Crantock is a small Cornish village about 3 miles south of Newquay. Although it has a lovely beach in its own right, the big attraction for photographers in this area are the Polly Joke Poppy Fields, named after the nearby cove of Polly Joke. The National Trust owns the farmland around here and have adopted a more traditional approach to farming which allows the poppies to bloom during May and June. We visited in the first week in June, and the fields were in full bloom, the most extensive range of poppies that I have ever seen.

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Location and Parking

Postcode: TR8 5SE

From the north, follow the main A30 road and turn off onto the A39, heading towards Newquay. After 1 mile, turn left at a roundabout onto the A392, still heading for Newquay. After 6 miles, turn left onto the A3075, then take the second right onto a minor road leading to Crantock. Continue through the village onto the West Pentire road, and continue for a mile to the small hamlet of West Pentire. There are two car parks reached by turning left or right off the West Pentire road.

From the south, it is probably best to turn off the A30 at Chiverton Cross onto the A3075 and follow the road for 8.5 miles. Turn left onto a minor road signposted to Crantock, then join the above route just before reaching Crantock village.

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The Poppy Fields

To reach the poppy fields, follow the path west out of West Pentire and the first poppy field soon comes into view.  The first field is mostly hidden behind a wall and hedges and when we visited there was no access to this field, so it is difficult to photograph, except through the gate in the corner of the field.

Although there was no access to the first field, there were paths around some of the other fields. It is not allowed to walk through the poppy fields, however it is possible to get close-up shots of the poppies from the paths. With so may flowers filling the image, it is useful to find some other flower to act as a focal point.

It is also worthwhile going in close to pick out a single flower.

Polly Joke Cove

If the path is continued towards the sea, the small cove of Polly Joke comes into view.

There is a very attractive small beach at the cove, with a few rocks and wild flowers to add interest.

The short walk can be continued around the headland of West Pentire, which has a profusion of wild flowers. The small island out to sea is known as The Goose.

Keep an eye out for butterflies, moths or other insects amongst the wild flowers.

Although the coastline and wild flowers are attractive, it is the poppy fields in May and June that is the real star for visiting photographers, so here is one last image of the poppies to finish on.

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