Places that inspired my writing 3

When writing THE LOVEDAY SERIES obviously most of my inspiration came from places in Cornwall but the place outside of that wonderful county that gave me the most information and inspiration for the Loveday shipyard Trevowan Hard was based on my many visits to the New Forest and the fabulous museum at Bucklers Hard near Beaulieu.  If you amalgamate the picture of the model of ships being built and the picture below of the shipwrights cottages spreading down to the river iy would be very much the image I used for the Loveday shipyard on the inlet of the River Fowey. 

When creating the village of Penruan it became a mixture of the fishing villages of Polperro, Mevagissy and Port Isaac. The picture below is of Polperro and I love the museum of smuggling here that also gave me so much information about life in 18th century Cornwall.

As the estate of Trevowan and the Loveday shipyard were near to Fowey many of the scenes in the novels were set in Fowey (picture above) and it is another beautiful place that conveys the atmosphere and history of Cornwall. It is on the estuary of the River Fowey.

Truro is the County Town of Cornwall and again was a place that the Lovedays would have often visited and features in the novels.
 

          And doesn't this picture make you feel that you have stepped back in time. It is of Charlestown and on every visit I was lucky enough to see one of the tall ships moored at its quay.  Again it is a place full of historical interest and atmosphere and a great favourite of mine.  As its location near to St Austell - and also close to where my fictional setting of Penruan - it features in at least two of the Loveday books.            

    For me this picture of Bodmin moor is th emost evocative of  all the untamed wildness and mystery of Cornwall.  And I used Bodmin Moor to dramatic effect in several of scenes in the Loveday series.     I hope these last three blogs on the inspiration behind some of my novels have helped to bring them alive to my readers - especially to those living abroad.  They are all worthy of a great day out if you are looking for your own inspiration or  just seeking a day out full of atmosphere and nostalgia.