Apart from enjoying a little more sunshine, do we really need to cross the Channel to see stunning architecture and spectacular scenery, appreciate great heritage and culture and to enjoy tasty local food and drink? 

That was the thinking behind a quick trip down to Cornwall to take in the wonder of St Michael’s Mount, which, of course, has its French counterpart, Mont St Michel, sitting just on the Normandy side of the Brittany/Normandy coastline. 

St Michael’s Mount is so called because St Michael (the patron saint of fishermen) is said to have appeared on the west side of the island to ward off fishermen from the peril of the rocks.

There are also tales of a giant making it his base, and that it is the crossing of ancient ley lines. After the Norman conquest it was the monks from Mont St Michel that built the church and the priory. The mount is also home to a castle and a terraced sub-tropical garden, as well as a village. 

It looks rather splendid standing just off the Cornish coast opposite the town of Marazion, especially around midday when the sun sits right behind it. 

Motorhomes should approach Marazion from the west, where you will come across two spacious car parks offering great views of the Mount. The station car park is pay and display and has a café and toilets, the second is Folley Field car park where, luckily for us, parking was free until the end of March.

The Marazion slipway car park is just a little too snug for anything larger than a campervan. And be warned that there are a couple of tight corners to negotiate if you decide to drive through Marazion or to approach the car parks from the east. 

Visiting the mount you can walk across the cobbled causeway if the tide allows, or take a boat ride into the Mount’s sheltered harbour, and you will need stout shoes to explore the castle and the terraced gardens. Make sure you check tide times before setting out across the sand.