As the days draw in and the nights get longer it can be all too easy to slip into hibernation mode and close the curtains on great things to do in Cornwall. Go on, shake off the blanket and learn something new this autumn…

Learn to cook
Become a bit of an expert in the kitchen by learning all there is to know about preparing and cooking the fresh seafood landed on the quay right outside celebrity chef Rick Stein’s cookery school in Padstow. Considered one of the best cookery schools in the UK, even the kids can get stuck into some serious gastronomic tuition on a special half-day course.
rickstein.com

Learn to survive in the wild
Unleash the intrepid explorer in you or at least learn how to survive in the wild if you ever get the chance to be one. Leave the comfort of your squidgy armchair and come face to face with nature on a survival course deep in the backwoods of Cornwall. Instructors will give you challenging situations to get yourself out of whilst guiding you on how to navigate unfamiliar territory, build a camp for the night, make fire and even trap for food.
penhaleadventure.com

Learn to paint
Discover the Van Gogh, Manet or even that underlying Dali streak in you by capturing the gorgeous Cornish autumn countryside in a painting. World renowned for decades as a centre for art, Cornwall has plenty of artists who willingly share their knowledge and skills at painting courses throughout the year. What could be better than learning how to capture the amazing light and scenery of Cornwall exactly where some of the greatest painters of the 19th and 20th century lived and worked?
newlynartschool.co.uk

Learn to ride
While your horse chomps the grass sit high in the saddle and take in the autumn views on one of scores of organised treks available right across the county. There’s nothing quite like trotting along a cliff path on an autumn’s day, galloping thorough the surf on a sandy beach or trekking across a misty moor. Exploring the ancient bridleways and back roads of Cornwall is a great way to see the countryside up close and to discover parts to the county that you miss behind the wheel of your car.
hallagenna.co.uk

Learn to forage
If you want to get back to nature and are up for a bit of foraging in the hedgerows of Cornwall then at the Wild Food School based in Lostwithiel they will teach you all about edible wild plants and how to cook them. The nettle and ground elder gazpacho soup at your next dinner party is sure to be a hit.
wildfoodschool.co.uk

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