I awoke last Friday and to my absolute pleasure, Storm Doris was no longer. There was even the prospect of proper sunshine to boot. With nothing planned at all,  I thought I’d leave it to the GPS gods for a good suggestion. After my travels on Thursday around the south coast, I thought it would be good to continue down that way.

And Lizard Point was top of the list from the mind of my GPS. Oooh, just a quick disclaimer, as mentioned above, there are definitely no reptiles to speak of in this post. I promise.

The route to Lizard Point takes you through Helston: Great Britain’s most southerly town. Home to the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose. Once past the town and the naval airbase, a turn off down another B-road takes you to the village of Lizard. Like so many other towns dotted along the Cornish coast, Lizard is another that comes to life in the summer.

Barely a soul was about, with the seaside cafes shut for the winter months. A right turn down a lane so narrow I thought the hedges were caressing the sides of my rented Peugeot. After negating the hairy B-road, the long coastline opened up before me. Well, first to a gravel carpark next to the lighthouse, then after a short walk, the coast itself!

A narrow meandering path takes you down through some shrubbery, opening up to Lizard point. A slither of a peninsula with no room for anything other than a kiosk and a couple of park benches. A set up perfect for the avian inclined and for those willing to sit and absorb the view and bask in the unexpected winter sunshine.

The coastline stems along eastwards from Lizard Point and is rather picturesque. Jagged shards of rock protrude through the shallows of the perfect stillness of the Celtic Sea. A track licking the edges of the coast curls and bends its way along the craggy outcrops of ophiolite rock. The geology is fascinating and dramatic; formed by a section of the Earth’s oceanic crust and the upper mantle below, that has been uprooted and exposed above sea level and placed onto rocks of the continental crust.

A little cove, further along, dips down towards the water’s edge, past yet another perfectly placed park bench, and towards Bumble Rock. Another popular haunt for the local seabird population.

The steep slope down to Bumble Rock, laden with cow parsley ebbing in the breeze, was heavenly. I sat down and simply tuned into the receding tide and breathed in the pure sea air. Out of the corner of my eye, an oval form bobbed up from the surface and turned from side to side, then turned face-on and looked me straight in the eye. A solitary Grey Seal, a savvy operator who had taken refuge from the recent unruly weather in his own private cove.

A whole hour passed before I even thought about moving. Repeated above surface visits from my new friend keeping me from continuing on. He dipped below the surface one final time and I kept heading along the track.

To my absolute surprise, the sun continued to beat down. For the first time since I’ve been in England, I began to see the country in a completely different light. The whole coastline looked alive; the surrounding countryside looked revived and refreshed. Cliffs and rocky peaks no longer looked so imposing, so I decided to keep hiking on. The track was becoming rather tantalising, the scenery simply too gorgeous to turn my back on. I just wanted to keep drinking in the show nature was putting on.

I made it to Bass Point and the weather was still rather gorgeous; the temptation to continue on further was great. But if I had learnt anything from my experience of British weather systems the past few weeks, it would be one word. Unpredictable.

Taking into consideration my unexpected encounter with airborne seafoam at Lands End, I thought returning to the carpark would be the ideal option. The return journey along the coastal path was equally as enjoyable. Seeing everything from the reverse perspective made me see the same coastline line in a completely different way.

Anyway, to cut a considerably long story short, if you’re ever in the area you need to go to Lizard Point. It won’t disappoint!