Strangles is not the beach to expect floods of holiday lobsters soaking up the sun. The nearest parking – little more than a country lane  lay-by – is perhaps a rugged half mile from, and 350ft above, the beach proper. The approach is typical Atlantic-beaten, north-coast Cornwall. ---- All rights reserved. nd.com Read on...

The designated footpath, which crosses the South West Coastal Path, offers a safe and sure-footed route, and at the bottom is something of a surprise. Cliff erosion has required the construction of a steep wooden stair, leading to a rope-aided clamber for the final, tricky step. A fun surprise, though a challenge to negotiate with multiple cameras and walking poles.

Smooth pebbles soon give way to sand. Everything is still wet from the receding tide. Rock slices jut from the sand making me think of the shattered mechanical remnants of some wartime beach landing.

Bordering the beach lie two areas of rocky outcrop I want to explore as possible fishing locations. When there is some swell, these will be worth a visit.

To the left, further south, I can make out the distinctive white, clifftop tower near Boscastle. The sight prompts the decision to head there later for lunch.

The rocks to the right of Strangles appear to have deep indigo streaks through them. These turn out to be colonies of mussels, so many that there is little rock to be seen in places. The mussels here are larger than those at our nearest beach, but are mostly still on the small side for eating.

The coast here has some of the best rock pools I have seen, and Strangles is no exception. Oh the hours of my childhood consumed by such watery wonders.

Another, smaller beach lies further right, reached by clambering over a barrier of boulders. Here fewer and more rounded rocks litter the sand. Between them, numerous brackish rock pools are fed by several trickles of fresh water that appear out of the shingle near the cliff foot. Further right still, over a larger boulder field, is a huge rock arch. But that looks far too much effort to explore today.

Strangles lies a couple of miles away by car plus fifteen minutes on foot. I expect we will spend a great deal of time there.

Important refreshment

Amongst the cameras (both digital and film, of course), lies our great luxury. With thanks to twitter, Stephen Fry, and a small tax refund some time ago, we discovered the magic of highly portable, freshly brewed espresso. The Handpresso goes almost everywhere with us, and armed with this and a small flask of hot water, fresh espresso is always to hand. The photo proves it!

Jen has a bunch more images from the beach visit.

Related posts

• The secret absinthe (3)
• Bobbing on the sea (5)
• Wrecking adventures (0)
• The glorious mechanics of film (0)
• Draw365 – a new playground (0)

A selection of shots captured on a walk along the River Wye today.

The four mile walk took us around five hours, with walking frequently interspersed with photo sessions of what we discovered on the route. This selection is the pick from 122 photos and videos taken on the walk. That’s less than half of what jEN took! ---- All rights reserved. nd.com Read on...

My favourite from the day has to be the dramatic angles surrounding the moorhen (above). Each image here links to a larger one on flickr.

Related posts

• Strangles by rope (0)
• The glorious mechanics of film (0)
• Street photography in Britain (3)
• Not one decent shot of Weylands Smithy (5)
• Grabbing a few minutes with a camera (1)