Carlyon bay

Tuesday
Most of us live so protected from the elements that you forget how the stinging cold wind can burn and numb your fingers at the same time. Today I remembered, as I slithered on wet rocks in the icy rain. Carlyon beach has always felt a bit odd to me, in a way I can’t explain. It can take you to a strange world, like when I walked here alone once in a soft glowing seamist. You couldn’t see, but felt that the beach would just go on and on forever... That’s not going to happen, now. If you look closely on the left, you might see a new sea wall being constructed, that marks the boundary of a giant new development - the largest complex of houses, flats and leisure facilities that Cornwall has ever seen. At high water, there will often be little or no beach left in this photo. Because of the new sea-wall, you can now only get down to the beach in one place; the beach narrowed to less than 10 metres only partway along, so I had to turn back to avoid being cut off by the tide. A melancholy walk today, then, despite the elements.