COMMUNITY spirit was in full force on Monday as the Prince of Wales made his way to Boscastle as part of a tour of engagements in Devon and Cornwall.

It was a surreal day as the Post stopped off at Boscastle Farm Shop for the first part of the Prince of Wales’ royal visit to the coastal village on Monday, July 15. As part of his engagements with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, across Devon and Cornwall over the last three days, the prince’s second engagement of his trip was a visit to Boscastle, where people were out in force to greet His Royal Highness.

Prince Charles arrived as any royalty should, and with the shudder of a helicopter overhead, it wasn’t long before he could be seen making his way along the cliff path from the farm shop to the field where Will Coleman, director of Golden Tree Productions, and master hedger Shaun Williams were there to greet him.

The pair were there to show the prince their work in restoring a hedge along the cliff, similar to a number of other hedges they have been working on as part of the ‘Kerdroya: The Cornish Hedge Community Heritage Project’, which is being carried out in partnership by Golden Tree Productions (well known for their epic Man Engine project) and the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Marking 60 years of the Cornwall AONB, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project works with communities in 12 AONB sections in Cornwall — including Boscastle — to restore and celebrate the Cornish hedge. Telling the prince more was Will, who was accompanied by black labrador Morgi on the day.

He said: “Hedges are one of the oldest structures on the planet. We wanted to do something with Cornish hedges as they represent the geological diversity of Cornwall, so looked to do a project across Cornwall to pass on these skills and celebrate the humble Cornish hedge.”

There are around 30,000 miles of hedge across the county, with some hedges believed to be around 4,000 years old, making up the iconic Cornish landscape we know so well today. The project looks to connect all 12 AONBs in need of some repair with each other, providing a haven for species of insect and around 600 species of flowering plants to thrive.

Once eleven hedges can been restored and rebuilt, incorporating as many local styles as possible, the result will be a Cornwall-wide trail, with its end point being in a disused car park at Colliford Lake on Bodmin Moor, thought to be achieved by November 2020 and forming a Cornish hedging labyrinth.

With master hedger Shaun on hand to show the prince how to lay the stone, His Royal Highness was then presented with a state-of-the-art Kerdroya plaque, which are being installed into the restored hedges.

When the prince asked when the work would be started on the labyrinth, Will told him: “We’ll start building around Easter time next year, so this time next year we’ll be well into it.”

Moving away from the hedging site, the prince was guided back up to the farm shop, where he was greeted by the establishment’s owners, Robin and Jackie Haddy, and staff member Holly Olivey, who presented him with a basket of Cornish goodies to enjoy later on.

The prince then greeted the huge number of people who had poured into the garden before being driven to Boscastle harbour for the second section of his engagement.

Boscastle Farm Shop owner Robin told the Post: “It’s brilliant to have a royal visitor! We’re big fans of the royal family — I met William in Watergate Bay last year and we chatted about the football!”

Approaching the harbour, there were masses of people lining the river and bridge while Prince Charles attended a celebration of the diamond anniversary of the Cornwall AONB at the Boscastle National Trust Visitor Centre.

At 1.25pm, the prince emerged from the centre and was pleased to greet the people waiting to catch a glimpse of him, while speaking to many about the effects of the floods in the area 15 years ago.

One such lady was local resident Delia Hancock, who was seen in huge spirits waving her England flag and holding up a framed photograph of her meeting Prince Charles 15 years ago, after the Boscastle floods.

After being greeted by the prince, Delia said: “It’s amazing to see him! I’m a royalist, and a big fan of Prince Charles in particular.

“I first met him 15 years ago and it’s been two or three times now. My daughter Sarah was directly affected by the floods because she was in the Harbour Light shop, which was washed away.”

The final leg of Prince Charles’ engagement in Boscastle was the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to celebrate the 60 years of Cornwall AONB, before he departed the village at 1.35pm to the applause of residents and visitors alike.