My Favourite Places: Prussia Cove.
A short drive from Penzance, through the winding hedgerows, and past green fields full of sheep sits Prussia Cove - one of my favourite places. We often drive in the summer to camp in our van, and it really feels like we travel through time and find ourselves in an idyllic, swallows-and-amazons-esque, paradise. The rocky cove, dotted with cottages and houses - owned by the Behrens family - feels like it exists in a time vacuum. Sat right by the sea, with a selection of secret little pebbled beaches, it is tucked away and very special.
It has real meaning for me, as it is a place that has greatly influenced my work. In years gone by the privacy and intimacy of its rocky shore meant that it was the perfect place for pirates to smuggle treasures from the high seas. More recently, I have used the private cove to create treasures of my own, using it as an inspiration for my work. Its sea-worn rock pools, and beds of thick seaweed helped model the unconventional aesthetic of my pieces, and the private and far away feel of this special place always puts me into a calm and creative mindset. The settings of gemstones in my rings are based on the organic forms that can be found in rock pools there, and looking at the shapes and lines of the seaweed I can’t help but imagine them cast in gold and silver.
Some of my rock-pool inspired Gem Stone rings.
We love the little campsite; we can jump in our vintage camper van after a day at work and be in the sea swimming before the sun goes down. It isn’t far from where we live, but there is a genuine feeling that we are on holiday whenever we are there. After a weekend camping at the cove, I am always eager to get back into the studio fresh and inspired.
Its natural beauty and light inspires anyone who ventures down there, and it has nurtured creative minds for generations. Romi Behrens, who I considered a friend during my time as Director of Newlyn Art Gallery, lived there until her death in 2019 - and produced an incredible body of paintings from her studio a stones throw from Prussia’s pebbled beach. Her self-taught and expressive use of line and tone really connected with me, and I always felt a sense of understanding towards her and her work.
There are few places left that have the magical, time-travelling charm of Prussia Cove - its turquoise waters, deep grey rocks and beautiful buildings make it an incredibly special place to stay. The cove, and the cottages and houses around it are also used as a unique wedding venue - so if you like the rustic, and unconventional aesthetic of my engagement and wedding rings, I can't imagine somewhere more fitting to hold your wedding. Coastal weddings are always so beautiful, but the unique and hidden space of Prussia Cove creates an intimate atmosphere in incredible surroundings. The variety of buildings and outside spaces there make it very adaptive, there is a garden which rolls into a private beach, so ceremonies held here couldn’t really get much closer to the sea.
