Time to breathe..

Today I had a bracing walk from Botallack to Levant mine. The view from the clifftops was stunning and this coastline always reminds me of how hard life must have been in the days of mining along the ‘tin coast’, with miles of tunnels under the sea, where men worked in hot, dangerous conditions. Nowadays the engine houses are in ruins, perched at the cliff face. The area is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with several species of protected plants, animals and birds thriving along the South West Coast Path and down onto the shores.

The last few splashes of colour in October come from the gorse and bell heather.  The tiny seedheads are beautiful in their own right.

I spotted the Newlyn School of Art minibus parked up and several artists sat skecthing, sheltered by a large granite outcrop.

With great views, I stood for a moment and inhaled deeply, really stretching my diaphragm and just appreciating the dramatic but peaceful environment I was in.

This was a day for observing tiny detail alongside massive relics of the past; a day for wandering well-trodden paths and pausing in gratitude