Cornwall in winter

[Uncertain111]

Kids have flown the nest and I’m retiring, husband works from home. Plan has always been to relocate to west Cornwall - our favourite uk place. But we’ve only ever been in spring and summer.

We’re happy with winter cliff walks and roaring fires in winter but given we’ve never even visited then, I was wondering if it’s actually just unpleasant in winter and rarely the cold but blue skies that make winter walks worthwhile?

Just wondering basically whether our relocation plan is flawed! Thanks

You definitely need to visit at different times of year to get a feel for life year round. Book an extended stay in a holiday cottage in your preferred area in January or February and see what it would really be like. You need to know what shops and amenities are open, what it’s like on dark cold dreary days, how it will feel doing the everyday routine, possibly involving a lot of driving depending on your location, in bad weather. If you still love it you’ll have a more developed idea of what you want in a house there in terms of location and facilities. If you don’t like it so much you can adjust your plans before being committed.

How are you with unrelenting rain ☔️?

It rains a lot.

Grew up there. Winter days are often windy and wet and there is little to do. In London now I can do all sort at winter: museums, theatre, cinema, gym, shops, galleries. Rural Cornwall, not so much. I love it there but winters aren’t all cozy fires in lovely knitted sweaters waiting for a bright blustery walk the next day. There is mud for one thing. So much mud.

I do know of a guy who retired there and left again within a year - it was the rain, as others have said. You need to give it a try, see if it's for you.

If it's too wet, would you consider Northumberland?

Thank you - that isn’t what I wanted to hear but it is what I suspected unfortunately! Better to check the reality before we do it in order to be realistic. I agree an extended February/January stay in a holiday cottage is needed to see if those months totally put us off! Thanks again

I think is sort of depends where. If it’s to move to Falmouth or Truro then winter is a lot nicer than say the top of Bodmin moor or an old sleepy fishing village where everything is shut.

yes it rains but invest in some decent waterproofs and whilst it’s not exactly beach weather there’s still
woods and more sheltered areas to walk.

Agree with @CrushingOnRubies that Falmouth or Truro would be okay and pleasant enough, but that the sleepy villages will have a lot less appeal in January. I grew up there, but now live in the SE of the county which is better connected.

And, yes, make sure you have nice, comfortable waterproofs. They make all the difference to your quality of winter life.

The last few winters have been very wet and where we live (top of Bodmin Moor) has been very muddy. I would definitely be thinking about Truro or Falmouth. Don’t think of locating to seaside villages, thanks to second homes pretty much all of them are ghost towns outside the season. One benefit is that when you do get sunny days the beaches are empty and lovely.

We managed 7 years in Cornwall.

Wet and very windy, yes, but we expected that, as we have family there and had visited all year round. Limited and remote healthcare, winter ghost towns, no dentists, no public transport....

Summer is also a pain if you need to get anywhere- work, supermarket, doctor's surgery- tourists don't care!

But the attitude of the people there was the worst thing. So much animosity, jealously and entitlement. Maybe we were unlucky, but I know of several other people who have found the same.

We live in Devon and only really ever visit Cornwall in the winter because we love it more than in the busy summer. As long as you’re near the coast it will be amazing. Inland and I think it could be quite depressing as inland imo has a whole different vibe and lots of places are quite poverty stricken.

https://www.newquayweather.com/wxrainsummary.php

Have a look at our rainfall....

Tbh if you find a nice air BnB in say porthleven or st Agnes so a bigger seaside village. I reckon you’ll have a better time at the end of January or February than you will at the end of July or August.

The named storms that rattle through with increading regularity will rip your roof off and ruin your garden.

Rain. All the rain. Oh, and some wind too.

Ditto this. We are in Devon and have had amazing winter breaks in Cornwall but then @qotsawe are used to the rain. I grew up in the Southeast and seriously the rain in the Southwest is very different. Properly heavy and often horizontal, in a way that is so completely different to rain in the Southeast. I would also concur with the comments about mud.

Personally if I were doing it I would go near the coast and would invest in some good all/wet weather gear.

We visited in winter once and changed our future retirement plans…! You can’t enjoy clifftop walks in relentless rain and the whole place just felt dead, lots of seasonal closures. I suspected I’d die prematurely from boredom. Winters are getting wetter everywhere in the UK so I’d really think about what you want your retirement to look like. As your husband WFH anyway you might consider somewhere drier, with more going on and perhaps factor an annual couple of months in west Cornwall into your budget?

It's not for the faint hearted.

do you already live rurally, OP? If so maybe not too much of a shock. If you currently live in a big town or city, definitely rent for a winter first!

If it’s not raining the seamist will be obscuring the view!

thanks so much all - so helpful

yes we currently live a very outdoorsy life year round semi-rurally in northern UK so already used to being out in all weathers. But totally get that the rain and cloud is different (and cloud often super low!) in west cornwall

useful tips on buying close to a town like Falmouth. I get your point re ghost villages and I would find that depressing. What about st Ives? That’s our favourite town

I guess it’s not but as someone who grew up in rural Cornwall, I find that a rather strange comment. I mean I’m not an outdoorsy camping type girl at all but cows in the garden bring it on.

St Ives is hideous in the summer. Hayle is up and coming though. Penzance also worth a look.

Falmouth is nice but expensive. Penryn might be worth again up and coming and benefitted from the university.

depends what your after. Small village with pub and shop or more of a town. For a small village with a pub near Falmouth then maybe Constantine or Gweek maybe.

Helston and porthleven and out towards the lizard are ok too