Mill Cottage in Mullion Cove is situated on the Lizard Peninsular in Cornwall which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Largely National Nature Reserve and National Trust Land, the Lizard Peninsular is like a time forgotten. A welcome antidote to all that is wrong with the world.
Stunning all year round, visit and you will feel like you’ve stepped into a slice of heritage that you (and only you) are aware of. There is nowhere else in Britain like it. It is for this reason that the Lizard has been a constant source of inspiration for artists and writers and a secret haven for global superstars.
Almost completely surrounded by the sea with a unique maritime heritage, the Peninsular stands alone, in a very real sense from the rest of the country.
Mullion Cove itself is owned by the National Trust and has a pretty working harbour and a ‘secret’ beach accessed through a cave at low tide. The harbour was completed in 1895, when pilchard fishing was the main local industry and is still used by local fisherman today but now mainly for lobster and crab.
There is the Porthmellin Café for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea during the main holiday season and the cove is home to “Lizard Adventures” for guided Kayaking and Coasteering.
The Cove is often used as a location for films. Actors recently enjoying its charm include Sam Neil, Aiden Turner and Charles Dance. In the 1940’s Clarke Gable enjoyed scrambled eggs at the café when filming here!
Nearby is the village of Mullion, the largest village on the Lizard and has shops, inns, cafes and restaurants, craft shops and art galleries. There is also a fine 18 hole golf links founded in 1895, where Arthur Conan Doyle and A.A Milne played regularly during several visits each year and A.P Herbert wrote his famous poem:
“Go on old ball, we are but two
We may be down in three,
Or nine or ten or Twenty-five
It matters not!
To be alive at Mullion in the summer time is good enough for me.”
Walks along the cliffs offer some stunning views from the coastal footpath. Heading north a short way from the Cove brings you to Pollurian Cove, a large sandy beach popular with surfers and beachcombers but only accessible on foot. Further around the headland is Poldhu beach, which has a surf school, a beach café open all year round and a car park if you don’t want to walk.
Heading south from the Cove on the footpath takes you across two miles of National Nature Reserve with spectacular views and uninhabited coves towards the renowned Kynance Cove. Kynance Cove is widely held to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and also has a highly regarded café.
Below the Mullion Golf Links is another small but very popular beach called Church Cove. Aptly named because there is a beautiful little church built into the headland. There is a National Trust car park here and the adjacent Dollar Cove is dog friendly.
Apart from beautiful beaches and sleepy coves the Lizard has so much more to explore. Nearby Cadgwith is a picturesque working fishing cove with a charming Inn and Lizard Point at the southernmost point of mainland Britain has the famous Lizard Lighthouse as well as a charming café with spectacular views.
There are passionate food producers on the Peninsular who care as much for the quality of their products as they do for their location. Cheese, dairy, meat, fish, shellfish, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Sea Salt, Wildflower honey, Fruit Juices, Gin and Vodka, beer, Cider, jams, chutneys, cured meats and pates are just some of the Lizard’s home produced foodie treats. And with this abundance of local produce, the peninsular’s restaurants are bursting with great flavours. (a full list of restaurants, pubs, bars and farm shops can be found in Mill Cottage’s Welcome Pack).
The Lizard Peninsular is unique in many respects. Being the most southerly point the climate is probably the warmest in Britain. The air is crisp, clear and unpolluted by industry and is recognized as being of international botanical importance as here you can find 15 of Britain’s rarest plants. The warm local climate has led to the abundant growth of sub-tropical vegetation, and a constant profusion of colour all year round.