The secluded, picture-postcard village of Clovelly clings to the steep cliff sides on the North Devon coast in England. World famous for its one winding cobbled street (yes there’s just one), it is perched perilously on the edge of a sea cliff. The views are breathtaking! Built into a cleft in that 400′ high sea cliff, the entire village is centered along that one extremely steep cobbled lane. You won’t find any cars traveling along that lane of this lovely centuries-old village, it’s pedestrian-only, so you walk down to the end of the village, and back up to the top.
Its flower-adorned cottages cascade down the cliffs to meet a curving harbor that is lined with lobster pots backed by the spectacular blue sea. Picturesque inns, bed & breakfasts, charming little shops, a few pubs and other treasures provide a rich, historic setting, with much to see and explore. Clovelly gives you the aura that it is stuck in time.
This very short introduction to Clovelly is the setting for a trip I made a couple of years ago in May to attend its annual Seaweed Festival. In addition to seaweed, Clovelly survives as a fishing village (fresh lobsters are caught daily as well as other fish), and from its tourism trade.
The Seaweed Festival is held to promote seaweed for its immense health and nutritional benefits. Found in a multitude of colors, textures, shapes and sizes, seaweed is the superfood of Superfoods for its numerous health benefits. There are over 80 commonly found edible varieties of seaweed found in this pristine coastline area.
It was a very informative festival, suitable for all (not just businesses growing, selling and manufacturing with seaweed), with talks, workshops, and demonstrations. In addition, they had live music, street entertainment and craft activities. Restaurants and pubs served a variety of dishes and stalls sold a range of seaweed products, arts and crafts. It was a pleasure meeting just a few of the 440+ residents of Clovelly who were charming and welcoming to their village.
I can still visualize the sights, sounds and splendid smell of Clovelly. It has a mystic quality to it, and I was quite inspired by both the village and the Seaweed Festival. One of my inspirations is now ready to share with you. It’s called “Clovelly Spray” and now available from Midwest Mermaid Muse.
I like to think of it as an “old world potion for modern day toxins.” Made in small batches to retain its freshness, it contains witch hazel, distilled water, seaweeds, hibiscus and essential oils. You can use it to de-stress while you sleep. Just spray on your pillow, the air around you, your skin for healing and restoration.
A few friends have been testing and using my prototype batch, and one who has been sick with sinusitis and a bad cold reports she sprays it on her pillow and sheets before she goes to bed. She now swears by it since she hasn’t had any trouble sleeping.
I would love for you to try our new product, it comes in a 2 ounce size and 4 ounce size. As our gift to you, we’re offering 30% off on each size during the introductory month of April. We hope it lulls you to sleep with dreams of ancient villages perched on seaside cliffs with the smells of flowers and sea salt drifting through the wind.
In Wellness & Beauty,
Kathleen Foland
P.S. I am not an agent for tourism for Clovelly, but I encourage you, if you ever go to England, make a side trip to this charming place – I hope you enjoyed a few of the pictures I shared, and the following video is a brief intro to the village (from the Clovelly website). There’s so much more that I didn’t share – the museums, the estate on top of the village, the gardens, the waterfall, the many other festivals, the walking trails and the donkeys!