurs just above the barnacle zone. It is quite tolerant of spray and short periods of immersion in seawater so it typically grows in areas which are out of the water at neap tides but may get briefly immersed during spring tides.
Orange marine lichen is less tolerant of immersion in seawater but can otherwise often out-compete black tar lichen so this usually grows just above the high water mark for spring tides where it may get an occasional splash.
The coast here faces towards Brittany which is about 110 miles away.
Due to the curvature of the earth, the distance you can see to the horizon depends on your height above sea level. This increases with the square root of height (i.e. with diminishing returns). An adult typically sees the horizon about 3 miles from the beach. From the top of a 100 foot lighthouse, it is about 12 miles away. At the top of the highest cliff in Cornwall it is roughly 33 miles out but if a 100ft tower were built all the way up here, it would only allow an extra 2 miles to be seen.
Ravens nest along the coast here.
Ravens are the largest member of the crow family and have a bigger wingspan than a buzzard. They are most easily distinguished from other members of the crow family by their very large black beak which has a hooked top. Other members of the crow family have straighter beaks. Their call is a deep croak.
Researchers have found that ravens use gestures to communicate in a similar way to humans. Obviously ravens don't have hands so instead they point with their beaks to indicate an object to another bird, just as we do with our fingers. They also hold up an object in their beak to get another bird's attention.
The salt-laden breeze coming off the sea dries out leaf buds and inhibits growth so the plants end up growing most vigorously in the lee of the wind. In the direction facing the prevailing wind, the growth is therefore more compact and stunted whereas in the lee of the wind, the branches are much more straggly. The result is that the trees appear to point away from the prevailing wind. Where there are no obstacles interfering with the wind direction, the shape of the trees can be used as a compass. Prevailing winds come from the southwest, so in general, trees in Cornwall point northeast.
The rocky seabed provides nooks and crannies that kelp can cling onto.
Kelp is the name given to a group of seaweed species. The most common in Cornwall is Oarweed - a leathery brown seaweed with finger-like strands. It grows at an impressive rate of around 5% per day, doubling in length in about 2 weeks and can reach up to 4 metres in length.
Kelp is high in sodium carbonate and was burned during Victorian times to harvest the alkaline ash which could be used in soap and glass production. Kelp also contains significant amounts of iodine and was used as a source for this too. In 2010, researchers found in laboratory trials that alginate, the soluble fibre substance in kelp, was better at preventing fat absorption than most over-the-counter slimming aids.
During March and April the field before the footbridge can have an impressive display of primroses providing grazing animals such as ponies haven't yet nibbled them.
During Victorian times, the building of railways allowed primrose flowers picked in the Westcountry to be on sale in London the next day. Picking was done on a large scale but eventually became unfashionable, being seen as environmentally destructive. However all the evidence gathered suggests as long as the flowers were picked and the plants were not dug up, the practice was sustainable.
Hawthorn has many folk names which are spread across quite a diverse range of features. Names such as "maytree" or even just "may" are references to when it flowers. However "whitethorn" is not about the blossom but a reference to the lighter bark colour than blackthorn. The name "bread and cheese" derives from the very young leaves being edible. It is also sometimes called "thornapple" due to the apple-like shape of the fruits. This is not a coincidence as both the hawthorn and apple are members of the rose family.
If there are sheep in the field and you have a dog, make sure it's securely on its lead (sheep are prone to panic and injuring themselves even if a dog is just being inquisitive). If the sheep start bleating, this means they are scared and they are liable to panic.
If there are pregnant sheep in the field, be particularly sensitive as a scare can cause a miscarriage. If there are sheep in the field with lambs, avoid approaching them closely, making loud noises or walking between a lamb and its mother, as you may provoke the mother to defend her young.
Sheep may look cute but if provoked they can cause serious injury (hence the verb "to ram"). Generally, the best plan is to walk quietly along the hedges and they will move away or ignore you.
It may be an urban myth that Eskimos have a large number of words for "snow" but it's cast iron fact that there are at least this many words for "hill" in Cornish:
Studies have shown that crows are capable of self-discipline. If offered one piece of food now or two later, the crows will resist temptation and wait. However if the initial piece of food is a high value item such as sausage, they won't take the risk.
In 1991, sloes were found in the stomach contents of a 5,300 human mummy in the Alps, indicating that they were part of the Neolithic diet. Alone they are extremely bitter but with enough sugar, they can be made into a range of preserves.
Blackthorn wood is very tough and hard-wearing. In order to form its thorns, the tree allows the tips of the tiny stems that make up the thorns to die. The dead wood in the thorn tip is harder and therefore sharper than the living wood.
The shade under the trees provides a perfect habitat for bluebells.
According to folklore, it's unlucky to bring bluebells into a house and also unlucky to walk through bluebells as it was thought that the little bells would ring and summon fairies and goblins.
Research suggests that sycamore was common in Britain up to Roman times but then died out due to the warming climate apart from some mountainous regions such as in Scotland. During the Tudor period it is thought to have been reintroduced from southern and central Europe by landowners looking for a rapid-growing tree for their estates and was found to be salt-tolerant - essential in Cornwall.
During the late 18th and early 19th century, the Williams family sponsored plant hunting expeditions to bring back exotic specimens but the gardens at Caerhays were created in early 1900s and the majority of plants were collected from expeditions to China in this period. The garden is now home to 600 varieties of plants, including trees and shrubs such as magnolias, azaleas and camellias. By 1917, it had over 250 types of rhododendron.
Caerhays was first recorded in 1259 as "Karihaes" and places in Brittany with the name Carhaix are thought likely to have the same origin (their earlier forms are also similar to the early forms of the Cornish one). In Cornish, ker means "fort" (often appearing at the start of place names as Caer or Car) but because all the early forms for Caerhays have an "i" sound after the "car", it casts doubt on whether the name was based on this.
Sea beet is also known as "wild spinach" and is the ancestor of sugar beet, beetroot and Swiss chard. It can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are at their best during March and April and become tougher as the year goes on.
Sea beet has been cross-bred with domesticated crops to re-introduce some of the disease resistance from the tougher wild plant that were lost in the domesticated plants. It is also able to withstand quite high sodium levels in the soil which allows it to grow in salty conditions on the coast.
Whilst moles look a little like mice, they are not rodents and are highly adapted to digging and living in tunnels. Using their curved claws, they can dig 15 feet of tunnel in an hour and typically extend their network by around 60 ft per day. Moles also have twice as much blood as mammals of a similar size and a special form of haemoglobin that allow them to tolerate high levels of carbon dioxide in the low-oxygen environment within their tunnels.
The reason moles create tunnels is that these act as worm traps. When a worm drops in, the mole dashes to it and gives it a nip. Mole saliva contains a toxin that paralyses earthworms and the immobilised live worms are stored in an underground larder for later consumption. Researchers have discovered some very well-stocked larders with over a thousand earthworms in them! To prepare their meal, moles pull the worms between their paws to force the earth out of the worm's gut.
Moles are solitary except when breeding so a network of tunnels is occupied by a single mole. Moles typically live for around 3 years and when a mole dies, its tunnel network is often inherited by one of its offspring. Thus the expanding estate can be passed down through several generations. In wetland areas where there is no gradient available to retreat uphill from rising water, moles construct a large mound protruding around half a metre above the ground to act as an emergency flood shelter.
Moles have specially-adapted velvety fur which allows them to reverse in their tunnels as well as go forwards without their fur catching on the soil. It was found that by weaving a heavy cotton fabric and then shearing one side, a suede-like texture was produced. This was given the name moleskin (despite not actually being made from moles) due to the resemblance to moles' fur. The friction-reducing and insulating properties that benefit moles also made the material popular for workwear in cold environments. It is an example of biomimicry.
Caerhays gardens now hosts the largest collection of magnolias in England. For many of the species of magnolia, these are the oldest plants in the Western World. Consequently Caerhays has been selected as one of 4 national magnolia collections, overseen by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens to ensure survival of the genetic material for the future. Over half the magnolia species in the wild are now classified as endangered.
In the 18th Century, missionaries were sent to China to attempt to spread the word of God. During their travels they were struck by the exotic plants and sent some specimens back home. This sparked a competitive race amongst botanical gardens and nursery owners.
During Victorian times, plant hunting expeditions to the Northern Himalayas were funded by wealthy mining families for status symbols. The expeditions were often dangerous potentially involving disease, piracy or shipwreck.
Around 60% of today's common garden plants in the UK came from these plant hunting expeditions to China.
Porthluney Cove is also known as Caerhays Beach as it's part of the Caerhays estate. There is a sandy beach at all states of the tide. The tide goes out a long way to leave an impressive expanse of sand at low water. The beach is at the back of an inlet that shelters it from waves unless they are directly onshore, making it a good spot for swimming. It faces south so it gets sunshine all year.
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