I had decided long ago, while watching the 70s version of Poldark, that I would one day walk along some Cornwall cliffs. On my first morning in Port Isaac, I had my chance.

Gazing up at the cliff, looming over the town, I took a deep breath and headed up Roscarrock Hill past the Doc’s surgery and onto the track.

The village seemed to sparkle in the sunshine.

I trotted along the track for awhile before discovering, to my horror, that it dropped into a deep valley before again heading uphill, causing the climb to be even steeper and twice as long. I decided I couldn’t do it.

There’s something about giving yourself permission to opt out that then jogs you to give it a go. I ploughed on, stopping periodically for a breather, and eventually made it to the top. It was worth it. This is what greeted me.

I was hoping, while in the area, to reach Doyden Castle at Port Quin, used as Dr. Enys’s home in the original Poldark, though I wasn’t quite sure where Port Quin was. Realising it was probably too far to get to without a car, I decided I had to miss out. I wandered for awhile along the cliffs, stopping for a chat with one of the locals, then took the trek back down for a much-needed caffeine fix.

I also stopped to say hello to another local, nesting on the rock wall outside my bedroom door.