Scenic Saturday - Cornwall

Pointing out into the Atlantic in the far south-west of England is the county of Cornwall. Separated from Devon and the rest of the country by the River Tamar, which forms almost the entire county boundary, Cornwall is almost an island. Along with Wales, it was the area into which the last of the Celts were driven by the Saxons and, as a result, many "true" Cornishmen consider themselves a race apart. With its own ancient language and place names frequently starting "Tre" or "Pol", it is certainly distinct from the rest of England. It has many similarities with Brittany in France, among them the distinction of being the only two places to have an official flag in black and white. Another similarity is that Cornwall has an island named St Michael's Mount while, although officially in Normandy, Mont St Michel could claim to be in Brittany.

Cornwall means many things to many people. It's sandy beaches make it one of the favourite holiday destinations of many English people not wanting to go abroad, while others regard it as King Arthur - he of the Round Table - country. Tintagel Castle, high on the rugged north coast, is rumoured to have been the home of the fabled king, while Dozmary Pool in Bodmin Moor is said to be the lake into which he instructed Sir Bedivere to cast his sword, Excalibur.

The county was also the scene of some of England's earliest mining operations - tin, copper, zinc, lead and iron. Tin mining was abandoned only in 1998 and abandoned engine houses are a common sight. It was the tin miners' wives who first produced Cornish pasties which provided a substantial meal for their men while underground. China clay is still quarried near St Austell. Also near St Austell, in an abandoned quarry, is the Eden Project.

Along the south coast are many picture-postcard fishing villages such as Polperro and Mousehole, while the rivers Fal and Helford provide excellent safe sailing. Beyond the Helford River is the Lizard peninsula with the Lizard itself being England's most southerly point. Westwards, we travel through Penzance to Land's End, England's most westerly point. Off shore are the Isles of Scilly (pronounced "silly", not "skilly", and never the Scilly Isles!)

The north coast has it's sandy beaches - Newquay is a surfers' Mecca - but also tiny fishing villages, such as Boscastle, located at the mouths of rivers.

And so to this week's picture, which is of the Lizard.