Walk through – Newquay
23rd May 2014
The second of our walk through series takes us along four beaches, across one harbour, to several tasty cafés and on top of one Huer’s hut.
Starting at Lusty Glaze. Lusty Glaze, a North side neighbour of Porth Beach, is a beach with a lot going on. As well as being a beautiful sandy cove to spend the day sunbathing and relaxing on, it also has a great beach-side restaurant, ice-cream hut and a fantastic adventure centre.
Up on the 150ft cliff you can zoom your way along the 750ft zip wire and get a birds-eye-view of the beach and Atlantic. But if flying isn’t your thing why not abseil down the cliff face or take on the tight-rope challenge.
By night the beach is equally as busy, especially throughout summer, with Sundowner Sessions. The natural amphitheatre of this horseshoe shaped cove makes a great concert venue. This summer the likes of The Feeling and Newton Faulkner will play at Lusty Glaze. Check out the full line up here.
If it’s low tide you can go to the bottom of Lusty Glaze and head North to the next beach along the coast Tolcarne. Tolcarne has great character thanks to its quintessential British seaside huts painted in ice-cream tones.
Further along the sandy path is Great Western Beach. Relatively empty, Great Western is used as a beach for guests of the former Hotel Victoria, where a lift was installed through the cliff to take people down to sand level!
Our fourth and final beach in our walk through is Towan made famous by the ‘House on the Island’, aquarium and harbour. Often busy, Towan beach has direct access to Newquay town centre and the harbour. You could sit here all day and watch people and boats come and go, but that’s hungry work.
Luckily Gusto’s is just round the corner.
This is unique take away, somewhat a Cornish gem, that the locals love! Cooking their own flatbreads and filling them with falafel, meats from the hot plate, delicious salads and sauces AND serving the best cake in town you’d be hard pushed not to fall in love at first bite.
We stopped for a wrap and ‘Tobler Tastic Brownie’ and took in the sights from the harbour wall.
Having filled up we set off in search of one of Newquay’s Huer’s Huts. Perched on top of the cliff above the harbour and distinguished by it’s small, white round shape and large chimney, the Huer’s Hut can be made out from miles down the coast. Thought to date back to the 14th Century the hut was used by a Huer who’s job was to watch for the tell tale signs of pilchard (now more commonly known as sardines) shoals and then alert townsfolk of their arrival by crying out ‘Heva Heva’ (here they are!). The townsfolk would then rush to the harbour and prepare for the pilchards arrival.
Turning back towards Newquay the town was buzzing with happy holiday makers enjoying the cafes and shops like…
The Beached Lamb (now closed)
Martha’s Tea Room
And the coolest Vintage shop in Newquay
It’s fair to say a holiday in Newquay will combine a perfect balance of chilling on the beach, eating great local produce and burning it all off surfing, walking and shopping.
