Recently we filmed a circular walk starting at Lerryn, a quiet village that sits peacefully on the creek, surrounded by wooded valleys and bird calls. It boasts some resident swans that gracefully swim up and down the river, looking for fallen crumbs.
It is an idyllic setting to start a walk, not only because of the beautiful countryside but the village also has excellent facilities, including a pub, local shop with picnic tables to enjoy the locally produced ice cream but also free parking and toilets - what more could you want?
After enjoying a spot of relaxation, the time came to start our walk, a 3.5 mile circular walk along the south side of
the river. This is the less popular side to take. Most walkers follow the north side to St Winnow church - another fabulous walk with much merit. However, our destination today is the tiny hamlet of Cliff Pill. As we set off there is much to admire, quaint little cottages with the most enviable gardens growing not only flowers but veg too! Potatoes and green beans, rhubarb and even outdoor tomatoes - just how mild is it here?
As we start our walk along the river bank, admiring the jurassic nature of the plants, we stumble across an abandoned fountain. The pool is empty with nature trying her best to reclaim the concrete structure with brambles and nettles creeping over the walls. Andrew climbed into the pool to admire the now derelict fountain, wondering just what have we found!
When we came home, Andrew researched and discovered so much information that we decided to share it with you, a window into the past.
An annual Regatta was held at Lerryn from around 1870 until 1968, with brief spells during both World Wars when the event was not held. It proved very popular with crowds of up to 5,000 attending.
By 1922 the venue used for the Regatta was the newly constructed Tivoli Park, the brainchild of Mr Frank Parkyn, a wealthy Cornishman, who made his fortune from his family's China Clay interests. It is said that the name of the Park was inspired by one of the world's oldest and most popular amusement parks, Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, following a visit by Frank to the famous gardens.
Tivoli Park, was carved out of the woodland and embellished with ornamental fountains, pools and a pavilion. During the Regatta, Lerryn staged entertainments, a fun fair with stalls, swing boats and roundabouts. The highlight of the evening was the torchlight procession through the village and a dance with live music in Tivoli Park.
Today you can still wander through this forgotten, lost to time former pleasure park, to which nature has almost reclaimed for itself. You can sense the flamboyance of it's golden age and feel sad for it's demise, once filled with laughter and pleasure, it is now a ghostly echo of more innocent times.
Comments