Why is everyone obsessed with Cornwall?

[thefoggiest]

Disclaimer: I've never actually been!

But why traditionally cornwall and not say the isle of wight, or sussex, or east Anglia?

I guess I can understand flocking to the southernmost tip back in the 60s when there would be washout summers but (thanks global warming!) isn't it time to branch out a bit now?

I'll never understand it either OP. We lived very close to Cornwall for a couple of years and I think only crossed the border a few times.

During our holiday in Normandy in July (stunning sandy beaches, sapphire water, traffic free roads and immaculate small towns and villages) dh and I were having this exact same conversation. Oh and our 4 bed 2 bath house two minutes walk from the beach was something like 1600 euro for the week.

"Have you ever been to Jersey? Laughing at the idea that it never ‘took off’! 😂"
@Pottedpalm
Honestly I dont know anyone who has been to the channel islands! Except for one guy born and raised in Guernsey

We went for the first time this year and won’t be returning. Didn’t rate St Ives at all, thought it was a bit of a dump to be honest. I don’t understand the attraction at all, YANBU.

We absolutely love Norfolk!

We live in Sussex. Most beaches here are very meh, and the water is perpetually muddy (something to do with tides, a fisherman once explained it to me but I didn’t fully understand). Sussex itself is lovely, and we live in an AONB, but for beaches/summer holidays it’s not great.

The Cornish coast is much nicer, and so are Devon and Dorset IMO. For most people living in the SE, Cornwall seems the easiest and best U.K. destination.

We went to Dorset this year but tbh if our children weren’t small we’d go for the Lakes or Scottish Islands instead. I suppose those locations might be more popular with people living in the North of England.

My DH has picked St Ives as our first destination to travel to with our caravan for his 40th in April. Admittedly, I instantly felt a bit of dread. I’m a massive introvert and hate crowds but will obviously make the most of it for him and our DD. We love Suffolk, Norfolk and the Lake District so hoping I may be proved wrong and this will be added to the list!

I grew up in Scotland but now live in Hampshire (this is for context). Cornwall is lovely for a holiday (much nicer than Devon IMO). There are many other lovely, similar places in Scotland, England and Wales BUT in the South itself I think Cornwall is quite special in that it is all drivable, it’s fairly rugged by also beachy. Nice towns, pretty villages. A lot to see/do in a small area. I think that is why it’s a bit different to elsewhere in the south coast.

There’s a few similar people on the thread. As I said earlier, they have no idea of our circumstances so it does seem aggressive. As I’m not from England, they’re probably the sort that think I should go back to where I came from. ‘Outsiders’, what a horrible way to think.

And although I love the Isle of Wight, it has a completely different vibe to Cornwall. IOW is like a fifties hi-di-hi, kind of faded charm holiday. I really like it but Cornwall is more dramatic, more well-to-do (for a holiday, maybe not to live), more arty.

The coastline is breathtaking - but so is much of Devon's. I like Cornwall but no more than say, the Gower, the Cotswolds or the Peak District.

@Kitfish

I've never understood why people based in the SE don't go to Northern France (Pas de Calais) instead - thinking Le Touquet or Berck-Plage. Amazing beaches, great (and good value) food and a lot less of a journey - less than an hour from the Channel tunnel. A hidden gem.

I do. Every year. But don’t tell anyone

Maybe because passports are so expensive and the utter madness of attempting to go through the tunnel or on a ferry this year will have put anyone off forever

2 day queues at one point 😨

Devon and Cornwall give me a huge feeling of just being so far from the stresses of everyday life, I just feel it all going away as soon as we hit Bristol. We spend a lot of time away at the London merlin parks 150 miles away and also away in the north east visiting family, also 150 miles away and I just don’t get that same feeling of being so far from reality. I think the last couple of years a lot of people wrongly thought the weather would be like being abroad, but it can be terrible in Cornwall even in July and August. We got lucky in Devon a couple of weeks ago, 9 days straight of blazing sunshine but in 9 years it’s the first time!

Well if you don't find Cornwall beautiful, I don't know what you will tbh.

@Ori1 le touquet is fab- love it!!

Very funny and yes I agree. There is something about Norfolk that I find so depressing, despite it being visually very beautiful. My mum always called it god's waiting room, which hasn't helped.

But they aren’t wrong in their point!! Bloody tourists who think they are “almost local” because they deign to visit a few times and throw a bit of money around

Wales is better. Quieter, not such huge queues to battle through constantly.

@LaurieFairyCake Eurotunnel was great for us this year, no delays going into France and returned to UK last Sunday mid morning and were even put on a crossing 30 mins earlier than booked crossing. The French side at Calais especially was uber organised.

Wow, people are being horrible to missingnashville. I hope you’re ok.

Cornwall, annual drive south for the MC to get their "stamp" to signal their belonging in the club isn't it.

The aggression is ridiculous.

Cornwall is wonderful. I've lived here for 2/3rds of my life, with 15 years outside it, in London and New York. The quality of life here is excellent, as long as you are not earning a living in the local economy. Bring your own work here, use local trades and shops. I have opinions about stuff that could be done better, but don't we all?

Oh I don’t understand it either OP. And I have to go regularly for family reasons.

I once read a post on here in which a MNer who lived in Cornwall for some years described the horrible claustrophobia of the county, and that one road in and out. I always think of her and feel such a sense of liberation as we head up the A30 at the end of our trip!

Once your family reasons cease to bring you back, the summer traffic congestion will be grateful you don't want to add to it any longer @dockspider .

We don’t ever go in summer @XingMing. And worry not, once we no longer have family ties there we will never go again.