Dawn Surl
Regional Qualification(s):
South West
Language(s):
English
Phone Number(s):
01726 812257, 07770 725916
Website:
Contact guide
Introduction:
I am an experienced guide based in central Cornwall - which means that I am well placed for tours all over Cornwall & also Devon, Somerset & Dorset. I qualified in 1996 & since then have led tours not only locally but also across the UK & Europe. I was instrumental in helping to organise the guided walks for the annual Daphne du Maurier Festival in Fowey which have always proved to be a very popular element of the festival. I have appeared on national & local television and radio
I love the area where I live & take immense pleasure in sharing its beauty & stories with my visitors. I like to think that my tours "edu-tain" - in other words, that I give information but in an entertaining way.
I love to show visitors around my adopted home of Cornwall & specialise in walking tours of Fowey, Truro, Plymouth as well as coach tours of Poldark country (my Poldark tour is now offered by several cruise ships visiting Falmouth).
I am available for guiding from cruise ships visiting the south west ports of Penzance, Falmouth, Fowey, Plymouth, Dartmouth & Torquay
I also have a great love of genealogy. There are a lot of Cornish emigrees worldwide & I am very happy to escort anybody wishing to trace their Cornish family history & combine it with genealogical research using my membership of various international family history associations
Personal Interests:
| Cornwall is a fascinating place. Let me help you or your group to explore either as an overview tour or more in depth |
| Folklore, History - Cornwall is steeped in mystery & I enjoy making the tales come to life |
| Literature - Poldark countryside & walks & tours based on the novels of Daphne du Maurier |
| Town walks such as Truro, Fowey or Plymouth |
| Countryside walks around the magnificent Cornish countyside either enjoying the natural beauty or ona theme |
| The moorland areas of the South West - Dartmoor & Bodmin Moor are especially interesting & I can offer guided tours of these |
| Gardens - Eden Project, Heligan Gardens, Trebah |
| Family History - so many Cornish emigrated overseas in the past 200 years. I enjoy helping people to trace their Cornish ancestry either through records or by visiting the places their ancestors came from |
| Stately Homes - incl Pencarrow, Lanhydrock, Mt Edgecumbe, Cothele |
Special Interests:
| Churches & Cathedrals | I am an approved Truro Cathedral guide but can also you you the delights of any of the Cornish churches & their churchyards |
| Castles & Palaces | St Michael's Mount |
| Folklore & Traditions | The south west - more than many other places, has a wealth of stories which I enjoy passing on |
| Food & Drink | From pasties to vineyards - we have them all here. You can learn about their history as well as sampling their delights! |
| Gardens | So many to choose from: from the modern, innovative Eden Project to the the more traditional Heligan Gardens, as an enthusiastic amateur gardener myself, I love to take people around the many diverse Cornish gardens |
| History & Prehistory | Cornwall & Devon are Ancient landscapes with so many stories to tell about the making of the place. Maybe the ancient moorlands of Penwith or those of Bodmin Moor or Dartmoor. So much to see & talk about |
| Industrial Heritage | Cornish Mining has received a surge of renewed interest thanks to recent TV series (eg Poldark). Locally to me, the Luxulyan Valley is a hidden treasure of a World Heritage site |
| Literature | Winston Graham's Poldark (both books & TV series) as well as many of Daphne du Maurier's novel are based in the Cornish countryside. I offer walks & tours based especially on these. |
| Regional Tours | Cornwall, Devon, Somerset & Dorset |
| Stately Homes & Country Houses | Pencarrow, Lanhydrock House, St Michael's Mount |
| Walking Tours | based on the novels of Daphne du Maurier & the Poldark novels. Town walks especially Fowey Truro & Plymouth. I offer weekly public walking tours of Truro |
| Genealogy | I am an experienced family history researcher belonging to all the major family history websites & would be very happy to help research family trees which extend to Cornwall & the South West and/or accompany in person any one who wishes to explore their SW heritage |
Endorsements:
Virtual Tours
Driver Guide:
No